Texts sent on 2G or 3G

Ultrasonic

Newbie question this, hope someone can help me out .

On a 3G capable phone, are texts sent using the 2G or 3G network? I ask as I'm about to get my first 3G phone (!) but want to make sure whatever network I go for won't mean I lose the ability to recieve texts at home, and therefore what type of network coverage I need to check for that. (I have tried a Google search but can't find any answers.)

The best deal I've seen for my needs is on T-Mobile and I've ordered a free sim to try this out. Although I now realise for this to actually be any use I'll need a phone capable of working on that network to test anything, doh! My current ASDA mobile might be unlocked, but if it is it will only pick up 2G. So partly wondering if this will be a useful test or not.

mark55man

pretty sure texts are 2G as I've seen advice to people worrying about data bills to switch to 2G when overseas

ehlo

Texts can be sent and received over 2G, 3G and 4G!

On a 3G capable phone, are texts sent using the 2G or 3G network? I ask as I'm about to get my first 3G phone (!) but want to make sure whatever network I go for won't mean I lose the ability to recieve texts at home

Unless you go with the '3' network then the network and phone will both allow 2G and 3G. If the 3G reception is bad the phone will switch back to 2G automatically.

pretty sure texts are 2G as I've seen advice to people worrying about data bills to switch to 2G when overseas

Switching to 2G will actually not switch data off so you can still end up with quite a large bill. Most phones have a separate option for data

grumbler

mark88man wrote: »

pretty sure texts are 2G as I've seen advice to people worrying about data bills to switch to 2G when overseas

2g and 3g are just bandwidths. Data can be sent via both, but much slower via 2g.

Texts can be sent via both 2g and 3g, and data allowance is not used.
That said some big texts can be converted to MMS and charged accordingly.

Ultrasonic

So 2G reception is sufficient for texts then? Great. Guess I'll see if my current phone happens to be unlocked to test this, and if not I suppose I try to pick up a very cheap old T-mobile handset on eBay.

Ultrasonic

Quick follow up - at home my phone would have a WiFi connection, will it be able to receive texts over that?

(I have a feeling iPhones may behave differently in this regard, so for info. I'd be getting an Android phone, probably a Galaxy S2.)

grumbler

Wify is only for data. Only some apps can send texts via a data connection if both the sender and the recipient have this app installed.

ETA: in fact it is possible to send a text to a mobile via a data connection if you really want this: http://smsfree4all.com/free-text-all-countries.php

Ultrasonic

grumbler wrote: »

ETA: in fact it is possible to send a text to a mobile via a data connection if you really want this: http://smsfree4all.com/free-text-all-countries.php

Thanks, although it would really need to be two way communication to be useful.

I don't live in the middle of nowhere so pretty sure texting the normal way shouldn't be a problem. Just trying to make sure I don't get tied into a 2 year contract and then find I have lost a basic feature that I have now!

diamonds

grumbler wrote: »

Wifi is only for data.

http://www.umatechnology.org/overview/


Currently only Orange UK do it branded as SignalBoost.

Vodafone had it set up for its reseller BT Mobile (BT Fusion via bluetooth & BT Hubs) but then it was pulled as Vodafone users were getting free calls using UMA on blackberry devices via wifi and billed to BT from Vodafone - there was a war between Vodafone and BT behind closed doors & UMA servers were pulled with BT Fusion product & no new BT Mobile were being actioned except business users (converged landline & mobile)

BT brought payg in as I questioned BT Basic was unfair to disabled/chronic ill people who needed a mobile outdoors, then BT Basic "mobile disqualification" was dropped as BT were not taking on ANY new consumer BT Mobile customers due to the dispute with Vodafone.

Still have my BT Mobile payg with free credit I got, the credit/sim never expires and is a granny in the glovebox/emergency.

Vodafone lost out financially with Vodafone @ Home Broadband & line rental wholesale product (and why they bought Cable & Wireless this year) & closed it down, Vodafone did however not stand aside & make a killing from BT Mobile, the whole senario came from Vodafone lack of security on UMA with Vodafone users being able to access BT Mobile exclusive products not entitled for them & certain calls/text were calls routed via BT rather than Vodafone servers that were never billed to Vodafone or its sim/account user on contract phones at BT Mobiles expense internal & external to Voda.

Both parties blamed each other, both had poor security, but my guess is Vodafone knew the "problem" existed as it made profit & customers got free international calls even abroad over uma/wifi via it through BT servers & that "alleged" Vodafone used this as a undisclosed selling point to mainly then business users using UMA capable Blackberry devices home & abroad.

REAL UMA needs a chip in a mobile, newer Blackberry & Android devices dont & calls do not roam from wifi to mobile network with the newer software version of UMA applications on such devices.

Later UMA Blackberry models Orange operating systems stopped using the UMA chip as Orange were losing cash on them calls bundles old customers had of 30 landline countries free calls IF the call started via UMA and crossed over to the mobile network.

UMA chipped mobile/s is a great product, but what the UK networks have done to it as most things, destroyed it. In USA they embraced UMA.

Having a customer pay for a picocell for a reception at home limits costs & profit is higher. All with the added benefit customer only get a signal at their own cost at home/office over their own broadband connection. Whereas wifi/uma chips benefit the end users more, no prizes for guessing which one makes more profit for the networks, more so Orange.

Picocell is Vodafone Sure Signal/3 Home Signal.