In todays market they are 2 major forms of technology that cell phones use. The first and oldest being CDMA, which dates all the way back to the 1940s; however, only become commercially available during the mid 1990s. CDMA is the technology behind major carriers such as Verizion (the second largest carrier in the US., Altell, and Sprint).
The second and more popular of the two is GSM.One of the first GSM networks was launched in 1991 in Finland by Ericsson. GSM is widely considered the standard for mobile phone technology and is used by roughly 80% of cell phone users worldwide. Due to GSM’s huge market share, some manufacturers make strictly GSM compatible phones GSM is used by major carriers such as AT&T, T-Mobile,Rogers and many more.
One of my favorite things about GSM is that is uses Subscriber Identification Modules, commonly known as a “sim card”(or sim chip). The SIM is a detachable smart card containing the user’s subscription information and phone book. This allows the user to retain his or her information after switching handsets. Alternatively, the user can also change operators while retaining the handset simply by changing the SIM. Some operators will block this by allowing the phone to use only a single SIM, or only a SIM issued by them; this practice is known as SIM locking, and is illegal in some countries.
Advatages of GSM?
It isn’t a coincidence that GSM technology is considered the worldwide standard for mobile phone technology and and also of the cell phone market worldwide. GSM is a more standardized system, while is not as standardized.GSM users are able to “roam”(which simply means piggyback off of other carriers towers, when your carrier is not avalible in the area).Due to the differences in technology and infrastructure CDMA users are unable to “roam” and are binded only to their networks service area.
Another advantage of GSM is the use of SIM cards, which holds the users contactable subscriber information, which means you are able to swap phones on the go, while with CDMA if you want to swap cell phones you are forced to visit your carrier’s local store and have them program you a new phone,as a result every time a user switches cell phones they have to manually add their contacts into the new phone, which can sometimes be a huge hassle.
The winner is….
While, this is strictly just my 2 cents. As a businessman and frequent traveler, I would have to say GSM is not only more user friendly but more convenient.I change phones on average 3-4 times a week, and occasionally lose a few.As long as I have my sim card I can hot swap the card into a new phone and I have all my contacts and information ready to go.