Calls are not working

Apart fro SIM cards becoming unusable if slightly poor fitting the socket pins can get tarnished ~ slide the SIM in and out a few times.

You could also try asking you carrier for an e-SIM to see if that works.

Update: the new SIM card does not work with Fairphone 4. It does work with another phone though. The symptoms are the same. I’m waiting for support’s answer.

I’ve been in a back-and-forth with both T-Mobile and Fairphone support. Fairphone response times are unsatisfying - often the response takes more than a week - and I haven’t learned much.

I recently found out T-Mobile Poland has disabled 3G sometime in April. I think this is the reason calls stopped working, but SMS and mobile data didn’t. Calls can either go through 2G GSM, 3G UMTS (EDGE) or 4G LTE (VoLTE). Fairphone has admitted they don’t support T-Mobile Poland’s VoLTE. With 3G out, I can only rely on 2G GSM. That in theory… as setting the Preferred network type to just “GSM” leaves me with “No service”.

This is not T-Mobile Poland specific too. When connected to the Danish mobile operator TDC I observed the same issues. They also are phasing out / have phased out 3G.

Fairphone support stated that they “do not have a direct relationship with T-Mobile”, and thus they “are unable to provide support for their specific VoLTE settings”. They also said they are “working to add generic settings that should be compatible with most operators”, but “cannot guarantee when this will be available or if it will work with every network”.

I am deeply disappointed by this level of customer service. While it seems the direct cause was T-Mobile Poland dropping support for 3G, there is also an unclear 2G problem. Unfortunately, the burden of the investigation is on me, as both companies’ supports are unhelpful at best and blame-shifting at worst. The other thing is that VoLTE is with us for some time now (T-Mobile VoLTE came out before Fairphone 4 did), and Fairphone not having support for this technology for a major mobile operator is eyebrow-raising.

To summarize, going by the last Fairphone support response, I am SOL, and they will not provide any help. It is unclear when the software update with a mobile-operator-agnostic VoLTE configuration will be delivered, and it may or may not help me, I am seriously thinking about returning the phone.

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To my understanding thats more a provider issue who need to be willing to support a niche product like the Fairphone like confirmed once for one of the Suize Operators

In Germany we dont have 3G since 2 years or so and it works here. Normally you should just be able to set the phone to 4g/3g./2G and the phone would just fall back to 2G for calls. So maybe your phone has a hardware defect or T-Mobile has to fix the 2G issue I would say…

If that was the case then Fairphone “working to add generic settings that should be compatible with most operators” wouldn’t change a thing. They also wrote that they “do not have a direct relationship with T-Mobile”, and “are unable to provide support for their specific VoLTE settings”. This implies they are able to address the issue through a software update, or at least that they could if they got in contact with this operator.

That’s a good datapoint to have, thank you. However, I already pointed out the same issue happens with the Danish TDC. OP’s problem was with Digi Mobile and Vodafone. Let me be clear, because this is getting lost in my conversation with Fairphone support and right now, here: the inability to make phone calls is not a T-Mobile-exclusive issue.

Hello.

I have also have this issue like Costin_Ioan_Cosoiu describes. I recived a new SIM card from my network provider hoping that solved the issue, sadly it doesnt even tho it works in another phone. For me i noticed this problem the 12th of may. What have been your solutions?

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I don’t know about @Costin_Ioan_Cosoiu and I would love for them to give an update.

However, I can tell you what’s my status. The problem persists. My last message to Fairphone support that I sent on 22nd of May received a reply on 5th of June, in which the support representative suggested I send the phone to their repair center in France. I still haven’t migrated to another phone since then, but I intend to send it at some point as I also have other issues with it.

Same problem - also noticed it in May, after update of OS. My provider DUKA uses the Danish TT-network (Telenor and Telias netvork).

SMS+ mobile data works and sometimes I can restart my phone to place a phonecall, but often it does not work anyway or stops working again shotrly therafter. When people call me I do not see the missed calls either (even when the connection is back). I have to accept that I have a phone that cannot perform phone calls?
I am going to contact Fairphone support as well…

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Thank you for your message. This is in line with what I experienced (the issue started occuring soon after update to Android 12). However, there was also a major change for me from my mobile operator (removing 3G). Does your mobile operator still support 2G and 3G?
Anyway, the customer support representative handling my issue wrote in the request to repair center that the update to Android 12 is suspected.

I have sent my phone to the repair center in France and received it back. I still have to migrate back to it, but cursory testing leads me to believe the issue is fixed!

I do not understand how they fixed it, however - the repair center summarized the issue using the request form with three new fields annotated:

FAILURE: SOFT - UPDATE
REPAIR: SOFTWARE REPAIR
REPLACED PART: [blank]
Technical comment : DEI_CCD_AUDIO_CHARGE

I asked the Fairphone support several questions (including what the cause of the call issue was and how it got resolved, but also about the other issues I reported that were ignored and not repaired / looked into) and I will update this topic when I hear from them.

Hi,
I noticed the same issue. Cannot receive or initiate calls, but SMS and data work as expected.

  • The same SIM card works fine in other phone.
  • A SIM card from other operator using the same network in FP4 shows the same issue.
  • A SIM card from other operator using other network works OK
  • The same SIM works fine in roaming (3G).

I also tried all possible combinations of WiFI / 4G network calling, APN changes, etc.
I don’t think it’s a 3G issue, although I did notice that Sim status shows “voice network type = 4G” and it seems to be staying at that. They also shut down 3G where I live, but 2G still lives, so calls shouldn’t be affected. Unless FP4 somehow doesn’t support the frequencies of the operator in question.

The issue was present in both DivestOS and CalyxOS I tried to flash.
I fixed the issue by flashing back the stock OS and then reflashed DivestOS. The calls now work. The support team did not yet answer.
Hope it helps someone :slight_smile:

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Hello, this recently became an issue for me as well. Since the start of this month I have been unable to receive or make calls of any kind. This even extends to receiving telegram calls unless I have the app open. Before that, the only issue I had regarding calls was that I was unable to use mobile internet during a call. Additionally touch input has become very unresponsive unless I use my thumb. The setting for increasing touch sensitivity has also disappeared, so I think it might be connected to that. SMS and mobile data work fine and there are no issues when putting the sim into an older phone

This is due to a modification introduced in FP4.SP2J.B.086 which attempts to parry, though only partially, a “ghost inputs” problem that had been making life very hard for certain users. I recommend you read both threads to gain a full understanding of the problem and Fairphone’s “solution” - which of course has affected all users, not just those who were experiencing ghost inputs. The second thread is very long, which underlines how critical this problem is. If you wish to discuss that problem, please do so in the appropriate thread, not here. Thanks :slight_smile:

… And welcome to the forum, by the way :smile:

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Update to my previous message with what I received from Fairphone customer support. For the record, I asked what it was specifically that the repair center has done with my phone.

Regarding your question about the software update performed at the repair center: Our technicians have access to special tools, that allow them to “flash” the device. It means that they update the device by completely re-installing the operating system.

This allows us to solve any issues that could come from a software configuration issue.

This isn’t an easy procedure for users & as you keep using the phone (e.g. installing new apps, installing alternative operating systems, etc.), it’s possible that configuration issues occur. Should this happen, we will of course be there to assist you.

I then asked if they expect this issue to reoccur, which would be significantly annoying as I rely on this phone, and was told that that’s not what they meant; also:

When you experience issues with your phone, we advise you to contact us first to see if you can solve the issue at home, with the tools you have available. When this isn’t possible or if a hardware issue is confirmed, then it’s best to send back the phone to our repair center for further diagnosis :blush:

So there. The repair process is opaque and they are unwilling to describe what happened with the phone. Therefore I recommend any person who thinks they have a similar issue to contact customer support and prepare for sending their phone to a repair center.

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I am having the same problem as @hooded.individual .
I live in Greece using FP4. The carrier (NOVA GR) retired 3g support at around March and during the last month I am having issues with calls while SMS and 4G data work fine. Tested the SIM card on my previous phone and I could make calls fine.

VoLTE is activated and supposed to work?

Yes. And everything was working fine up to 2 months ago while the carrier retired 3G around 6 months ago.

3G is not LTE, so this is no hint, that VoLTE is working.

Carrier retired 3G around 6 months ago. Hence from 6 month up to 1-2 months ago when I started having problems I was calling people with the phone using 4G calling (as is the option called in my settings).

So something changed about six weeks ago. Either on your phone (an OS update?) or / and with your carrier.

I advise you to contact both of them, since problems like this may require adjustments on one side, or the other, or both.

What happens to your calls if you disable 4G calling?