[Touchpaddle]

what are the chances that Verizon will update the S3 with GSM capability by end of this year?
(and no, please don't say I can root and flash a different rom, which is prohibited by company IT dept)

I just really don't like carrying two smartphones whenever I'm on a business trip outside of the US.


Thanks!

[BryEDS]

Really? Wow ...

GSM is based on a radio ... aka hardware ... not software

[piizzadude]

The answer is no I believe. The Rezound is still waiting and it was promised 6+ months ago...

[Dog5000]

Are you perhaps thinking of Global Roaming? Here's a few discussions that may help.
Global Phone?
Global Roaming on S3 like Verizon will do
I appreciate what you're wanting to do. Traveling with fewer devices and all of the stuff that goes with them helps if you are trying to travel light. Not sure where you travel internationally, but for me Verizon global roaming worked well when in UK and Ireland. I was careful to keep data roaming off, and found that voice and SMS were more than enough during the day to stay in touch. Granted I was using a Blackberry Tour at the time and if I recall correctly it was quad band capable. When in Asia I purchased a prepaid SIM and used that with a low end feature phone, however that was a few years back and I'd probably bring my S3 along anyway today just for the camera and using apps+VoIP over trusted WiFi. So unless you have to have data access while on international business you may be able to get along just fine using known good WiFi.
Now, if if had to travel internationally more frequently though I might just get a Blackberry 9930 as that is a decent 4G device, is lightweight, and with a smaller form factor is lower profile. It's a true quad band device as well, and if unlocked you could just use local providers plans by swapping out the SIM. Again, just depends on how much you want or require full data access.

[Touchpaddle]

The answer is no I believe. The Rezound is still waiting and it was promised 6+ months ago...

good point... I forgot about the Rezound. I just figured that the S3 is a more popular phone, it will get GSM enabled faster.
(who am I kidding? It's Verizon!)

Wish I have permission to root my S3... not bloody likely.
or else I could have followed these directions ages ago:

[piizzadude]

good point... I forgot about the Rezound. I just figured that the S3 is a more popular phone, it will get GSM enabled faster.
(who am I kidding? It's Verizon!)

Wish I have permission to root my S3... not bloody likely.
or else I could have followed these directions ages ago:

Yeah I was gonna point you to those very instructions but saw you couldn't root.

The razr line was very popular, unlike the rezound, and it took them a long time after the announcement too...

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[potatolover1102]

I see no reason why they wouldn't with the jelly bean update. Also a snide comment about it being hardware and not software is pointless and flat wrong! This phone has the hardware and it is only software at this point to get it to work

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Android Central Forums

[piizzadude]

I see no reason why they wouldn't with the jelly bean update. Also a snide comment about it being hardware and not software is pointless and flat wrong! This phone has the hardware and it is only software at this point to get it to work

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Android Central Forums

That is what we said with the ics update for the rezound.... Seriously. Same exact boat. Hardware is there, vzw just has to implement it.

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