
A recent unscientific examination (conducted by Scott Stein of CNET) of the iPhone 5 audio quality between the top three U.S. wireless carriers resulted in Sprint’s version of the iPhone 5 having the best call quality compared to its AT&T and Verizon counterparts. As mentioned before, the test was subjective and conducted by a reporter so the results may vary but it’s still an interesting thing to read about.
The test conducted was just a reporter phoning San Francisco from a New York street corner in New York and comparing voice mail recordings using all three iPhone 5 carrier models and iPhone 4S models as well. Not the best way to receive measurable results but a test nonetheless.
The results were all from an individual case and don’t reflect nationwide performance, which may vary due to several factors. The reporter tested both the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5 in this case and as one may guess, the recordings clearly indicated the difference between the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5, with the legacy model coming in a bit mushy coupled with noticeable background noise.
Out of the iPhone 5 models, the worst one was AT&T’s version of Apple’s sixth-generation handset, with the noise canceling feature being somewhat effective but background noise leaking through. Out of the top three wireless carriers in the nation, AT&T’s version apparently exhibited some “graininess” and sounded the most compressed. Verizon’s version was a bit more clear and less background noise came in when compared to the AT&T unit, however a closer listen revealed minor hissing and popping. Sprint’s iteration was the clear winner with the reporter’s voice coming in with richness and a level of clarity that no other carriers seemed to match. Ambient sound was a non-factor and the transmission was clean (no hisses no pops).
While Apple released an iPhone 5 for all networks, two of which are compatible with the two different wireless technologies deployed in the U.S. (CDMA and GSM), the quick test illustrates the importance of a provider’s network when it comes to call quality. For those of you who didn't already know, AT&T’s iteration uses GSM technology while the Sprint and Verizon iterations operate on CDMA networks but also have GSM capabilities, with all three supporting 4G LTE (albeit on different networks).
For those of you who have tried the iPhone on multiple networks, have you noticed any differences?
Source: CNET
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