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Verizon (calls, service, etc). Kinda sucks tbh...

WhySoSerious

WhySoSerious

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 30, 2007
1,460
97
Dallas, TX
When my phone is on, the status bar shows "Verizon LTE'; however, when i make a phone call, it drops the 'LTE' part and it always shows "Verizon o".

Is this normal? what does it mean?
 
Last edited:
Voice over LTE has not been implemented on Verizon, as a result phone calls still use the CDMA network, and on CDMA, data and voice cannot be used together. That is why you see the o and not LTE.

WhySoSerious said:
When my phone is on, the status bar shows "Verizon LTE'; however, when i make a phone call, it drops the 'LTE' part and it always shows "Verizon o".

Is this normal? what does it mean?
Click to expand...
 
WhySoSerious said:
When my phone is on, the status bar shows "Verizon LTE'; however, when i make a phone call, it drops the 'LTE' part and it always shows "Verizon o".

Is this normal? what does it mean?
Click to expand...

Apple decided to only put one radio chip in the iPhone5. On CDMA, with only one radio, you can't do voice and data at the same time so that is why you see that.

The other Verizon LTE phones that can do voice and data at the same time have the LTE radio on its own chip at the cost of battery life and device size. It was a tradeoff apple decided to make.
 
Interesting. So one could be on LTE, receive a phone call and the device will switch from LTE to 3G CDMA? This makes sense because Verizon has pretty much the entire country covered in it's 3G CDMA. I imagine this works out real well for them because obviously the less phones on the LTE towers, the less congestion.
 
i have to say, i'm not impressed with Verison over ATT.

I was with ATT for about 7 years and wanted to try Verizon due to some of the issues I've had with ATT.

So far with Verizon:

- I've dropped 3 calls in Dallas in a matter of 2 weeks since the iPhone 5
- I get terrible reception inside stores like Target when shopping or work (ATT's signal seemed to permeate the buildings and i always had reception)
- Voice calls are often robotic and cutting out with Verizon
- Text messages often take a while to deliever. They hang..and hang...and hang...then finally send through
- LTE speed isn't nearly as fast as ATT
- I knew about the 'no voice/data' at the same time, but what i didn't know was, you can't merge calls on Verizon if you are on the phone with somone and then someone else calls me. Now, if i call someone, put them on hold, then call a second person, then the merge works. But Verizon people can't merge calls if someone calls into me while i'm on a call.

I'm very disappointed with Verizon so far. I'll keep the service for a full year to fully experience it all over the area, but if i'm still frustrated in a year, back to ATT I go.
 
Thanks for sharing your Verizon experience. I've been with Cingular/AT&T for 11 years. I was thinking about getting Verizon if/when I get iphone 5. I'm kinda leaning more towards staying with AT&T though. It's been good the past year and I'd hate to switch and get worse service.
 
WhySoSerious said:
i have to say, i'm not impressed with Verison over ATT.

I was with ATT for about 7 years and wanted to try Verizon due to some of the issues I've had with ATT.

So far with Verizon:

- I've dropped 3 calls in Dallas in a matter of 2 weeks since the iPhone 5
- I get terrible reception inside stores like Target when shopping or work (ATT's signal seemed to permeate the buildings and i always had reception)
- Voice calls are often robotic and cutting out with Verizon
- Text messages often take a while to deliever. They hang..and hang...and hang...then finally send through
- LTE speed isn't nearly as fast as ATT
- I knew about the 'no voice/data' at the same time, but what i didn't know was, you can't merge calls on Verizon if you are on the phone with somone and then someone else calls me. Now, if i call someone, put them on hold, then call a second person, then the merge works. But Verizon people can't merge calls if someone calls into me while i'm on a call.

I'm very disappointed with Verizon so far. I'll keep the service for a full year to fully experience it all over the area, but if i'm still frustrated in a year, back to ATT I go.
Click to expand...

I've been with Verizon since 2002 and haven't had any complaints with service. Yes, their are times when service lacks but it's no different than any other carrier. I think the biggest thing is where you live - coverage. I happen to find that Verizon has the broadest coverage throughout the US and therefore I've had service where some don't.....Sprint, ATT etc.
 
I carry Verizon and AT&T phones daily. My personal one is AT&T. Verizon is better but not worth it for me
 
azhagan said:
Voice over LTE has not been implemented on Verizon, as a result phone calls still use the CDMA network, and on CDMA, data and voice cannot be used together. That is why you see the o and not LTE.
Click to expand...

However, with an ATT or StraightTalk sim card in the Verizon phone, voice and data simultaneous is still possible.
 
alent1234 said:
I carry Verizon and AT&T phones daily. My personal one is AT&T. Verizon is better but not worth it for me
Click to expand...

how is something better for you, but not worth it? :confused:



if something is better for me or provides me better service, i'd consider it worth it. the cost difference is really not that huge of a difference between ATT and Verizon. I just heard so many good things about Verizon that i thought I should give it a try.

so far, Verizion is not any better than ATT. if anything, they are worse if you have an iphone. no voice/data, no merging calls, slower LTE, slower 3G.

I'll be going back to ATT in a year probably.
 
WhySoSerious said:
When my phone is on, the status bar shows "Verizon LTE'; however, when i make a phone call, it drops the 'LTE' part and it always shows "Verizon o".

Is this normal? what does it mean?
Click to expand...

Sooo, you're complaining not about actual experience, but that the indicator on the device changes? :rolleyes:
 
I think that it all definitely depends on location and personal 'needs'. I could I have posted a completely contrasting post to yours. I had ATT for years, I had weak reception in my house, inside my local grocery store (I live in Savannah GA, not exactly in the middle of nowhere), I had zero reception. However now with Verizon, I have a much better signal, and I don't even think about my signal when Im going somewhere.

As for the internet while on a call, for you it's clearly an issue, and maybe I'm just not much of a multitasker, but it's just not an issue. I've never really needed to both talk and look up something on the net. If I needed to, for example look up a movie time in the middle of a call to make plans, I'd just say 'hang on let me call you back", etc...Just not enough of an issue to say they suck overall

But like everything and everyone, to each their own.
 
I had T-Mobile for 11 years, which was OK in Phoenix, Portland in Seattle, the three places I've lived since I had them. There were a lot of places that I wouldn't get service at all, or my service would be limited or spotty at best.

After moving to Verizon my service has improved greatly. I now get (weak) LTE reception in my office, but consistent cellular reception (which I never had on TMo), and there are a few other places I've been where on Tmo I'd have no service at all, and on Verizon I have consistent LTE service. Call quality is better on Verizon (and the iPhone 5 I think in general), and I haven't dropped any calls yet.

I'm not sure about AT&T vs. Verizon in my area, but I'm very happy with the switch. The no data/voice without WiFi is a bummer, but I only typically use that feature at home over WiFi anyway, and I'm hoping VoLTE will fix that in time.
 
I'm having similar trouble in my area, and I hate to say it, but it could be the phone. My iPhone 4 had much better signal consistency than the 5. I'm all over the place with my new phone; from two bars 3G, then it jumps to 2G(o), then it jumps to LTE. My son has a 4S and he'll get three bars 3G and I'm stuck at 2G(o).

And I'll get crappy reception in department stores as well, very very inconsistent.
 
Fanboi4life said:
I'm having similar trouble in my area, and I hate to say it, but it could be the phone. My iPhone 4 had much better signal consistency than the 5. I'm all over the place with my new phone; from two bars 3G, then it jumps to 2G(o), then it jumps to LTE. My son has a 4S and he'll get three bars 3G and I'm stuck at 2G(o).

And I'll get crappy reception in department stores as well, very very inconsistent.
Click to expand...

get it replaced. I am getting great signal strenght
 
Fanboi4life said:
I'm having similar trouble in my area, and I hate to say it, but it could be the phone. My iPhone 4 had much better signal consistency than the 5. I'm all over the place with my new phone; from two bars 3G, then it jumps to 2G(o), then it jumps to LTE. My son has a 4S and he'll get three bars 3G and I'm stuck at 2G(o).

And I'll get crappy reception in department stores as well, very very inconsistent.
Click to expand...

where are you located? i'm in Dallas, TX.

and when you make a phone call, why is Verizon dropping down to 2G(o) and not to 3G?

----------
KdParker said:
get it replaced. I am getting great signal strenght
Click to expand...

when you say "get it replaced", do I need to go to the local Verizon store or Apple? and when i go in, how do i prove that it's the phone that needs to be replaced?
 
WhySoSerious said:
how is something better for you, but not worth it? :confused:



if something is better for me or provides me better service, i'd consider it worth it. the cost difference is really not that huge of a difference between ATT and Verizon. I just heard so many good things about Verizon that i thought I should give it a try.

so far, Verizion is not any better than ATT. if anything, they are worse if you have an iphone. no voice/data, no merging calls, slower LTE, slower 3G.

I'll be going back to ATT in a year probably.
Click to expand...

verizon has better indoor quality. on the LIRR i see people talking on the phone while its in the tunnel. has to be verizon.

but verizon costs more until the iphone 5 the resale of their devices hasn't been that good since they are locked to their network and useless around the world
 
alent1234 said:
but verizon costs more until the iphone 5 the resale of their devices hasn't been that good since they are locked to their network and useless around the world
Click to expand...

All Verizon LTE phones are unlocked. Verizon was required to do that when they purchased the C band. SO you can use many verizon phones around the world. The razr is just one of them along with the iphone 5.
 
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