Currently have a couple of old Sony 3G phones via Tesco Mobile.

Had a couple of odd text messages from them. The first advising that "your 5G service will be set up in 24 hours". Afaik it's not available in my area and our phones are definitely not 5G.

Minutes later came another to say they'd updated my phone's settings for me.

Trawled their website to get more info, and it seems you need to enable 4G in your settings if your phone supports it. According to one page on their website, our old phones do not. Elsewhere I found a detailed set of instructions on how to do it, checked my phone and it is already set up for 4G, which I guess they must have done remotely?

So, on the face of it, I'm ok when the 3G is switched off. Or am I?😃  Anyone had anything similar from their network?

 

 

 

 

6 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Currently have a couple of old Sony 3G phones via Tesco Mobile.

Had a couple of odd text messages from them. The first advising that "your 5G service will be set up in 24 hours". Afaik it's not available in my area and our phones are definitely not 5G.

Minutes later came another to say they'd updated my phone's settings for me.

Trawled their website to get more info, and it seems you need to enable 4G in your settings if your phone supports it. According to one page on their website, our old phones do not. Elsewhere I found a detailed set of instructions on how to do it, checked my phone and it is already set up for 4G, which I guess they must have done remotely?

So, on the face of it, I'm ok when the 3G is switched off. Or am I?😃  Anyone had anything similar from their netwwork

 

Make a phone call and have a look at your Status Bar, if it changes from 4G to 3G when making the call then you don't have 4G calling, it should show it it is staying on 4G. 

Also on a Sony phone open your Dial Pad and dial Star Hash Star Hash 4636 Hash Star Hash Star. In the Phone Settings If you have 4G calling it will say Voice Network Type LTE if you have 4G calling. 

If the Phone was one made before the Xz1 Series then I don't think you can get 4G calling.

 You should also have Wi-Fi if you have 4G calling. 

 

6 hours ago, Tizer said:

 You should also have Wi-Fi if you have 4G calling. 

 

If you're talking about, 'WiFi calling' (VOIP), your phone will need to support that function. My previous phone didn't, so when 3G was switched off, my EE home booster box no longer worked leaving me with a zero signal at home. I had to upgrade my phone to one that supported WiFi calling so that now all my calls are done using my home WiFi as EE still don't provide a proper mobile signal. They claim 99% coverage, which is a load of bunkum, kinda like a government promise! 

26 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

If you're talking about, 'WiFi calling' (VOIP), your phone will need to support that function

Yeah, that is the point I was trying to make. I'm not an expert but as far as I know if you have one you have the other and the Phone needs to support it for the Provider to Provision it for you.

It seems that some if not all older Phones can't be Provisioned.

8 minutes ago, Tizer said:

It seems that some if not all older Phones can't be Provisioned.

When I was in the process of 'upgrading' my phone, it was exceptionally difficult to compare phones that offered, 'WiFi calling' as few manufacturers actually list that function as a feature! That was a couple of years ago so things may have changed now, with it becoming a 'standard' feature rather than an extra... I do remember buying one off Ebay where the seller told me it had it, it didn't though I was able to get a refund for mis-description!

19 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

When I was in the process of 'upgrading' my phone, it was exceptionally difficult to compare phones that offered, 'WiFi calling' as few manufacturers actually list that function as a feature! That was a couple of years ago so things may have changed now, with it becoming a 'standard' feature rather than an extra... I do remember buying one off Ebay where the seller told me it had it, it didn't though I was able to get a refund for mis-description!

I think all newer Phones are capable of it but each Provider needs to do some work to white list (I'm not sure what the real word is) each Phone type working with the manufacturer and it costs money and time so a Phone that can have 4G calling with one Provider might not work with them all.

The only exceptions are iPhones.

Thanks guys. According to Tesco, Wi-Fi calling can only be enabled if it's included in your plan - ours isn't but not too bothered about that.

They do say that for 4G, in Mobile Network Settings the  Preferred Network Type needs to say "4G (preferred)/WCDMA/GSM" which it does.

3 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

 

They do say that for 4G, in Mobile Network Settings the  Preferred Network Type needs to say "4G (preferred)/WCDMA/GSM" which it does.

I think they are talking nonsense, If you want to check for sure try the two things I suggested in my first reply. 

If your Phone switches to 3 or 2G  when making a call then you don't have 4G calling, it should never switch unless there is no 4G signal, and the Secret Menu will also tell you what your Phone has been Provisioned for with respect to Calling.

7 hours ago, Tizer said:

Also on a Sony phone open your Dial Pad and dial Star Hash Star Hash 4636 Hash Star Hash Star. In the Phone Settings If you have 4G calling it will say Voice Network Type LTE if you have 4G calling. 

Just done that and it does say LTE.👍

Hard to believe that after all this time there is still much confusion over, 'WiFi calling'. It should be standard with all providers as well as being built-in to all phones...

15 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Hard to believe that after all this time there is still much confusion over, 'WiFi calling'. It should be standard with all providers as well as being built-in to all phones...

Yes and the Government should have made it a condition before giving permission to switch off 3G. You and others have had to scrap their perfectly good Phones and they keep harping on about saving the planet.

2 hours ago, Tizer said:

.. You and others have had to scrap their perfectly good Phones and they keep harping on about saving the planet.

Saving the planet with IT is a total myth. I am still using Windows 7 in desktop & laptop. There are literally billions of computers chucked out in landfill because MS updated windows and advised customers that their perfect working stuff was no longer valid...

2 hours ago, Tizer said:

You and others have had to scrap their perfectly good Phones

Tell me about it 🙁

I so miss my Sony Xperia 🥲

I've still got an old Nokia which is still working on 2G. Must be 20 years old now.

6 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

I've still got an old Nokia which is still working on 2G. Must be 20 years old now.

Still playing Snake? 😎

18 minutes ago, Turvey said:

Still playing Snake? 😎

No, I just hang onto it for emergencies - though it seems more reliable than the newer stuff!

1 hour ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

No, I just hang onto it for emergencies - though it seems more reliable than the newer stuff!

...and the battery lasts 15 days, not 15 hours!

15 hours ago, StephenFord said:

...and the battery lasts 15 days, not 15 hours!

Yes. While I was messing with the other mobiles I gave mine a charge. Can't recall when I last did it - must be month ago!.

I was looking at new phones to possibly update ours for when we get 5G, and battery life is a joke. 

14 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

I was looking at new phones to possibly update ours for when we get 5G, and battery life is a joke. 

It'll be OK, apparently they're developing batteries to run cars, so you should be alright soon 🤣

25 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

I was looking at new phones to possibly update ours for when we get 5G, and battery life is a joke. 

I don't understand how they estimate battery life.

My phone is quite old in terms of both tech & battery (2018 model) but I rarely get less than 3 days battery life from it.  

Now see adverts where 'all day battery' is considered a USP!  

6 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

I don't understand how they estimate battery life.

I don't understand much at all about mobiles😀, but my guess is they assume continuously switched on and apps running in the background. I switch mine on a couple of times a week at most, for as long as it takes to send a text or make a call, so I may get better than quoted - I hope!

4 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

I don't understand much at all about mobiles😀, but my guess is they assume continuously switched on and apps running in the background. I switch mine on a couple of times a week at most, for as long as it takes to send a text or make a call, so I may get better than quoted - I hope!

I never switch mine off.  Probably use it for a couple of hours a day on average, surfing internet, taking photos, calendar reminders, banking & utility apps.

Don't keep apps running unnecessarily though.  And I also delete any that I don't use.  Not so much for battery, but because the updates slow the phone right down so I want as few of those as possible.

Still watching the 3G switch off situation.

Have kept receiving texts over the last 6 months  from Tesco (who use the O2 network) to the effect that 3G will be switched off tomorrow/next week, etc, and got another one this morning to say it has been switched off from the end of last year. According to their text my phone now won't work (so why have they sent a text?) but I have been using it this morning to receive texts for 2 stage verification of payments.

As mentioned on another thread, I'm intending to upgrade anyway when we get 5G here, which we haven't yet. So I'm just seeing what happens. Rather annoyingly, the maps on the various signal checking sites (including O2's) are not up to date, so according to them we have 2/3/4G here. Elsewhere on the O2 site it does say that they have switched it off, though!

Just checking my phone details again, though, and it still says "4G (preferred)/WCDMA/GSM"  and in SIM status mobile network type is shown as 4G.

 

 

3G isn't needed for SMS (texts) or calls. Those still use the 2G network which hasn't been switched off.

If your phone can do 4G then all is well in the world.

5G doesn't make much difference to most people. It is good for downloading movies, it is bad for coverage. I have a 5G phone and don't notice any difference when it is connected to 5G except for the 4G or 5G indication in the status bar. I don't use my phone for watching films.

3G is only for internet I think.  I rarely switch my data connection on at all.  Just use wifi for internet when needed.  Texts come through without wifi or data connected.