GSM vs. CDMA in USA

[be7]

I am among the "The Waiting", waiting for Verizon to offer the Treo 650. Ideally I would like to get a GSM Treo 650 through Verizon, but I have recently heard several nightmare stories about GSM in the United States. Is it really ready for use, or will I get my GSM phone and join "The Troubled". When travelling internationally, I would like to bring my Treo 650, and hopefully continue to do internationally what I do here at home. Are there any GSM phone users out there? Your comments would be helpful. Thanks.

[joeld]

I currently have a Treo 600 on T-mobile. It's works great on the GSM network. Will also roam off to other networks. Works perfect overseas too. Will automatically select the correct frequency band.

[k_dayan]

I thought Verizon didn't offer GSM?

[mimarshall]

Verizon has the same network as Sprint does. CDMA1x the difference is CDMA is twice as fast as GSM. GSM is 70kbps and CDMA1x is 144kbps. The only good thing about GSM is you can take it overseas and GSM phones use SIM cards to store account info and your phone book on them. The companies that have GSM are building CDMA networks now called WCDMA/UMTS and the ones that have CDMA1x are building CDMA1x EV-DO. This is what technology wireless phones use in Japan. Both are high speed data networks with data speeds up to 2.4mbps. They will be out by the end of 2005 in USA. So dont get to attached to your current device what ever it may be, it will be a paper weight in a year.

[ssporter]

If I understand what you are saying, it may be best to wait until the end of 2005 if I want to get a Treo that works outside the US for phone and data service. We currently have two Treo 600's with Sprint but would like to get 600's or 650's from T-Mobile to allow use in Europe, South and Central America, and the Caribbean. We don't anticipate travel to Japan or Asia. What are our best options, in your opinion - get a 600 from T-Mobile now, wait and get a 650 from T-Mobile later, or wait until later this year and get something as yet undefined from another provider?

[chris]

I would say it's safe to say that a 650 will be released on T-Mobile in the next few months. If you don't anticipate travelling in that span, than I would recommend waiting the 650. Take advantage of the discount you receive when signing a new phone contract and get the latest & greatest...which is the 650.

I've never been a big fan of T-Mobile. What about AT&T/Cingular?

[mimarshall]

If i was going to buy a GSM treo 650 and didnt mind the slow data speed I would go for cingular only because their coverage is greater than T-mobiles.

Cingulars should be out around feb or march