I really need wifi calling. For me the loss of it far outweighs the off chance of being targeted by this exploit.
Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling
101–110 of 178 posts
Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling
#102Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have minimal cell signal in my house. It’s a godsend.
I think homes with back-plastered walls can be essentially faraday cages, depending on the aggregate content of the plaster. I have very dodgy 4g/5g unless I stand by a certain window, or go outside of the older part of my house, while the new part (metal roof, wallboard) has outdoor-like reception.
Its not even just the aggregate of the plaster, often the walls practically have chicken wire supporting the plaster in places.
But even then, its really not too crazy to find yourself inside any kind of building and not having strong cellular connectivity. Lots of commercial buildings I've been in have had some pretty poor cellular connectivity in any internal room; they've got tons of concrete and plumbing and wiring all throughout it!
Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling
#103At this point I'd have to say that Wi-Fi calling is a dead feature, putting this particular issue aside. I just don't see the benefit in 2023. It made sense back when cellular networks were less mature. It also made sense when it could cut down on your wireless bill. But all you have to do is walk out of your house while on a phone call and realize how much the feature is degrading overall reliability. The LTE networ…
Leaving the country to a place this is not included in your calling plan. We did this recently and would get voice calls via the hotel WiFi, pretty cool.
Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling
#104Earlier quoted context omitted.
I guess, but it sure is nice that on Apple hardware you generally don’t need to worry about doing this calculus because they deliver updates in a timely manner to even five year old devices. It bums me out that them doing this hasn’t been effective in shaming everyone else into following suit.
The iPod Touch Gen 7 lasted just under 3 years from release. They may be better than many others but I just got bit by that one.
This may be a special case: "With the release [of iOS 16], Apple dropped support for iPhone and iPod Touch models with A9 and A10 Fusion chips (the iPhone 6S/6S Plus, the 1st gen iPhone SE, the iPhone 7/7 Plus and the 7th gen iPod Touch) due to hardware limitations and Chinese government's border stringent in response of COVID-19 pandemic." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS_version_history#iOS_16_/_i...
Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling
#105Earlier quoted context omitted.
Qualcomm's lack of support for older chipsets has been blamed for the short lifecycles of these phones. Pixel 6 and 7, which don't use Qualcomm SoCs, both get at least 5 years of security updates.
Google is ten times the size of Qualcomm— there's no way they wouldn't be able to extract those commitments upfront.
Google is, but most of Google isn't (wasn't) purchasing SoCs from Qualcomm. Its hardware division is tiny.
Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling
#106Earlier quoted context omitted.
And yet Google used Exynos for those designs. Somehow Samsung must have told project zero that they didn't need to release a fix - a project run by their customer for this SoC. But promptly after disclosure a fix appears. I guess it's good that they'll come out for five years, but it's probably worth a little bit of doubt on our part whether Samsung will actually deliver on that promise.
Oh my god is that why Apple has yet to put modems in their laptops? I could totally see Apple unable to compromise on support for a Qualcomm modem for something like 8 years.
Apple's designed Qualcomm out of next-generation iPhones (again) [1], only this time they've acquired the Intel/Infineon modem design team instead of buying the parts. So if Apple were to make a Macbook with a modem next year, it'd be their own.
[1] https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/iphone-se-4-reportedly-back...
Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling
#107This is extremely unhelpful headlinese 1) not all phones 2) chipsets in phones vary by where they are sold. 3) only exynos chipset phones are affected. in some economies. sold by some vendors. Not all models with a given name and code number (pixel 7, samsung 22) will be affected. "it depends" 4) not all manufacturers declare their chipset so 5) it is almost impossible for anyone but the cogniscenti to know if they a…
It's also not crystal clear which Exynos chipsets are affected. I have a Samsung Galaxy S10e and a Samsung Galaxy S2 which both have Exynos chipsets, but I can't tell if there's simply no mention of these being affected because they're older models, or if it's explicitly only the newer models that are affected.
Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling
#108I am not sure I understand this. I have a S22 Galaxy Ultra. I do not see anywhere in my settings to turn on or off wifi-calling. Did we already get an update disabling this? I have googled this for about 10-15 minutes now and none of the results match anything to do with my screen settings.
I have nopro S22 and: Settings -> Connections -> Mobile networks (I may have mistranslated something) -> There is a toggle for sim1 VoLTE calls
Wifi calling is under Settings -> Connections, second item, just under wifi networks
Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling
#109I am not sure I understand this. I have a S22 Galaxy Ultra. I do not see anywhere in my settings to turn on or off wifi-calling. Did we already get an update disabling this? I have googled this for about 10-15 minutes now and none of the results match anything to do with my screen settings.
The availability of this toggle is carrier dependant. Also S22 Ultra has already been patched.
Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling
#110At this point I'd have to say that Wi-Fi calling is a dead feature, putting this particular issue aside. I just don't see the benefit in 2023. It made sense back when cellular networks were less mature. It also made sense when it could cut down on your wireless bill. But all you have to do is walk out of your house while on a phone call and realize how much the feature is degrading overall reliability. The LTE networ…
My lab at work is in the interior of a big building, and has no cell phone service. Hell, they seem to have put some RF shielding on the windows since my office barely has reception...