I was wondering whether there is anything new to add to the discussion in Location of FP4 microphone(s?) as far as two points are concerned, namely :
there are three microphones (top, left and bottom, looking at the screen) but there is no way you as a user can decide which one is to be used, right? Rather, the choice seems to be made by individual apps, true? The telephone app (for telephone calls) seems to be choosing the left hand side microphone, correct?
there seems to be a quality problem in microphone sound that is overcome by using an external microphone i.e a USB microphone, true? Actually, this is not a problem for me as I have been using for years a hands-free set up until now. But, as I haven’t yet effectively tested it, I actually wanted to know if microphone sound still is an issue in case I once happened to misplace my USB hands-free set…
In any case thanks a lot to all of you for your answers and reports on this matter of microphone sound.
Normally the Phone app would use the bottom mic or, when in speakerphone mode, the top mic.
The left mic picks up ambient sound for noise cancelation, as I understand.
There may be apps that allow the user to choose which mic to use, but most will determine (what the designer thinks is) the best option automatically. That’s difficult to avoid, since apps have to work with so many different models.
I did some practical testing a few hours ago (only with the phone app and with Signal audio call, and first with built-in sound and microphone and then with loud speaker and speaking from far).
I found out what combiantions are best, but generally, FP4 service was fine.
I had no clue this matter of sound had been so painful - or if I had known about it (for I already contemplated a Fairphone quite some time ago), then I had completely forgotten about it.
And the thread that I found (and mentioned in my first post), and was only the tip of the iceberg…
I am glad my FP4 doesn’t seem to be affected by any of the problems described in the topic you mentioned in your post.
Any idea if this has been solved? A new radio chip driver?
Or anything else found and “repaired”/improved?
Just wondering, because I don’t seem to be having any of these problems with my “new” / 2025 FP4…
I wouldn’t hold my breath, since by now the FP4 hardware is mostly out of support, meaning too old (2021) for the manufacturers to waste money creating updates (you’re supposed to buy their new chips)… And device drivers are about the hardest thing to make, especially if you’re not the manufacturer himself, so Fairphone is rather unlikely to make one themselves (and get it certified!).
In other words, what hasn’t been done in those last years is quite unlikely to be done now. We’ll have to live with whatever quirks the FP4 still has.
