WiFi Calling and VoLTE for Google Pixel

[skip501]

Does anyone have any information as to whether WiFi Calling and VoLTE will be supported on the Google Pixel? My Pixel is pretty much useless at home without these features. For a flagship, I am shocked that these features were not offered from the Pixel launch date.

***Edited Labels***

[Mythen]

VoLTE and WiFi calling working or not working doesn't really matter to me. I just want to know if these two features should be working on the pixel XL or not. If they are how do I know

Mythen

[Yoni1]

Eh -- first link that popped up off Google that was from Rogers was this one: http://www.rogers.com/web/support/wireless/volte/2184

On that page:

What do I need to have in order to use VoLTE?

All Rogers post-paid customers with a LTE SIM card, a VoLTE-compatible phone and updated device software can take advantage of this enhancement automatically.

Both Pixel and the Pixel XL are VoLTE-compatible phones.

[Meowmix]

Hello @Yoni1

Does that anywhere show " Pixel or Pixel XL unlocked or bought from anywhere else other then Rogers?

Also a Rogers MOD has made comments about this and said that it only works with devices that are bought within Rogers. Unless said on the website otherwise, he is correct.

[trimaican]

Would be great if we could do something like have the IMEI registered to Rogers to see if that helps, but it doesn't appear so. I made the mistake of putting a different sim in one of my devices so I can't get those features on my s8 even though it's unlocked and has Rogers software on it.

With the pixel it's even more complex as it's straight up unlocked but yea if you didn't buy it from Rogers you're out of luck

I wonder about that person who suggested relocking it to Rogers through wireless wave etc. Is that even possible for a pixel?

[Yoni1]

@Meowmix 

"All Rogers post-paid customers with a LTE SIM card, a VoLTE-compatible phone and updated device software" would indeed include Pixel and Pixel XL phones that are bought from other places, since those phones would certainly fall under "VoLTE-compatible".

[Meowmix]

Hello @Yoni1

You would think that but Rogers has posted and said many times only their Rogers device bought from Rogers would support this. Why wouldn't the Pixel be able to do it meanwhile its a unlocked device? I have no clue.

[Yoni1]

@Meowmix -- I'm not arguing whether they actually support non-Rogers devices. My point was simply that at least on some level, they certainly claim to.

[FoleyRose]

Honestly, all I want to know is if there's a technical reason why this isn't possible, in which case I'll just get over it.

If the reason is indeed "because you don't give us enough money", then that's grounds for switching carriers.

[SWade]

I bought at Best Buy but Rogers is getting my money and by the end of my term I will have paid more than $800 for my Pixel XL. At that price I should get all the bells and whistles that are possible! Holding features hostage is no way to treat loyal customers who spend thousands of dollars each, every year. It shows them to be a money grubbing, uncaring, arrogant, corporation. 

[JKnott]

---

@FoleyRose wrote:

Honestly, all I want to know is if there's a technical reason why this isn't possible, in which case I'll just get over it.

If the reason is indeed "because you don't give us enough money", then that's grounds for switching carriers.

---

I'd be very surprised if there is a technical reason.  VoLTE and Wifi calling are standards available to everyone.  In fact, compared to some other carriers, Rogers is behind the game with this.

[Mythen]

I am under contract with Rogers. How can I test to see if VoLTE and WiFi calling works?

[trimaican]

---

@Mythen wrote:
I am under contract with Rogers. How can I test to see if VoLTE and WiFi calling works?

---

Wifi Calling wont work as that hasn't been provisioned yet.

For VoLTE just make a phone call if it still says LTE along with your signal strength then its working. If it drops to HSPA then its not.

The whole HD things only works when both people have VoLTE

[alanina]

Can tell you VoLTE does NOT work for me just because I did't buy my phone from Rogers. 😞

[alanina]

Can we debunk this myth? There are NO LOCKED PIXEL phones (I called Google's customer service and checked with a friend who bought it from Rogers).

All it is is just an IMEI database Rogers keeps with the ones they sold.

Technically there's no block for them to support VoLTE on all Pixel phones they just don't want it. As simple as that.

[FoleyRose]

I think everybody is aware of that, I just wanna see what excuse they'll try to feed us.

They'll probably just wait till this dies down though, so it's our job to not let it.

[FoleyRose]

Well, I just had an interesting experience with customer support.

I initiated a live chat 2 days ago and since the person couldn't answer me, they said they would escalate the request and get back to me.

Then I received an e-mail saying my problem was fixed, which it wasn't because I still don't have VoLTE.

So I opened another live chat and the person first told me it was because the build numbers are different, to which I answered that it wasn't and that I could prove that my phone was on the same build number as theirs.  Then she basically told me to deal with it because this is how it is. (TLDR version, obviously).

I have a transcript of the conversation if anyone is interested.

[SWade]

I phoned tech support  a couple days ago and got the same follow up email stating that my problem was fixed. It was a good thing that it was a do not reply email because a few choice words came to mind. Instead I started working on an open letter to Google and Rogers that I will likely post on Facebook or something. 

[alanina]

I actually called Rogers customer service and talked to a Level 2 Technical manager (Paul) that tried to give the same narrative as the Level 1 customer representative and in the end the company - Rogers gives some of their subscribers the finger and just decides to not enable features that are perfectly supported.

They said they tried adding my IMEI to their database but the system is still seeing my phone as "non-Rogers" and thus the feature won't work.

I'm going to continue to try to bring this situation to the attention of some Rogers and Google management and if it doesn't get solved I'll just move.

There is no difference for me between Rogers or Bell or Telus LTE service.

[FoleyRose]

I would only miss RCS, but that's temporary I guess.  I would go right back to Videotron if they even knew what RCS is.

[jefflessard]

This is interesting 🤔

CRTC Bans Locked Cellphones and Unlocking Fees in Canada Starting Dec. 1 http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/carriers/crtc-ends-locked-cellphones/

[Mythen]

Been testing VoLTE and it works. Calls go through almost right away. Very pleased. Now onto WiFi calling