GSM vs CDMA (International Phone) Help

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Level 1

8 points

GSM vs CDMA (International Phone) Help

Hi, I will be in the US for the next 10 months, but then I am going to be moving to Kampala, Uganda. My current contract is up, so I am about to sign up with either Verizon or AT&T and get the new iPhone 6 Plus. I am wondering what would serve me better for when I move to Uganda, and plan to purchase a sim card over there with one of their top LTE carriers like Orange or Smile.

I don't know all the differences between GSM and CDMA, but I want to make sure I choose the right one (AT&T-GSM vs Verizon-CDMA), that will allow me to use my 6 Plus in Uganda with a new sim card...

I'm not very well versed in all of the tech jargon of "unlocking" phones, and that, so any help here would be great!

Posted on Oct 8, 2014 7:53 PM

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Answer 1

3Boomer4 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 8, 2014 9:20 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Based on this page from Apple, it appears that both 6 Plus models (1522 & 1524) support the 800MHz band.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

It does appear that the 1524 Model is has more international options...so maybe I look at getting the phone through Sprint...?

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Answer 2

Oct 8, 2014 8:08 PM in response to 3Boomer4

Verizon iPhones are unlocked. To the best of my knowledge, AT&T will only unlock phones it they are no longer under contract. The fact that Verizon also uses CDMA is irrelevant in this case. You'll need to check which LTE bands your carrier in Uganda uses and compare them to the bands available on the Verizon and AT&T versions.

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Answer 3

3Boomer4 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 8, 2014 8:26 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Thanks, not sure this is what you are saying, but after looking at what one of the top LTE providers in Uganda runs on, their website says: "Smile Communications applied for extra spectrum and begun rolling out a Long Term Evaluation (LTE) network in the 800MHz band in Kampala."

So are you saying that the "800MHz" is what I need to be looking for when buying my new phone here in the US?

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Answer 4

Oct 8, 2014 8:58 PM in response to 3Boomer4

3Boomer4 wrote:

So based on your 1st post, "Verizon does not lock their phones," so my best bet would be to go with the Verizon 6 Plus...?

My first post said "Verizon phones are unlocked." In this case, it means the same thing but, if you're going to quote some, you should be accurate. 🙂

I don't know what bands either the AT&T or Verizon phones support. You'll need to determine that. You should also consult AT&T about their unlocking policy.

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