Which carriers am I limited to in the U.S. if I have an unlocked IP5 from Europe?

[HammerHam]

Hi I"m currently in Italy and I'm interested in buying the unlocked IP5 simply because I'm planning on returning to the U.S. however on the apple.it site under unlocked details it states:


"You can activate and use it on a GSM network compatible wireless of your choice. The iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 without a contract will not work with CDMA operators. IPhone 5 without a contract may not be compatible with LTE networks in all countries. Ask for details of individual operators."


So which carriers would I be limited to?

 

[fmirzamd]

Verizon is the only CDMA carrier, all the others are GSM.

 

[Skull One]

Verizon is the only CDMA carrier, all the others are GSM.

Incorrect. Sprint, the third largest cellular company in the US, is a CDMA based provider.

 

[HammerHam]

What are the pros and cons of GSM/CDMA?

 

[thewitt]

What are the pros and cons of GSM/CDMA?

CDMA phones must be programmed to work with the carrier network. This requires a partnership with Apple so only select CDMA carriers can be used.

With an unlocked phone, any GSM network can be used with a SIM card from that carrier.

 

[HammerHam]

So which carriers would I be limited to if I bought the Italian unlocked IP5 lol?

 

[Thomasjtsi]

So which carriers would I be limited to if I bought the Italian unlocked IP5 lol?

Your main two are going to be AT&T and T-mobile. I'm sure there's others... but those are the two main GSM wireless providers in the US w/ the most coverage.