What is the difference between GSM mobile and CDMA mobile ? Which one is better ?

Question

Which is more preferable ?

Answer 1

GMS and CMDA are two main competing network technologies: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). Cellular carriers including Sprint PCS, Cingular Wireless, Verizon and T-Mobile use one or the other. Understanding the difference between GSM and CDMA will allow you to choose a carrier that uses the preferable network technology for your needs.

The GSM Association is an international organization founded in 1987, dedicated to providing, developing, and overseeing the worldwide wireless standard of GSM. CDMA, a proprietary standard designed by Qualcomm in the United States, has been the dominant network standard for North America and parts of Asia. However, GSM networks continue to make inroads in the United States, as CDMA networks make progress in other parts of the world. There are camps on both sides that firmly believe either GSM or CDMA architecture is superior to the other. That said, to the non-invested consumer who simply wants bottom line information to make a choice, the following considerations may be helpful.

Coverage: The most important factor is getting service in the areas you will be using your phone. Upon viewing competitors' coverage maps you may discover that only GSM or CDMA carriers offer cellular service in your area. If so, there is no decision to be made, but most people will find that they do have a choice.

Data Transfer Speed: With the advent of cellular phones doing double and triple duty as streaming video devices, podcast receivers and email devices, speed is important to those who use the phone for more than making calls. CDMA has been traditionally faster than GSM, though both technologies continue to rapidly leapfrog along this path. Both boast "3G" standards, or 3rd generation technologies.

EVDO, also known as CDMA2000, is CDMA's answer to the need for speed with a downstream rate of about 2 megabits per second, though some reports suggest real world speeds are closer to 300-700 kilobits per second (kbps). This is comparable to basic DSL. As of fall 2005, EVDO is in the process of being deployed. It is not available everywhere and requires a phone that is CDMA2000 ready.

GSM's answer is EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), which boasts data rates of up to 384 kbps with real world speeds reported closer to 70-140 kbps. With added technologies still in the works that include UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone Standard) and HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), speeds reportedly increase to about 275—380 kbps. This technology is also known as W-CDMA, but is incompatible with CDMA networks. An EDGE-ready phone is required.

In the case of EVDO, theoretical high traffic can degrade speed and performance, while the EDGE network is more susceptible to interference. Both require being within close range of a cell to get the best speeds, while performance decreases with distance.

Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards: In the United States only GSM phones use SIM cards. The removable SIM card allows phones to be instantly activated, interchanged, swapped out and upgraded, all without carrier intervention. The SIM itself is tied to the network, rather than the actual phone. Phones that are card-enabled can be used with any GSM carrier.

The CDMA equivalent, a R-UIM card, is only available in parts of Asia but remains on the horizon for the U.S. market. CDMA carriers in the U.S. require proprietary handsets that are linked to one carrier only and are not card-enabled. To upgrade a CDMA phone, the carrier must deactivate the old phone then activate the new one. The old phone becomes useless.

Roaming: For the most part, both networks have fairly concentrated coverage in major cities and along major highways. GSM carriers, however, have roaming contracts with other GSM carriers, allowing wider coverage of more rural areas, generally speaking, often without roaming charges to the customer. CDMA networks may not cover rural areas as well as GSM carriers, and though they may contract with GSM cells for roaming in more rural areas, the charge to the customer will generally be significantly higher.

International Roaming: If you need to make calls to other countries, a GSM carrier can offer international roaming, as GSM networks dominate the world market. If you travel to other countries you can even use your GSM cell phone abroad, providing it is a quad-band phone [phone] MHz). By purchasing a SIM card with minutes and a local number in the country you are visiting, you can make calls against the card to save yourself international roaming charges from your carrier back home. CDMA phones that are not card-enabled do not have this capability.

According CDG.org, CDMA networks support over 270 million subscribers worldwide, while GSM.org tallies up their score at over 1 billion. As CDMA phones become R-UIM enabled and roaming contracts between networks improve, integration of the standards might eventually make differences all but transparent to the consumer.

The chief GSM carriers in the United States are Cingular Wireless, recently merged with AT&T Wireless, and T-Mobile USA. Major CDMA carriers are Sprint PCS, Verizon and Virgin Mobile. There are also several smaller cellular companies on both networks.

Answer 2

You could write a book describing the technical differences between the two technologies, but I'll spare you the gritty details by describing how these variations may influence your mobile shopping decisions. In the most general sense, CDMA sends wireless signals in a series of unique codes, while GSM divides signals into a series of individual time slots (for more information, see the glossary in our quick guide to 3G). To you, that means a few things. CDMA networks tend to have more capacity so that more callers can use the network at one time, and they tend do a better job during handoffs, when your call is passed from one tower to another. CDMA also has more widespread coverage in the United States, especially when you count analog roaming, and offers more stateside high-speed data networks. Finally--and I know I'm opening a Pandora's box here--CDMA supporters, who are likely to be the most vociferous defenders, usually argue that their technology offers better call clarity. Keep in mind, though, that it's not necessarily a fact since individual call quality is a matter of opinion, and it depends on a multitude of factors that can be beyond your control.

On the other hand, GSM has its own advantages. GSM's advocates argue that because it is a newer technology (though it is based on the older TDMA networks), it's better equipped for the conversion to 3G. This is open to debate though, because for the time being, Verizon has the most extensive 3G network in the States with V Cast. Also, GSM is more widely used than CDMA, with service available in more countries around the globe. CDMA is adding regions as time goes on, but if want a true world phone, GSM is your choice. GSM also uses a SIM card, so it's much easier to switch your phone number and your contacts between handsets. And speaking of phones, GSM phones usually have longer battery life than CDMA mobiles, and at least in the United States, the GSM carriers (Cingular and T-Mobile) have a more varied selection of phones that include such higher-end features as Bluetooth than do CDMA providers Sprint and Verizon.

GSM is Better

GSM is a more Robust service for the individual user. While its no longer available here there are so many features that are included in GSM Services. TMobile (formerly VoiceStream after they were OmniPoint) used to offer a feature where you can use your tmobile service to mke long distant calls on your home phone. No a popular feature but a helpful one.

Currently I have a fax service on my GSM service. I can recieve a fax on my Cellular line. Then print it out once I get near a physical fax.

Answer 3

GSM and CDMA are two different technologies
GSM ( Global system of mobiles) uses different frequency set while CDMA ( Coded Division Multiple Access) using the same frequeny but diffrent codings of voice data. it is just like a multilingual conference in which you can omit the other languages and can hear your mother tounge coz you know it.

Now if you are talking about prefernce then, whihc is chepare in your area is preferrable, bcoz they can provide the same service set. but if you are a handset freak, GSM is more desierable bcoz it gives you more freedom to aquire a handset of your choice

Answer 4

WAP stands for Wireless Access Protocol. Its used to communicate between two WAP based devices. Its analogus to TCP/IP for wired computer networks. GPRS stands for General Packet Radio Service. Its a THird generation(3G) mobile technology and is successor to GSM. CDMA stands for Code Division Multiplexing. Its a technique of multiplexing just like other (TDM : Time division multiplexing, FDM : Frequency Division Multiplexing). Its now generally used for shorter range mobile communications like WLL (Wireless in Local Loop). Airtel, Idea etc. are service providers for GSM networks. While Tata Indicom and Reliance networks are CDMA networks.

Answer 5

GSM is that mobile which uses sim card like Airtel, Hutch, Idea etc. CDMA uses the whole device such as Tata Indicom, Reliance etc.

Answer 6

GSM > CDMA
GSM has universal range
CDMA is local range

Answer 7

cdma is the future buddy......
i spoke 4 free wid my g/f for 1 year....
just imagine some more free stuffs in future......
opt 4 cdma n best of luck