Switch between CDMA and GSM Iphone 5

Verizon only lets you use GSM when you are on roaming.

FYI:

For the iPhone 5, Verizon must leave the GSM slot unlocked, per prior agreement with the FCC. Thus, a Verizon iPhone 5 can, in fact, be used on any GSM network, including AT&T's. The only catch is that you can't get a Verizon iPhone 5 without first activating it for service with Verizon.

Oh, thanks. This is new with the iPhone 5, right?

Yep. Verizon had to agree to do so when they acquired new spectrum, & the FCC is holding them to that agreement. So, technically(on the GSM side), all Verizon iPhone 5's are officially unlocked.

Got it. So after a 2-year contract, one could go over to AT&T?

Yep. Check this link out. It explains the little Verizon feature for iPhone 5. 🙂

Yep, or pay full price, without contract, activate with Verizon, cancel Verizon, then switch to AT&T. Obviously doesn't make much sense to do this, but is possible. You will lose LTE as well.

I know exactly what you are trying to do. When you travel overseas and are using a foreign sim, you don't want to have to insert and remove the Sim each trip. Lavng the sim in means GSM takes priority which is not good when you are back home.

The answer is unfortunately no. There is no setting that allows you to swap between CDMA and GSM in iOS6 or any previous software version.

Those microsims are incredibly easy to lose too...

And nano sims are even easier to lose...

OK, what's the chance of this feature forthcoming (i.e. don't have to remove the SIM)? Thx.

A SOLUTION: cut another corner and insert the nano-SIM upside-down, and keep a SIM card ejection tool on your key ring or tape one to your phone's case or both.

Adam, and anyone else who like us, was hoping that there were a software based method that would allow iPhone 5 users the option of toggling between Verizon (or other CDMA carrier) and whatever other SIM Card based GSM carrier we have inserted/installed into our SIM tray.

For myself, I have a SIM card with the "Minutes" type of plan, specifically the minutes plan that gives 2000 minutes for $100, which is good for one year. This is my backup network.

Since I do not need a SIM for the CDMA network that I use as my primary network, my SIM slot is empty (I am not running LTE, only 3G).

So, in order to be able to switch my handset from one carrier to the other, which would be most helpful in the event of a system failure on my primary carrier I can switch over to my "backup/gsm network; it would be very, very nice to be able to toggle between the two networks, (like in the old days where we could simply select either the 'A' {non-wireline} or the 'B' {wireline} carrier/network) by simply pressing a couple-few buttons. It is funny to me to actually realize my old "Brick" phone actually had a feature lacking on my iPhone 5.

This would have been great during hurricane Sandy when my Verizon service was (literally) dead in the water for several days. And, there is always the possibility of a cell site going down on the primary network, again.

Yochannan wrote:

Since I do not need a SIM for the CDMA network that I use as my primary network, my SIM slot is empty (I am not running LTE, only 3G).

An iPhone 5 requires an LTE SIM to work on Verizon. So, to switch to GSM, you'd need to remove the Verizon SIM and put in a GSM SIM.

Not if you pick up an iPhone 5 sold for "Straight Talk"; the LTE is disabled, hence no sim needed. The only straight talk iPhone 5's requiring a sim are those sold for use on AT&T's network. The carrier banner on both versions say "TFW". They can also be loaded onto mvno's which otherwise won't allow 4G / LTE.