ATT: Call Dropped

[3DPiper]

A few days ago my 950XL would not make or receive calls.
When trying to making a call, it would immediately say 'call dropped'.
Everyone calling in would say the line was just busy and not offer to leave a message.

I went to ATT and they gave me a new sim card (they were quite bewildered by the phone and all the workers came over to look at it).
That does some to kinda work, although I keep having to hard reset (remove battery) the phone to keep it available to take incoming calls, 'call dropped' still pops up every now and then.

Any better carrier options? I can't help but feel like this is forced obsolescence.
I still love my 950xl and don't want to upgrade any time soon!

 

[interlocutor1980]

Well I think this problem is not at ATT Network if earlier you are normal with this network. This problem may occur in low signal areas but this is not your case.

You also hard reset you phone with no success so I suggest you to consult some technician to check your phone for any software or hardware problems prior to switch on another network because if phone is having some software or hardware problem then switching network doesn't make any difference...

 

[HelloNNNewman]

A few days ago my 950XL would not make or receive calls.
When trying to making a call, it would immediately say 'call dropped'.
Everyone calling in would say the line was just busy and not offer to leave a message.

I went to ATT and they gave me a new sim card (they were quite bewildered by the phone and all the workers came over to look at it).
That does some to kinda work, although I keep having to hard reset (remove battery) the phone to keep it available to take incoming calls, 'call dropped' still pops up every now and then.

Any better carrier options? I can't help but feel like this is forced obsolescence.
I still love my 950xl and don't want to upgrade any time soon!

AT&T dropped their 3G services in February 2022. The old 3G services were outdated and expensive to maintain. Unfortunately, older phones that rely on 3G are basically retired. You can check your settings to see if your phone has 4G hardware built into it (some Windows phones did depending on age) by doing the following:

1. Go to Settings
2. Network & Wireless
3. Mobile & Sim
4. Scroll to and select “SIM Settings”
5. Select “Highest Speed”
6. Choose connection speed in drop down (if you do not see 4G as a selection - it’s unfortunately time to retire your device)

 

[3DPiper]

This is a 4G phone.
As I said, everything worked great until a few days ago.
Now that I have a new sim card, I also notice I can receive some text messages fine, and others say 'download'.
When I click to download it nothing happens.
I can't seem to send a group text like before, either.

 

[HelloNNNewman]

This is a 4G phone.
As I said, everything worked great until a few days ago...

As the 3G services shutdown didn't happen at the flip of a switch, but was a rolling shutdown of towers/systems - it was what made me think of this as a possible cause. I figured it was a 4G device, but always good to check all possibilities.
*Also I did find your phone as listed as still working after the February change: https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...ces-Working-on-ATT-Network.pdf&token=u21yiW-p

Just a personal aside: I had a similar issue recently with a Pixel 2XL where it was working less and less smoothly - not getting services in some areas and less service over time (down to 1 bar at home), texts messing up, etc... The phone was still supported by the carrier, but in the end it turned out that it was that the hardware was not able to get the newer tower provisioning updates (similar to the old PRL updates). I upgraded to a new device and instantly got full bars at home (vs being down to 1 bar on old phone) and was able to get all texts where it was hit/miss before. I've no idea if this is similar to your experience, but I wouldn't be surprised if the phone hardware limitations start seeing more and more affects of things like this.

 

[3DPiper]

Just a personal aside: I had a similar issue recently with a Pixel 2XL where it was working less and less smoothly - not getting services in some areas and less service over time (down to 1 bar at home), texts messing up, etc... The phone was still supported by the carrier, but in the end it turned out that it was that the hardware was not able to get the newer tower provisioning updates (similar to the old PRL updates). I upgraded to a new device and instantly got full bars at home (vs being down to 1 bar on old phone) and was able to get all texts where it was hit/miss before. I've no idea if this is similar to your experience, but I wouldn't be surprised if the phone hardware limitations start seeing more and more affects of things like this.

Yes: forced obsolescence.
I realize I am the last holdout, but I don't really want a to get another phone.

 

[HelloNNNewman]

I totally understand. I went through it with my Palm devices - held on to them as long a I could and still miss them.

 

[RTGent]

A few days ago my 950XL would not make or receive calls.
When trying to making a call, it would immediately say 'call dropped'.
Everyone calling in would say the line was just busy and not offer to leave a message.

I went to ATT and they gave me a new sim card (they were quite bewildered by the phone and all the workers came over to look at it).
That does some to kinda work, although I keep having to hard reset (remove battery) the phone to keep it available to take incoming calls, 'call dropped' still pops up every now and then.

Any better carrier options? I can't help but feel like this is forced obsolescence.
I still love my 950xl and don't want to upgrade any time soon!

How long have you owned/used your XL and used it on att? Had you used any other carrier and might that be an option? Or did I miss this?

T-Mobile is an option, I'd guess. I'm haaappily and thaaaankfully stilll using my 950 daily on T-Mobile. I had seen the 950 on attt's (good-to-go/continue working) "white list" last year and posted that on these pages, though I had moved to T-Mobile in 2017. I haven't noted any changes in my T-Mobile service. I also have no knowledge, though, of any T-Mobile x-G policies or plans regarding my phone or any other phone.

Your report sounds service-related, but I fortunately haven't had enough related experience to truly know this. You may want to visit a T-Mobile shop if one is available to you, to see if they can check/test your phone. I have an angroid phone on Mint Mobile, and though that reportedly uses the T-Mobile system, their website check says it does not support the 950. I've never checked beyond that, and I haven't tried just inserting the Mint SIM, and I won't.

Hardware-wise, your battery report makes me wonder if your battery may the/an issue/cause. Do you have a backup? I am using this Taeozi as my daily battery, though an original is still my backup: https://www.amazon.com/Battery-3200...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUwpUvbUpU3839686
There doesn't appear to be one available for the XL at Amazon, though a different one does show there for the XL. Without experience with the battery or seller, I can't recommend it; but, I'd sure try a battery replacement.

BTW, and interestingly -though perhaps only to me, my 950 still updates regularly in the background, though I've never monitored this. Still, a couple of weeks ago I noticed that Groove artist images were appearing again on my lock screen after having lost that feature a bunch of months ago, though Groove itself has never lost any functionality that I recall. The option to activate that lock-screen feature is also back on the Groove settings page. I checked under updates, and the phone had just updated, though usually it only reads "your device is up to date" and the last check, which is always "today, x time". I note this only to encourage you to not give up on your loved XL.

Good luck getting back to our normal.

P.S.: I haven't checked for updates on that att "white list", BTW, and I don't recall checking it for the XL.

 

[3DPiper]

I did update the battery with a new one. Unfortunately I still get a 'hot pocket' every now and then (not sure what is going on).
As the features kept stopping, the latest was being able to send group texts or send attachments with texts (this happened after the new sim card was installed).

My son upgraded his phone and I put the sim in his old phone to check it. It is a Samsung.
It will receive calls but not make them. I went back to ATT and they said it is a phone problem and take it to a phone repair shop.

Note: for the little time I have used the Samsung, I really do not like it. No glance screen. The wrap-around screen is nowhere near as responsive as the Lumia. They keyboard doesn't return to the alphabet keys after pressing a single shift-character (apostrophe or ampersand) like the Windows phone would. There is no keyboard joystick to move the typing cursor. I wanted to install Outlook so I could check my mail, but it wouldn't let me do that unless I have a Samsung and Google account (I have neither nor do I want either). Is there a way to side-load programs?

I am tempted to just buy another 950XL. I literally make calls, texts, check my email, and check like 3 web pages. I think the only program I have installed is TuneIn so I can stream radio. Oh, I do use GPS occasionally.

For now I just carry both phones and turn on the Samsung Wifi so I can just keep using the Lumia for everything but making calls/texts..

 

[3DPiper]

Update: I AGAIN went to ATT and they still can't figure out why I can receive calls but not make them..
They gave me another SIM card but it didn't fix anything.
Also: I hate the text message alert, you can't read all of the text like on Windows Phone

 

[3DPiper]

Update: I finally jumped ship from ATT and- everything works fine!
I even put the sim card back in my 950XL and it works as well! can make calls, text, surf the internet, everything.
I feel like I have been in an Alfred Hitchcock movie: everyone telling me nothing is wrong or that I just have to upgrade.
After a year of dealing with not being able to call out, now I realize I was right: it was the carrier all this time.