Q&A for How to Check CDMA or GSM

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Are there different sized sim cards?

Community Answer

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

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Question

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

Community Answer

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

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Question

I have a Galaxy S3 that I bought from Verizon. According to what I read is is CDMA; it also has what I think is a SIM card - that means it's GSM. Obviously it can't be both. How to resolve this conundrum?

Community Answer

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

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Question

Does Verizon also have GSM?

Community Answer

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

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Question

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

Community Answer

I'm gonna guess you are GSM. If your carrier is Verizon or Sprint, you can consider yourself as CDMA. Another way to check is to go to About Phone; if you see MEID or ESN, you are a CDMA phone. If you find an IMEI, you are most likely GSM. At the end of the day, 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.

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Question

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

Bonny Adams

Community Answer

Straight 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 use GSM. It's up to the users to decide which carrier towers they want to use.

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Question

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

FallingFromWillows 511

Community Answer

Every phone has the menu option “About Phone” in the phone’s settings. This is where the important and identifying factors of your phone can be found. Look for one of the following: MEID, ESN, or IMEI. MEID or ESN = CDMA. IMEI = GSM.

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Question

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

Community Answer

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

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Question

I have a Galaxy 5 phone which was connected to a Tracfone which is now unlocked. is this phone compatible to a GSM network?

Community Answer

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

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Question

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

Community Answer

Sell the phone or trade it. If it doesn't use a sim card it wont work there.

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Question

If I bought an unlocked phone, can the Net-10 carrier SIM card in my current phone be used in the new phone?

Community Answer

Yes, this will work. If you call them(Net 10) up, they can tell you which one to buy, as there is more than one type of BYOB sim cards out there.

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