iPhone on Sprint

[facialcrunch]

Hello,

I know in the past an unlocked iPhone could not run on the sprint network. Is this still the case? I have a 3G running OS 3.0 that's unlocked and I'd like to run it on sprint.

Thank you.

[satch2501]

Sprint is CDMA while the iPhone is GSM so no you can't run the iPhone on Sprint.

[i.Annie]

Sprint is CDMA while the iPhone is GSM so no you can't run the iPhone on Sprint.

Means iPhone requires a SIM card. Sprint has no SIM cards... that applies to Verizon too.

[asher73]

My friends are moving to sprint. They were told that the only sim they have is the for blackberry pearl. Having worked on bbs on tmobile, for the past two years I know that the sims are interchangable between a pearl and anyother bb device that uses a sim card. What I do not know is if sprint has come up with something different for their sim cards since changing to be solely cdma. Can anyone provide any insight? thank you guys, happy new year!!!!

[i.Annie]

I thought the blackberry SIMs on Sprint were made for international use. Meaning Sprint allows for a SIM when traveling so you may use their services as international in foreign phones?

[asher73]

That would make it easier for international use for sure. But would they get charged extra or differently for the sim being international? The iPhone is partially meant to be used internationally as it is. But isn't a sim card, no matter if it is international, still a sim card and can be used as such?

[Cer0]

CDMA is basically a US thing, and small parts of Asia. It is different "radios", sort of like how T-Mobile and AT&T have different 3G freqency so you cannot use 3G but can use the EDGE.

Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards: In the United States only GSM phones use SIM cards. The removable SIM card allows phones to be instantly activated, interchanged, swapped out and upgraded, all without carrier intervention. The SIM itself is tied to the network, rather than the actual phone. Phones that are card-enabled can be used with any GSM carrier.

The CDMA equivalent, a R-UIM card, is only available in parts of Asia but remains on the horizon for the U.S. market. CDMA carriers in the U.S. require proprietary handsets that are linked to one carrier only and are not card-enabled. To upgrade a CDMA phone, the carrier must deactivate the old phone then activate the new one. The old phone becomes useless.

Source: What is the Difference Between GSM and CDMA?

[i.Annie]

I'm not sure that's the topic of concern at this point ^^

Anyway, in regards to the international thing I'm actually not quite sure I'm just curious. Although, I'd be deathly afraid of being charged international rates. I feel like some sort of international plan must be applied to the SIM. That's just my opinion tho but who are we to ask for some facts lol.

[GenesisDH]

The Sprint and Verizon international SIMs only find usable signal outside the US (they're blocked from working in the US by Sprint/Verizon), so they'd only be useful if you're traveling abroad.

As such, they'd be subject to highly expensive roaming rates while used away from the US and are inactive while in the US (they'd show 'No Service').

Pretty much, this means no iPhone on Sprint or Verizon in the US, and really not worth it outside the US.