Jamaican iphone!!!!! cdma?

I believe Japan also uses CDMA and the iPhone is available there. But I guess its not the same CDMA that Verizon is using.

From Engadget:
": It seems that MiPhone might be branding its GSM 850 network as Claro, which would match up with branding corporate parent America Movil uses throughout much of Latin America. Where this leaves MiPhone's CDMA network is unclear, but needless to say, we don't think there's a CDMA iPhone in the cards. Thanks, everyone!"

Also Japan is not CDMA. The iphone is GSM only.

Message was edited by: roaminggnome

It is because the iPhone also support UMTS which Japan and probably Jamaica supports.


Glor

Japan is definitely CDMA. that is why they couldn't get the original iPhone. With the new iPhone supporting UMTS, it is now compatible there.

Glor

I read that SoftBank uses WCDMA

Ok, check this out:

iPhone launching on a CDMA carrier in Jamaica -- huh?
by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 16th 2008 at 4:57PM

Last time we checked, the iPhone 3G was GSM through and through -- four bands of GSM / EDGE plus three bands of UMTS / HSDPA, to be exact. So how exactly is it that an exclusively CDMA carrier, Jamaica's MiPhone, could be carrying it? Even MiPhone's international roaming agreements are all with CDMA carriers (Alltel, MetroPCS, Sprint, and Verizon in the States, for example) so it's pretty freaking unclear how -- or what -- they plan to launch down there. We've cooked up a few possibilities for how this could play out:
MiPhone has negotiated a roaming agreement with a GSM carrier in Jamaica. Doesn't seem like there would be any way to profit from this arrangement, though, since iPhone customers would be roaming 100 percent of the time.
They didn't get the memo that "WCDMA" doesn't mean "CDMA". Just imagine the blushing execs!
Unlocked iPhone 3Gs will simply be offered through MiPhone stores for use on other networks.
There's a mysterious CDMA version of the iPhone waiting in the wings. Doubtful. Very, very doubtful.
CDMA support secretly lurks inside each and every iPhone 3G. Again, doubtful.
We're working to figure out what the heck is going on here; we'll update you once we know.


[Thanks, L8on]

Update: It seems that MiPhone might be branding its GSM 850 network as Claro, which would match up with branding corporate parent America Movil uses throughout much of Latin America. Where this leaves MiPhone's CDMA network is unclear, but needless to say, we don't think there's a CDMA iPhone in the cards. Thanks, everyone!

ok let's play devil's advocate and just say that the phone IS CDMA. If you unlocked the phone, Verizon DOESN'T use SIM cards, so activations have to be completed through their retail stores. Do you honestly think Verizon would activate an iPhone 3G (out of country no less! AND unlocked) for use on their network? They hardly even let you activate THEIR OWN phones that are old/used.

Message was edited by: howardmk

howardmk wrote:
Do you honestly think Verizon would activate an iPhone 3G (out of country no less! AND unlocked) for use on their network?

If they looked at it from the perspective of "These people are practically duplicating the perils of an Indiana Jones ancient temple to get on our network!" then I expect verizon would welcome them.
If they looked at it from the persepective of "Apple is an enemy just because they have a temporary business alliance with our competition!" then verizon would turn their nose up at an iPhone on their system.

Personally, I think they all should do their best to be as welcoming of new handsets as possible. It's the network that provides the continuous revenue with relatively little additional developement; while the handset manufacturers such as apple and nokia and motoroll have to continually sink money into developement and design. For the networks to accept all options only maximizes their possible customer base, and which network company doesn't want a huge list of people it can sign up? (rhetorical question 😉 )

Hmmm... Anyone else imagine a scene of indiana jones running through a temple, dodging spears and flaming arrows and huge boulders and snakes to get to a verizon store, where he holds up an iphone and says "sign me up" ?