VoLTE Compatibility

[PRJLNW]

I have a Samsung Galaxy A325M DS. It is a dual SIM model. It is VoLTE compatible. My alternate service provider has already activated VoLTE on this phone. When I check the IMEI Public Mobile/Telus says the Galaxy A325M is not VoLTE compatible and I should buy a new phone. Why does VoLTE work from one provider and not from Public Mobile/Telus. I hope this isn't a scheme to force users to buy new phones.

[wetcoaster]

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@PRJLNW wrote:

I checked the IMEI number for both slots Telus says no VoLTE my other provider says both good for VoLTE. My Public Mobile SIM is active receiving calls, SMS and data (I joined Public Mobile in May 2019 the device was activated  March 2021) . I conclude that my IMEI are on the Telus white list, but incorrectly provisioned

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So it might be "not active on your account yet"? 

Weird to ask this in this context, but do you have another phone that you can try the SIM in and see if VoLTE works in it?

My understanding is that we are still in the roll-out process. So possibly try the occasional reboot over the next little while?

And, as mentioned above, while I don't dismiss the notion that a white-list exists (if not at PM then at Telus) and might be applied here (however non-sensical that is to me), currently I also think there's also a chance that the text could be a rather badly worded and executed approach to upselling from the marketing team. But who knows?!?

[PRJLNW]

I checked the IMEI number for both slots Telus says no VoLTE my other provider says both good for VoLTE. My Public Mobile SIM is active receiving calls, SMS and data (I joined Public Mobile in May 2019 the device was activated  March 2021) . I conclude that my IMEI are on the Telus white list, but incorrectly provisioned

[wetcoaster]

So wrote a whole post (to be posted in the lounge, since we know how things go around here) about not understanding the whole whitelisting concept (as in "if the phone and the SIM play together and the feature works why would one go and create a list of IMEIs for an extra verification step? I don't see cost savings in its operation...")

I'd have wanted to understand the technical side, I can guess the line of thought of the marketing people.

Which brings me to another point: My text came from 5129. While I also got the CCTS text on the same number today, previous messages were as many infomercials as CCTS texts. 4G speed plans, discounts on CPO phones, the $40/15GB plan etc... Soooooo, it begs the question: marketing strategy geared towards the people who don't know any better? Like those CSAs that insist(ed) that a plan upgrade to 4G is needed?

[dust2dust]

For a bring your own device service provider, it would really suck if only devices sold through Telus channels were to work. But certainly your Umidigi is not sold at Telus.

I got the incompatible text. Support is saying something about codecs now. Wikipedia says volte uses at minimum AMR-NB. Got it. It also mentions AMR-WB. Got it. It mentions something called EVS which is backwards compatible with AMR-WB and apparently synonymous with HD Voice+. It then mentions AMR-WB+. Don't got.

So which exact codec is Telus using?

[wetcoaster]

Being a dual SIM phone... have you tried both slots? Do you know that your PM line is activated yet?

My Umidigi Bison works with VoLTE.

I have an inkling that IMEI checker is only giving back a "true" if it's a phone sold by the Telus group. 

What I'll be curious about is whether an unlisted device that works on VoLTE in Canada works with VoLTE roaming in the US...

[hTideGnow]

@PRJLNW all these compatibility list have something in common, they cannot include all phones out there.  There are just too many phones 🙂

[PRJLNW]

Thanks for the observation. I was surprised when the IMEI I submitted was declared as "Not Compatible" I suppose it could be missing from the data base, but this could be a cost saving measure by Telus deciding to only update the provisioning list to an arbitrary cut off date. I'm concerned that only phones with IMEI's in the list will be provisioned for VoLTE, regardless of the device's actual ability.

[dust2dust]

@hTideGnow- I don't know where you're getting your confidence from.

[hTideGnow]

Hi @PRJLNW it is a new enough phone and Telus selling it, I am pretty confident it will be able to VoLTE. No worry about being filtered

[PRJLNW]

Yes, the model is an A32, sub-model 5M-DS. Since the A32 is VoLTE ready I'm wondering if Telus has decided to limit it's network provisioning, both for cost reasons and to create a sales opportunity.

[dust2dust]

We don't yet know whether they are filtering compatibility. ie. whitelist. I suspect they probably are but we'll see if anybody makes anything official. It could be implied though for the fact that not all phones are listed. Which of course is stupid.

[hTideGnow]

Hi @PRJLNW it is an A32?  it will work.  The list is not a complete list.  There are more phones work but not showing on the list