How Do You Know What Network Your Phone Can Operate on

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This wikiHow teaches you how to determine whether your phone uses a CDMA network or a GSM network. Knowing this information is important if you lot want to remove a carrier lock from your phone, or if you want to employ a specific carrier's SIM menu in your unlocked phone.

Steps

1. 1

   Take into business relationship your location. Unless you're using a phone purchased in either the United States or Russian federation, your phone well-nigh likely uses GSM.^[one]

   • Even with the The states using CDMA with two of its major cellular networks, only effectually eighteen percent of cellular networks in the world use CDMA.

2. 2

   Empathise that most smartphones use LTE. CDMA and GSM are 3G networks, simply both CDMA- and GSM-networked phones are able to utilize 4G (LTE) as long as the smartphone itself supports a 4G-enabled SIM bill of fare. This means that choosing between CDMA and GSM may not exist necessary if you're not attempting to switch to a different network.^[2]

   • This means that your phone having a SIM carte no longer helps determine whether you're using CDMA or GSM.

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3. three

   Consider your current carrier. Past default, Dart, US Cellular, and Verizon use CDMA for their phones, while AT&T, Virgin Mobile, and T-Mobile use GSM. If you bought the phone from a carrier, simply knowing the carrier's proper name will be enough to tell you what the network type is.

   • Verizon phones come equipped with CDMA, just they also support GSM.
   • If you bought an "unlocked" phone, that means the telephone itself tin can be used on any carrier'south network. In which instance, knowing electric current carrier's network won't tell you if your phone uses GSM or CDMA.

4. 4

   Check your telephone'southward "Virtually" settings. If you see a MEID or an ESN category, your telephone requires CDMA; if you run across an IMEI category, your phone is GSM. If you see both (e.yard., Verizon phones), your telephone supports both CDMA and GSM, and may use either network. Use the following steps to check your telephone'due south "About" settings:^[iii]

   • iPhone:
     • Open up the Settings app.
     • Tap General.
     • Tap Virtually.
     • Scroll down to await for the MEID (or ESN) or IMEI number.
   • Android:
     • Open up the Settings app.
     • Whorl downwardly and tap System (Android Oreo merely).
     • Tap About telephone.
     • Tap Status,
     • Wait for an MEID (or ESN) or IMEI number.

5. 5

   Look up your phone'due south model number. If y'all still can't determine whether or not your phone is CDMA or GSM, try looking up the telephone's model number. Y'all can find this in the phone'south manual, or you tin can check your phone's About settings. An online search will display the type of network associated with the phone model.

   • iPhones have the model number listed on the back of the phone'southward housing, though the number can be difficult to run into if y'all have a black or space-grayness version.

6. half-dozen

   Check your phone's specifications. The documentation that came with your telephone should have a list of specifications that say whether or not your phone uses GSM or CDMA. You can too check the specifications for your phone manufacturer's website.

   • If you no longer accept your phone'southward model, try visiting the phone manufacturer'south site, and looking up the blazon of phone you lot have (eastward.g., iPhone 7, jet black, 128 gigabytes). You can narrow it down from at that place.

7. 7

   Call your current carrier. If y'all take a current carrier, yous can call them to enquire whether your phone is CDMA or GSM. They volition nigh likely need your phone's IMEI or MEID number, also as your name and other business relationship information.

   • Again, if your phone is unlocked and has never used a specific carrier, you'll have to look up the telephone'due south model number. Calling a carrier won't work.

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Add New Question

• Question

  Are at that place different sized sim cards?

  

  Yeah, there are. As electronic circuits are becoming smaller in size and weight, sim cards come in two types - micro sim and nano sim.

• Question

  I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 with a SIM menu slot that was used with a Verizon plan. And so what network does this run on? GSM or CDMA?

  

  Some phones support both GSM and CDMA. In this example, the phone works with whatever GSM carrier, but will not necessarily work with whatever CDMA carrier.

• Question

  I have a Galaxy S3 that I bought from Verizon. According to what I read is is CDMA; it as well has what I think is a SIM carte du jour - that means information technology'south GSM. Obviously it can't be both. How to resolve this conundrum?

  

  Some phones back up both GSM and CDMA. In this example, the phone works with any GSM carrier, but will not necessarily work with any CDMA carrier.

• Question

  Does Verizon also have GSM?

  

  Verizon is slowly converting to GSM, but rather than only accepting GSM or CDMA phones, they support CDMA and cross-compatible phones, with a few exceptions.

• Question

  Does my Sony Xperia Z1 compact phone work with both GSM and CDMA?

  

  I'm gonna approximate you are GSM. If your carrier is Verizon or Sprint, you tin consider yourself equally CDMA. Another manner to bank check is to get to Almost Phone; if you see MEID or ESN, you are a CDMA phone. If y'all find an IMEI, you are well-nigh likely GSM. At the stop of the twenty-four hour period, when in Costa rica get a Movistar SIM card (cheap). Don't go the Verizon/ATT roam $10.00-a-day route. You will pass plenty of places to recharge your Movistar card.

• Question

  My iPhone 6 is from Straight Talk. Is it a CDMA or GSM phone?

  

  Attractive Adams

  Community Answer

  Direct Talk uses GSM and CDMA. Straight talk uses all four major carriers in the USA to provide their Services. Verizon and Sprint use CDMA, while AT&T and T-Mobile utilize GSM. Information technology'southward upwardly to the users to decide which carrier towers they want to utilise.

• Question

  How exercise I find out if the S6 I have from Sprint is CDMA or GSM?

  

  FallingFromWillows 511

  Community Answer

  Every phone has the bill of fare option "Almost Phone" in the telephone'south settings. This is where the important and identifying factors of your phone can be found. Look for i of the following: MEID, ESN, or IMEI. MEID or ESN = CDMA. IMEI = GSM.

• Question

  How do I know if my phone is GSM if it has an IMEI?

  

  MEID or ESN = CDMA. IMEI = GSM., and so if your telephone has IMEI that means it is a GSM.

• Question

  I accept a Galaxy v phone which was continued to a Tracfone which is now unlocked. is this phone uniform to a GSM network?

  

  If the phone has a sim carte and is unlocked, then it should be compatible with whatsoever GSM network.

• Question

  What do I do if my telephone is not accepting my SIM from Nigeria?

  

  Sell the phone or trade it. If information technology doesn't employ a sim carte du jour it wont work in that location.

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• GSM phones are most usually used throughout Europe and Asia, and are commonly preferred while traveling due to their modularity.

• When yous have your phone into a carrier's shop, you may be able to determine whether it supports both networks. Some phones, such as certain models of Verizon phones, support both CDMA and GSM networks via multiple SIM card slots.

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• If you lot can't find your phone's model number anywhere, you lot may demand to take the phone into a manufacturer shop (e.thou., an iPhone would go to an Apple store and a Samsung Galaxy would get to a Samsung dealer) to have a professional person determine your phone's model and network blazon. This is usually costless.

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About This Article

Article Summary X

iPhone:
one. Open Settings.
2. Tap General.
three. Tap Most.
4. If y'all see MEID or ESN, your phone is CDMA.
5. If you encounter IMEI, your telephone is GSM.

Android:
1. Open Settings.
2. Tap About phone.
3. Tap Status.
four. If you lot see MEID or ESN, your phone is CDMA.
5. If y'all run across IMEI, your phone is GSM.

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Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Check-CDMA-or-GSM#:~:text=Look%20up%20your%20phone's%20model%20number.&text=You%20can%20find%20this%20in,associated%20with%20the%20phone%20model.

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