Tethering a smartphone

[usafk9]

This may have been brought up before, but I have a few questions:

My kid has an I-phone. He can surf the web while talking. He has AT & T as a carrier. I have Verizon.

Here is why I ask:
I'd like to be able to tether and surf, and still be able to receive calls. I currently pay for 2 phones and a MiFi wireless access point.

Also wondering if any of the new smartphones are able to act as a wireless access point for multiple computers with a password. I believe the I phone can (I may be mistaken).

Just trying to reduce my bill by one device.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[redytrk]

My HTC Incredible android will hot spot for up to 5 devices.

 

[usafk9]

Who's your carrier, red, and can you place calls while using as a hotspot?

Thanks very much for replying.

 

[Turtle]

You cannot surf (tethered or otherwise) and talk at the same time on Verizon (or Sprint or any other CDMA network). While you are on a CDMA phone call, no Internet data will move to or from the phone, like a weather app updating, e-mail programs won't sync, Google Navigator will lose the GPS signal and maps will stop dynamically updating, things like that. When I'm tethered and a phone call comes in, I'll just switch to the aircard if I need to get back online, and keep talking on the phone.

The one exception is, if your phone's Internet connection is WiFi and not off the carrier's cell, you can surf and talk at the same time. I do that all the time at home.

Far as I know, all the recent Droids can act as a MiFI hotspot, which came with an OS update two or three updates ago. But you still won't be able to surf and talk at the same time unless the "hotspot" is a WiFi connection.

 

[paullud]

You cannot surf (tethered or otherwise) and talk at the same time on Verizon (or Sprint or any other CDMA network). While you are on a CDMA phone call, no Internet data will move to or from the phone, like a weather app updating, e-mail programs won't sync, Google Navigator will lose the GPS signal and maps will stop dynamically updating, things like that.

That used to be true but now 4G phones can talk and surf at the same time and I even tether and talk while on a 3G network, 4G phones use a SIM card.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[Turtle]

Yes, if you have a 4G phone then the data and voice move over different radios, even when in a 3G area, so with a 4G phone you can do both at the same time. Sometime next year, Verizon will begin implementing VoLTE, which is voice over LTE, completely bypassing the 3G network for voice.

I don't have a 4G phone yet. Still have the original Droid. The rumored August 4th release date for the Bionic is now more or less official at September 8. The first 4G dual-core phone, with specs that rival and even surpass most tablets.

 

[TeamCozumel]

That used to be true but now 4G phones can talk and surf at the same time and I even tether and talk while on a 3G network, 4G phones use a SIM card.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

Awesome to get this news. This will certainly help me push the wife toward a new "4G". We're still using a DroidX!

 

[ChanceMaster]

I don't talk while tethered with my Sprint HTC EVO, but am glad txt messages come in for load opps ( FedEx) .

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[jmlaber]

Google Navigator will lose the GPS signal and maps will stop dynamically updating

I got around this problem by buying an offline gps program from the app market for $5. It stores the maps on the phone. This also helps when driving thru those random areas where I can't get a data signal.