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View Full Version : Mobile Phones What does the H symbol on a mobile phone mean?



webewitch
21-08-2012, 13:24
I've just been to Tenerife, Los Gigantes and while there, my kids who have the cheapest so-called smartphones - the Vodafone 858 (I think) - noticed that in the status bar the 3G symbol would change to an H symbol.
With the H symbol they were able to surf the net and even tether to a Windows laptop resulting in free internet.
Their phones are pay as you go and they had no credit.

Does anyone know anything about this?

Vortex Wake
21-08-2012, 13:30
H stands for HSDPA (or HSUPA), that is an enhancement of the 3G service, ie faster speeds

webewitch
21-08-2012, 13:33
I thought it might be that.

What I'm not getting - but not complaining - is it actually free or have I missed something?

delderek
21-08-2012, 13:50
I thought it might be that.

What I'm not getting - but not complaining - is it actually free or have I missed something?

I think you may have missed a lot. Data roaming (3G) overseas is stupidly expensive, unless you purchased a "Bundle" before leaving UK. Dire warnings are given everywhere.

webewitch
21-08-2012, 14:01
We live in Fuerteventura.

The phones are on Spanish Vodafone.

They are pay as you go.

The kids were still able to use them even though they had no credit. Without credit they can't use the 3G

delderek
21-08-2012, 14:14
Ah I see, sorry presumed you had come from UK

Vortex Wake
21-08-2012, 14:20
We live in Fuerteventura.

The phones are on Spanish Vodafone.

They are pay as you go.

The kids were still able to use them even though they had no credit. Without credit they can't use the 3G

Are they certain that they are getting a connection via '3g' or 'H' - and not just a default to the home wifi router?

webewitch
21-08-2012, 14:27
There was no wifi where we were - we stayed at my mother's and she does not use the internet or have a modem.

Canaries Wireless and Network Founds would appear on the list of available wifis but we don't subscribe to either and never actually connected to them.

edit - I may be wrong about them being unable to use the Internet with just 3G. I'll find out later today. In any case they still had no credit.