Voice over an LTE network data connection VoLTE

TMobile Support wrote the following. Have you noticed an improvement when your calls are made over an LTE data network or have you not noticed any improvement?


VoLTE (Voice over LTE) allows you to place and receive calls on our LTE data network, and it's available nationwide.
Placing a call connects twice as fast.
Switching between 4G VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling does not drop a call.
HD Voice on VoLTE
HD Voice is a feature that improves in-call voice quality nationwide for compatible phones.
Voice call quality is more true-to-life, with less background noise.

I'm not sure what you're asking. This has been a thing for years now. Are you asking about noticing improved call quality? If so then yes. LTE calls are made using a higher quality compression, and are much clearer.

entropism said:

I'm not sure what you're asking. This has been a thing for years now. Are you asking about noticing improved call quality? If so then yes. LTE calls are made using a higher quality compression, and are much clearer.

Click to expand...

Was wanting to know if you (and other respondents) have personally experienced any improvements in quality of sound, when you are making VoLTE calls (4G LTE) compared to making a call on 3G (whatever).

Reason for my wanting to know is because I have turned down purchasing some flagship phones solely because they were not VoLTE provisioned.

In other words is VoLTE all it is cut out to be in your experience? For me I can answer yes, but every phone I have owned has been VoLTE provisioned by my carrier - so I never had a "non VoLTE" phone to compare it to.

The current ASUS ZenPhone 6 has my interest, but I am reluctant to buy it because TMobile will never certify/provision VoLTE on it.

Would also consider buying the Sony Xperia 1 if it turns out to be a good one in use, and drops down $400 in price (fat chance) , but am hesitant to buy it even at a low price because it has little chance of getting TMobile VoLTE.

Hope that helped.

Yes there is a major differences but VOLTE has been implemented for years

Supersnake said:

Was wanting to know if you (and other respondents) have personally experienced any improvements in quality of sound, when you are making VoLTE calls (4G LTE) compared to making a call on 3G (whatever).

Click to expand...

All of this requires A/B testing which most of us don't have a stack of handsets and carriers to test. This is definitely a case of: "use Google."

The Zenfone 6 is going to be HORRIBLE on T-Mobile, VoLTE or not. It simply doesn't have the bands needed to make it a good experience.


FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 26, 28)
TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 41*, 46) *LTE B41 (2535–2655 120MHz)

You're missing bands 66 and 71, which are the new bands that they're rolling out now. Anything without those bands are going to have awful reception.

entropism said:

The Zenfone 6 is going to be HORRIBLE on T-Mobile, VoLTE or not. It simply doesn't have the bands needed to make it a good experience.


FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 26, 28)
TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 41*, 46) *LTE B41 (2535–2655 120MHz)

You're missing bands 66 and 71, which are the new bands that they're rolling out now. Anything without those bands are going to have awful reception.

Click to expand...

Yesterday I spoke to ASUS regarding the issues of Bands 66, 71 and VoLTE. Please see the ASUS ZenPhone 6 thread, look for post #14

UnknownSouljer said:

All of this requires A/B testing which most of us don't have a stack of handsets and carriers to test. "

Click to expand...

True. And that would also involve a large amount of permutations to carry it all out.

UnknownSouljer said:

This is definitely a case of: "use Google."

Click to expand...

Indeed. And my Googling located an informative PC Magazine article that also includes sound recordings.

Supersnake said:

Yesterday I spoke to ASUS regarding the issues of Bands 69, 71 and VoLTE. Please see the ASUS ZenPhone 6 thread, look for post #14

Click to expand...

I replied. I don't think it's going to go well for you.

Sound quality on VOLTE when you are calling other phones with VOLTE is significantly better (higher quality voice codec). Calling landlines, not really noticeable for the most part.

Calls connect faster and your data connection doesn't fall back to the slower 3G network when you are in a call.

The problem I have run into with my carrier (Rogers) is that not all Android devices are provisioned for LTE, or there can be a delay in supporting new devices. For every Google Pixel device I have purchased, I had to wait anywhere from 1-6 months for them to finally provision LTE on my phone. There's also a lot of back and forth about them not activating LTE on phones not purchased directly from them, however I have had luck with my Google Pixel devices. This isn't an issue for iPhone users because all of the carriers bend over backwards to support all features on iPhones....