Call Quality is Horrible

[ElAlcahuete]

Hi guys,

I realize nobody uses phones anymore to actually talk to other people D), but I do. Need it for business, etc. I've found that the call quality is absolutely horrible, whether I use the speakerphone or just use it normally.

Everybody said it is super quiet, they can barely hear me, and it is muffled almost like I'm underwater. I listened to other people use my phone, and sure enough, that's exactly what it sounds like.

I tried it with a case and without, with screen protector and without, in Safe Mode and without, HD Voice and without, and it sounds exactly the same. Receives the person I'm talking to just fine...actually quite loud and clear.

Is there any setting or such that can be fooled with to make things better or any tests that can be done? I'm coming from a Motorola, where the call quality was absolutely amazing. To be honest, things are almost unusable in this state, as I'm constantly having to repeat myself, especially when there is background noise mixed in, like while driving.

Thanks!! This is driving me nuts!

 

[Caspavio]

maybe it's related to how you hold the phone. honestly, im not sure what is wrong, but the same thing happened to me and my gf a few times, and the quality became "normal" again after she adjusted her grip.

 

[MooMooPrincess]

Try using a Bluetooth device? Reflash your firmware? If those didn't help then you probably need a new device. Mine sounds semi bad on speakerphone as well.

 

[amyf27]

When I had mine, the call quality was good - and in fact, the speakerphone quality was much better than the Note 8.

 

[jhimmel]

Don't discount the suggestion by Caspavio. I had the same problem when I first started using my Note 8. Turns out I was using my pinky on the bottom to help support the phone and obstructing the mic. Just changed my grip.

 

[Jaycemiskel]

Call quality is fine with mine. If it's not how you're holding it, then you probably need a replacement phone.

 

[imokruok1]

I am having the same problem. You are not the only one...

The microphone is fine - I can use the Voice Recorder and it is beautiful audio. However, calls are muffled. On regular calling, it's just okay. The speaker mic is unusable. It's not how I'm holding it - I've tried holding it different ways, setting it down, etc. Case / no case, same issue.

Any chance this is a software mess up? Should I just take it back to Verizon? Sucks, because it takes me a day and a half to re-login to all of my apps, transfer 2-factor tokens, etc.

 

[ElAlcahuete]

Thanks for the replies guys,

Yeah, definitely not how I'm holding it. I have held it every possible way, set it down on a table, talked directly into the mic, etc.

Unfortunately, I don't have a bluetooth device to try. My bluetooth earpiece literally just went out the week before I got the new phone.

Just like imokruok1, I am getting beautiful crystal clear audio when I use an audio recorder, so it sure doesn't sound like the mic itself is bad. I'm also with Verizon for what it's worth.

 

[Ishan Bhatt]

I don't think so..

 

[rushmore]

Thanks for the replies guys,

Yeah, definitely not how I'm holding it. I have held it every possible way, set it down on a table, talked directly into the mic, etc.

Unfortunately, I don't have a bluetooth device to try. My bluetooth earpiece literally just went out the week before I got the new phone.

Just like imokruok1, I am getting beautiful crystal clear audio when I use an audio recorder, so it sure doesn't sound like the mic itself is bad. I'm also with Verizon for what it's worth.

Verizon here as well. No such issue with my 9+.

 

[callihan_44]

i did a test and called some friends with both an iphone x and the s9 and they said both sound good and hard to tell the difference, including speaker phone

 

[Jaycemiskel]

Thanks for the replies guys,

Yeah, definitely not how I'm holding it. I have held it every possible way, set it down on a table, talked directly into the mic, etc.

Unfortunately, I don't have a bluetooth device to try. My bluetooth earpiece literally just went out the week before I got the new phone.

Just like imokruok1, I am getting beautiful crystal clear audio when I use an audio recorder, so it sure doesn't sound like the mic itself is bad. I'm also with Verizon for what it's worth.

I am having the same problem. You are not the only one...

The microphone is fine - I can use the Voice Recorder and it is beautiful audio. However, calls are muffled. On regular calling, it's just okay. The speaker mic is unusable. It's not how I'm holding it - I've tried holding it different ways, setting it down, etc. Case / no case, same issue.

Any chance this is a software mess up? Should I just take it back to Verizon? Sucks, because it takes me a day and a half to re-login to all of my apps, transfer 2-factor tokens, etc.

Sounds like you both need replacement phones.

 

[jlp0209]

Using a regular S9 on Verizon. Call quality has been superb for me so far. Better than my Pixel 2 XL in terms of clarity, volume, and earpiece speaker rattling w/ certain voices w/ the Pixel. Made some test calls to my office phone and my voice is crystal clear. Bluetooth calls from my car also sound perfect.

 

[dmlv]

Clear as can be on T-Mobile. Equal or even better than the Note 8 I Jump on Demand from and the Pixel 2 XL from work.

 

[imokruok1]

Got another S9+ today. Changed color to see if perhaps I would get one from a separate batch. Same issue, but very marginally better, especially on the speakerphone mode. About the same on regular calling. Maybe you guys are all more forgiving than I am on the call quality.

 

[ElAlcahuete]

Got another S9+ today. Changed color to see if perhaps I would get one from a separate batch. Same issue, but very marginally better, especially on the speakerphone mode. About the same on regular calling. Maybe you guys are all more forgiving than I am on the call quality.

I'm going to call Verizon today and see what they have to say. I can forgive slightly bad, but you throw in some road noise or such, and the person on the other end says they can't understand a word I'm saying.

 

[ElAlcahuete]

Soooooooo.......the damndest thing happened today. I came home from work this morning and it just started working. I didn't do anything at all. No change in settings, apps., nothing.

Not really sure what happened, but it sounds amazing now. Sounds great in regular mode, and sounds just as clear as the recording app in HD mode.

 

[AK-404]

Wait, I've been having this exact same problem for the longest time now. I though it would've gotten better after some time, but still no. My network is T-Mobile and I have the S9. How did you get yours to finally work?!

 

[LCW]

Just made my first call today with the S9 (just switched to it from an iphone X over the weekend). To me, the sound quality was equal or better than the iphone X. Call was with the earpiece, and I called a landline.

 

[medic22003]

Mine sounds pretty good on Verizon. I'd say you probably need a new one