Speakerphone - How's yours?

[Almeuit]

My girlfriend and I are going back to T-Mobile after a few days on Verizon... Basically we don't like the call quality and she also has been having mad issues with her Galaxy S5 speaker phone.

Basically when it's on speaker and I talk the speaker cracks on her end and distorts which makes it hard to hear me (or anyone she is talking to)... And for my end she sounds almost like she's underwater... It's bad. We've exchanged.. All that.. Didn't help a bit..

So I was curious.. How are your guys speaker phones? I've checked the net and am really only seeing complaints about the Verizon version.

Please sound off below if you use speakerphone.. Please also let me know what carrier you have. Thanks guys! .

Sent from my Verizon HTC One M8 using AC Forums.

 

[mhunter6378]

Picked up my S5 this past Saturday on AT&T. First day and first call, I used speakerphone and also noticed a weird cracking sort of popping from the speaker, adjusted the volume which was at full down a notch and then it sounded fine. Since then have used the speakerphone many times without issue, adjusting the volume up and down and it sounds fine and no complaints from people on the other end of the call.

 

[PappaFloyd]

adjusting the volume up and down and it sounds fine and no complaints from people on the other end of the call.

Had the same issue the other day, have had my S5 for like 3 weeks and that was the 1st time it happened. Bumped the down a few notches and then back up a few less and it seems to be OK now. I'm on VZW.

 

[AZgl1500]

Been with Verizon for 15+ years.

most of the phones that I had exhibited distortion at high volume settings when on speakerphone. I don't think that you will truly be able to narrow it down to a carrier if a scientific survey is done.

I have tried all of the carriers at one time or another, but all of those was prior to signing on with Verizon. at that time, my single most important feature was COVERAGE and the quality of the speakerphone was at the bottom of the list.

If you and your girlfriend stay with the same phone, and just get a different SIM card, the speakerphone is going to sound the same.

On every phone I have had, cupping your hand around the back of the phone, or placing the phone in a position against an environment that will reflect the sound back forward, will improve the quality of the sound.

Those little tiny speakerphones are being asked to do a huge job: move a lot of air "sound waves" and their tiny little diaphragms just aren't up to the job. Some phones do a better job than others, just a fact of design by the manufacturers.

 

[Almeuit]

Been with Verizon for 15+ years.

most of the phones that I had exhibited distortion at high volume settings when on speakerphone. I don't think that you will truly be able to narrow it down to a carrier if a scientific survey is done.

I have tried all of the carriers at one time or another, but all of those was prior to signing on with Verizon. at that time, my single most important feature was COVERAGE and the quality of the speakerphone was at the bottom of the list.

If you and your girlfriend stay with the same phone, and just get a different SIM card, the speakerphone is going to sound the same.

On every phone I have had, cupping your hand around the back of the phone, or placing the phone in a position against an environment that will reflect the sound back forward, will improve the quality of the sound.

Those little tiny speakerphones are being asked to do a huge job: move a lot of air "sound waves" and their tiny little diaphragms just aren't up to the job. Some phones do a better job than others, just a fact of design by the manufacturers.

I get what you're saying.. But we aren't going to slap a new SIM in. We will be going back to our old phones (her S4 me Note 3). I wanted coverage as well.. Hence why I went to Verizon. I've had AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, now Verizon. While I do like the coverage so far on Verizon I was okay on T-Mobile. The wifi calling helped in the few bad spots... But I really just wanted to have coverage and have her be able to use LTE everywhere... But if that means no call quality (at least here in Jacksonville.. Can't speak for other areas) then that's a no go.

Honestly I can say my S2, S3, HTC One M7, Note 3 haven't ever had the issue her S5 has at the moment. Even at full blast... Sure it might not be HD sounding but it doesn't Crack and break like the S5 where you can't hear the person. Also it doesn't make you (or her in this case) sound like she is underwater... So it's very odd.

Sent from my Verizon HTC One M8 using AC Forums.

 

[smooth4lyfe]

I feel like the speaker on my S4 was much louder than than the speaker on my S5...not really impressed with the speaker tbh but not too much of a big deal

 

[AZgl1500]

My wife and I just finished up an hour long speakerphone visit with our son who is working this week in Winipeg, Canada. We are in Oklahoma.

The S5 speakerphone is much louder than her LG phone, or my older Galaxy S phone.

We truly enjoyed the visit and could hear the S5 audio in the kitchen and dining room with ease.

Wasn't "HD quality", but it was plenty loud enough (I have 20% hearing loss) for us to enjoy the visit.

 

[Almeuit]

My wife and I just finished up an hour long speakerphone visit with our son who is working this week in Winipeg, Canada. We are in Oklahoma.

The S5 speakerphone is much louder than her LG phone, or my older Galaxy S phone.

We truly enjoyed the visit and could hear the S5 audio in the kitchen and dining room with ease.

Wasn't "HD quality", but it was plenty loud enough (I have 20% hearing loss) for us to enjoy the visit.

Wish that was our result. With us it would have been so distorted you wouldn't of understood them. Yeah it's loud... But the clarity was a no go for us.

Just hopped back to T-Mobile. In and out in about 20 minutes.. Hooked us back up.. Got us on a family plan.. And reinstated her discount plus her equipment plan from where it fell off. Maybe she'll get (or jump) to the S5 on T-Mobile and see if it's any better. If she does I'll be sure to report back here.

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

 

[PsychDoc]

Speakerphone is mediocre at best. No loss of intelligibility but buzzy at max vomume with some vibration noticable. Back it down a notch or two and it's fine.

Clearly not this phone's best feature.

 

[oreodoh]

Speakerphone quality on my AT&T variant seems decent, but today I left a message for someone and got a work call while attempting to hang up. I chose "end call and answer" (or whatever the option is). I just asked that person whether the quality was good and he said he thought he might have heard part of my other call! Definite privacy concerns if that's the truth.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[monicakm]

Just have to turn it down a notch or two and it's fine. Crisp and clear.

 

[dougie1792]

You also have to know that the water proofing of the phone does make the phone speaker not the all fine best

Posted via At&t SAMSUNG GALAXY S5

 

[oreodoh]

You also have to know that the water proofing of the phone does make the phone speaker not the all fine best

Posted via At&t SAMSUNG GALAXY S5

This is true. You pay a price for water resistance. Hopefully you knew this prior to buying!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[steve1279]

The speaker probably has some sort of membrane over it to keep it water resistant. Its probably vibrating from the sound.

 

[sweetypie31]

I have AT&T and the few times I have used the speaker I haven't had any issues. I can hear the other person fine and no one complained that they could not hear me.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Almeuit]

This is true. You pay a price for water resistance. Hopefully you knew this prior to buying!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Well we knew about the water resistant part of the phone.. But.. For them to do that and mess up another feature isn't really a good excuse..

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

 

[HBActuary]

I just moved from iphone to Galaxy S5, both with verizon. I typically listen to calls using the speaker. I can say that my only regret in the decision to change is the issue with the sound/volume/clarity of this phone compared to the iphone. If I have it in normal mode they can hear me fine but I can't hear them very well, even with the volume turned all the way up. I know my hearing has deteriorated in my old age of 50, but seriously I had no troubles with the iphone. It’s not just the volume, it’s a lack of clarity. If I use it on speaker, which is what I prefer since that is my version of hands free, I still have trouble hearing them unless I turn it over and put the speaker up to my ear hear which defeats the attempt of being hands free. And still really bad clarity. The other end has a lot of trouble hearing me on speaker, always getting 'what did you say'? until I take it off speaker.

I'm so frustrated by this, just spent an hour on the internet searching this issue. Apparently there are audio boosters but it looks like I don't have the option with this phone. something about jailbreak, root, odin and other words I never heard of and don't have time to fully research. The last thing I need is to ruin my phone, but seriously after having recommended the phone to a friend because I LOVE the droid environment for music I called her today and recommended she give it a whirl in the store first because this bad sound may be a deal breaker.

 

[Almeuit]

I just moved from iphone to Galaxy S5, both with verizon. I typically listen to calls using the speaker. I can say that my only regret in the decision to change is the issue with the sound/volume/clarity of this phone compared to the iphone. If I have it in normal mode they can hear me fine but I can't hear them very well, even with the volume turned all the way up. I know my hearing has deteriorated in my old age of 50, but seriously I had no troubles with the iphone. It’s not just the volume, it’s a lack of clarity. If I use it on speaker, which is what I prefer since that is my version of hands free, I still have trouble hearing them unless I turn it over and put the speaker up to my ear hear which defeats the attempt of being hands free. And still really bad clarity. The other end has a lot of trouble hearing me on speaker, always getting 'what did you say'? until I take it off speaker.

I'm so frustrated by this, just spent an hour on the internet searching this issue. Apparently there are audio boosters but it looks like I don't have the option with this phone. something about jailbreak, root, odin and other words I never heard of and don't have time to fully research. The last thing I need is to ruin my phone, but seriously after having recommended the phone to a friend because I LOVE the droid environment for music I called her today and recommended she give it a whirl in the store first because this bad sound may be a deal breaker.

Yeah this was pretty much our experience as well.. It just wasn't clear enough. We never found a fix and decided to return the phone and go back to our old ones. .

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

 

[icouldntpossiblycomment]

My speakerphone has been really good so far. I've used it more to listen than to speak (i.e.: on hold, listening to voicemail, etc.).

 

[Greg C]

My speaker phone is quite loud and for the most part pretty clear. It's average when compared to the past phones I've owned.