Will 3G iPhone use 3G for voice/3G voice vs GSM voice question.

[JoJoCal19]

Im wondering whether the 3G iPhone will use ATT 3G for voice and data or just for the data part when you are in a 3G coverage area?

I am also wondering whether 3G voice (UMTS W-CDMA) has much better call quality and reception than regular GMS?

The reason I ask this was because I stood in line on launch day for the iPhone and switched from Verizon to ATT and thought that the iPhone was the greatest thing. Well 6 months later I put my precious in the closet and went back to Verizon and got the Blackberry Pearl (Great, great phone!) beacuse the ATT phone service was absolutely unbearable here in Jacksonville, FL. I couldnt even use my phone in my house which is in the middle of a major metro area of Jax (Southside & Baymeadows). I couldnt take it anymore and had to go back to my beloved Verizon network.

I miss the iPhone and now that the 3G iPhone is coming out I am wondering whether it will use the 3G for voice too because ATT has a pretty extensive 3G network here. I am thinking of buying the 3G iPhone and trying it out to see if voice is much improved before I would switch over my line to ATT again.

 

[newyorksole]

time for your iPhone to come out the closet because its about to be going both ways (3G and EDGE)

sorry I can't answer your question lol

 

[edesignuk]

3G is for data, GSM is for voice.

 

[JoJoCal19]

3G is for data, GSM is for voice.

Yea but you can use 3G for voice in general, as T-Mo launched their 3G network for voice.

Im just curious as to whether the iPhone will use 3G for data and voice.

Do other ATT 3G phones use 3G network for voice?

 

[jettoblack]

3G is for data, GSM is for voice.

Utterly false.

All 3G cellphone systems carry both voice and data. A phone can be in either GSM or 3G mode, it cannot be in both at the same time. If 3G is enabled then it will be used for both voice and data. If the phone is in GSM mode then it cannot take advantage of 3G services or data rates.

Note that some countries, such as Japan, have ONLY 3G deployed and don't have any GSM networks at all (which is why the current GSM-only iPhone can't work in Japan).

Some advantages of 3G for voice: less power usage during standby (but more during actual communication), higher quality voice calls (full rate AMR codec vs. the half rate codec used by many GSM operators), can send and receive data packets while in the middle of a voice call, supports 2-way video calling (if the phone has the hardware to support it).

 

[bluePeter]

3G Usage Control

Im wondering whether the 3G iPhone will use ATT 3G for voice and data or just for the data part when you are in a 3G coverage area?

I am also wondering whether 3G voice (UMTS W-CDMA) has much better call quality and reception than regular GMS?
...

Most 3G phones can connect to a 2G network. In congested areas, operators usually push 3G phones to use the 3G network, if available, to free up 2G for non-3G phones.

The reception quality is a function of several things, such as distance to cell, environment (buildings or a lake) and design of phone.

 

[bacaramac]

So, my question is: if voice ends up on 3G, can I talk and surf at the same time? I know with my AT&T 8525 PDA I was able to talk on the phone and use data. I thought this was becuase it was using GSM for the voice call and 3G for the data.

 

[jw nyc]

So, my question is: if voice ends up on 3G, can I talk and surf at the same time? I know with my AT&T 8525 PDA I was able to talk on the phone and use data. I thought this was becuase it was using GSM for the voice call and 3G for the data.

Yes if you are on 3G you can talk and surf at the same time. This is why video conferencing via a 3G phone would work. You would not be on GSM for voice though you would be using 3G for both voice and data simultaneously.

 

[nymikey]

3g service

hey guys, i have a unlocked iphone 3g 2.2 that i'm using with CLARO in puerto rico. they have 3g service,but it's not included in my plan. will i get charged extra for voice calls with 3g activated? no internet surfing,just VOICE CALLS!

 

[bluePeter]

Your phone will use whatever networks the SIM card allows it to (it is a bit more complex, but this is the bottom line). In your case, it would follow that you would not be able to use the 3G network (nor be charged for its use).

However, one use of 3G is to offer more capacity, so the operator may choose to configure the network so that it "pushes" 3G-capable phones (with suitable SIM cards) to the 3G network (when making voice calls), to make room for more calls in the 2G network. In any case, you won't notice and you won't be able to use 3G for data, nor should you be charged.

 

[kas23]

Do other ATT 3G phones use 3G network for voice?

Yes, I bought my in-laws these LG phones and they use 3G for voice. These phones were pretty cheap and don't even have a browser on them. You can't even get a data plan for them.

 

[phenixdragon]

Yes if you are on 3G you can talk and surf at the same time. This is why video conferencing via a 3G phone would work. You would not be on GSM for voice though you would be using 3G for both voice and data simultaneously.

Actually you can not use 3G for voice and data at the same time. AT&T does not use 3G for voice on any phone. It is a limit that they have set on their end, not on the phone. 3G is only used for data through AT&T. This is why you CAN use data and voice at the same time. Other companies, such as Sprint and T-Mobile, use 3G for voice and data. Which is why you CAN NOT use voice and data at the same time.