[kop316]

Drew (Or sircmpwn? Sorry I don't know how you prefer to be called) since I know you're on here, if I may ask:

- What provider are you using?

- Is it VoLTE that is working, or does it drop down to 3g for calls?

- Does SMS work in LTE mode or do you have to drop it down to 3g?

I have a Librem 5 birch, and from my experience in rolling my own Android AOSP version, that to get T-mobile to work with VoLTE, SMS/MMS with LTE, or WiFi Calling, you have to install proprietary blobs.

EDIT: I should add the Librem 5 Birch has LTE data on T-mobile, but I have to drop to 3G to get SMS and phone call functionality, and MMS is additionally non-functional at all on T-Mobile. Meant to post that for the Librem 5.

[ddevault]

- AT&T

- I don't know what VoLTE is

- SMS seems to work fine in LTE mode, but don't quote me on that. I tested everything once just to understand how it worked, then put it on the backburner to work on other stuff.

[ocdtrekkie]

VoLTE is "voice over LTE". A lot of older 4G phones actually use 3G for voice calls.

[kop316]

Thank you!

Understand, that's how I have been playing with My Librem 5, I pull it out every so often to try out different things.

[Fnoord]

MMS is just a SMS with a hash or link which combined with a HTTP proxy is then automatically loaded. It is a way to remotely load a picture, on a remote device. Not sure I actually want that feature. I always disable it on my SIM card.

Not trying to downplay, other people might prefer it. VoLTE provides a security and usability benefit over 2G, as does not using 2G/3G as backward compatibility.

Has anyone in Europe used PinePhone?

[kop316]

The killer feature I use MMS for is group texts. In an ideal world I could host my own matrix channel on my server to use, but I know that I would have exactly one user on it. I refuse to use WhatsApp/Facebook messenger/Viber/your favorite chat program, and MMS is the least common denominator.

[lupire]

Why is MMS better then your favorite chat program?

[kop316]

- It's the least common dominator to chat with anyone with a Phone (if you have a smartphone, you can go MMS group chat).

- I am not giving another company personal data (Facebook, Google, etc.)

Ideally, I would prefer to run my own server for a chat program (i.e. Matrix, Nextcloud Chat), then I know where the traffic is coming to and from, and I have a lot of confidence that personal data isn't being leaked.

My second option would probably be Signal, as they seem to do to great lengths to avoid collecting data on you. However, trying to convince family/friends to use either is an uphill battle (a great deal of my family goes "why don't you just get an iPhone?"). So the pragmatist in me just uses MMS for group chat.

[swiley]

Honestly I'd be happy with just 2g and no mms at this point.

[war1025]

Verizon is turning off the 2g towers on Jan 1st, so the little old brick phone I've had since 2011 is going to stop functioning in two weeks.

Finally broke down and ordered a Moto g7 on Black Friday.

Haven't had the heart to actually go in and get a sim card for it yet though...

[smcleod]

2g was decommissioned quite some time ago in Australia and New Zealand, it was a right pain as it ate into the spectrum and slowed down LTE

[kop316]

It doesn't bother me, don't get me wrong, I'm just curious. You have to start somewhere! I am really excited to see both this and the Librem 5 get off the ground.

[jay_kyburz]

You'd might as well turn data off and just carry a nokia 3310 like me.

[Avamander]

VoLTE requires carrier support unless some very clever hacks I'm unaware. I am pretty sure that's the case with PinePhone as well, meaning it will drop to 3G.

[kop316]

That's my assumption as well, I was just curious. Their latest post indicates that they are wokring on VoLTE:

https://www.pine64.org/2019/12/05/december-update-thank-you-...

[Avamander]

Maybe they want to support it so that carriers could support it?

[kop316]

I assume they want to support it, as well as any other carrier feature. I just have no knowledge on how difficult it is, nor in what state it is in now.