Will iphone 6 work with both cdma and gms?

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Will iphone 6 work with both cdma and gms?

Seems to be a lot of different opinions about the capability of the iphone to work on BOTH GMS and CDMA networks. Some say impossible. Some say yes with simple change of sim card. Some say only if "unlocked". Some say if phone has two antennas (one for GMS and one for CDMA). I'm particularly interested as I currently have an iphone 5 (Verizon CDMA but 2 year contract ending) and want to explore options for future service at a reduced rate (no contract services such as Straight Talk, etc).

I would appreciate hearing from people with actual first hand experience.

iPhone 5, iOS 8.1.3

Posted on Mar 5, 2015 4:46 AM

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Answer 1

Aug 12, 2017 9:27 AM in response to fharris770

Took my 5s to totalwireless and cut my bill in half with more data. I get 8 gig a month for two phones and pay $63 a month via a auto pay feature that cuts 5% off I believe. Total wireless is a straight talk company I think but only support cdma phones. Available at Walmart

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Answer 2

Mar 5, 2015 4:53 AM in response to fharris770

The iPhone 6 CDMA versions all come with GSM radios and capabilities...HOWEVER, not all CDMA models can utilize both radios. The Verizon model comes with the GSM radio unlocked as a result of an FCC condition imposed on Verizon when they applied for expanded frequency allocation a couple years ago. The version sold by Apple as a no-contract T-Mobile iPhone 6 is supposed to be unlocked, but not the version sold by T-Mobile themselves.

So the answer is yes and no...depends on which provider's CDMA iPhone 6 you buy whether or not the GSM side will be unlocked or not.

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Answer 3

fharris770 Author

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Mar 5, 2015 5:00 AM in response to Ralph Landry1

Thanks for the quick reply. So, if I purchase a iphone 6 from Verizon or Apple I could use it on either network by switching the sim card?

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Answer 4

Mar 5, 2015 5:14 AM in response to fharris770

It is supposed to work, but before purchasing, talk to an Apple store genius bar person and be sure the unlocked GSM will work with a US company. Of course, you will have to have an account which means paying twice for service unless you are going to buy a non-contract, full price iPhone 6.

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