Do VoLTE calls drain battery faster?

VoLTE stands for voice over LTE and it’s more or less exactly what it says on the tin. It's voice calls over a 4G LTE network, rather than the 2G or 3G connections which are usually used.

We tend to think of 4G as mostly being about downloading, streaming and web browsing, and indeed that’s primarily what it’s been used for so far, but it can also be used to improve calls, which is why why many networks have started offering VoLTE.

Below you’ll find everything you need to know about VoLTE, including which networks offer it and what’s so good about it.

VoLTE is an optimized technology which does not impact battery life as compared to 2G and 3G.

I have been involved in detailed technology tests under similar RF conditions to measure this scientifically for VoLTE, 2G and 3G.

Battery life depends on a lot of factors, such as -

Quality of RF signal on the phone. The phone consumes battery faster when you are in poor coverage areas.

Behavior of apps on the phone - Some apps consume data in the background.

LTEs DRX feature, which helps in increasing battery life on the phone.

Use of compressed SIP notation for VoLTE signalling, which optimize and compress SIP headers.

What are the benefits of VoLTE?

• Superior call quality

The big advantage of VoLTE is that call quality is superior to 3G or 2G connections, as far more data can be transferred over 4G than 2G or 3G. That makes it easier to make out not only what the person on the other end of the line is saying, but also their tone of voice.

Essentially it’s an HD voice call and it’s a much richer experience overall.

• Improved coverage and connectivity

VoLTE can connect calls up to twice as fast as when using 2G or 3G, and as 2G and 3G connections will still be available when there’s no 4G signal, it simply means that there’s greater mobile coverage overall, as without VoLTE you wouldn’t be able to make or receive calls in places with a 4G signal but no 2G or 3G.

You might think that would be a rare occurrence, but some of the frequencies that 4G operates on, such as the 800MHz spectrum, have far greater reach than 2G or 3G spectrum, so you’ll be able to get signal further away from a mast or in buildings which other signals struggle to penetrate. Indeed, Three is fully relying on its 800MHz spectrum for VoLTE calls.

However, while 2G and 3G services have largely remained so far they aren’t as necessary as they used to be, and much of the spectrum used for 2G in particular could potentially be repurposed to increase capacity on 4G or 5G networks.

• Better battery life

Smartphone users could also find their battery life increased with VoLTE, as without it whenever you make or receive a call your phone has to switch from 4G to 2G or 3G, since 4G calls aren’t supported, and then once the call is finished your phone switches back again. All that switching, plus the need to search for a different signal each time, can give the battery a significant hit.

• Faster data

As you don’t have to switch to 3G when making a call with VoLTE, that means you can also keep using 4G for other functions on your phone while on a call. That’s handy if you’re multi-tasking. For example, browsing the web at the same time or downloading an app.

• Works with Wi-Fi

4G Calling also offers the ability to seamlessly move between that and Wi-Fi Calling, without the call cutting out, so if you move away from one signal type you can continue on the other