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Uncarrier 7.0
- Thread starter DILands
- Start date
Any chance T-Mobile will ever let you put their WiFi calling on a BYOD phone?
This was my biggest issue with Uncarrier 7; I just don't like buying phones from carriers. While T-Mobile is better about not adding bloatware, they still add some; their prices are typically higher; they typically want you to attach the phone to a postpaid account to buy a high end phone (making it harder for prepaid users); the phones they sell are sometimes only the "lower end" models, such as the Nexus where they only sell the 16GB version, and don't carry other phones at all (such as the Moto X); etc.
If they really wanted to make Uncarrier 7.0 more customer friendly, they would add WiFi calling as an app on the Play Store.
WirelessWanderer
Member
As has been pointed out to me and others: That would be problematical, as WiFi calling likely requires privileged access.
But... perhaps it could be accomplished via a digitally signed loadable module or the like?
From the press release:
That makes it sound (to me) like any customer that buys a new phone from T-Mobile will be eligible, regardless of their plan. Pretty fantastic - if true.
And WirelessWanderer is correct about why wifi calling can't just be added via an app - UMA (the magic that makes T-Mobile's Wifi Calling work) needs lower-level access to the telephony stack than a third-party app could get. It has to be baked into the OS.
I'm nexus4life here, so I'll likely never benefit from their UMA offerings either - but I can now do free VoIP calls with my Google Voice number using the updated Hangouts app, so I'm good with that.
cptnobvious999
Newbie
Does Google Voice work with group messages now? It's the only thing holding me back from porting my number over.
I haven't tried, but I don't think that GV's group MMS limitation has been changed. I think it will still break out into multiple conversations.
I'll try to test later to confirm.
cptnobvious999
Newbie
Thanks! I don't mind if it breaks it up I just want to be sure I get the messages from others. Everything else is just a nice to have.
Yeah, just checked with some coworkers that do that group MMS thing (I don't have enough friends for it apparently 
).
Sending from GV, you can't add multiple recipients to a message. So you can't send group MMS using GV.
Receiving via GV, you'll only receive the original message (sent from the group mms creator, if you will), and anything else that they send to the group. You won't see any responses from anyone else. So there's not really much "group" going on here either - you might as well just have a two-way conversation, because that's all you get.
So yeah, sounds like Voice still lacks group MMS capability. Sorry.
). Sending from GV, you can't add multiple recipients to a message. So you can't send group MMS using GV.
Receiving via GV, you'll only receive the original message (sent from the group mms creator, if you will), and anything else that they send to the group. You won't see any responses from anyone else. So there's not really much "group" going on here either - you might as well just have a two-way conversation, because that's all you get.
So yeah, sounds like Voice still lacks group MMS capability. Sorry.
So can you now make VOIP calls with Hangouts/Google Voice using my mobile number for free?
I asked this I haven't really used GV# in a while except for when I sell items on Craigslist. And I hate Hangouts and the UI is just lame to me. Found myself using WhatsApp more since everyone in my phone uses it.
I asked this I haven't really used GV# in a while except for when I sell items on Craigslist. And I hate Hangouts and the UI is just lame to me. Found myself using WhatsApp more since everyone in my phone uses it.
You can make VoIP calls with Hangouts/Google Voice using your Google Voice number for free. Without Google Voice you can still place free VoIP calls, but the person you're calling will not see any caller ID information - I think it may actually say "Blocked" or "Unavailable".
IHaveAnAndriod
Well-Known Member
There's something I need to know with the new cell spots that they are going to start selling tomorrow. I need to know if I should buy one. I have the nexus 5 and it doesn't support native WiFi calling.
I just got off the phone with a representative from the sale department and I want to know: if I live in a house that hardly gets any cellphone service , will it help with me making calls? Does my phone need to support WiFi calling? I'm lost. See told me she couldn't gibe Mr many answers because they haven't started selling the product yet.
I just got off the phone with a representative from the sale department and I want to know: if I live in a house that hardly gets any cellphone service , will it help with me making calls? Does my phone need to support WiFi calling? I'm lost. See told me she couldn't gibe Mr many answers because they haven't started selling the product yet.
WirelessWanderer
Member
From the descriptions I've seen it would appear these new devices will be a type of femtocell that connects to T-Mobile's network via your own broadband connection, rather than backhauling to the nearest T-Mobile cell tower.
If true: I suppose this means you could end up with a T-Mobile femtocell in your home or business even if there isn't a TMO cell tower to be seen or heard for miles and miles around. (Which brings up a whole new range of ideas about where TMO may be going with these things. Consider Comcast is turning your Xfinity router into a public Wi-Fi hotspot, for example.)
So, if I'm interpreting what I've read correctly: No, your handset will not need to support WiFi calling.
Gman9831
I'm no Senior
Your phone needs WiFi calling because the CellSpot is not transmitting a cellular signal it's transmitting a WiFi signal like how we've done WiFi calling all along. Only thing really special the CellSpot does for WiFi calling is supposedly some advanced QoS for better calling. It actually is an overall better router than most people currently have though.