because of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TD-SCDM...cal_highlights time division duplexing and frequency division duplexing are quite different. edit: a quick google search found this: http://www.theunwired.net/?item=comp...mobile-handset "While the rest of world uses W-CDMA for 3G services, China decided to use TD-SCDMA for its 3G service with the general problem that not too many TD-SCDMA compatible handsets are available today."