CDMA iPhone might have already hit an early prototype stage

posted by Daniel P. / Aug 12, 2010, 6:04 AM

CDMA iPhone might have already hit an early prototype stage

Hot on the heels of the rumors that Apple has placed a big order for CDMA baseband chips with Qualcomm, and has Pegatron Technologies lined up for production, another one comes to feed one of the most resilient beliefs in the US smartphone market. John Gruber from Daring Fireball said yesterday “I do know that engineering-wise, the wheels are turning on N92, the CDMA variant of the iPhone 4... ”. He goes on to explain that the device is in one of the earliest prototype stages – the EVT (engineering verification test), which is focused on examining for major design flaws.

Considering that Apple has an exclusivity agreement with AT&T until 2012, it has to be willing to swallow the penalties for rushing the iPhone on Verizon or Sprint a year before the contract is out. It might very well be a version for China Telecom, the author says, which has a CDMA network and has expressed interest in having the CDMA iPhone 4. China is a huge market with burgeoning middle class, where Apple hasn't properly set foot yet, and just last month it opened a flagship store in Shanghai. This way they can test it out for a year before they announce a Verizon iPhone, which might be LTE anyway, given the fact Big Red's 4G network will be completely rolled out by then.

Apple iPhone 4 Specifications | Review

source: DaringFireball via IntoMobile

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38 Comments

1. becazican unregistered

yawn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted on Oct 20, 2010, 1:47 AM 0

10. Rggeek unregistered

They are a phone review website..... That's what they do is report news about phones!!!! So take your yawn elsewhere! If you don't want to read cell phone news read something else!!! Regardless if you care or how many times your mom tells you that your "amazing" not one of us cares if this story makes you yawn!!!! iphone news is big news regardless if you care or not! If you haven't noticed A LOT OF PEOPLE CARE!!!! SO SHUT THE HELL UP WITH YOUR BULLSHIT NEGATIVE COMMENTS AND LET THIS PHONE NEWS WEBSITE DO ITS JOB!!!!!!

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 10:34 AM 0

15. Dood

Posts: 269; Member since: Mar 23, 2009

sigh...

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 11:26 AM 0

21. Tara j unregistered

@rggek iphone is old news so yaWWWWWWWWN

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 1:21 PM 0

29. Jojofromdabay

Posts: 39; Member since: Apr 06, 2010

yes old news but the fact that multiple carriers will carry the iphone will be happening real soon because apple can't afford not too.

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 7:59 PM 0

2. CHEFJEFF

Posts: 147; Member since: Sep 22, 2009

Rumors rumors. Phone Arena is like an old wash woman! Lets get some facts for a change, this has become an old boring story.

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 6:54 AM 0

11. RgGeek unregistered

They are a phone review website..... That's what they do is report news about phones!!!! So take your crap comments elsewhere! If you don't want to read cell phone news read something else!!! Regardless if you care or how many times your mom tells you that your "amazing" not one of us cares if this story makes you yawn!!!! iphone news is big news regardless if you care or not! If you haven't noticed A LOT OF PEOPLE CARE!!!! SO SHUT THE HELL UP WITH YOUR BULLSHIT NEGATIVE COMMENTS AND LET THIS PHONE NEWS WEBSITE DO ITS JOB!!!!!! All of you idiots that tear everything posted apart don't you have something better to do!!!! You would also be the TOOL'S that bitched if they didn't have any news on it!!!! Realize this is a phone news site!!! Just like regular news sites or channels the repeat some information!!!! That way everyone gets a chance to read about it!!!! ( What? there actually might be someone else in this world besides you?!?!?!? ) OMG!!! If you don't like reading phone arena STOP!!!! I'm sure the tools over at Gizmodo could use some more yuppies! Peace out!

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 10:39 AM 0

14. CHEFJEFF

Posts: 147; Member since: Sep 22, 2009

Your a TOTAL ASS! You've got to remember to take your meds.

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 11:00 AM 0

16. Dood

Posts: 269; Member since: Mar 23, 2009

What's your problem, bro? We like pushing our own thoughts as much as you. So, it's okay for you to write paragraphs about how much you don't want us to post our one line comments? Your about as queer as a razor with an actual razor.

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 11:28 AM 0

32. E.N.

Posts: 2610; Member since: Jan 25, 2009

I think you're playing innocent Dood. I think you guys should be free to express your opinions and all, but every time you guys do so with the iPhone, it's so overly dramatized and uncalled for. I'm pretty sure that there are many articles posted that are more boring than this one, yet no one bothers tonpost yawn!!!!!!! In any of then. I'm pretty sure that this story isn't a yawn. Just ask your average Verizon user.

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 10:23 PM 0

33. RgGeek unregistered

Meds it is!

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 11:01 PM 0

37. PapaJay224

Posts: 866; Member since: Feb 08, 2009

IPhone is out Android is in...

posted on Aug 13, 2010, 2:38 PM 0

38. CHEEZE unregistered

your fucking stupid go kill yourself

posted on Aug 14, 2010, 6:27 PM 0

3. ajac09

Posts: 1482; Member since: Sep 30, 2009

how many times do they have to re-hash this story?

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 7:14 AM 0

19. jd829

Posts: 155; Member since: Feb 24, 2010

75 times. look it up.

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 12:56 PM 0

4. Sniggly

Posts: 7305; Member since: Dec 05, 2009

Once again I'll reiterate: meh. I don't care until I'm standing in my store, my buddy the UPS guy comes in with a shipment from my warehouse and drops it off, and I open that box and pull out an Iphone. Then, and only then, will I begin to give a damn. In the meantime I'll continue to sell the most excellent array of Android phones we actually ARE getting in, including GLOBAL CAPABALE Droids b Christmas (about damn time!) However, the second bit of speculation is way more likely. By testing the Iphone on the Chinese carrier first, Apple only wins: they get the bugs out before releasing the CDMA version in the U.S., they avoid cancellation penalties (HOW DOES IT FEEL? Lol) and they open up a gigantic market for themselves. Also, they can start fresh with a 4G Iphone, and by then all the fucking idiots who signed up this summer, all 3 million of them, with AT&T, will be close enough to their contract end dates that you'll get the same exact front loaded rush for the phone that we saw this year.

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 7:23 AM 0

5. narley

Posts: 357; Member since: May 14, 2009

Unless its trimode or LTE it will NOT be coming to VZW. CDMA is not going to be long lived so Apple will not be designing a phone for a signal that wont be around much in two years. PLUS... why get the iphone when the Samsung Fascinate is coming? better in everyway....

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 8:05 AM 0

17. Dood

Posts: 269; Member since: Mar 23, 2009

Trimode? Verizon doesn't use 2 of the signals that make it TRImode anymore. One cannot simply 'trimode' into mordor.

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 11:31 AM 0

28. Jojofromdabay

Posts: 39; Member since: Apr 06, 2010

Well one thing you have to remember is yes there will be an Lte iphone however Cdma will still be functioning because all chips will still be the same the network software an speeds will be different thats the same as saying gsm wont exist no way jose.

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 7:57 PM 0

30. CRICKETownz

Posts: 980; Member since: Oct 24, 2009

Why get a Fascinate when the X is already available? Not everybody likes the same phone so to have as many options as possible i think would be the better move. I personally think the Fascinate is not really a big deal at all, but someone else (maybe you) thinks its God's gift to the wireless industry. It's about choice.

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 8:15 PM 0

6. fsjon

Posts: 120; Member since: Sep 03, 2009

I have been thinking of this lately and now it's pretty much confirm my speculation...the CDMA iPhone is probably not targeted for US. The Cupertino guys are targeting oversea, specifically at China, Korea and Japan where their CDMA network and population are huge! They already have a large enough fan base in US.

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 8:14 AM 0

7. CHIP unregistered

THIS IS 2009 NEWS TO ME, I HAVE SEEN WITH MY OWN EYES AND HELD A TEST IPHONE FOR SPRINT, THEY HAVE BEEN TESTING THE IPHONE SINCE OCT OR NOV OF 09....THEY HAVE BEEN READY FOR THE AT&T CONTRACT TO BE UP FOR OVER A YEAR...TO ME ITS NOT A RUMOR ANYMORE....T-MOBILE,VERIZON AND SPRINT WILL HAVE THE IPHONE BY THE END OF THE YEAR OR AT THE TOP OF 2011...BUT IM STICKING WITH MY ANDROID....CAN YOU SAY OPEN SOURCE.....

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 8:44 AM 0

12. trentsinmypants

Posts: 324; Member since: Jan 29, 2009

CAPS LOCK = fail

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 10:40 AM 0

18. Dood

Posts: 269; Member since: Mar 23, 2009

Pics or it didn't happen, CHIP. You know the rules.

posted on Aug 12, 2010, 11:32 AM 0

23. chip unregistered

I would like to provide pics...but they would not let me take my phone into the meeting....and where I work they want allow phones at all....i handle sprint employee and test accts...so I know its true because I activated the phone...but a employee flyer will be on the way soon...they always pass them out at least 3 months before the phone comes out...so I will gladly forward it to this site when I get my hands on it.