Related
Has anyone read this article? Very informative.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5254/investigating-the-galaxy-nexus-lte-signal-issue
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
interesting read.
For a long time people have blamed their handsets for problems when the truth is there are always a lot of network issues out there at any given time.
Simply blaming your handset and assuming the network is 'great' because it has full bars or a good db is not the way to go.
Bars or db ultimately mean nothing, they do not mean you will get good speeds or in some cases to be able to make a call, in my experience its rare that the handset is to blame
True.
I had the RAZR before my phone. I would bet that the RAZR wasn't showing the correct signal strength and this is what a lot of people are comparing.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
aye it would be interesting if someone ran some speed tests on the two devices side by side to what what the speeds v coverage were like
edit
jimdurt said:
They still have some issues to work on. My OG Droid gave me a better signal at my house on 3g. At least measuring the db strength. I dont have 4g here so the measurement in db strength should be sufficient to accurately see which phone has better reception.
Give Google time. They have the right hardware. Just need to get the software tweaked a bit more.
My wifes DroidX consistantly shows -93dBm with 3 bars of 3g service, while my GNex bounces a little more between -120dBm(most of the time) to -93dBm(rarely)
Even with no bars and @-120dBm, i get 600kbps download. Thankfully i have 18mbps download service through ATT Uverse wifi.
I do have to mention, my service improved ALOT from 4.0.1 to 4.0.2 update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At -120 on 3g your lucky to anysort of dl
My 3g/4g signal has never been better. This phone is twice as good as my incredible.
WiFi signal strength does seem to be a little less strong but nothing horrible. Now I wish they would figure out why the OS won't go to sleep.
Well, Verizon resolved all my Nexus, CDMA, and LTE issues for me in one fell swoop. They called me yesterday and told me that they couldn't provide me service at my house and recommended I switch to a different carrier.
I was with them for less than three days. Brought my Galaxy Nexus and wife's temp phone back to the store, then went to the Apple Store to get my wife an iPhone 4S on AT&T with the plan to stop at an AT&T store to get myself a Skyrocket. While standing there playing with the 4S waiting for a sales associate, I got the warm fuzzies from back when I used the iPhone and decided to get one for myself as well.
It was a fun year with Android, but looking back at how I spent yesterday debating if I was going to keep the GN with all its issues, I think I made the right call for me.
I also forgot how much better GSM is than CDMA. I have full bars in my office, whereas on Sprint and Verizon the phones were struggling to hold onto a 3G connection. Amazing difference.
Anyway, sorry to hijack the thread for a moment. I truly hope that this is an issue that can be fixed with software; it seems like poor reception has become a hallmark of Samsung phones and I haven't seen a software update yet that makes a notable difference. We'll see what Sammy and Verizon come up with.
i can understand the signal strength display not being accurate but explain this...
for one, the signal strength on this Nexus is always 1/2(or more) then what i had on my Thunderbolt or Rezound at any given time/place.... which apparently is explained above.
what isntvexplained is this... my Thunderbolt was able to download fast, but not nearly as fast as my Rezound. on the R, i was able to download 1GB in roughly 5 minutes. ive tried downloading the same file(s) from same location various times(test) on this Nexus and it always takes 30 - 40 minutes.
so if the signal strength isnt being reported accurately i can accept that.... but what about the significant difference in data speed?
i also want to note that on my Reound, whenever i played a track in Google Music it started up right away and could jump/skip forward in a track without delay...
now on this Nexus, theres always a delay before the track starts & when you jump/skip to. buffering b.s.
Your Rezound probably already had the music cached.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
You guys also have to keep in mind that the LTE network slows down the more people that use it. When it was first intro a year ago, it was STUPID fast. Like 50mb DOWN. I remember my Droid Charge hitting low 40's in May. Now that there is a plethora of phones that have LTE and a lot of people using it, the network will be slowed. It still beats the hell out of any other network.
I’m glad somebody posted this.
I did a little experiment in my office this morning with three Verizon LTE phones:
1) Samsung Charge
2) HTC T-Bolt
3) Samsung Galaxy Nexus
With all three phones laying side by side, I opened up the same “Network Signal” app. All three phones we ranging in the -85 to -100 dB strength. There was no phone that clearly had a better or worse signal.
However, the Samsung Charge was showing 4 out of 5 “bars”, the T-bolt had 3 of 5 while the Nexus has a whopping 1 out of 5 bars. Amusing since they we all reading between -95 and -90 dB at that moment.
One thing I noticed different though, is that the Nexus requires at least -85dB before it will connect to LTE. Anything less, it switches to CDMA. I can’t speak for the T-bolt, but I could have sworn I saw the Charge at -95 / -100 dB and still reporting LTE Net. Type.
So, food for thought. Hopefully this “update” that Verizon is working on isn’t anything more than a recalibration of the “bars” indicator.
-Gp
Grannypotts said:
I’m glad somebody posted this.
I did a little experiment in my office this morning with three Verizon LTE phones:
1) Samsung Charge
2) HTC T-Bolt
3) Samsung Galaxy Nexus
With all three phones laying side by side, I opened up the same “Network Signal” app. All three phones we ranging in the -85 to -100 dB strength. There was no phone that clearly had a better or worse signal.
However, the Samsung Charge was showing 4 out of 5 “bars”, the T-bolt had 3 of 5 while the Nexus has a whopping 1 out of 5 bars. Amusing since they we all reading between -95 and -90 dB at that moment.
One thing I noticed different though, is that the Nexus requires at least -85dB before it will connect to LTE. Anything less, it switches to CDMA. I can’t speak for the T-bolt, but I could have sworn I saw the Charge at -95 / -100 dB and still reporting LTE Net. Type.
So, food for thought. Hopefully this “update” that Verizon is working on isn’t anything more than a recalibration of the “bars” indicator.
-Gp
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There needs to be some kind of way to trick the OS into thinking it actually has the real signal so it will stop switching between 3G and 4G.
One thing I noticed different though, is that the Nexus requires at least -85dB before it will connect to LTE. Anything less, it switches to CDMA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have -86dB with 3 4G bars as I write this. I know that's not much of a difference from the -85dB, but I thought I would just mention it. Also, I've had -93dB with 4 4G bars (no picture of that though).
Syn Ack said:
There needs to be some kind of way to trick the OS into thinking it actually has the real signal so it will stop switching between 3G and 4G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My 30,000 foot uneducated view is simply that the calibrations for the Nexus require a stronger signal to both acquire and then maintain an LTE data connection. These calibrations probably could be tweaked, but at what cost? I suppose (assuming my theory is correct) the decision came down to a flaky 4G or a solid 3G... and Verizon chose the stronger connection over the faster one. Do you blame them?
However, when I do get a solid 4G connection... the speeds are stupid fast.
On my lunch break today:
30.6M down
15.7 up
My Galaxy Nexus has the most unreliable, horrible, inconsistent data connection I have ever used on a phone.
I go from 4-->3--> No Gs all day long. I'm in Houston, which has a fantastic LTE network (when I'm using a different phone....)
I'm currently on CM9 with 4.0.3 leaked radios, the performance has been bad through stock as well though. Maybe I'll go back to stock and try it again or something.
Should I use the 4.0.2 radios again?
Has anyone else felt the same way?
Thanks.
I think you may be the first one to bring this up
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
In Charlotte,NC my phone has been nothing but outstanding. The only place I go to 3G is at my desk in the middle of a massive building with shielding. It's just awesome. 4 Bars 4G at my house down in South Carolina too.
I actually have had no such issue with stock or CM9. I'm in Dallas but live on the edge of the 4G area and my workplace has the amazing ability to shield LTE signal so I'm switching to 3G twice a day.
Is_907 said:
I actually have had no such issue with stock or CM9. I'm in Dallas but live on the edge of the 4G area and my workplace has the amazing ability to shield LTE signal so I'm switching to 3G twice a day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd love for it to just be verizon having problems here.
I'm not so sure that's the case though.
Just flashed a different rom, I guess i'll try the 4.0.2 radio again.
get off the leaked radios and go back to stock. goodness...
aohus said:
get off the leaked radios and go back to stock. goodness...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did that. It seems to be a bit better. Could be placebo though
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
eallan said:
My Galaxy Nexus has the most unreliable, horrible, inconsistent data connection I have ever used on a phone.
I go from 4-->3--> No Gs all day long. I'm in Houston, which has a fantastic LTE network (when I'm using a different phone....)
I'm currently on CM9 with 4.0.3 leaked radios, the performance has been bad through stock as well though. Maybe I'll go back to stock and try it again or something.
Should I use the 4.0.2 radios again?
Has anyone else felt the same way?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My experience is exactly the same. My Thunderbolt always had a solid, reliable and fast 4G connection in the same locations. My Galaxy Nexus is just like yours: "4-->3--> No Gs all day long". I'm on 3G at least 50% of the time. That never happened on the Thunderbolt.
I've tried the 4.0.3 radio too and it didn't help. It was no better and no worse for me.
MountainX said:
My experience is exactly the same. My Thunderbolt always had a solid, reliable and fast 4G connection in the same locations. My Galaxy Nexus is just like yours: "4-->3--> No Gs all day long". I'm on 3G at least 50% of the time. That never happened on the Thunderbolt.
I've tried the 4.0.3 radio too and it didn't help. It was no better and no worse for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad I'm not alone, I remember reading something about verizon's authentication servers having issues, hopefully it's something on their end they're fixing. Maybe the "real" update will help us out.
eallan said:
I'm glad I'm not alone,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are not alone. Here is some stuff I collected from other threads:
Verizon claims Galaxy Nexus LTE signal is fine, update still coming to change meter
http://androidcommunity.com/verizon...update-still-coming-to-change-meter-20111221/
What do you guys think? Is there still a problem with the Galaxy Nexus and LTE. I personally think there is some sort of issue that will still probably be addressed in the update and Verizon just isn’t saying so. Here is a quick video I made showing my Galaxy Nexus stuck on 3G sitting next to my XYBOARD 8.2″ tablet with 4G LTE. The XyBoard constantly has not only more bars, but a better and faster connection. You tell me?
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Missed calls, text that wont send, 6 hour battery life… looks like i had better return the Nexus while i still can. Its a shame, i like the phone, i just wish i could make calls with it.
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I have noticed drops on the data side in places where i have a friend sitting next to me with full 3g signal on an incredible 2. My wifes nexus has dropped calls at least 15 times since she got it and data has been the same as mine
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Aaron Osler
My phone has serious call dropping/connection loss. I had the tech at my local Verizon store compare it to his Nexus which also had weak signal strength (about -96db). We also compared signal to other phones in the store and found the other phones to have around -84db which is much much better. That spread is the difference between barely hanging on to 1 bar and a solid 3 bars on my Nexus. I don’t think Verizon is being honest because my experience is that the signal is weaker on the Nexus, not just looking at the bars. I am also getting sudden disconnects going from any number of bars to dead instantly. Dropping calls is completely unacceptable. I can understand problems with the cutting edge 4G signal, but the phone call function is the same thing they have done for years. Oh, and don’t forget it’s A PHONE. I have until Jan 15th to return the phone so if they don’t have my phone working 100% of the time like all of my previous phones I will be returning it and reactivating my Envy3. My phone reports 10% time without signal. Cell Standby reports 10% of battery usage. I didn’t sign up for being tethered to a charger all day just to keep my phone from diving into cold brick mode while I sit at work less than 1/4 mile from the cell tower.
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C Dedi
As a current owner of all 3 of Verizons top tier Android phones (Razr / Rezound / G-Nexus), I can easily state that there exists a radio performance gap between two of my devices compared to the 3rd. My Razr & Rezound pull solid bar(s) status regularly, my G-Nexus on the other hand is much more temperamental with its signal strength. Of all 3 devices, the Rezound displays the best signal the most often (haven’t been disappointed yet), with the Razr usually pulling a close second. As an overall performer, I have to give it to the Rezound, even if its not my favorite of the three. Now listing them by personal preference (general feel), it goes something like this: Razr – G-Nexus – Rezound. The Rezound would score higher, if it didn’t ’feel’ like so many other HTC phones I’ve owned in the past.
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Is anyone actually looking at their signal strength reading in Settings/about phone/Signal ? I have compared my Nexus against my wife’s Samsung regular Galaxy , my original Droid, and even a 3 + year old laptop built in Verizon air card 3g signal and the Nexus has a noticeable worse signal reception(no 4G in my area yet). When the other devices are showing say -74-75dbm my Nexus is only receiving -93-100dbm. That is NOT a software fix issue. I am on my second Nexus after Verizon Tier2 techsupport did a signal survey in my area and confirmed a good 3G signal and had me exchange my phone. Same crappy reception numbers and I frequently get a Network Problem Check your internet connection message while using apps. I don’t see a software fix helping and will likely be exchanging my phone for a Rezound or returning alltogether and waiting it out.
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LT_Blondey1492
I’m a Samsung galaxy nexus user. I have had a problem with the signal of this phone. It has been a problem since I started using the phone. I’m in a 3G area. You would think since it’s a 3G and 4g phone. It should still work. I went to Verizon’s store once already, all they did was chAnge the sim card. That didn’t change the signal none. It worked when we were there. I think it’s funny how my husbands 4g droid bionic works while the Samsung galaxy nexus doesn’t. They are both 4g phones and the verizon helper said we didnt have 4g area where i lived. Like I said its funny how his 4g is able to work still. I really like the Samsung galaxy nexus phone but I need service. It didn’t even work at the Walmart I go to either. The only time it actually gave me signal was when I was in the verizon store. Why wouldn’t it work there it’s their phone. All their phones will work there, but once you leave they won’t work anymore.
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Tloomos
There’s more going on than just a dfferent representation of signal strength. I’ve run dozens of tests with my Verizon Galaxy Nexus side-by-side with a Verizon HTC Rezound and the Rezound blows the Nexus away every time. I expected the Rezound to perform better on tests like what Vellamo puts it through since the specs on the Rezound are a bit better, but I really wasn’t expecting much difference on the speedtest.net results. The Nexus consistently achieves half the bandwidth of the Rezound.
The more I use the Nexus, the more I like it, but this connection/performance issue doesn’t sit well with me. I’m not sure why Verizon would hide it if they thought that the update was going to improve actual performance and not just the bars, but I’m waiting and hoping. I have until Jan 15 to return it and pick up the Rezound instead. If they can address the connection issue before then, I’ll gladly stick with it.
And for what it’s worth, I would prefer that the bars be more accurate rather than giving me an inflated perception of my signal strength. As long as I know how to interpret the number of bars I have and the connectivity and performance is on par with other comparable devices, I really don’t care if their device shows 4 bars when mine only shows 1.
------------------------------------------------
Is it just me? (LTE GNex, terrible data.)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1440307
My Galaxy Nexus has the most unreliable, horrible, inconsistent data connection I have ever used on a phone.
I go from 4-->3--> No Gs all day long. I'm in Houston, which has a fantastic LTE network (when I'm using a different phone....)
I'm currently on CM9 with 4.0.3 leaked radios, the performance has been bad through stock as well though. Maybe I'll go back to stock and try it again or something.
Should I use the 4.0.2 radios again?
Has anyone else felt the same way?
Thanks.
------------------------------------------------
Dreaded signal issues and my in depth 3g testing. Is it hardware?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1441187
Thanks for posting this. I definitely think there is more going on here with the Verizon GNex's signal than just the way it is reported. It's not just 3G either. I had 2 Rezounds before I got my Galaxy Nexus, and actually have had two Galaxy Nexii. I am certain I got much faster 4G speeds, 3G speeds, and a stronger signal on the Rezounds than either Galaxy Nexus.
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I absolutely loved this phone also. but was VERY dissapointed after getting it home, it had a very weak signal and was dropping cals, something that ive never experienced with verizon. me and my wife have the razrs so i was able to do a side by side signal comparison here in dallas. my rersults were more dramatic than yours (OP), both razr's had about -85db and the GN was -104 in 4g. needless to say it was returned.
------------------------------------------------
New Leaked Radios CDMA, LTE
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1403133
...had more dropped calls with this phone than any other I have ever had on vzw.
------------------------------------------------
https://encrypted.google.com/search...issue+OR+problem&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&hl=en
The VZW Galaxy Nexus has signal issues. The constant bouncing from 4G to 3G to nothing and back is so annoying I have to just leave 4G off. I'm hoping it is an issue that can be addressed with a radio update at some point.
Raibyn said:
The VZW Galaxy Nexus has signal issues. The constant bouncing from 4G to 3G to nothing and back is so annoying I have to just leave 4G off. I'm hoping it is an issue that can be addressed with a radio update at some point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, here's to hoping.
same here
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Raibyn said:
The VZW Galaxy Nexus has signal issues. The constant bouncing from 4G to 3G to nothing and back is so annoying I have to just leave 4G off. I'm hoping it is an issue that can be addressed with a radio update at some point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
happens to me all day.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
I flashed the 4.0.3 radios a week or two back and I noticed it being worse on my phone. Is it safe to just downgrade radios by flashing them?
Also where are the links for the 4.0.1 and 4.0.2 radios? I was on 4.0.1 radios when I first rooted and it worked fine. But when I flashed 4.0.3, then I started noticing issues :/
I bought my Galaxy Nexus in the Houston area over the holiday while staying with family. I had a very reliable 4G connection, even in the outskirts. My mother's Bionic was constantly bouncing between 3G and 4G, though. Out here in Los Angeles I get a full 4 bars of 4G and average above 20,000kbps.
I have the signal dropping/switching issues some days, some days not. It seems pretty split personality to me....same places, different times, different behaviors.
Mine works fine.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
xXJay_RXx said:
I flashed the 4.0.3 radios a week or two back and I noticed it being worse on my phone. Is it safe to just downgrade radios by flashing them?
Also where are the links for the 4.0.1 and 4.0.2 radios? I was on 4.0.1 radios when I first rooted and it worked fine. But when I flashed 4.0.3, then I started noticing issues :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I flashed back to 4.0.2 with no problems.
Mine is working fine here.
The phone itself DOES have issues when the switchover MUST occur.....I have 4G all day until I walk into my kids school. Old concrete block building, etc.....drops down to 3G everytime. BUT on the Nexus it takes a while.....Ill have 30 seconds or so sometimes without any signal while it locks back onto 3G. I *think* that can be fixed via firmware/software (since I believe lots of other phones have had similar handover issues)
The biggest issues with 4G seem to be if you are in a fringe area where it can kinda get 4G but not great 4G. You arent in a fringe area though, so Im not quite sure.....try forcing it to CDMA only and see if the radio stays connected reliably. I know its not LTE, but its just a troubleshooting step. A friend of mine has "reception" handover issues on his Bionic, set it to CDMA only and hasnt had one issue for over a week. its not a fix, but it at least makes the phone useable.......or could signify some bigger issues with your phone if you still have trouble with CDMA only.
Been a power user of smart phones since they've existed, unlocking modding, etc.
I have never had a phone with worse data reception period.
Owned the GS2 since launch. Tried everything. Every combination known to man to get signal consistency that even comes close to an HTC phone or even my original pocket pc from UT Starcomm...
I once streamed a broadcast of the CUSA BBall tourney in the mountains in Co in like 2003 or 4 on one of those bad boys ...
No way I could do it on this galaxy s2. Not unless I was sitting still with no other devices at sea level in a giant grassland.
The phone is gorgeous, screen near perfect, feels great in hand, great durability, best phone I've ever had in almost every area...
BUT when you can barely browse the web, or use banking apps because timeouts and disconnects and 4g sleeping/searching won't stop...
It may as well be a paper weight. Will never buy a Samsung again; never should have left HTC. Tried as hard as I could to believe and prove that this was the best phone you could buy. Signal issues kill it in a long term use review.
Buy HTC. Radio is most important thing on a phone period.
I've been noticing the same thing with the signal reception. If this phone had a better radio it would honestly be the best phone. I will never buy HTC again because of the lack of updates and the piss poor battery life. Also HTC sense is garbage. But yet again these are just my opinions. If HTC comes out with a good phone that's not a brick maybe I'll try it.
Agree, they are big bricks and die quick, but the reason may be that they lock onto that signal like the fat guy that lucked into the insecure 8 or 9.
Big time web browser. Trying to justify switch to evo lte. Long term phone user and I get big time value mod, etc because of the price. Hard to dump something less than a year in for me.
Don't worry both Samsung and Sprint has the fix for you. They will release the fix in the near future.
Its called the Galaxy S3
LOL
Signal Strength on FD24, FD26 & FE07 Is Erratic. Yeppppppppp!
I cant remember it being this bad on GB...but my memory is horrible. This signal bullsh*t on ICS is KILLING my battery, and i cannot charge my phone where i work. I have to walk with an extra battery and a charging case for that battery.
Sprint & Samsung have until the OTA to fix this issue...if this OTA fails to make the phone live up to a reasonable use of its potential...im jumping to Verizon & the Droid Maxx.
Between the GPS...signal stability & 3G speeds....ive just about f*cking had it.
it took you this long to realize this? when i had my samsung moment replaced 4 times due to data loss and modem issues, i told myself i would never buy another samsung phone. look how that turned out.
samsung has terrible radio support. it's not just the phone radio, it's their GPS and wifi too.
I read these threads all the time... Never really post in them a lot though....
From what I've read its all about the area you live in. I live and work in Center City Philadelphia and get ok to good 3G & 4G signals and never really have any of these issue of timing out, slow downloads or issues with browsing.
I do count myself lucky though cause when I go to visit my family (they live in the sticks) its wifi only for me... So I do feel your guys pain.
Sent From My Galaxy Class StarFighter
SouthPhilly said:
I read these threads all the time... Never really post in them a lot though....
From what I've read its all about the area you live in. I live and work in Center City Philadelphia and get ok to good 3G & 4G signals and never really have any of these issue of timing out, slow downloads or issues with browsing.
I do count myself lucky though cause when I go to visit my family (they live in the sticks) its wifi only for me... So I do feel your guys pain.
Sent From My Galaxy Class StarFighter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope it's not the area you live in. having traveled to just about every major city in the US in the last 5-6 years, my moment and the e4gt have always lost signal completely multiple times. while travelling, my htc evo never once experienced those problems, and gps lock was always instant.
i dont believe it's an area/location problem at all. i think it's more like samsung has terrible cdma support. you dont hear much about their gsm phones having these issues.
cnstarz said:
nope it's not the area you live in. having traveled to just about every major city in the US in the last 5-6 years, my moment and the e4gt have always lost signal completely multiple times. while travelling, my htc evo never once experienced those problems, and gps lock was always instant.
i dont believe it's an area/location problem at all. i think it's more like samsung has terrible cdma support. you dont hear much about their gsm phones having these issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea its my job to travel weekly to multiple cities....and my HTC NEVER had such issues with the radio.
Yep never had a issue with any signal or gps on ANY of my HTC phones.
Samsung wireless radios are POS!
Waiting on user reviews to see if I'll get the EVO 4G LTE
Sent from my EPIC TOUCH!
I live in Houston, TX the #1 coverage city for Sprint. First Samsung I've owned. Hardware was just so killer vs the then market leading (regardless of whether or not you liked the gimmick) evo 3d it wasn't close. Never knew signal issues could be crippling because I owned HTCs, so I never had issues.
The issues I did have... Build quality, shaky early sense, camera quality, screen quality... ALL don't even matter if you can't load a webpage, upload a photo, etc.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA
Dose anyone even know if the S3 will carry the same radio the S2 has? many times the phone manufacture will use same hardware ie gps Bluetooth to same money.
Wow I must be really lucky. I live in Reno and I have never ever had any signal issues. sure it goes from full to 2 bars from time to time but I have never lost signal.
rujelus22 said:
Wow I must be really lucky. I live in Reno and I have never ever had any signal issues. sure it goes from full to 2 bars from time to time but I have never lost signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here and I live in Alabama, nowhere near the areas that will see 4G or LTE first.
The OG evo has one of the best antennas on a cell phone, ever. You can't make a blanket statement that HTC is awesome when plenty of their phones have ****ty antennas. Have you used an Evo 3D or design? You would be complaining there too. God forbid you get an iPhone, which has the worst antenna I've ever seen. My store is literally across the street from a tower, and iPhones get 2 bars and horrible data speeda where my ET is pegged and gets 1.5mbit down on 3g.
You probably got your gs2 at about the same time the iPhone came out, when the 3g network got saturated with all the morons "upgrading" front 4g android phones or poor souls upgrading from blackberries with 1x. This phone has performed exactly as I expected it to.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Wow......no "Cool Story Bro" posts yet? I'm proud of you guys.
Let's hope it stays like this.
jayharper08 said:
Wow......no "Cool Story Bro" posts yet? I'm proud of you guys.
Let's hope it stays like this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stool Corey Bro /runs
PS: As much as i hate to admit this, its all true. I was playing with a friends photon the other day....this was getting amazing reception where as i get NONE at my house :\
Well first off I do agree that the E4GT does have a horrible modem/radio. The worst i have ever had on a smartphone. Don't get me wrong this is the best phone I have ever had but I get a GPS lock half the time I try and after a minute or 2. Its just pathetic. Ya I know some people say my GPS works great but my dad and 2 friends have this same phone and all have the same GPS and poor signal problems. So if your GPS works great you are very lucky. As for the data speeds I have ran speedtest side by side on the E4GT OG EVo and 4s side by side. E4GT>4s>OG Evo by not to much though(at least that is the results I got).
I think the biggest culprit here though with data speeds is sprints ****tastic network. I usually average 300kbs. I'm sorry but im not paying $180 a month for those kinds of speeds when VZW and ATT 3g speeds are 6-8 times better than that(not to even mention 4g and lte). Also VZW and ATT are not even more expensive. For the same thing Im getting on sprint I can get at ATT(3gb monthly data) for the SAME price. On VZW(4 gb monthly data) its 10 bucks more. I realized unlimited data means nothing if you have crappy speeds. If you alive in a sprint area were your lucky to get 4g or lte soon more power to ya.
As for buying a samsung phone? Its possible but not until 1) They stop making there phones ugly (not the sII but the sIII is butt ugly IMO) 2)get better modem/radio/GPS 3) change from pentile display. At least in online pictures the sIII's display looks worse than our phone.
HTC One X here I come!!! (sooo excited)
/end rant lol sorry/
I live on LI Ny, and the coverage is horrible here, I work in Queens, it's the only time I can actually brows the Web, besides wifi.. And no 4G on LI..
Bobby O's Epic Touch..
I have noticed that if you have your bluetooth connected and then enable gps, I don't get a gps lock until I disable gps, then bluetooth, and then enable gps. It's been like that on every ICS rom I have tried.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Xparent Cyan Tapatalk 2
I've had this phone now for less than a month. I know it's not a long time, but I think I've got a pretty good idea of how this phone performs. I have not rooted this phone, I am on 4.02 and PRL 15119.
1. The signal problem:
Coming from a Droid2, the first thing I noticed was one or no bars where I used to have full! I was losing data all the time, until I switched to CDMA only. My phone kept switching to LTE and back again, I spent more time in hand offs than connected!
I had the opportunity to have my Nexus, a TBolt, and a Maxx all in my basement together and did a few tests. All three phones had trouble holding LTE here when I was able to run a speed test, they all performed similarly, between 1 and 2 Mbps. When all three switched to CDMA, they displayed one more bar on and off than my Nexus, but showed similar pings and speeds.
I spend a lot of time in my basement and have never had troubles losing data (CDMA only) even though it displays 0-1 bars all the time.
Now, I do occasionally have problems with data, but it's nothing new to me. My Droid2 would show full signal and just not load a page or drop to 1x in locations known to be strong service.
I have not had this problem with the WiFi hand off back to cellular data. This phone switches faster than my Droid2 ever did. Like, by a lot. I work in no service building. Every morning I turn my WiFi on and just turn it off when I get in my car to go home. Usually I have cellular service before I can even turn off the WiFi.
I read a lot of reports where someones Nexus would be outperformed in a 4G speed test by another Verizon 4G device. Not the case here. My tests were constantly the same when comparing between the Nexus, TBolt, and Maxx.
I stopped in the Verizon store and two of the sales dudes had 4G phones, a Razr and another Galaxy Nexus. The Nexus guy was rooted on 4.04 and couldn't break 10Mbps while Razer guy and myself were fighting for 40Mbps.. Maybe there are some lemons out there
All in all, I may have gotten a good device (made in China, go figure), but I do not believe there is a real problem here. If this is your first android on Verizon, I can see where you'd think there are problems. Whenever I pick up my phone, I just ignore the bars and use it. It always works. Even in 3G, this phone loads pages WAY faster than my Droid2.
2. Battery life: I am not a real heavy user. There are times when I'll spend 20 minutes in the bathroom playing angry birds or reading threads, but that's about it. I got the Verizon extended battery before leaving the store with my new phone. This battery has 200mah more juice than the extended battery in my old Droid2.
I think this phone get's great stand by time, I got it to go 3 days off charger with a few calls and texts every day and a little bit of angry birds
On a whole, I'd have to say it get's as good or better life than my last phone.
3. Random reboots: I was constantly pulling my phone out of my pocket to find that it was off. I had gotten quite concerned after reading all the posts about crash reboots. It wasn't until I set the phone down while booting it up that I saw the screen shut off. I knew something wasn't right here and reproduced the shut down by smacking the phone in my palm while it was booting it up.
After looking closely, I noticed the battery would move up and down in its compartment. I solved this by taking some folded paper and taping it to the bottom edge of the battery. Pushing the battery up into the contacts on the phone. I also added some tape/paper to the top of the battery so the cover is pushing it down into the compartment.
Obviously I can't speak for everyone, but I haven't had a single crash/reboot. Just this battery connection problem.
4. Slow screen rotation: I have noticed this, it is VERY annoying when you first get the phone. Habit is to flip it landscape BEFORE launching the app you want to use. This is why you think it's so slow, because the home screen will not flip, it just refuses to. In any app, it flips just like you're used to. A non problem that I'm sure will get fixed.
5. Screen banding: I tried looking at the blank grey screen on any brightness, I could not get the bands I kept reading about. I guess I got lucky!
6. Overheating: I read this phone will try to use 2.4 and 5GHz spectrum's while on WiFi. The first thing I did was set it to 2.4 only and have not had any issues. I use WiFi 8 hours a day every day with out the phone getting hot. I also use the hot spot almost every night, as I don't have a land line internet at home. Never an issue, once again, to the touch this phone was not as hot as my Droid2.
I really like ICS and this phone seems like a keeper. I hope this inspires someone to go out and buy the Nexus!!
Over the weekend I went to the Verizon store to compare the vz nexus signal. Turns out every device with lte read -60 and then nexus -80. But there was one lg phone that displayed both signals at the same time, 1x and lte read -60 and -80. So I wonder does Verizon lte phones actually never show lte signal and always show cdma even when connected to lte?
Just earlier today I compared my Galaxy Nexus at -110 to my dad's Rezound at -80. Side by side at the exact same time. I'm sorry I didn't take a picture.
I'm unrooted stock 4.0.2 right now.
Silly question but did the salesman with the Nexus have LTE on?
How in the world could you go 3 days on a 2100mah? The most i can get is maybe a day or day and a half. Usually its under a day as i use my phone alot.
Dan76 said:
Just earlier today I compared my Galaxy Nexus at -110 to my dad's Rezound at -80. Side by side at the exact same time. I'm sorry I didn't take a picture.
I'm unrooted stock 4.0.2 right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lost the link but basically non ics phones show 3g signal instead of 4g or something like that. Its a different signal type that's why the gnex always shows less because its showing its actual signal
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
i honestly think its a hardware issue, but i have read all the threads and there is nothing concrete... my phone works perfect on 3g but i switch it to 4g and it just looses signal i could have 3 bars and then all of sudden it just looses all signal, it does not switch to 3g..im in a good 4g coverage area as well. im really angry and i dont want any other phone but the one i have . I hate blur so forget motorola
davidadavila said:
i honestly think its a hardware issue, but i have read all the threads and there is nothing concrete... my phone works perfect on 3g but i switch it to 4g and it just looses signal i could have 3 bars and then all of sudden it just looses all signal, it does not switch to 3g..im in a good 4g coverage area as well. im really angry and i dont want any other phone but the one i have . I hate blur so forget motorola
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That shouldn't happen doesn't to me at all. Call Verizon. Get a new phone lol
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
RogerPodacter said:
Over the weekend I went to the Verizon store to compare the vz nexus signal. Turns out every device with lte read -60 and then nexus -80. But there was one lg phone that displayed both signals at the same time, 1x and lte read -60 and -80. So I wonder does Verizon lte phones actually never show lte signal and always show cdma even when connected to lte?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is generally the case.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
RogerPodacter said:
Over the weekend I went to the Verizon store to compare the vz nexus signal. Turns out every device with lte read -60 and then nexus -80. But there was one lg phone that displayed both signals at the same time, 1x and lte read -60 and -80. So I wonder does Verizon lte phones actually never show lte signal and always show cdma even when connected to lte?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If they are not ICS devices, they do not show the LTE signal.
You have problems?
Cool story bro. This isn't a support site.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
fix-this! said:
How in the world could you go 3 days on a 2100mah? The most i can get is maybe a day or day and a half. Usually its under a day as i use my phone alot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was achieved over a weekend in a strong service area on cdma only. I was at a solid 3/⁴ bars the whole time. I was at a buddys house for a lan, so i was doing my surfing on the computer. I was doing most of my texting in google voice on my pc, so the only use the phone saw was calls and bathroom browsing lol.
Yes, the nexus measures signal differently and this is why it cant hold 4g, it thinks the signal is too weak and lets go before it should. If you had a vzw droid before and know where the strong 3g is, set it to cdma only and see how it performs compared to the old phone. If your getting data drops and dropped calls where you didnt before, then exchange your phone.
Ive read there is a way to force lte only, this would be the best test. But i cant remember how to do it.
Want to add, the ics keyboard is the best one ive ever used. Also, speaker volume on this phone is plenty loud. I have had problems with call quality when i have no bars. Just does not sound good and hard to unserstand people. When i have a bar or more, sounds great. Like theyre in the room.
chancy319 said:
Silly question but did the salesman with the Nexus have LTE on?
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Click to collapse
Definitely lte. I am not sure what vzws theoretical max speed is on 3g, but in our area, max is about 1.7Mbps. I know theoretical is no where near 10Mbps.
teeBOMB said:
Definitely lte. I am not sure what vzws theoretical max speed is on 3g, but in our area, max is about 1.7Mbps. I know theoretical is no where near 10Mbps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could the differences have been due to your radios? I'm on 4.0.4 with the new radios and I don't break 10Mpbs.
The speed is fast enough for me and I don't remember exactly the speeds I had on the earlier radios. I vaguely remember breaking 10Mpbs at times. I might reflash the older radios and do speed tests.
I'm happy to report I have zero problems with my VZW GNex since day 1
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
dynamicpda said:
Could the differences have been due to your radios? I'm on 4.0.4 with the new radios and I don't break 10Mpbs.
The speed is fast enough for me and I don't remember exactly the speeds I had on the earlier radios. I vaguely remember breaking 10Mpbs at times. I might reflash the older radios and do speed tests.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now i didnt see these guys screens, i dont know what they were using for testing or what server they were connecting to. He told me hes never been able to break 10 megs. For all i know he rooted and flashed on day one. I cant imagine the members of xda would overlook something so obvious, but who knows. Give it a try eh? For reference all my mentions have been using the official speedtest.net app and chicago servers. Im tempted to root, but im waiting for 4.05 ota and have no idea how to do it. Ill get there eventually
I've found that LTE can vary wildly in speeds. You really need multiple tests with multiple phones at the same location/time.
That said, I saw a huge difference between FC05 and FA02. I found that the best combination for my phone was FC04 on the CDMA radio and FA02 on the LTE radio. It's a good 2mbits faster and much more stable. Signal in my house is borderline, so you really see the difference.
tspderek said:
I've found that LTE can vary wildly in speeds. You really need multiple tests with multiple phones at the same location/time.
That said, I saw a huge difference between FC05 and FA02. I found that the best combination for my phone was FC04 on the CDMA radio and FA02 on the LTE radio. It's a good 2mbits faster and much more stable. Signal in my house is borderline, so you really see the difference.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion.
I flash the FC04/FA02 combo and in the spot near my house where I am disappointed, 4.5Mpbs down / 2.5 up, I got pretty much the same results. One difference I did notice is that the hybrid combo is slower to switch from 3G than FC05/FC05. I toggled LTE to force 4G connect.
I flashed back. Eager to see what 4.05 brings and also if the latest official IMM76K brings new radios.
Smokeey said:
You have problems?
Cool story bro. This isn't a support site.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um, it kind of is since most of us come here for help.
Also, if your read the OP he was not complaining about issues as much as addressing them.
That's right I am on Sprint with no LTE, and I have a Photon. I plan on picking up a GSIII Sunday in a Sprint store. This may sound crazy to some of you, but for me it makes perfect sense. I don't get Wimax inside my home, but can get it outside sometimes here in the Bronx, NYC. I tried and liked the weight feel, and fluidity of the EVO 4G LTE. After researching it seems like the SGIII may be the phone to get based on over all performance and software enhancements. I have also experienced 1.5 mbs up and down on 3G in this area, and feel we will have LTE soon.
After using the EVO LTE "I am compelled to ditch" my trusty Photon for a GSIII. I do this for the software fluidity, and multimedia enhancements as well. I use my phone mostly for calling and rarely use Wimax unless I am out in the city any way. When NYC is lit up with LTE I will have unlimited data, and a great phone until this happens. If I want a better phone at the years end I will sell this for only a Galaxy Nexus and add to a second line! My last Premier upgrade is July 1, 2012.
When I factor in the fact that S4GRU reports that NYC will be lit up by October, and my upgrade is due now I decided not to wait and push my 2014 upgrade back until October. Also the fact that Sprint's service suffices enough for me to stay for the unlimited data, and LTE at an affordable rate. a win win scenario "for me"! I know that Sprint has already broadcast that they will light up the LTE in the 4-5 1st round major markets July 15th 2012.
I had phone phone (evo lte and GS3) Evo lte even tho is only a month old got a lot development going for it already, GS3 none really but no one almost has it yet, on performance I see both phones as fast, but the multitasking is so much better on GS3, is more like the galaxy nexus, it keeps apps in background for the longest and the screen is better on the evo lte, speaker is louder on gs3 but for some reason clarity goes to the evo lte, on network part I do not have any idea because I switch carriers because slow speeds my GS3 is on tmobile and even tho I like the phone now, I always wanted my Evo lte on tmobile cause it is a great phone... Anyways both phones are amazing but I would get the GS3 just to make sure you future proof with hose 2gb of ram
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
jgalan14 said:
I had phone phone (evo lte and GS3) Evo lte even tho is only a month old got a lot development going for it already, GS3 none really but no one almost has it yet, on performance I see both phones as fast, but the multitasking is so much better on GS3, is more like the galaxy nexus, it keeps apps in background for the longest and the screen is better on the evo lte, speaker is louder on gs3 but for some reason clarity goes to the evo lte, on network part I do not have any idea because I switch carriers because slow speeds my GS3 is on tmobile and even tho I like the phone now, I always wanted my Evo lte on tmobile cause it is a great phone... Anyways both phones are amazing but I would get the GS3 just to make sure you future proof with hose 2gb of ram
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear this....thanks man
I went to the Sprint store 10:00 am Sunday morning to get my unit. The antenna on this phone is pretty darn good. It isn't too far removed from the Photo that I have. I compare signal -dbm strength and they are literally within -2 dbms and most times the very same -dbm and signal strength in poor reception areas.
After it discharged the 1st hour because of app down loads and updates from my SD card it went 10.5 hours under mild use 15% talk 35% screen time, listening to music. The phone looks way better in person and feels nice to hold. It is a bit slippery though.
I was leary of Samsung's phone after othe r issues kept flaring up in the GNEX, and SGII CDMA phones in the US. The GPS seems to lock on effortlessly, and the antenna signal is excellent for me so far. In my home signal from sprint is weak down stairs on the lower level and it received the same -dbm and bar strength as my Photon.
Phone calls are clear, and most importantly my Blue tooth's/Blue Ant T1/Q2 doesn't keep seem to disconnect sporadically as it did before.
Don't be afraid to get this phone.....This or the EVO LTE are both great phones and it's user choice in my opinion. So far I am happy that I bought this product!
I was also able to achieve 1.92 mbs down, and 1096 kbps upload on 3G here in the Bronx NYC near the Throggsneck Bridge! Network vision is a coming LTE I am waiting ok! I feel confident I will be basking in LTE signal very soon. S4RGU reports NYC market should be live by October.
If I can get 1.92mbs down all the time until then I'd be a happy camper for now!
QWIKSTRIKE said:
I went to the Sprint store 10:00 am Sunday morning to get my unit. The antenna on this phone is pretty darn good. It isn't too far removed from the Photo that I have. I compare signal -dbm strength and they are literally within -2 dbms and most times the very same -dbm and signal strength in poor reception areas.
After it discharged the 1st hour because of app down loads and updates from my SD card it went 10.5 hours under mild use 15% talk 35% screen time, listening to music. The phone looks way better in person and feels nice to hold. It is a bit slippery though.
I was leary of Samsung's phone after othe r issues kept flaring up in the GNEX, and SGII CDMA phones in the US. The GPS seems to lock on effortlessly, and the antenna signal is excellent for me so far. In my home signal from sprint is weak down stairs on the lower level and it received the same -dbm and bar strength as my Photon.
Phone calls are clear, and most importantly my Blue tooth's/Blue Ant T1/Q2 doesn't keep seem to disconnect sporadically as it did before.
Don't be afraid to get this phone.....This or the EVO LTE are both great phones and it's user choice in my opinion. So far I am happy that I bought this product!
I was also able to achieve 1.92 mbs down, and 1096 kbps upload on 3G here in the Bronx NYC near the Throggsneck Bridge! Network vision is a coming LTE I am waiting ok! I feel confident I will be basking in LTE signal very soon. S4RGU reports NYC market should be live by October.
If I can get 1.92mbs down all the time until then I'd be a happy camper for now!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear this, I'm also in the Bronx but I get horrible speeds in my house using the EVO lte, not too bad outside. I'm waiting on the store to open so I can make the switch to the GS3
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
Iphony89 said:
Glad to hear this, I'm also in the Bronx but I get horrible speeds in my house using the EVO lte, not too bad outside. I'm waiting on the store to open so I can make the switch to the GS3
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
You must switch from Tmobile Avatar to Sprint.lol I posted this information for people like your self in NYC, and also for people that want to know about antenna signal. I am very pleased about antenna RF reception, and GPS signal. I am only wishing that I could have got it for 149.00 from radio shack. They didn't know when they would get it, and I figured with Apple trying to ban every thing I better get one before supplies die out!