Forum Discussion
Tablets that can be used like a phone
Are there any tablets folks have used that work like a phone to make and receive phone calls. Not talking about voip whatsapp or Hang outs or Skype.
Basically an LTE device fully functional with a in built dialer that one can insert and use their t mobile voice sim card into.
Ah. That's kinda tricky because when we set up the tablets, the lines are created with plans that do not have voice capability included. So, even with a pre-installed or downloaded dialing app, trying to call from the tablet will result in an error message.
- syaoranTransmission Titan
Defonitely a very old thread but it can be done. The easiest way I can think of is with a custom firmware version on a tablet that takes a SIM card and jas a cellular radio. The custom firmware would need to have everything a normal Android needs to function as a phone. GrapheneOS on a Pixel Tablet is a good example but there are lots of third party custom ROM's that work as well. The ROM would need to support VoLTE that is compatible with T-Mobile USA to work on the T-Mobile network.
- keeney123Network Novice
So, basically if the carrier does not want to support a tablet with voice cellphone capabilities than one can not get it.
Custom Roms are very questionable. Considering the work one has to go through to put on a phone. Then, their is a security risk of not being supported. That is if they work at all. Even if your a programmer you can not program the towers that receives the signal so your device is accepted.
- keeney123Network Novice
So, it is pretty simple. The carriers contract the manufacturer to make devices to their specification. The manufacturers get paid for this. If the carriers allowed cell phone calls to happen without any phone then they would lose the profit off of the smart phones. Say buying a tablet for $500 that can do more than a smart phone would steer people to the tablets. As these smart phones are well over $1000.
What I don't understand is why all the tablet manufacturers try to hide their voice cell phone capabilities. I understand they want profits but trying to mislead the public for profits is not a smart business model. It only will create angry people and manufacturers and carriers will have many returns.
Yes I am sure the tablets of old could make calls. One just needs a dial-er, a speaker, a microphone and a chip that operates on cell tower frequencies. The rest of it is software so the chip can be recognized by the carrier as to what it is and set up handshaking lines to transmit data. The data is then determined by the device, on both ends, if it is voice or digital. With voice one will have a Digital to Analog converter and Multiplexer chip to be able to send it to the speakers. Or with a microphone the reverse happens on has a Analog to Digital convertor and Decoder chip in the device.
- fireguy_6364Modem Master
ACYTang wrote:
My Samsung tablets used to be able to make and receive calls. However, since sometime last month, T-Mobile might have changed something I needed to sign into the account again, but no avail -- error message “invalid oauth parameters”. When I called T-Mobile, I was told that it will work with Android 8 and above. I purchased a new tablet with Android 13 but I still cannot sign in, same error message.
When I called T-Mobile, I was told that Digits is designed to work with phones, not tablets. Why then on the T-Mobile Digits site still listed that Digits can work with Tablets?
because DIGITS is making/receiving said call via data..not the voice side..through the app itself..basically like using FB messenger and face timing someone..same thing.
- ACYTangNetwork Novice
My Samsung tablets used to be able to make and receive calls. However, since sometime last month, T-Mobile might have changed something I needed to sign into the account again, but no avail -- error message “invalid oauth parameters”. When I called T-Mobile, I was told that it will work with Android 8 and above. I purchased a new tablet with Android 13 but I still cannot sign in, same error message.
When I called T-Mobile, I was told that Digits is designed to work with phones, not tablets. Why then on the T-Mobile Digits site still listed that Digits can work with Tablets?
- moulderx1Network Novice
I'm using a Tab A lite lte for calling on mint and alternatively on hello mobile.
It's the providers that restrict calling capable tablets.
- chrisc607Newbie Caller
It is T mobile and other carriers that limit usages. T mobile has admitted to that themselves.
So a good example of that is the Samsung tab A7 lite. This tablet is advertised and listed by Samsung as having phone functionality. But T Mobile removed the phone app that does come with it from factory. If you buy one unlocked from Samsung, it will have a phone app. T mobile itself blocks tablets from having phone access. Sometimes you can slip past with devices from over seas or unlocked versions. But don't even tell a t mobile rep that you have it. Or t mobile will block your device. I have used Huawei tablets as phones. And while there are ways to mask or even change an imei, a WAP address isn't as easy. If one was to want to use a tablet as a phone that was t mobile branded, they would need to wipe t mobile from the device and somehow mask the device from being identified by t mobile. If you want to use a tablet as a phone, the easiest way is to find a device that t mobile doesn't already have blocked in their system and policies. Huawei used to be great for that. Or you use a factory unlocked device on a carrier that doesn't care. Trackphone doesn't usually care from what the device is. Family mobile from Walmart. Family mobile is t mobile too.
- ChelChelTransmission Trainee
I had a separate digits line data only as one of the posters mentioned and i ended up converting that to another straight line fo the same pice and gave it to a member of my family.. I still wanted to use my tablet as a phone so here is what I ended up doing.
I purchased an iPad and I purchased unlimited data with it.
On the IPad I downloaded the tmobile digits app.
I purchased a pair of wireless ear buds.
My cell phone with the SIM is home and turned off and i use the ipad to make and receive calls.
I do have some issues with text - I can text anyone --I do not receive all texts paricularly short codes.
- tidbitsSpectrum Specialist
btfojeff@yahoo.com wrote:
tidbits wrote:
Also as I pointed out with the unlocked Note 10.1 cellular version it could make phone calls with ANY GSM carrier. If there is no provision for it that’s total BS as it still works to this day. Samsung removed the ability on their own worldwide and forces you to use their service or pick a VOIP service.
I apologize. I will let you believe whatever you want, it really doesnt matter. My tablet does what I need it to and that is what matters to me. But thanks for your throughput anyway, it was virtually useless. To that an End. As you were.
Just for reference. I was a developer for Sony Mobile for over a decade. Also my brother works for Samsung in Korea as a developer as well.
Look up Note 10.1. Not the recently released 10 or 10.1. It came out after the Note 3 and before the Note 4. It was unlocked and made phone calls. When the Note 4 was released Samsung removed phone app for all their tablets going forward. See below as to why. People have sideloaded or even tried coding in phone calling capabilities, but have failed. There's a simple reason why it has failed and has nothing to do with carriers and tin foil conspiracies. It has to do with profits. Android is not 100% open source. There are proprietary bits that are needed. You need licensing and also testing which cost $$$ and time. Check out the licensing for your tablet and see if the FCC approved it for calling. No? Well Samsung didn't run it through so it will never get that ability. That's why the proprietary bits will not be found because they don't have any intention on it working or spending money to give that feature.
Another example Nexus 4 with 4G and Google removing the proprietary bits to make it stop working because of no licensing. They could have just ran it through. It was cheaper for them to remove the bits and keep the price point as cheap as they had it.
You can always import one that has that ability and make phone calls but keep in mind the frequency support might not line up because it isn't intended for our market. My car has a radio that has a sim port from Singapore and I have my digits sim in it. I can make phone calls surf the web and such, but only at 2G. When T-Mobile retires 2G in my area those features will stop working.
- btfojeffTransmission Trainee
tidbits wrote:
Also as I pointed out with the unlocked Note 10.1 cellular version it could make phone calls with ANY GSM carrier. If there is no provision for it that’s total BS as it still works to this day. Samsung removed the ability on their own worldwide and forces you to use their service or pick a VOIP service.
I apologize. I will let you believe whatever you want, it really doesnt matter. My tablet does what I need it to and that is what matters to me. But thanks for your throughput anyway, it was virtually useless. To that an End. As you were.
- tidbitsSpectrum Specialist
Also as I pointed out with the unlocked Note 10.1 cellular version it could make phone calls with ANY GSM carrier. If there is no provision for it that’s total BS as it still works to this day. Samsung removed the ability on their own worldwide and forces you to use their service or pick a VOIP service.
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