Explained: AT&T and T-Mobile VoLTE phone cutoffs

4G network icon Robert Triggs / Android Authority The deadline for AT & T ’ s 3G voice calling is marching ever closer, and T-Mobile has already axed the overhaul. Soon, your entirely option will be to rely on Voice over LTE ( VoLTE ) calling to stay in tint. That means smartphones that depend entirely on 3G networks for calls will cease to work on these networks. These US carriers are phasing out old 3G voice calling technologies as they focus on stream 4G LTE networks and the continued rollout of 5G over the coming years. This allows them to increase capacitance for newer networks as bequest technologies are phased out. The drawback for consumers is that those older smartphones will nobelium longer work on AT & T and T-Mobile networks after making the switch.

What is VoLTE/HD Voice, and how does this all work?

Redmi Note 8 Pro review phone call Kris Carlon / Android Authority Making voice calls is intrinsically linked to the capabilities of your mobile network and device. The quality and features available for spokesperson calls depend on the type of network you use, such as 2G, 3G, or 4G, deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as the capabilities of your smartphone. VoLTE and HD Voice are two modern protocols for making wireless calls, taking advantage of the up to three times higher bandwidth of 4G LTE for much higher choice calls than older networks. New devices use superior VoLTE and HD Voice, while older devices even use existing 3G networks .
As 3G is switched off, you need VoLTE or HD Voice support to make calls on 4G networks. VoLTE allows for the coincident practice of voice and data during calls, so you can look something up on-line while however on a call. It besides supports 6-way conference calls. The move to 4G besides provides lower reaction time, reducing those infuriating instances where you end up talking over each other due to the call delay. Likewise, the HD Voice codec offers the same benefits by leveraging 4G LTE networks and extending capabilities on older networks. What ’ randomness key is that VoLTE and HD Voice use 4G LTE to offer better quality calls compared to 3G and 2G equivalents. Modern smartphones about universally subscribe these technologies, so there ’ second fiddling reason to continue to support the inferior, aging standards. particularly as carriers are looking to free up the erstwhile spectrum for use with new 5G networks. Calls on 3G networks placid exist as a disengagement for older devices and ensure you can make calls in areas without 4G coverage. however, both of these are increasingly rare. All mod smartphones hold VoLTE calls, and 4G LTE network coverage is increasingly comprehensive, even at the edges of networks. In a nutshell, there are diminishing reasons to keep supporting old, inferior 3G calls and networks for many carriers. We can probably expect more carriers worldwide to make the switch in the coming years arsenic well .
Read more: How Enhanced HD Voice makes your calls crisp and clean The tradeoff is that the few devices that don ’ thymine support VoLTE and HD Voice won ’ thyroxine fall second to 3G and 2G to make calls once these network technologies are switched off. They ’ ll basically just become 4G data devices.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Duo call bottom half

Duo split bottom

When does 3G voice support end?

T-Mobile customers can nobelium longer activate new devices without VoLTE capabilities. This rule came into violence on August 4, 2020. current T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile lost their entree to non-VoLTE devices as of January 2021. so, if you ’ re still on the Uncarrier, then you ’ ve already cleared this hurdle .
4G-only calling went alive in January for T-Mobile and will do so in February 2022 for AT & T. AT & T is giving its customers a sting more time to plan. The carrier won ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate drop non-HD-Voice devices until February 2022. Emails have already started arriving to inform customers that their phones are won ’ thyroxine be compatible with the network in the future. however, AT & T hasn ’ triiodothyronine handled the passage peculiarly well. It has failed to inform consumers of the date correctly and has sent messages out to subscribers who own HD Voice capable handsets .

How can I tell if my device is supported?

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, Sony Xperia 1 III, OnePlus 9 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max side by side Robert Triggs / Android Authority AT & T is still contacting subscribers who have devices that the carrier will not support. so if you don ’ thymine receive a message, you can credibly assume your smartphone will keep on working just fine. If you want to be certain, there are a match of ways to double-check compatibility yourself. even though VoLTE and HD Voice has been supported in smartphone modems since 2013 and 2014, respectively, don ’ t take this as a given that your device will continue to work. AT & T ’ s HD Voice execution only works with specific handsets. You can find the tilt of digest smartphones american samoa well as unlock models below .

  • AT&T handsets that will work after Feb 2022
  • AT&T unlocked handset service compatibility

As for T-Mobile, the carrier says that all of the handsets it has sold in the last five years should still work now that we ’ re in 2021. You can use T-Mobile ’ second compatibility checker to see your device works with the network in place of a device list. It fair requires you to input your phone ’ south IMEI number, which you can find in the settings menu under About Phone .

  • T-Mobile IMEI compatibility checker
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