So the unlocked One A9 has me intrigued, as it seems like the right device to replace my aging One M8 while waiting for my 2 year upgrade in April. I'm hoping we'll see some decent carrier subsidized Snapdragon 820 devices by mid 2016, but if I need to wait longer the A9 can tide me over. I like that for 9, I get 32GB plus expandable storage, something that I can't get for that price with either the Nexus 5X or Moto X Pure Edition.
My dilemma is trying to figure out if Verizon support "coming December" means we'll actually get CDMA in addition to LTE bands with the software update. The preorder price of 9 only goes to November 7, so it's a bit of a gamble for Verizon customers. Based on the spec sheet, I'm assuming there are 2 different SKUs when it comes to radio/antenna support: the Unlocked/AT&T/T-Mobile/Verizon version, and the Sprint version. Only the Sprint version lists support for CDMA, but notice they reference 3 bands: BC0, BC1, and BC10. My understanding is that Sprint supports BC1 and BC10, while Verizon supports BC0 and BC1.
So did HTC just leave off the CDMA support from the Unlocked/ATT/TMo/Verizon spec sheet pending the software update? Are the 2 SKUs actually physically distinct (I know Qualcomm uses soft radios now but antennas may still need to be configured differently?) There are 2 other possibilities--Verizon could be getting a unique SKU of their own in December (with LTE + CDMA) or you may be left with VoLTE only. Since this isn't a "branded" phone and requirements have changed, VoLTE only is possible but I can't imagine consumers would be happy with it. And it doesn't make sense that Sprint would get their own SKU when a bigger market like Verizon doesn't?
My dilemma is trying to figure out if Verizon support "coming December" means we'll actually get CDMA in addition to LTE bands with the software update. The preorder price of 9 only goes to November 7, so it's a bit of a gamble for Verizon customers. Based on the spec sheet, I'm assuming there are 2 different SKUs when it comes to radio/antenna support: the Unlocked/AT&T/T-Mobile/Verizon version, and the Sprint version. Only the Sprint version lists support for CDMA, but notice they reference 3 bands: BC0, BC1, and BC10. My understanding is that Sprint supports BC1 and BC10, while Verizon supports BC0 and BC1.
So did HTC just leave off the CDMA support from the Unlocked/ATT/TMo/Verizon spec sheet pending the software update? Are the 2 SKUs actually physically distinct (I know Qualcomm uses soft radios now but antennas may still need to be configured differently?) There are 2 other possibilities--Verizon could be getting a unique SKU of their own in December (with LTE + CDMA) or you may be left with VoLTE only. Since this isn't a "branded" phone and requirements have changed, VoLTE only is possible but I can't imagine consumers would be happy with it. And it doesn't make sense that Sprint would get their own SKU when a bigger market like Verizon doesn't?
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