Question about tethering/hotspot on Android platform

[BBauer]

Hi, another thread indicated that the iPhone is unable to receive/make a call (text too?) while maintaining the 3g wireless hot spot. I did have the mobile hot spot on my Droid X for a few months last season but never bothered to mess with calling while the hotspot was on. Can the Android platform maintain the hot spot/tether while on a call/text?

Will anything change with the 4g phones in this regard? I'm thinking of upgrading to the Droid Razr Maxx fairly soon. I'm glad to hear you can force 4g phones into 3g (so they won't keep searching for 4g) since it will be a bit before everything away from major cities converts to 4g (as I understand it).

 

[Matt Handley]

What provider are you using? I have used the iPhone 4 for data and have not noticed the 3g drop off for a text or call, (we have one iPhone4 on AT&T and one on Verizon) but I never paid enough attention if it did or not. Wish I was more help, mostly just wanted to say hey as I see we are pretty much neighbors! Ankeny, IA here. Hope to see ya out there soon!

 

[Kevin Franz]

I believe the simple answer is this: while using 4g/LTE you can receive calls while using the data connection. That being said I'm pretty sure the only phone that is setup to handle this was the HTC Thunderbolt even though the network has the capabilities. Of course I'm only referencing Verizon as I'm not sure about the other carriers.

I was a long time Android guy until just recently when changing to the iphone. I did notice that the hotspot automatically reconnects after hanging up on the c all and when I was using wireless tether or something similar on android I had to manually reconnect for some reason. So at least that it easier. At the end of the day if you need to use your phone as a phone you may want to consider a mobile hotspot device of some type. I know I have as it always seems my better half calls at the most inconvenient times.

 

[Matt Handley]

Also I should add, I am a broadcast technology major and from what I was taught (last semester) is that 4G is a long way from being truly implemented the way the cell companies want to make us think it is now. Last I knew it was a marketing thing to get us to jump on the "latest and greatest". I do own an iPhone but this does not make me an apple freak, but there is a reason the iPhone 4s is not 4g capable, it's just not there quite yet last I knew. Keep in mind this is 5 month old info. I could be wrong as I took this semester off to chase so I'm a bit out of touch on how it's coming along

 

[Kevin Franz]

I think the simple answer is yes, there are issues with 4g LTE. I'm on a 3g iphone 4s for that reason. I had the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon and had terrible call quality. At the end of the day they need to work as phones. Also keep in mind that 4g/LTE has only been implemented in larger cities at this point. If you're in bfe Kansas or somewhere 4g isn't going to help you at this point. It will be a few years yet for the rural areas.

 

[Ben Corby]

Not to mention that the 4G LTE networks that are out there right now absolutely murder your phone's battery. For the time being, I'm perfectly happy to be in a "3.5G" HSPA+ network for now. It bears mentioning that I'm on AT&T, and a lot of the areas I chase in (Eastern CO) don't even have 3G yet--they're still running the 2G EDGE network.

 

[TJKLECKNER]

What provider are you using? I have used the iPhone 4 for data and have not noticed the 3g drop off for a text or call, (we have one iPhone4 on AT&T and one on Verizon) but I never paid enough attention if it did or not. Wish I was more help, mostly just wanted to say hey as I see we are pretty much neighbors! Ankeny, IA here. Hope to see ya out there soon!

off topic......Howdy from Ames!