Please Help! I Have No Clue

Alinka, welcome to WA.

Unfortunately, you will not be able to do that, Verizon phones uses the CDMA network while Cingular uses GSM, they are not compatable.

 

Yes it also applies to the other carriers as well, now if you want to use a Cingular phone on T-Mobile's network or vice versa than that will work as long as the phone is unlocked and you are using the proper band Cingular 850MHz and T-Mobile 1900MHz in most places, to be safe you can get a quadband phone.

Metro PCS is a CDMA carrier, GSM phones are not compatable with that carrier.

 

Alinka, no need to apologize, that's what we're here for....

Though Verizon amd Metro pcs work on the CDMA network, you would still need to flash the LG phone with Metro Pcs' software in order for it to work properly which is something neither of them will do.

As far as buying a Cingular branded phone to use with T-Mobile's network you can try a store that sells unlocked phones or browse places like E-Bay or buy the phone at full retail price from Cingular but that can be expensive.

Good luck, hope you find what you need.
~Tony

 

I know how you feel, I'm a little slow with this stuff too, and feel really stupid. :O But I wanted to tell you what I just did. I put my Mother on my T-Mobile plan, but I got a much better phone off of Ebay. It was a Cingular phone, but it was "un-locked" to work with any network. Works like a dream. Maybe you should check it out.

 

Alinka, as Tony E previously mentioned, Cingular is a GSM provider and MetroPcs a CDMA provider, so a Cingular phone will be a GSM phone and will not work on MetroPCS.

You can buy any unlocked 850/1900 Mhz GSM phone and use it it with any GSM provider like Cingular T-Mobile etc. but with a CDMA provider like Verizon, Sprint, USCC, MetroPcs etc. you are pretty much stuck having to buy a phone that provider sells.

HTH

BTW: WELCOME to WA.

 

Alinka yes you can buy a Cingular.....but
you cannot use it with Metro PCS's network, again they are not compatable.

Alinka, seems like you really like GSM phones but like the CDMA coverage, i was on the same boat about year ago when i used to be with a CDMA carrier so i had to choose between the awesome indoor coverage that a CDMA carrier provides or having the awesome looking phone that GSM carriers offer, lucky for me i live in an area that has a good GSM footprint to cover me where i go, but i have to admit, sometimes i missed the indoor coverage that a CDMA carrier can provide.

So i would recommend choosing a carrier that provides good coverage in your area and then choose the best phone they offer that meets your needs...

 

Alinka, obviously Tony E has been giving you excellent advice but I wanted to add my 2 cents also....sorry about that.

In my case I get better outdoor & specially great indoor coverage with GSM over CDMA. So maybe you will luck out and find a provider that offers you both.

GSM doesn't always have poor indoor coverge. In general if your provider transmits on 850 mHz then you will have good indoor coverage,inspite of whether it is CDMA or GSM.

 

I see this thread getting a bit CDMA vs. GSM and wanted to look outside the box a bit.

Yes it is true that if GSM or CDMA is on 850, it will penetrate buildings better than GSM or CDMA on 1900, but this definitely does not imply that 850 will be better in all cases.

The real answer lies in where the towers are placed and if your phone works in what I like to call the "90%" area. I refer to this as where you live, where you work, and where you play. If your phone works in each of these places, as well as the routes inbetween, you will be a happy customer! There will still be places where your phone may not get great reception, but if you can minimize these areas, you should be fine.

So, if you want to talk to some people that have good service and determine the provider that works best from thier experience, you should get a good baseline for who to go with.

Hope this helps!

 

I agree, I don't think that either one is really better than the other, but for me and my family Cingular's GSM phones have given us the best coverage in our area. Junkie's right. Ask your friends, neighbors & co-workers what works best for them, where their phone works, and places it doesn't.

-Jay

 

Agreed AZ, is not about GSM vs CDMA

 

Hi AZ, agreed , learning from other people's experience is definitely the way to go....

Thanks much AZ for clarifying it so well.

 

Just to be clear for the new poster, neither CDMA nor GSM give better coverage indoors than the other.

I think TonyE was simply meaning at his location this was his situation. Indoor coverage is technology independent, and has mostly to do with radio freqency propagation physics. Under the same conditions, they really are the same.

The best bet is to enjoy the 15 or 30 free trial period wireless providers afford their new potential customers.

viewfly

 

I agree as well, give the different carriers there trial period & see who has the better coverage where you need it, I have seen 1900 towers give better coverage over 850 when placed right.
I do think Cingular & Verizon have a bit of an advantage in most area's since they both have 850 & 1900 in most area's (not everywhere though) so trying them out is the only real way to see who is better for you.

 

Exactly. That is the case here in Sterling where I live & work. The 1900 coverage here is far better than 850 - Even Cingular admits it. I actually hacked my phone to make it a triband, eliminating the 850 band for now. I'll add 850 back once integration is complete in this area.

-Jay

 

That is 100% correct Viewfly, in no way would i lead a new member to make the wrong decision like it was previously implied....

I see posts have been edited after the fact....