3 ms·
Verizon just launched its first LTE-only flip phone
- MBCook 9y agoMakes sense to me. If they ever want to be able to retire their 2G or 3G networks then they need LTE only feature phones.
- tgb 9y agoWhy would they need to be LTE-only instead of just LTE-compatible?
- basseq 9y agoThis is the beginning of a "clean break" to LTE. Verizon has announced plans to begin to retire their CDMA network in 2019, so this is a way to get people off CDMA entirely. They don't want CDMA compatibility because they see it as legacy technology with retirement fast approaching. The first comparison that came to mind was Apple removing floppy disk drives. "Why can't it support CDs and floppies!?" people asked.
- MBCook 9y agoRight. At some point you need to stop supporting old equipment so you can retire t with a minimum number of customers effected.
- ShakataGaNai 9y agoPrice. If you're buying a "dumb phone" you either don't care about any fancy features OR may not be able to shell out even a hundred bucks for a phone. So less radios = less chips = less cost.
- joelrunyon 9y agoI would like a LTE-only, gsm flip phone with maps, an amazing camera and swappable storage.
- jimmies 9y agoYou already can. Just don't install any apps on your phone.
- jnordwick 9y agoWhy does this cost as much as a cheap smartphone? Shouldn't it be much cheaper?
- jimmies 9y agoYou can ask why aren't Amtrak tickets cheaper than airplane tickets. Flip phones have certain audiences in mind and I don't think they are meant to compete with smartphones. I used to use an equivalent of a flip phone for the last couple of months to not fuck around on my phone and get work done. I just got back to smartphones but I don't have apps on them.
- jnordwick 9y agoI would think the biggest market for this phone though would be this who are price sensitive. The market of people getting one to be more productive at work or for other reasons (being simpler maybe) would seem to be very small. My first thought was those who didn't want to have access to an unfiltered internet (frum/religious).
- gravypod 9y agoWifi calling? Why can't I just call from my laptop then?
- ksec 9y agoI have always wonder how much Silicon space is saved if we ditch 3G and 2G entirely. And which Baseband Chip does this flipphone use? And I will be looking forward to a day where iPhone is LTE only.