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Verizon and iMessage

Here is a link to one of the many articles for Verizons plans.

http://gigaom.com/2013/06/27/verizon-wraps-up-lte-rollout-plans-all-voip-phone-launch-for-late-2014/

Verizon Wireless’s LTE juggernaut has hit its 500th market, leading the carrier to declare on Thursday its rollout is “substantially complete.” Verizon’s 4G network now covers 298 million people and covers 95 percent of the U.S. population.

With that kind of coverage under its belt, Verizon can now start weighing the gradual retirement of its CDMA networks, and in late 2014 it plans to drive that fact home by launching its first all-VoIP LTE-only phone, Verizon Wireless Chief Network Officer Nicola Palmer said at press briefing.
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I7guy said:
Here is a link to one of the many articles for Verizons plans.

http://gigaom.com/2013/06/27/verizon-wraps-up-lte-rollout-plans-all-voip-phone-launch-for-late-2014/
Click to expand...

From what I am told, by people that have Verizon service, is that the LTE network, while substantial, frequently falls back to 3G and sometimes 1x, in many places. If Verizon goes with VoLTE, with CDMA fallback, the call will drop. Additionally, if you lose LTE while on a data call, you also lose your simultaneous voice and data. I see some big growing pains here...
 
DCIFRTHS said:
From what I am told, by people that have Verizon service, is that the LTE network, while substantial, frequently falls back to 3G and sometimes 1x, in many places. If Verizon goes with VoLTE, with CDMA fallback, the call will drop. Additionally, if you lose LTE while on a data call, you also lose your simultaneous voice and data. I see some big growing pains here...
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I don't believe that any current providers allow for LTE capability while on a call. I've had both AT&T and T-Mobile and both drop back to HSPA+ while you are on a call and browsing the web.
 
rockitdog said:
I don't believe that any current providers allow for LTE capability while on a call. I've had both AT&T and T-Mobile and both drop back to HSPA+ while you are on a call and browsing the web.
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I would agree with your statement, but when VoLTE rills out, all voice and data should take place on the LTE portion of the network as IP packets.

My last post was referring to what will happen when the LTE signal drops.
 
DCIFRTHS said:
From what I am told, by people that have Verizon service, is that the LTE network, while substantial, frequently falls back to 3G and sometimes 1x, in many places. If Verizon goes with VoLTE, with CDMA fallback, the call will drop. Additionally, if you lose LTE while on a data call, you also lose your simultaneous voice and data. I see some big growing pains here...
Click to expand...

I think that opening statement is true for every carrier. In fact friends that have ATT complain of exactly the same thing. This is why verizon is completing its LTE update within its footprint; to be able to redeploy it's bandwidth.

I expect volte calls to drop in the same way calls from all carriers drop.
 
I7guy said:
I think that opening statement is true for every carrier. In fact friends that have ATT complain of exactly the same thing. This is why verizon is completing its LTE update within its footprint; to be able to redeploy it's bandwidth.

I expect volte calls to drop in the same way calls from all carriers drop.
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LTE on AT&T drops down to HSPA+ 3G and with that you can still get 7-8mbps speeds and not turtle cdma 3G though;)
 
Simultaneous voice and data drives me nuts on Verizon's network. My iPhone is company provided or else I'd move on.

As someone that talks on their phone ~3000 minutes each month and relies on email also (10-15 a day) it's very obnoxious. Hanging up with clients to check an email they sent me feels unprofessional.

On topic, it's not uncommon for me to hang up from a long phone call and 20+ iMessages flood in. Thankfully Apple will group them, "You have 25 new messages".

Off topic it's just annoying. I spend a lot of time traveling. So in a car if the GPS needs to reroute I need to hang up (Bluetooth). Pandora and other services can't work. Half the time iMessages fail to send. Like mentioned I'll get a flood of messages in all at once.

I could see a more casual user being unaffected by this. However in a more professional setting, traveling a lot using GPS, 3000 talk minutes a month, 600+ iMessages a DAY, 10-15 important emails a day, can't tether and talk, plus social stuff.....yeah it sucks....

I know I know, everyone is thinking well get another device like a cellular iPad. And that is an option but it just sucks that the same phone on a different network can so what I need it too.

I'd rather our company switch to ATT. However if Apple released a new iPhone today that could do voice and data I'd stand in line in the cold and pay full retail for it. That would make my life noticeably more streamlined.
 
I guess the difference is here on the east coast there is always a wifi network available somewhere in civilization. I get virtually no imessage, but sometimes 2-5 hundred emails a day that need managing. I tell clients all of the time, I have to hang up the phone to get the email, I don't understand the issue if they know you are on the road. As opposed to sitting at your desk with just a cell phone.

To make it easier for me, I have a dedicated GPS, because some of the places I have gone in the past don't have great cell service. I also have a laptop and ipad. If you are a road warrior, like I can be, you are prepared.

Lastly unless you work for Verizon, I can't understand why you can't be on ATT. Show your employers these posts on Macrumors and how bad Verizon service is and how much you struggle with the crappy Verizon iphone. I'll bet you they will switch.
 
I7guy said:
I guess the difference is here on the east coast there is always a wifi network available somewhere in civilization. I get virtually no imessage, but sometimes 2-5 hundred emails a day that need managing. I tell clients all of the time, I have to hang up the phone to get the email, I don't understand the issue if they know you are on the road. As opposed to sitting at your desk with just a cell phone.



To make it easier for me, I have a dedicated GPS, because some of the places I have gone in the past don't have great cell service. I also have a laptop and ipad. If you are a road warrior, like I can be, you are prepared.



Lastly unless you work for Verizon, I can't understand why you can't be on ATT. Show your employers these posts on Macrumors and how bad Verizon service is and how much you struggle with the crappy Verizon iphone. I'll bet you they will switch.
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Two things, one that's easier said then done. 70+ contracts that all expire at different times. Majority of those don't need to use the phone the same way I and a few others do.

Two, it's my fault. They will buy me any phone I want. I much prefer iPhones compared to Android phones that have the capability to do voice and data. If I showed my employers this thread they'd tell me to go get an Galaxy S4 or something. But I equally value iMessage and AirPlay, however that's not exactly work related so I bear with it.

I didn't mention that last point as I was trying to stay on topic with the "Verizon and iMessage" point.
 
cynics said:
Two things, one that's easier said then done. 70+ contracts that all expire at different times. Majority of those don't need to use the phone the same way I and a few others do.

Two, it's my fault. They will buy me any phone I want. I much prefer iPhones compared to Android phones that have the capability to do voice and data. If I showed my employers this thread they'd tell me to go get an Galaxy S4 or something. But I equally value iMessage and AirPlay, however that's not exactly work related so I bear with it.

I didn't mention that last point as I was trying to stay on topic with the "Verizon and iMessage" point.
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Anything that is posted is fair game for comment, even if you label it off-topic. BYOD Android is a non-starter for me, plus personally, I really dislike android phones. So that leaves apple or blackberry. Imessage is not work related as it is an apple only standard. SMS is a different story.

I decided laptop + ipad + iphone on Verizon works for me. If I were on AT&T it would still be laptop + ipad + iphone.

If this really is effecting your efficiency and is costing the company money, get approval to cancel the contact, pay the etf and move on. Most companies will understand an ETF is small price to pay better performing employees.
 
Just to be clear...

One can not surf the web and talk on the phone using an Iphone on Verizon's network? You learn something new everyday. I thought any 4g phone on LTE could do this. I am looking to leave my Android device to get an Iphone when my contract with Verizon expires. I can surf and talk now with my Droid Razr and just to be sure, I tested it before posting this comment. I was looking forward to seeing what Apple does with the Iphone 6, but I really don't want to lose that feature along with others I knew I would give up. I have no plans of leaving Verizon, so I guess I will have to weigh the pros and cons when the time comes.
 
Brandermill533 said:
One can not surf the web and talk on the phone using an Iphone on Verizon's network? You learn something new everyday. I thought any 4g phone on LTE could do this. I am looking to leave my Android device to get an Iphone when my contract with Verizon expires. I can surf and talk now with my Droid Razr and just to be sure, I tested it before posting this comment. I was looking forward to seeing what Apple does with the Iphone 6, but I really don't want to lose that feature along with others I knew I would give up. I have no plans of leaving Verizon, so I guess I will have to weigh the pros and cons when the time comes.
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The droid has three antennae, the iphone two. From what little apple has said, they have no intention of building 3 antennas into an iphone. Voice over lte, if it ever gets here, will allow surf and talk at the same time.
 
Thanks

I7guy said:
The droid has three antennae, the iphone two. From what little apple has said, they have no intention of building 3 antennas into an iphone. Voice over lte, if it ever gets here, will allow surf and talk at the same time.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification. Knowledge is power.
 
I7guy said:
The droid has three antennae, the iphone two. From what little apple has said, they have no intention of building 3 antennas into an iphone. Voice over lte, if it ever gets here, will allow surf and talk at the same time.
Click to expand...
That or being on WiFi will allow for it as well.
 
Verizon and iMessage

Brandermill533 said:
One can not surf the web and talk on the phone using an Iphone on Verizon's network? You learn something new everyday. I thought any 4g phone on LTE could do this. I am looking to leave my Android device to get an Iphone when my contract with Verizon expires. I can surf and talk now with my Droid Razr and just to be sure, I tested it before posting this comment. I was looking forward to seeing what Apple does with the Iphone 6, but I really don't want to lose that feature along with others I knew I would give up. I have no plans of leaving Verizon, so I guess I will have to weigh the pros and cons when the time comes.
Click to expand...


Yeah it stinks. In it's current form the iPhone is limited even on GSM networks. It can not do voice + LTE, it drops data back to HPSA(+) for data.

The additional hardware in the competition phones make the work a little bit better but especially so on CDMA networks like Verizon.

Your Droid can do voice and data only when it's on LTE (or wifi obviously). So it has it's own (albeit less) limitations. There were a handful of phones that could do voice and data on Verizon's 3G network (Thunderbolt, Rezound) using SVDO tech so it is possible. I read rumors that Verizon was the ones phasing that out though don't know how true that is.
 
resurrection time...

I can't leave Verizon because of their coverage and reliability. But the iMessage issue bugs me. If Apple would simply recognize the lack of a data connection and convert it to text in a faster fashion, this problem would be solved. I've read the "5 minute" rule, but never seen that in practice. I had an hour long conference call yesterday and my wife had sent me a handful iMessages, and not a single one of them was done within the last 15 minutes of my call, and not a single one came through until after I hung up.

Solution #1 - Disable iMessage and use regular SMS... in my situation, that's a good option most of the time as I don't *need* iMessage for work, and the most important messages will likely come through SMS rather than MMS - though I guess group messages could be an issue...

Solution #2 - Use an Android device... Every Android device on Verizon going back 2 years now can do simultaneous voice and data due to the chipsets that have been used (extra antenna, basically). The iPhone 5/5C/5S are the only devices on Verizon that can't do this (unsure on Windows Phones - but if they use Snapdragon / Qualcomm chipsets, they likely can handle it). I'm not adverse to this (as evidenced by my handle here obviously), but ultimately prefer iOs for my day to day usage...

Oh Verizon, why does your coverage have to be so good! #firstworldproblems
 
jntdroid said:
resurrection time...

I can't leave Verizon because of their coverage and reliability. But the iMessage issue bugs me. If Apple would simply recognize the lack of a data connection and convert it to text in a faster fashion, this problem would be solved. I've read the "5 minute" rule, but never seen that in practice. I had an hour long conference call yesterday and my wife had sent me a handful iMessages, and not a single one of them was done within the last 15 minutes of my call, and not a single one came through until after I hung up.

Solution #1 - Disable iMessage and use regular SMS... in my situation, that's a good option most of the time as I don't *need* iMessage for work, and the most important messages will likely come through SMS rather than MMS - though I guess group messages could be an issue...

Solution #2 - Use an Android device... Every Android device on Verizon going back 2 years now can do simultaneous voice and data due to the chipsets that have been used (extra antenna, basically). The iPhone 5/5C/5S are the only devices on Verizon that can't do this (unsure on Windows Phones - but if they use Snapdragon / Qualcomm chipsets, they likely can handle it). I'm not adverse to this (as evidenced by my handle here obviously), but ultimately prefer iOs for my day to day usage...

Oh Verizon, why does your coverage have to be so good! #firstworldproblems
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It's a blessing and a curse.
 
jntdroid said:
Oh Verizon, why does your coverage have to be so good! #firstworldproblems
Click to expand...

AT&T's network is just as good, faster and depending on location even better.
Don't buy into the gimmick it's the network and can you hear me now commercials that want to make you feel putting up with higher prices and crappy CDMA tech is your only option.
Test it out on your own local area, you have 30 days to decide and go back if it doesn't workout.
 
Jntdroid, I'm with Verizon also, have been for years. But you may want to recheck ATT coverage. When I first got Verizon the coverage area of AT&T was piss poor at best. Now it's just as good, at least in the area I frequent.

As far as Verizon and iMessage I've had a picture stuck sending too a friend via iMessage for over a month. It just says "Sending.." at the top instead of a name. I don't know what the issue is but I'm going to wait it out lol.
 
Thanks for the tips, but I've tried out both AT&T and Tmobile over the past few months. Tmobile is on par with Verizon in my immediate area, and faster in some places, but doesn't have near the building penetration or overall signal consistency that Verizon has. (Plus some other negative quirks) And if I get outside of my city or go visit some family just east of us, I have zero coverage on Tmobile - not even voice or text.

I thought AT&T would be the happy medium. But I think there are simply way too many AT&T users in my area. It's too congested, has even worse building penetration than Tmo, and in a couple of the more populated spots, data shows a strong connection, but is painstakingly slow, and often switches back to HSPA+ which isn't any better due to the congestion. The irony is that I live and work within 15 minutes of their corporate headquarters.

So for now we're back with Verizon, but off contract at least.
 
Applejuiced said:
AT&T's network is just as good, faster and depending on location even better.
Don't buy into the gimmick it's the network and can you hear me now commercials that want to make you feel putting up with higher prices and crappy CDMA tech is your only option.
Test it out on your own local area, you have 30 days to decide and go back if it doesn't workout.
Click to expand...

Or not. See above post.
 
Applejuiced said:
AT&T's network is just as good, faster and depending on location even better.
Don't buy into the gimmick it's the network and can you hear me now commercials that want to make you feel putting up with higher prices and crappy CDMA tech is your only option.
Test it out on your own local area, you have 30 days to decide and go back if it doesn't workout.
Click to expand...

Your post is spot on...

It AMAZES me how many (no disrespect) sheep Verizon has.

Verizon could introduce any unfriendly policy, and they'll tell you "well, that's the price of a premium network". R U SERIOUS
 
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