CDMA phone

[fresilaxy]

What makes a CDMA cell phone different from a GSM phone? What component of a cellular phone makes them work on the different format? I know verizon (a CDMA network) and Edge (a GSM network) sell the same model of phone so what is different in these phones that makes them work of the different network. Could the CDMA component (possibly sim card?) be put in a phone that is exclusively sold by a GSM network? Would the software be messed up or would the same software possibly work??

[Askari]

CDMA and GSM are wireless standards used in the mobile phone industry.

GSM is the most used, and in the USA the two major carriers are ATT and Tmobile.
CDMA is the least used, and is used by Verizon, and Sprint.

The difference between the two is the encryption, bands, and hardware. A GSM phone CANNOT be used on a CDMA network and vise-versa, unless it is a "Global" phone and has both bands built in it. Though these types of phones are usually locked out of their nations competing carrier (for example, a Droid 3 can use either network, but is carried only by verizon. So verizon locks the phone from using any USA GSM network).

GSM phones are less secure so they are rarely used by goverments or high-security practices.

GSM phones use sim cards that store that carriers data, while CDMA phones do not have any "sim" card. CDMA phones have their carriers information programmed into the phone.