Re: [PLUG] Update: Update: Off-topic: Cell Phone Call Quality

[Josh Zenker <jzenker@gmail.com>]

On Nov 24, 2015 9:32 PM, "Casey Bralla" <MailList@nerdworld.org> wrote:
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> FYI. I changed phones and now have much better sound quality. Here's what I found:
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> 1. The problem was the local Net-10 signal. I was in Seattle on business, and the sound quality was excellent. Back to Philly, and it's terrible. My guess is that Net-10 piggybacks on other carriers, and gets "left-over" bandwidth. This causes short drop-outs that destroy audio quality.
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> 2. I ditched Net-10 and bought an unlocked Motorola Moto-X Pure ($399. They customized and FedEx'd it to me from Shanghai.) I'm using Consumer Cellar and paying $25/month plus tax for a low-usage data plan (most of my data is via WiFi) The sound quality is very good. Also, Consumer Cellular's web site and phone support was excellent, while Net-10's web designers should be subject to summary execution.
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> BTW, I'm now using stock Android 5.1.1 on the Motorola, compared to Samsung's 4.x on the Samsung Galaxy S3. I gotta say, the newer version of Android STINKS! The themes and icons are ugly, the built-in apps are worse than previously (especially the eMail app, which co-mingles all the eMails from separate accounts!), and the improvements are minimal. All in all, it looks like Google is following Microsoft: Change it and make it worse. The only real improvement in 5.1.1 is the ability to multi-task, which all phones should have been able to do all along anyway.

If you don't care for the Email app, there are alternatives. The newer versions of the Gmail app support a wider variety of account types, not just Gmail. There's also K-9 Mail, which many people seem to love (although it's not my personal preference).

To address your more general dissatisfaction, I have a Nexus 7 tablet that has had every version of Android since 4.x, and I'm quite pleased with the latest versions. See if you can get your hands on a Nexus device, just to see if the stock Android on your Motorola is truly stock.

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> On Sunday, September 20, 2015 03:46:20 PM Casey Bralla wrote:
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> > Thanks to all for the great suggestions. Here's what I've done:
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> > 1. Verified that sound quality is fine when I use Skype. This seems to
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> > suggest that the phone audio hardware is fine.
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> > 2. Tried using Rohit's test phone numbers (206-456-0649). Still got crappy
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> > playback of my recorded voice. I had distorted sound in addition to very
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> > short dropouts. Quality was an order of magnitude worse that land-line
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> > quality.
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> > 3. Deleted as many apps as possible. No change.
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> > 4. Did a complete reset to factory specs. No change (but the automatic
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> > google restore did not restoer most of the data as I had expected. Luckily,
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> > I've got backups.)
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> > So I'm back to thinking it's Net-10. My guess is they purchase time on other
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> > people's network hardware, and Net-10 gets lowest priority.
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> > I bought my phone from Net-10. The phone does NOT have a separate SIM card.
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> > Do you think I will have trouble using it with another carrier?
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> > On Saturday, September 19, 2015 09:04:57 AM Casey Bralla wrote:
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> > > I'm finally reaching the limit of my cell phone tolerance. The voice call
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> > > quality of my cell phone is terrible, and almost unusable.
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> > > I suffer from frequent tenth-second drop-outs which make it very hard to
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> > > understand what is being said. I don't know if its my phone, my carrier,
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> > > or
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> > > my location. I was hoping I could get some good advice from this
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> > > techo-group.
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> > > I know it is not the other caller, because I even have the problem
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> > > listening to my voicemail menu.
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> > > I've got a Samsung Galaxy S3, which appears to be a good quality phone.
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> > > I'm using Net-10, one of the pre-paid carriers. Their prices are pretty
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> > > good.
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> > > My location is in NJ east of Philly, and PA, just north of Newark. Both
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> > > locations seem to be equally bad.
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> > > So how can I isolate the cause of my crappy voice calls?
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> > > Is my carrier?
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> > > Is it my phone?
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> > > If I switch carriers will my quality improve?
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> > > I'm a 58-year-old guy, and not looking for gobs of data, but I can't see
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> > > spending $75 per month for a bloody phone.
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> > > Any suggestions?
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> --
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> Casey Bralla
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> Chief Nerd in Residence
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> The NerdWorld Organisation
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> www.NerdWorld.org
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>
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