Verizon Nexus One has no GSM!

[Yahma]

Looking at the updated (fixed) specs released by Verizon, looks like the Verizon version of the Nexus One has foregone a GSM radio. (perhaps to save money?)

Therefore the Verizon flavor of the Nexus One is no longer a World Phone like the current Nexus One, and will only work on one carrier (verizon) in the USA. The T-Mobile version will work in most European 3g frequencies as well as the AT&T frequencies at EDGE speed.

Anyone else see this as a complete let-down of the Verizon version of the Nexus One?

 

[doogald]

To be honest, this is exactly what I expected - a CDMA only Verizon phone.

 

[jd914]

Most verizon nexus one owners aren't going to care if the nexus one has gsm or not.

 

[mobilemedic20]

Most Verizon phones aren't world phones - it's a different technology than the rest of the world uses. T-Mobile is only a "world phone" in so far as it uses the standard GSM technology - it's not designed or marketed that way, it's just a consequence of how it's made.

I personally don't care if the Nexus 1 has GSM. It'd be nice, I guess, but when I go out of the country, it's usually for pleasure/vacation, and I don't need my phone to be working (or want it to be working, in general!).

 

[Jeremy]

Agree with everyone else, this should come to no surprise.

 

[pmdied]

I rarely travel outside of my county for business, let alone the country. Just excited to see it coming to VZW

 

[gvillager]

I wasn't expecting it to be a world phone. I just reactivate my Storm for when I travel over seas.

 

[YourMobileGuru]

To be honest, this is exactly what I expected - a CDMA only Verizon phone.

I don't believe there are any Android CDMA/GSM hybrid "World Phone"'s yet. Not sure why anyone would expect them to be. BlackBerry is really the only one making any amount of them and that's because they are aimed at business users who need that functionality. Android, while certainly usable for business, is really marketed more toward consumers.

I would think that if any of the current Android devices were to be that way it would have been the Droid since the Milestone is essentially the same phone with GSM radios in it; would have been a relatively simple matter to include both radios but honestly they probably didn't see the point, and it would have ramped up the manufacturing cost.

 

[eth555]

It was to expected this way? Where did you hear that the N1 was going to be a World Phone? Also as mobilemedic20 stated the GSM N1 is not truly a world phone.

 

[tamanaco]

I'd be disappointed if the version of the Nexus One for Verizon does not have GSM. At $500+ I'd much rather have a true World Phone "like" the Verizon Imagio (CDMA & GSM) which is also manufactured by HTC. I understand the the Imagio is not an Android phone, but once the Verizon N1 is out... HTC would have already manufactured both GSM and CDMA Android phones for the US market. Having both GSM and CDMA on an Android phone "like" the N1 shouldn't be a big leap for Verizon... they've already collaborated with HTC to build an exclusive (CDMA & GSM) WM World phone.

 

[Walis]

Never expected it to be a world phone.

 

[tamanaco]

Never expected it to be a world phone.

I hear you... but almost by default most GSM phones "are" world phones. In a way Verizon acknowledged this issue when it put out the CDMA & GSM Imagio (which Verizon labeled as a true world phone) to please some of their corporate clients. Given that most Asian and European countries use GSM... business that require international travel from their workforce are usually choosing GSM cell phone vendors. If expensive phones like the N1 are adopted by corporate clients it can result in a considerable number of corporate plan sales. As you said... it is not expected... but a little bit of out-of-the-box thinking could make the Verizon N1 a winner. Excellent reception at home with the flexibility to use the same phone abroad.

 

[STC09]

Disappointing and annoying but not unexpected. I'm looking forward to LTE and the ability to use the same smartphone globally.

Unless Verizon finds a way to screw that up too.

 

[Yahma]

It was to expected this way? Where did you hear that the N1 was going to be a World Phone? Also as mobilemedic20 stated the GSM N1 is not truly a world phone.

The GSM N1 (currently being sold for T-Mobile) is about as close to a World Phone as you are going to get. It supports 2.5g (EDGE) and VOICE everywhere in the World. It supports UTMS/HSPDA 3g data Frequencies in the USA, Europe, parts of Canada as well as parts of Asia, as well as EDGE in the rest of North and South America. It is unlocked and uses a standard SIM card that can be used with any carrier in the World. Basically, the phone is usable for Voice and 3G or EDGE data everywhere in the World.

Compare that to the CDMA N1 (coming to Verizon), which will only support CDMA of a single US carrier. HTC could have added a GSM chipset to the CDMA N1 to make it as usable as the current GSM Nexus One. Its been done before in the Verizon Imagio and Blackberry series, but for whatever reason, HTC decided against it for the CDMA Nexus One.