Cdma/ gsm

**david2233** · 02-07-2021, 08:51 PM

I am currently on Verizon. Could I get a new GSM smartphone and a new sim card and transfer my minutes and days? The reason would be there are so many unlocked smartphones that only run GSM.

**hpham** · 02-07-2021, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by david2233

I am currently on Verizon. Could I get a new GSM smartphone and a new sim card and transfer my minutes and days?

Of course you can, as long as your location has good signal from AT&T or T-mo.

**zapjb** · 02-07-2021, 11:32 PM

I think Op wants to stay on VZW. But idk.

**Lisme** · 02-07-2021, 11:37 PM

Those unlocked GSM smartphones tend to be international models that may not work well here.

**J Wireless** · 02-08-2021, 12:01 AM

Originally Posted by david2233

I am currently on Verizon. Could I get a new GSM smartphone and a new sim card and transfer my minutes and days? The reason would be there are so many unlocked smartphones that only run GSM.

Your best bet is to contact Verizon. With their CDMA network being shut down, they will likely only allow you to activate newer model LTE phones or ones that are 5G compatible. If they tell you that you have an older phone that has to be upgraded, they will probably give you a couple of models as a suggestion. It's also good to check that changing your phone won't result in a plan change. If it does, they can tell you what plans you are able to get.

**rpz1** · 02-08-2021, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by david2233

I am currently on Verizon. Could I get a new GSM smartphone and a new sim card and transfer my minutes and days? The reason would be there are so many unlocked smartphones that only run GSM.

OP, please clarify if you're talking about changing from TF/Vzw to TF/ATT or TM ?

Question to anyone on the general CDMA/GSM topic: With everything, regardless of network, going to VoLTE/LTE or 5G; will cdma or gsm really apply to smartphones anymore ? Won't it be more whether the phone supports the bands of a network, and if the phone is whitelisted by the network ?

**hpham** · 02-08-2021, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by J Wireless

Your best bet is to contact Verizon. It's also good to check that changing your phone won't result in a plan change. If it does, they can tell you what plans you are able to get.

Hmmm...The OP posted in this Tracfone/Net10 forum, and asked about "transfer my minutes and days" which is a prepaid thing. So obviously it's not about Verizon postpaid service, and not even Visible (Verizon's own prepaid). Your answer is way off.

**Serial Port** · 02-08-2021, 02:07 PM

Don't forget that CDMA-only devices are no longer being activated, it does require VOLTE now.

**bobdevnul** · 02-08-2021, 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by rpz1

...Question to anyone on the general CDMA/GSM topic: With everything, regardless of network, going to VoLTE/LTE or 5G; will cdma or gsm really apply to smartphones anymore ? Won't it be more whether the phone supports the bands of a network, and if the phone is whitelisted by the network ?

CDMA and GSM haven't been relevant to specifying phones or service in years. Sprint and Verizon still use some CDMA, but until the advent of carrier agnostic phones a CDMA phone did not tell you if it would work on Sprint or Verizon.

AT&T completely shut off GSM a couple of years ago. T-Mobile still has a little bit of it running, but that is not relevant to what phone to buy to use on T-Mo.

What is relevant today is whether a phone is compatible with the carrier you want to use or is carrier agnostic to work on all. Today that means VoLTE. You can't activate a phone on Verizon or T-Mo without it. AT&T will get there some day.

**rpz1** · 02-08-2021, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by bobdevnul

CDMA and GSM haven't been relevant to specifying phones or service in years. Sprint and Verizon still use some CDMA, but until the advent of carrier agnostic phones a CDMA phone did not tell you if it would work on Sprint or Verizon.

AT&T completely shut off GSM a couple of years ago. T-Mobile still has a little bit of it running, but that is not relevant to what phone to buy to use on T-Mo.

What is relevant today is whether a phone is compatible with the carrier you want to use or is carrier agnostic to work on all. Today that means VoLTE. You can't activate a phone on Verizon or T-Mo without it. AT&T will get there some day.

Thanks. So sounds like as I mentioned, using terms like cdma or gsm is pretty much out dated as long as your phone has the bands and is whitelisted for the network you want. (or unless you're using an older phone)

**hpham** · 02-08-2021, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by rpz1

So sounds like as I mentioned, using terms like cdma or gsm is pretty much out dated as long as your phone has the bands and is whitelisted for the network you want.

Although those terms might be misnomers or obsolete now, some sites (like Amazon) still use them as a "shorthand" to denote whether or not a particular phone will not work with Verizon. When I search on Amazon for "unlocked smartphones", I can quickly tell that the models noted as "GSM" won't work with Verizon, without having to look at its list of bands.

**kevink1** · 02-08-2021, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by david2233

I am currently on Verizon. Could I get a new GSM smartphone and a new sim card and transfer my minutes and days? The reason would be there are so many unlocked smartphones that only run GSM.

It would help whether you want to use TF on ATT or TM networks.
For one, it is likely that Verizon will be pushing their customers to the Verizon network on TF when their purchase goes through. So it may only be a year or 2.

Also, ATT is getting increasingly strict about what phones they allow on their network. So the number of models may not be as great as you think.

**Tracfancier** · 02-08-2021, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by hpham

Although those terms might be misnomers or obsolete now, some sites (like Amazon) still use them as a "shorthand" to denote whether or not a particular phone will not work with Verizon. When I search on Amazon for "unlocked smartphones", I can quickly tell that the models noted as "GSM" won't work with Verizon, without having to look at its list of bands.

You put together a good summation of what others were trying to say.

**kevink1** · 02-08-2021, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by Tracfancier

You put together a good summation of what others were trying to say.

But to be more complicated. The iPhone X from Apple with the Intel modem is lacking CDMA. Like many of the "GSM" phones sold. This is the model that was sold to GSM networks (though depending on where you bought it, you might have got the Qualcomm model like I did when I bought the ATT X at Bestbuy).

This phone works on Verizon.

But apparently the CDMA less model 7/7+ was never certified to work on Verizon, so doesn't.

This all leads to confusion. A few weeks back there was a poster on another site who wanted to simplify to a flip phone. He was on ATT. And he was planning to order a GSM flip phone that was truly a GSM phone. No 3G support, so it wouldn't work on ATT. I don't think, based on his responses, that he finally accepted that it wouldn't work.

**david2233** · 02-08-2021, 09:31 PM

Okay, I'll try to be more clear. I am a Tracfone user. My current phone is a Moto G6. It is on Verizons cdma towers. The phone is older and kinda got a little beat up with cracked screen and all. I have lots of minutes saved and if I went to a GSM phone could I move my days and minutes from Verizon cdma to TMobile GSM. Most unlocked phones seem to be GSM international versions that will work in the USA but only on GSM. I was thinking of switching to Tmobile with a new phone and keep my saved minutes and days. can I do this?