Theory: RHOD400 and RHOD500 model difference.
 

If this has already been established, sorry in advance.

Since Telus and Verizon both have the RHOD500 and Sprint/USCC have the RHOD400, I had an epiphany that would explain some of the differences in the phone. The only difference actually. The radio firmware. Let me explain.

We all know that you have to SIM unlock the VZW and Telus TP2s while the SPCS version comes SIM unlocked. But when you unlock the VZW/Telus phones, you can roam to domestic GSM networks and on the Sprint phone you can't even see them if you switch to GSM.

If you didn't know this already, both Telus and VZW have announced that they are going the LTE route, not WiMAX like Sprint for 4G. LTE is actually an umbrella name for HSPA related technologies. Since Telus already has some HSPA parts of their network live, it would be logical for VZW to be implementing it as well and slowly going live.

This would explain why both phones can roam domestically while the Sprint phone cannot. It is a segway for subscribers to seamlessly roam as the changeover is made. Why not SPCS? because they haven't said a word about LTE and as such the radio was changed to block domestic APNs.

I'm very curious about the rumors about Deutsce Telekom and Sprint awhile back. T-mobile has ambitions for a HSPA+ rollout, but they are having a hard time with their current 3G coverage, as they have had to build-out their network, towers and all to free themselves from roaming agreements with other networks. If both TMo and Sprint had an agreement to share infrastructures for LTE and WiMax, then Tmo could roll out a nation-wide 3/4G network at a cheaper price than continuing to add redundant towers to compete. Another interesting thing is Deutsche Telekom buying stake in Clearwire a few weeks back. Sprint is the majority shareholder in Clearwire. Hmmmmmmmm...could that acually be compensation to allow for Tmo to silently build out a shadow HSPA+/LTE network under the guise of Sprint building out Their WiMax network?

Gotta go, black suburbans just rolled up with the letters DT on them.

Re: Theory: RHOD400 and RHOD500 model difference.
 

Forgot to mention Project Black.

Re: Theory: RHOD400 and RHOD500 model difference.
 

Nice explanation

Re: Theory: RHOD400 and RHOD500 model difference.
 

Oh, and this could also be a reason for a lack of a HSPL. Because there may need to be two of them or maybe some sort of roadblock has been put in-place.

Re: Theory: RHOD400 and RHOD500 model difference.
 

I had the thought HSPL was different than the radios. It just depended on bypassing the firmware's security check during a flash (which is way harder than it sounds).

Otherwise, great explanation. It has deepened my knowledge of this. One question, Since LTE is a form of HSPA, then wouldn't the Verizon and Telus TP2 support the new 4G networks and the Sprint version not?

Re: Theory: RHOD400 and RHOD500 model difference.
 

Let me clarify :)

LTE is an extension of HSPA. It's kinda like the Rev.A of EvDO. It incorporates new modulation techniques and signaling and more technical jargon that makes it "4G," Specifically the use of OFDM. That's the big difference. It's an evolution of the technology like DOCSIS 2 and 3.

It still uses a lot of the original underlying technologies as HSPA, but in a different way that were only recently developed; a revision and addendum to the standard. So that's why it's called "Long-Term Evolution" as it's still the same base standard, but the fourth generation of leaps forward technologically. It's also why you couldn't call current handsets 4G capable, because they aren't.

Interestingly enough, WiMax also uses a lot of the same modulation techniques and other technologies as LTE. It's not out of the question for WiMax to someday be interchageable with LTE; possibly under UMTS. There are already RFCs out there that outline handoff methods between the two technologies as well as interoperability proposals. Lots of wireless data standard convergence discussion going on right now.

Re: Theory: RHOD400 and RHOD500 model difference.
 

One question I have. Our phones still cant fully utalize 3G speeds due to a lack of processing power/browser software... Why in the hell do we need 4G speeds unless its mainly for the Wireless adapter users (which would still be a smaller number than the smartphone/blackberry users?)

Maybe once we get past the 1Ghz mark with these phones as mainstream and Opera/IE really step it up a notch so we can browse closer to PC speeds I could see it being usefull.

Re: Theory: RHOD400 and RHOD500 model difference.
 

What makes you say that our phones can't fully utilize current 3G speeds? Sure they can. Switch on WiFi and watch it fly. My example is using Youtube on the phone. It will buffer if it's a HQ video. Hell, you can watch movies encoded with AVC on our phones just fine. What's lacking in the TP2 is graphics capability. The spec sheet for the MSM7600 itself says max resolution is VGA, not WVGA. Add that to bad drivers and the ATI Imageon SoC that was designed in 2003, you can see why TF3D and other UI components are sometimes laggy. Oh, forgot to mention that WM6.1/6.5 is really WM5, just frankensteined to try to keep up with everyone else's OS. The code isn't even compiled to optimally use ARMv6 instructions. Look at the HTC Hero. It's built using the latest stable Linux kernel and the newest ARM toolchain and compiler out. It uses a very, very closely related but slightly less powerful MSM CPU and it runs circles around the TP2.