cmdshft Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 Verizon Wireless plans to open its network to devices other than the ones hand-picked by the company, a move that could expand the features available on mobile phones and give the second-largest U.S. wireless carrier a response to a phone software project led by Google Inc. The decision, announced Tuesday, means that customers would be able to buy devices of their own choosing and run them on Verizon's network. Traditionally, wireless providers like Verizon let customers pick only carrier-approved devices, with carrier-approved software features. Full Story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soündless Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 sweet jesus yes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahbau Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 Wait...you mean I would be able to buy a phone that didn't have every feature disabled by Verizon? It's about time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUKKU Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 yeah verizon is paying lip service, but good luck finding a cdma phone that's not locked to either verizon or sprint in the US. I can find unlocked GSM phones all day long on and offline but not an unlocked CDMA phone. I think this is more for their 4G plans, since they're going with LTE like most of the world instead of Wimax. If VZW is giong to play nice with a global standard they need to open up more, so better now than later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmdshft Posted November 28, 2007 Author Share Posted November 28, 2007 yeah verizon is paying lip service, but good luck finding a cdma phone that's not locked to either verizon or sprint in the US. I can find unlocked GSM phones all day long on and offline but not an unlocked CDMA phone. By law, if you purchase a phone from another service provider, they are supposed to provide you with the unlock codes. Technically, AT&T is in violation of this law, by not providing unlock codes for the iPhone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandmanfvrga Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 I hope Verizon is serious and the FCC needs to smack Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T Mobile and make them abide by the law. I think we should have CDMA and GSM and then you can buy a phone and go where you want, as long as the phone works with the towers. This would make phones GSM and CDMA in the future. This tied to a carrier is bullcrap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUKKU Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 By law, if you purchase a phone from another service provider, they are supposed to provide you with the unlock codes. Technically, AT&T is in violation of this law, by not providing unlock codes for the iPhone. cite the law that requires carriers to unlock your phone please there's an exception to the DMCA currently (2006-2009) that allows a user to unlock their phone, but there's nothing in there that says the provider has to help the user out. besides, go unlock a verizon phone. who are you going to move to? AT&T and t-mobile can't help you since they're gsm networks and verizon is cdma, most other regional-level carriers are gsm (i.e. suncom, metropcs), sprint is cdma but won't allow an unlocked verizon phone on their network, so that leaves you with MAYBE alltel (I couldn't tell you whether they'll let you use a verizon phone or not, alltel doesn't service any area within 300 miles of me). verizon's move is good for verizon customers who want to remove their {censored} UIs from those devices and go back to stock or modified firmwares. for anybody else it's pretty much business as usual. This would make phones GSM and CDMA in the future. They already have those and they cost like $600, the only people who use them are stupid international travelers who don't have the sense to go with a gsm-only phone in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLiDE FTW!!1 Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 They already have those and they cost like $600, the only people who use them are stupid international travelers who don't have the sense to go with a gsm-only phone in the first place. Because GMA providers gouge in comparison to CDMA providers. Well, that's how it is in Canada, at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUKKU Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 Because GMA providers gouge in comparison to CDMA providers. Well, that's how it is in Canada, at least. Prices in the US are similar for either one but cdma gets better reviews on average for coverage outside of big cities. And cdma pretty much doesn't exist in europe. CDMA is pretty common in korea though, if those phones can be made to work on verizon it could make for a nice import market. And canada pretty much sucks for mobile phones overall, it's one of the few countries I can think of that's worse off than the us in that regard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmdshft Posted November 30, 2007 Author Share Posted November 30, 2007 cite the law that requires carriers to unlock your phone please Read some of the news articles about the iPhone here, kthx. That's how I knew about it. there's an exception to the DMCA currently (2006-2009) that allows a user to unlock their phone, but there's nothing in there that says the provider has to help the user out. besides, go unlock a verizon phone. who are you going to move to? AT&T and t-mobile can't help you since they're gsm networks and verizon is cdma, most other regional-level carriers are gsm (i.e. suncom, metropcs), sprint is cdma but won't allow an unlocked verizon phone on their network, so that leaves you with MAYBE alltel (I couldn't tell you whether they'll let you use a verizon phone or not, alltel doesn't service any area within 300 miles of me). verizon's move is good for verizon customers who want to remove their {censored} UIs from those devices and go back to stock or modified firmwares. for anybody else it's pretty much business as usual. They already have those and they cost like $600, the only people who use them are stupid international travelers who don't have the sense to go with a gsm-only phone in the first place. I wouldn't unlock a Verizon Wireless based cell anyway, all the other networks suck in comparison anyway. I'd be wanting to unlock some other phone and take it to Verizon, like perhaps the iPhone if it ever adopts CDMA, or if Verizon ever adopts SIM and GSM/3G. Also, the Verizon Wireless user interface is not {censored}. If anyone says that Verizon cripples the phone, they have no {censored} idea of what they are talking about. First of all, ALL carriers "cripple" their phones, but selecting only parts of whats capable and then writing software which supports it. The exception, technically, is the iPhone. The only ones who cripples phones are the people who try to mod their phones and like a retard, brick them, or just don't know how to get around things to get it to work a certain way. Period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUKKU Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Read some of the news articles about the iPhone here, kthx. That's how I knew about it. Nice handwaving. I asked you to find the law that supports your claim and you can't? If you're spouting this "carriers must unlock your phone" line you should know where to find it right? Here's support for my claim that an individual can unlock his/her phone under a DMCA exception, but the carrier isn't required to do anything to help: http://www.copyright.gov/1201/docs/1201_recommendation.pdf Also, the Verizon Wireless user interface is not {censored}. If anyone says that Verizon cripples the phone, they have no {censored} idea of what they are talking about. First of all, ALL carriers "cripple" their phones, but selecting only parts of whats capable and then writing software which supports it. The exception, technically, is the iPhone. The only ones who cripples phones are the people who try to mod their phones and like a retard, brick them, or just don't know how to get around things to get it to work a certain way. Period. Nearly every verizon customer I've met complains about their phones not being very usable, and I have a hunch it's because of verizon's custom UIs. As a matter of fact, network coverage is about the only plus I've heard from verizon customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmdshft Posted November 30, 2007 Author Share Posted November 30, 2007 Nearly every verizon customer I've met complains about their phones not being very usable, and I have a hunch it's because of verizon's custom UIs. As a matter of fact, network coverage is about the only plus I've heard from verizon customers. I'm a Verizon customer, and like i said, all those other VZW customers obviously either don't know jack {censored} about how to actually use a cell phone, like to complain, or otherwise. A fine example about my argument about this is the fact that before my VX-8500 I had a Motorola Razr, which you know is a multi-carrier phone. Now, ignoring the fact that it's a {censored} phone to start with because of it's design, the phone otherwise ran delicious on Verizon's system, but when I would use my (now ex) girlfriend's Razr, which was on Cingular/AT&T, the user interface was horrendous, and even worse at the capabilities. I would send her picture messages, which had to be at the lowest settings on my Razr in order for her to even get them to display on hers. So while I am out enjoying 1280x920 resolution, she is cursing herself to a measly 320xsomething. Verizon doesn't cripple the phones. All they do is choose which functionality they want. Same with most carriers, but some (like Verizon) are just better at it than others (like Cingular/AT&T). You want full functionality? Two choices: Buy an iPhone, and have a {censored} network, or, buy right from the manufacturer and have no network but a phone with it's basic software and "full functionality".. oh wait, it wont work to it's fullest without a network, right? Hmm, looks like you'll have to have that firmware replaced first... Get over yourself. Learn some business practices. No carrier ever truly has the customer's "wants" in mind, if they did, they'd be out of business. Not everything can be as silver and gold as you want it. It's up to you to figure it all out instead of complaining that it doesn't work the way you want it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InorganicMatter Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 All right! They decided to open up AFTER they threw away first dibs on the iPhone. Nice move there, Verizon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmdshft Posted November 30, 2007 Author Share Posted November 30, 2007 Nice handwaving. I asked you to find the law that supports your claim and you can't? If you're spouting this "carriers must unlock your phone" line you should know where to find it right? Here's support for my claim that an individual can unlock his/her phone under a DMCA exception, but the carrier isn't required to do anything to help: http://www.copyright.gov/1201/docs/1201_recommendation.pdf You're right. After doing some research, there isn't anything "illegal" about them not providing an unlock code (if there even is one to begin with for the iPhone), but it is highly unethical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUKKU Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 You're right. After doing some research, there isn't anything "illegal" about them not providing an unlock code (if there even is one to begin with for the iPhone), but it is highly unethical. t-mobile is pretty liberal about phone unlocks, maybe you should sign up with them since they're practicing what you believe in . Hell, using unlocked devices is a big reason I'm leaving sprint when my contract runs out next year and going with a gsm provider (most likely att since they have the best coverage in my area). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahbau Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 I'm a Verizon customer, and like i said, all those other VZW customers obviously either don't know jack {censored} about how to actually use a cell phone, like to complain, or otherwise. Verizon doesn't cripple the phones. All they do is choose which functionality they want. Same with most carriers, but some (like Verizon) are just better at it than others (like Cingular/AT&T). Saying that people "don't know jack" about phones just because you choose to use a different wording than they do is pretty stupid. In my opinion, "choosing which functionality" to not include on the phone, when the hardware has the ability to do it, is the same as "crippling" it. For example, my phone has BlueTooth, but I can't use it to sync contacts with my computer, or share files with people with other phones because Verizon chose not to include that functionality. If a mobster chooses to limit the functionality of someone's legs by breaking them, they are still crippling them. I suspect you work in a Verizon store or something. Anyone can see that "choosing functionality" and "crippling" are the same in the context of Verizon phones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmdshft Posted November 30, 2007 Author Share Posted November 30, 2007 The functionality is completely there you just haven't found the way to do it trust me. I've done it. Syncing via Bluetooth on a Verizon phone is completely doable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahbau Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 The functionality is completely there you just haven't found the way to do it trust me. I've done it. Syncing via Bluetooth on a Verizon phone is completely doable. Oops. I meant browsing was not allowed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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