pixel 9 pro xl call quality rubbish

[rjhazeld]

I have a pixel 9 pro xl on Android 15 with the latest update. Call quality is regularly rubbish even with strong Wi-Fi 6 (2.4/5ghz available). The phone seems to be switching between Wi-Fi calling - 5g mobile? - EE Wi-Fi calling. Our mobile signal has deteriorated over the last 3/4 years from being strong 4g indoors and out anywhere in our village to wildly fluctuating and frequently no usable signal. Over the last few weeks the mobile signal when there is one is at times reported as 5g.

The phone software is fully up to date and the operator settings version is shown as ee_gb-6000000006.8 2004-07-28.

Needless to say all of this doesn't fit the infernal bot's questions. It seems particularly odd that sometimes the phone reports 'EE WiFi calling' and sometimes just 'WiFi calling'.

Any ideas that may help improve the situation?

[Katie_B]

Hello @rjhazeld. 

Do you experience poor call quality in multiple locations?

Have you tried moving down to 4G only to see if this improves?

Speak soon,

Katie

[bristolian]

If you're using VoNR (5G-SA), VoLTE (4G-calling) or VoWiFi (WiFi-calling), the audio codecs should be the same.

You should be getting either EVS (HD+) on on-net calls between supported phones, or AMR-WB (HD) on the majority of intra-mobile calls. The indicated signal strength should be irrelevant - calls will drop if there is insufficient radio quality.

It would be highly unusual for 5G-NR to be present without accompanying 4G-LTE.

[rjhazeld]

I don't see any of those codes, where would I find them ? As mentioned in my reply to Katie B I am being sent an esim to replace the years old physical one in he hope that that will improve things.

[bristolian]

My point was mainly that the perceived signal strength has nothing to do with the audio quality on calls. You'd need an engineering menu to check the codec in use, but most Android phones show "HD" or "HD+" onscreen during calls providing you're not using WiFi-calling.

There's certainly a possibility that the poor audio quality can be caused by the device in use at the other end of your call. It would be interesting to see if the SIM replacement makes any difference, but I strongly suspect it won't.

[rjhazeld]

Occasionally, but in reality most calls are at home hence the focus on Wi-Fi. I haven't tried forcing the phone to 4g. However, I have been talking to someone at ee and a new esim is on its way to replace the years old physical one I have at the moment hopefully that will improve things.

[rjhazeld]

We'll see whether the esim improves things. Normally I would be doubtful but the fact that sometimes I get EE Wi-Fi Calling and others Wi-Fi Calling tends to suggest something at the phone end. We'll see!!

[Leanne_T]

Morning @rjhazeld 

Thanks for coming back to the community and letting us know an eSIM has been sent for you to try. 

Please keep us updated with how you get on with the eSIM. 

Thanks 🙂

Leanne.

[rjhazeld]

First, the replacement Sim card does seem to have resolved the call quality issues I was having. Early days but looking much better.

Second, notwithstanding  my explaining to the agent that I was experiencing poor call quality and had seen reports that an old sim card might be the cause and therefore wanted to replace the Sim on my phone to see if that solved the problem the agent actually setup an additional sim card/number and also upgraded the second number on my account ordering an iPhone 16 and associated plan. This generated a myriad of text messages, email, and codes. To the point I was thinking that somehow my call had been diverted to a scammer. Fortunately, I was able to get to the EE Store in Daventry who were able to see the various things that had been done and unwind them which is now in train. They were also able to supply a replacement Sim card on the spot and install it.  Which so far has solved the problems I was having..

With the notable exception of the store staff and the telephone returns/ and cancellation team in the North-East the online and telephone guides have been far less than helpful even when dealing wit the store staff. The EE systems are excessively complicated and for the customer confusing even looging into 'my ee' requires me to enter my email address twice!, simplification could save millions!

I'll up date again in a week or so.

[bristolian]

If this resolves the issue, I suspect the fix was effectively reprovisioning your SIM with a new set of core-network-data.

I have no direct experience of Pixel devices, but some basic internet searches suggests some models have a menu option to enable/disable VoLTE (and presumably VoNR), and use the same on-screen indicators during calls.

HD-calling via VoLTE (mobile network)