Database Info

Better call quality on 3g than 2g

I notice that forcing 2g, calls get that kinda pulsating GSM radio interference noise whereas forcing 3g it does not occur!!!
Anyone else notice this?!!

strung said:
I notice that forcing 2g, calls get that kinda pulsating GSM radio interference noise whereas forcing 3g it does not occur!!!
Anyone else notice this?!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i thought 3g, 4g, 2g or what ever was for data purposes only....

laker666 said:
i thought 3g, 4g, 2g or what ever was for data purposes only....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I understand, 4g is 3g, they are HSPA and HSPA+. 2G is GSM. So there are two separate radios in your phone and on the towers.
I just tested this on my phone and can confirm that 3G is a lot less noisier call-quality wise than 2G.

Voice uses 3G as well. TMO throttled back 2G a while back to make 3G faster, so using any phone on 2G mode nowadays is gonna suck more than it would otherwise.

zaventh said:
Voice uses 3G as well. TMO throttled back 2G a while back to make 3G faster, so using any phone on 2G mode nowadays is gonna suck more than it would otherwise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if that is the case how come i can turn of my data and stilll make crystal clear phone calls? not saying you are wrong just trying to understand

strung said:
I notice that forcing 2g, calls get that kinda pulsating GSM radio interference noise whereas forcing 3g it does not occur!!!
Anyone else notice this?!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep.. 2G / EDGE uses the older GSM data transmission standard, while 3G/4G uses CDMA technology to transmit data.

T-Mobile uses all GSM technology. CDMA is something totally different and is used by Verizon/Sprint in the US.
I'm not a radio engineering expert, but the main difference between 2G and 3G is the protocol. 3G uses more efficient algorithms to compress/decompress the audio (and data) signals. This is the primary reason 3G is faster than 2G to begin with. T-Mobile uses 3G for voice, which means that, in general, calls will LIKELY sound clearly and crisper on 3G than 2G, on average. This is all dependent on network conditions, your 2G signal, your 3G signal, your particular handset, and your own hearing capabilities and preferences. But the idea is like an Mp3 encoding... 3G is 320kbps and 2G is 128kbps... maybe sometimes they sound the same to some people, but technically 3G is "better" under ideal circumstances.
But the 2G throttling I was remembering was actually AT&T, not T-Mobile, though they likely have done something to a similar effect by now.
http://www.ofb.biz/safari/article/512.html

wcdma is 3/4g

zaventh said:
T-Mobile uses all GSM technology. CDMA is something totally different and is used by Verizon/Sprint in the US.
I'm not a radio engineering expert, but the main difference between 2G and 3G is the protocol. 3G uses more efficient algorithms to compress/decompress the audio (and data) signals. This is the primary reason 3G is faster than 2G to begin with. T-Mobile uses 3G for voice, which means that, in general, calls will LIKELY sound clearly and crisper on 3G than 2G, on average. This is all dependent on network conditions, your 2G signal, your 3G signal, your particular handset, and your own hearing capabilities and preferences. But the idea is like an Mp3 encoding... 3G is 320kbps and 2G is 128kbps... maybe sometimes they sound the same to some people, but technically 3G is "better" under ideal circumstances.
But the 2G throttling I was remembering was actually AT&T, not T-Mobile, though they likely have done something to a similar effect by now.
http://www.ofb.biz/safari/article/512.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my question is if 2g and 3/4g have any effect on call quality, how can i receive crystal clear call quality with my data turned off. im not sure 2g, 3g, or 4g have any effect on call quality

None of your voice goes through your data connection. The ONLY way there is any difference is if there is some kind of electromagnetic interference from inside the phone caused by 2G and not by 4G.
As stated above, All voice calls and SMS come through without a data connection at all.

r4d14n7 said:
None of your voice goes through your data connection. The ONLY way there is any difference is if there is some kind of electromagnetic interference from inside the phone caused by 2G and not by 4G.
As stated above, All voice calls and SMS come through without a data connection at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disabling data does not mean you disconnect from the 3G/4G network. Turn mobile data off and then look under Settings>About Phone>Status, and look at Mobile Network Type. You're phone is still connected to UMTS/HSPA/EDGE/GPRS ... or whatever other type of network it was connected to. And you're not connected to both 2G and 3G simultaneously. Its one or the other and all data and phone transmissions are sent over whichever network you're connected to.

phburks said:
Disabling data does not mean you disconnect from the 3G/4G network. Turn mobile data off and then look under Settings>About Phone>Status, and look at Mobile Network Type. You're phone is still connected to UMTS/HSPA/EDGE/GPRS ... or whatever other type of network it was connected to. And you're not connected to both 2G and 3G simultaneously. Its one or the other and all data and phone transmissions are sent over whichever network you're connected to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+ 1
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

Ah, fair enough. I was under the impression that voice always went through a GSM connection, whether WCDMA was active or not. Has this changed in the last few years?

r4d14n7 said:
Ah, fair enough. I was under the impression that voice always went through a GSM connection, whether WCDMA was active or not. Has this changed in the last few years?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't think it's ever been that way. Phones will switch from one type of mobile network to another depending on user settings and signal strength, but you're only connected to one type of network at any given time. GSM networks utilize 2G technologies to allow for voice and data, but not simultaneously. GSM networks also utilize 3G/4G technologies to allow voice and data simultaneously.

Here's a good source of info on different technologies used by GSM networks:
http://www.gsmworld.com/technology/index.htm

My bad. Thanks for the link though.

When on 2g my speakers of my surround sound and car audio will make static from the phone... 3g doesn't do this. 2g and 3g are different.
Asus Transformer 3.1 pwnd
www.MiiWiiChat.com
www.SnapSiteAdmins.com

So - on an Android phone, do I need to check "Data Enabled" for the better voice quality, or will the 3G/4G for better voice be enabled by default?

No, enabling or disabling your mobile data connection will not affect call quality directly. Your device will connect to the best network available regardless of data being enabled. The only setting you can look at is your preferred network type under mobile network settings.

3G versus H data indicator?

My Phone's data indicator alternates between 3G and H moment by moment. What exactly do the indicators mean as for as data speeds and variants of 3g protocols in use? (I am looking for a technical answer)

tk_xda said:
My Phone's data indicator alternates between 3G and H moment by moment. What exactly do the indicators mean as for as data speeds and variants of 3g protocols in use? (I am looking for a technical answer)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
H stands for HSUPA, or High-Speed Uplink Packet Access.
H = 3G

malybru said:
Hi,
H stands for HSUPA, or High-Speed Uplink Packet Access.
H = 3G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, its only the upload protocol that's changing?

tk_xda said:
So, its only the upload protocol that's changing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Sorry.
I was just quoting from THIS THREAD
Maybe you can make more sense of it.

malybru said:
Hi,
Sorry.
I was just quoting from THIS THREAD
Maybe you can make more sense of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The manual is fairly straight forward, so in order of Speed:
G GPRS connected
G+arrows GPRS in use
E EDGE connected
E+arrows EDGE in use
3G 3G connected
3G+arrows 3G in use
H HSDPA connected
H+arrows HSDPA in use
Have a look at something like http://blog.ruggedandmobile.com/2010/01/26/a-guide-on-the-difference-between-gprs-edge-3g-and-hsdpa/ for more info.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3G
Actually, if the provider supports HSDPA and HSUPA, the indicator switches to "H" from "3G" when data is being transferred over the network. When no data is transmitted, the indicator shows "3G".

Android pick up 3G signal without data plan?

Hello, this sounds interesting to me. In fact, I do not have an active 3G data plan or 4G and I am currently using 2G. However, when I set the airplane mode off and the phone starts to pick up 2G signal from cell towers, it also pick up the 3G signal too. In fact, I can see on the signal strength bar a 3G or H+ icon that are constantly changing with some up and down arrow signs that indicate that my phone might be downloading and uploading data. Can anyone explains this phenomenon? For sure, I can not access to the Internet without Wifi.

Dan Law 001 said:
Hello, this sounds interesting to me. In fact, I do not have an active 3G data plan or 4G and I am currently using 2G. However, when I set the airplane mode off and the phone starts to pick up 2G signal from cell towers, it also pick up the 3G signal too. In fact, I can see on the signal strength bar a 3G or H+ icon that are constantly changing with some up and down arrow signs that indicate that my phone might be downloading and uploading data. Can anyone explains this phenomenon? For sure, I can not access to the Internet without Wifi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
go to settings-mobile networks and there will be option for mode
if the mode selected if gsm/wcdma - then ur phone will pick up 3g signal if it's available in the area irrespective of ur plan..this means ur carrier has activated 3g services..u can deactivate by selecting mode: gsm only!(2g mode)
wcdma mode is 3g only!
hope this is helped!

If you truly can't have 3g on your plan, phones will communicate with towers due to the requirements to have a phone be able to call 911 even if it is not activated at all.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

this has happened to me before as well

Maybe it's just scanning the available networks or something? Do you have data connection disabled at your device?

What is this thing about a 3G data plan?
A data plan is a data plan. Your speed depends on your phone hardware and what your provider had installed in your area...
At least that's how it works here in Norway, they can and do limit our download speeds after a certain amount of data is transferred as I assume they do elsewhere, but even when I pass that threshold my phone reports using 3G...
Sent from my GT-I9000 using xda premium

Hr Kristian said:
What is this thing about a 3G data plan?
A data plan is a data plan. Your speed depends on your phone hardware and what your provider had installed in your area...
At least that's how it works here in Norway, they can and do limit our download speeds after a certain amount of data is transferred as I assume they do elsewhere, but even when I pass that threshold my phone reports using 3G...
Sent from my GT-I9000 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the situation is not same everywhere...
like in India and more countries, 2g and 3g services have different rates and are users can opt whether they want a 3g plan or 2g plan....although speed is more in 3g!

Nexus 5 battery drain faster on Tmobile vs Sprint

I was on Sprint and just recently switched to Tmobile. I've noticed my Nexus 5 battery drains faster now that I am on Tmobile, by a noticeable margin. Has anyone experience this?

You must post more information.
- The type of connection you are using most of the time.... (2G - E - G / 3G or H / 4G).
- The signal strength, dBm numbers..... or at least the amount of bars you get.
- Are you using a WiFi adapter for data connections or just the mobile data?
Maybe with Sprint you have better signal than with T-Mobile in your area.
i.e.: I switched from Vodaphone's 3G networks to 4G networks in my house. (I don't use WiFi at all, with WiFi there is no really big difference).
With 3G i have 4/4 bars (less than 5-6% battery drain per night).
With 4G i have 2/2 bars (from 6% to 20% drain per night; 6% when im near 3 bars, and 20% when im near 1 bar of signal).
If you have exactly or almost the same signal strength and network type with both carriers, but you still have more drain with T-Mobile, then that would be more interesting...

thesebastian said:
You must post more information.
- The type of connection you are using most of the time.... (2G - E - G / 3G or H / 4G).
- The signal strength, dBm numbers..... or at least the amount of bars you get.
- Are you using a WiFi adapter for data connections or just the mobile data?
Maybe with Sprint you have better signal than with T-Mobile in your area.
i.e.: I switched from Vodaphone's 3G networks to 4G networks in my house. (I don't use WiFi at all, with WiFi there is no really big difference).
With 3G i have 4/4 bars (less than 5-6% battery drain per night).
With 4G i have 2/2 bars (from 6% to 20% drain per night; 6% when im near 3 bars, and 20% when im near 1 bar of signal).
If you have exactly or almost the same signal strength and network type with both carriers, but you still have more drain with T-Mobile, then that would be more interesting...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am getting no bar at all when I am at home. That must be it. Thanks the post!

bueller213 said:
I am getting no bar at all when I am at home. That must be it. Thanks the post!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup that is T-Mobile alright. Good signal outside and no signal inside.
Get a signal repeater ( cel fi ) and it'll all be good.
Too bad WiFi calling is not a playstore app, if T-Mobile really wants to be the uncarrier they would make that happen.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

arvonn said:
Yup that is T-Mobile alright. Good signal outside and no signal inside.
Get a signal repeater ( cel fi ) and it'll all be good.
Too bad WiFi calling is not a playstore app, if T-Mobile really wants to be the uncarrier they would make that happen.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All T-Mobile phones cannot have Wifi calling as T-Mobile needs to Modify the system itself such as the radio and the RIL and other things they actually work in conjunction with Qualcomm and other radio's to making wifi calling smooth and seamless.

markdapimp said:
All T-Mobile phones cannot have Wifi calling as T-Mobile needs to Modify the system itself such as the radio and the RIL and other things they actually work in conjunction with Qualcomm and other radio's to making wifi calling smooth and seamless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes with the old GAN and UMA architecture that is true, but with IMS there is no reason they cannot make an voip app or ims portal app that has access to Sim card identify., and put it on the play store.
Sent from my SM-T320 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

arvonn said:
Yes with the old GAN and UMA architecture that is true, but with IMS there is no reason they cannot make an voip app or ims portal app that has access to Sim card identify., and put it on the play store.
Sent from my SM-T320 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Email John Legere and Tweet T-Mobile about it perhaps we'll see it in Uncarrier 5.0
The only problem that I can see of is maybe patents? and licencing stuff? with VOIP related things...? I don't know

[Q] force to 3G only?

The 4G service at work between 8:30am to 5:30pm is literally unusable. I have 3 bars but as soon as everyone shows up, the data literally slows to a trickle. This wasn't always the case and I'd like to test the modem in 3G mode. My theory is that the 4G uplink is saturated but possibly not the 3G pipe. I don't believe the software provides this functionality to the user normally but since my device is rooted, is there a way to temporarily tell the modem to switch to 3G? I'm proficient in linux/unix and comfortable in a shell environment so a solution along those lines is fine for now.
Running android 4.4.2 w/ baseband i535OYUDNE1 (most recent OTA update from verizon), towelroot and supersu.
-Kevin

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cc.signalinfo
Use the additional info button a the bottom of the main screen.

bobloblaw1 said:
Use the additional info button a the bottom of the main screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion. I iterated through all of the options under "preferred network type" e.g. WDMA, CDMA, EVDO, GSM, etc. Changing the mode would remove the LTE symbol from the phone (and disable data) but I could never get the 3G symbol to show up. Is there another option I might be missing?

That's odd. I'm on 4.3TW and the CDMA (prl) option works.
Are you sure 3g data is present at your location.?

bobloblaw1 said:
That's odd. I'm on 4.3TW and the CDMA (prl) option works.
Are you sure 3g data is present at your location.?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can remember having 3g at one time here but I'll wait to answer that until I get home where I frequently get dropped to 3g.
But, I noticed something interesting in looking at the power metrics. As I said I have 3 signal strength bars and the 4G LTE symbol. But this app says I have -61 db(71%) LTE RSSI signal and 2db(44%) LTE SNR. Doing some google searches I found a verizon document that says that RSSI should be greater than -58db and SNR should be greater than 12.5db for LTE to work correctly on their network. So that would seem to indicate why my data performance is bad and not necessarily a saturated uplink to the tower. So, is the signal strength meter actual reporting CDMA (voice) RSSI?

smalco44 said:
I can remember having 3g at one time here but I'll wait to answer that until I get home where I frequently get dropped to 3g.
But, I noticed something interesting in looking at the power metrics. As I said I have 3 signal strength bars and the 4G LTE symbol. But this app says I have -61 db(71%) LTE RSSI signal and 2db(44%) LTE SNR. Doing some google searches I found a verizon document that says that RSSI should be greater than -58db and SNR should be greater than 12.5db for LTE to work correctly on their network. So that would seem to indicate why my data performance is bad and not necessarily a saturated uplink to the tower. So, is the signal strength meter actual reporting CDMA (voice) RSSI?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I confirmed that the app won't push me to 3g at home either and I am frequently on 3g there.

smalco44 said:
I confirmed that the app won't push me to 3g at home either and I am frequently on 3g there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hah, and now I'm at work and realized, my work phone is 3G (verizon) only and its got 5 bars. Any ideas what's going on?