David Jarratt asks:
On my Galaxy S3 my Cellular Network mode has 3 options Viz:- GSM only,WCDMA only and GSM/WCDMA
(Auto only) Not sure which to select as I don’t know what WCDMA is? Can you assist please. I’m in South Africa on a contract with my provider (CellC)
4 Answers - Write an Answer
Junil Maharjan
February 27, 2013WCDMA is the standard that most GSM carriers moved to when upgrading to 3G. Parts of the WCDMA standard are based on GSM technology. WCDMA networks are designed to integrate with GSM networks at certain levels. Most WCDMA phones include GSM as well, for backward compatibility. So you can leave it as it is.
ha14
February 27, 2013WCDMA (Wide Band Code Division Multiple Access) or UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone System) – this standard has been developed to accept higher rates up to 2 Mbps (to 2 Mbps (local area access) or 384 Kbps (wide area access)) allowing to surf the net, use the videophone, download video…WCDMA is a third-generation (3G) mobile wireless technology.
http://cellphones.about.com/od/cell_phone_glossary/g/wcdma.htm
To obtain higher speeds, HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access) was introduced in version 5 of the WCDMA (3GPP). HSDPA allows data rates up to 10 Mbps (and 20 Mbps for MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output)).
http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-i-choose-the-best-hsdpa-phones.htm
GSM/WCDMA (WCDMA preferred) – The GSM phone can use both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 3G is favored more.
GSM only – The GSM phone use only 2G data communication. When the 2G signal is too low you get nothing.
WCDMA only – The GSM phone use only 3G data communication. When the 3G signal is too low you get nothing.
I am about to buy a copy of Samsung Galaxy S3 but I am troubled with this Network mode. I work near a telecom cell(tower) which supports 3G for sure. Funny once I switch a network mode to either GSM/WCDMA (auto mode) or WCDMA Only mode, it returns me to GSM Only mode. Is this a copy problem or there is technical way to fix it?
May 7, 2013Imesh Chandrasiri
February 27, 2013In a nutshell, GSM – 2G mobile carrier standard & WCDMA – 3G mobile carrier standard
GSM – uses less power & has limited speed on DATA. ( around 144KBps )
WCDMA – uses more power & has a good speed on DATA ( around 3MBps )
Choice : Depends on your requirement
For more speed on DATA connection : select WCDMA only mode
For more battery time : select GSM only mode
WCDMA preferred mode : This mode is for carriers who have limited WCDMA coverage. if there is adequate WCDMA signal the device will switch to WCDMA & if there is no WCDMA signal the device will automatically fallback to GSM. I have less knowledge about this mode but I think it might be better to chose from the above two modes.
Ramandeep
February 28, 2013GSM means 2G and WCDMA means 3G. That’s all.