Talk, Surf, and Chew Gum?

[leebodroid]

I have not yet purchased a Droid. I am still with AT&T, but am sick of the frequency of dropped calls (plus their don't give a damn attitude).

However, in researching this phone, there are many conflicting opinions about whether it is possible to talk and surf at the same time. Most report no, not on VZ's network.

With AT&T, you can, if you're on their 3G network. I use Google Maps in the car, and often chat on my phone to pass the time.

If this is not possible, it would limit the ability to use the Google GPS feature of the Droid, at least for me.

Already I'm looking at paying AT&T an ETF, in addition to accepting VZ's new, improved $350 ETF.

What I am asking is if any of you actual Droid users (on the 3G network of course) can confirm or deny whether this is possible? :icon_eek:

 

[OfTheDamned]

CDMA does not allow for simultaneous voice and data so talking and surfing is a no go on Verizon and Sprint. With the Google Nav, from what I understand, the program will download the whole trip at the beginning so that you can take a phone call and still use the Nav.

There are also other apps for Android like CoPilot that store the maps on the SD card so you don't have to use data at all during the trip. The only exception would be for POIs or Traffic info and stuff like that.

 

[ahampton2k]

The only way you can talk and surf at the same time with CDMA is if the phone is on a WiFi connection otherwise only one at a time.

 

[OfTheDamned]

The only way you can talk and surf at the same time with CDMA is if the phone is on a WiFi connection otherwise only one at a time.

I completely forgot about the Wifi! :icon_eek:

I have never had a phone with it so it didn't even occur to me. Thank you for bringing it up.

 

[leebodroid]

That is disappointing. So if I'm talking to someone and I want to set a route, I'll have to call them back. And last I heard, they don't have WiFi in the car!

I guess I'm spoiled with AT&T's 3G, and yet, with all the dropped calls, I don't feel spoiled.

AT&T could make their own idont commercial, instead of filing stupid lawsuits. I guess I could use my dedicated GPS when I want to talk. That statement DOES make me feel spoiled!

 

[mth04]

That is disappointing. So if I'm talking to someone and I want to set a route, I'll have to call them back. And last I heard, they don't have WiFi in the car!

I guess I'm spoiled with AT&T's 3G, and yet, with all the dropped calls, I don't feel spoiled.

AT&T could make their own idont commercial, instead of filing stupid lawsuits. I guess I could use my dedicated GPS when I want to talk. That statement DOES make me feel spoiled!

Actually VW has an acessory that will broadcast wifi in thier mini van .

 

[leebodroid]

Well, what about the planned LTE network in 2011? Will that allow voice and data at the same time? (I assume it would require new phone models also).

 

[TarzanMan]

UMTS 3G (T-Mobile, AT&T) already allows simultaneous voice and data.
Its pretty neat to run tethering with your phone and take a call while doing it (happened to me once). Since UMTS is developing LTE, one would assume that it too will allow simultaneous voice and data

 

[iJroid]

That is disappointing. So if I'm talking to someone and I want to set a route, I'll have to call them back. And last I heard, they don't have WiFi in the car!

I guess I'm spoiled with AT&T's 3G, and yet, with all the dropped calls, I don't feel spoiled.

AT&T could make their own idont commercial, instead of filing stupid lawsuits. I guess I could use my dedicated GPS when I want to talk. That statement DOES make me feel spoiled!

If you need nav, I assume you are traveling away from home. With AT&T most of the country has edge, not 3g. Thus no talk and surf.

 

[czukowski]

SVDO - Simultaneous 1x Voice and EV-DO Data

CDMA Development Group Announces Improvements with SVDO - SlashGear

But the kicker for customers? The creation of SVDO, or Simultaneous 1x Voice and EV-DO Data. This allows for CDMA networks the ability to utilize the phone portion of a mobile device, and the data connection at the same time.

 

[austinnadz]

That is disappointing. So if I'm talking to someone and I want to set a route, I'll have to call them back. And last I heard, they don't have WiFi in the car!

I guess I'm spoiled with AT&T's 3G, and yet, with all the dropped calls, I don't feel spoiled.

AT&T could make their own idont commercial, instead of filing stupid lawsuits. I guess I could use my dedicated GPS when I want to talk. That statement DOES make me feel spoiled!

If you need nav, I assume you are traveling away from home. With AT&T most of the country has edge, not 3g. Thus no talk and surf.

Oh touche good sir, touche! I never even thought about that point (my DROID arrives tomorrow)!

 

[StupidGenius]

That is disappointing. So if I'm talking to someone and I want to set a route, I'll have to call them back. And last I heard, they don't have WiFi in the car!

I guess I'm spoiled with AT&T's 3G, and yet, with all the dropped calls, I don't feel spoiled.

AT&T could make their own idont commercial, instead of filing stupid lawsuits. I guess I could use my dedicated GPS when I want to talk. That statement DOES make me feel spoiled!

If you need nav, I assume you are traveling away from home. With AT&T most of the country has edge, not 3g. Thus no talk and surf.

Excellent point. One that many people tend to overlook.

 

[eversonsc]

You can talk on the phone and use the GPS Navigation at the same time. I've done it and it works great.

 

[Laurence5905]

You can talk on the phone and use the GPS Navigation at the same time. I've done it and it works great.

Yes, this does work -- you can't make changes to your destination (or add waypoints, etc.) while you're on the phone, but Google Nav will still plot your location via GPS, and even re-calculate the route if you go the wrong way.

I've only ever had this come up one time... I was talking to a friend and he asked me to look up something on the Internet... Couldn't do it without hanging up the call and calling him back.

I can certainly see how being able to browse the web and talk at the same time would be a nice thing, but since it's the fault of Verizon's network (and not just the Droid, specifically) it's not something that's going to cause me to drop my Droid for another phone. Verizon's other qualities (great 3G coverage, very few dropped calls) outweigh this one disadvantage, in my opinion.

 

[destrekor]

You can talk on the phone and use the GPS Navigation at the same time. I've done it and it works great.

Yes, this does work -- you can't make changes to your destination (or add waypoints, etc.) while you're on the phone, but Google Nav will still plot your location via GPS, and even re-calculate the route if you go the wrong way.

I've only ever had this come up one time... I was talking to a friend and he asked me to look up something on the Internet... Couldn't do it without hanging up the call and calling him back.

I can certainly see how being able to browse the web and talk at the same time would be a nice thing, but since it's the fault of Verizon's network (and not just the Droid, specifically) it's not something that's going to cause me to drop my Droid for another phone. Verizon's other qualities (great 3G coverage, very few dropped calls) outweigh this one disadvantage, in my opinion.

Definitely.

And with Verizon adding LTE sometime in the near future, this will not be a problem ever again. I'll be sticking with Verizon because their coverage is amazing, and LTE is like a big happy marriage between CDMA and GSM. Of note, CDMA is just a communication method, a radio type. CDMA2000 is what Verizon uses, and is more advanced than GSM. The GSM providers with 3G, unless you count EDGE, are not even using "GSM" anymore. UTMS is a more advanced and better developed version of CDMA communication standards.

Of great note, LTE continues the CDMA advancement of UTMS, and even more amazing is it's completely backwards with all CDMA standards, as well as GSM. For CDMA, that includes CDMA2000 (1x, EVDO), and W-CDMA (UTMS).
It isn't the case that LTE simply incorporates all of this, but rather, will seamlessly handle and pass services from LTE to those services whenever necessary.

I don't feel like looking it up again at the moment, so I cannot remember specifically whether LTE technology itself will handle connections of the backward-compatible services, or if it will simply pass it to a compatible tower.

What I look forward to is having a Verizon 4G(LTE)-equipped phone, and whenever I have 4G service I'd have the capability to reach some insane data speeds. But I wouldn't have to worry about coverage, because if I don't have 4G service, I'd have plenty of 3G and 2G coverage elsewhere so while download/browsing speeds will be slow, phone coverage will never be an issue. Verizon's network is one I've never had a problem with coverage-wise, and dropped calls are so rare they basically don't happen on my end.