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Nexus One 3G issues is real on all N1s..

Parden if this is posted somewhere else. But this needs some serious attention. As of current, I realize the 3G issues is a design flaw. So this means all N1s have this problem. You can test it for your self. The easy way to fix this would be to have stronger 3G coverage but thats not the case. Let me quote whats been said at droidstory.com and the nexus forums..
I’ve been saying all along that this is a RF issue. I noticed this right away when I got my phone and even posted this video on Jan 9 to show how the N1 drops 3G as soon as you hold it in your hand.
The problem occurs only when you are in an area with a weak 3G signal, anything less than -80dBm. (Higher negative numbers mean weaker signal.)
Basically, if you have -90dBM or less signal strength with the phone sitting on your desk, holding it in your hand will push it down to -100dBm or less. At that point all bets are off. Before the update it would switch to Edge around -100dBm, now it seems to hold on until about -105dBm.
The “dBm” (dB-milliwatt) is a logarithmic measurement of signal strength, and dBm values can be easily converted to and from mW values. So a decrease of roughly 3dBm yields a change of roughly HALF in the mW value.
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After watching that video you can decide who to blame.
Google if the device's rx sensitivity is so poor when held in hand it needs a recall. Is it a hardware issue?
After google & HTC watche the video and get to test in an area with <-84dBm signal strength reading, I'd love to hear the response from their respective tech teams soon.
The signal reading being low low doesn't mean low signal. Compare with other devices/instruments.
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.. read more here and here
The question. What is Google waiting on to say something? to do something?? its enough that we also have serious touch screen problems to deal with but come on Google..Are we really beta testers? you think its EASY to give you 500+ for a phone?
share your thoughts..

at first i thought it was just me, but now is my phone as well as my wifes phone.
and to send it back with in the 14day period they keep $45 o yours when the phone is running like a pos. Great one Google i expected way better from yall

Not sure what my take is...
1. All phones drop signals a bit when held by both hands.
2. This bouncing between edge/3g doesnt happen to me in strong 3g areas. In the area where it sometimes happens I cant replicate the issue stated it seems random. But to be fair my G1 was always bouncing back and forth there , heck even with Sprint I had mediocre EVDO steadiness.
It may be a slight hardware problem made worse by a network with very spotty 3g coverage in most areas.

j23a45m said:
at first i thought it was just me, but now is my phone as well as my wifes phone.
and to send it back with in the 14day period they keep $45 o yours when the phone is running like a pos. Great one Google i expected way better from yall
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Its getting really annoying and the silence Google is practicing is getting defending..

If I cup the bottom of the phone in my hand, my signal strength does drop a bar or 2. I never lose 3G completely though. Luckily I have a strong signal where I live. I could see this becoming a real problem if I travel away from home though. It's rather annoying that Google didn't catch this before releasing the phone

I just tried the same thing (holding in both hands, covering back etc..) on my HTC Pure on at&t and my 3g connection dropped down to 2 bars from 5 bars. Seems to be normal behaviour with all phones with internal antenna.
I think the only problem seems to be that N1 is too picky about signal trength and switches to edge as soon as signal strength drops down slightly.
I do not think this is an hardware issue.
EDIT: See attached screenshot from my old Nokia 6682 user manual. They specifically warn against this.

Maybe you think it's "real on all N1s" because of anecdotic evidence and postings on the internet, but that doesn't mean proof.
Now it might have trouble with US 3g frequecies or it might just be a software "problem" where it switches to edge before the signal gets too bad.
I can safely say I've had no problems at all, the signal doesn't switch back and forth, signal doesn't change when I cup it with both hands etc.
Granted I have -75dBm signal where I live, but it's not like I sit around playing with my phone indoors all the time either

All cellular phones lose signal when you cover the antenna with your hand. ALL of them. I've had over 20 cell phones in the past 10 years, and every single one had this issue. Why this is a standout issue on the N1, I don't know.

The previous two Nokia phones I used all lose signal when holding the antenna area.

Well, again it happened to all phones with internal antenna...and not just Nexus One especially on a week 3G coverage.

ram130 said:
Parden if this is posted somewhere else. But this needs some serious attention. As of current, I realize the 3G issues is a design flaw. So this means all N1s have this problem. You can test it for your self. The easy way to fix this would be to have stronger 3G coverage but thats not the case. Let me quote whats been said at droidstory.com and the nexus forums..
.. read more here and here
The question. What is Google waiting on to say something? to do something?? its enough that we also have serious touch screen problems to deal with but come on Google..Are we really beta testers? you think its EASY to give you 500+ for a phone?
share your thoughts..
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My thoughts are as follows:
The antenna is in the bottom of the phone - this isn't a design "flaw" it's how the phone was designed to fit the necessary components into a small fixed space. This isn't the first phone designed this way and it won't be the last. It was likely designed that way due to space constraints with the speaker, mic and camera up top. Again, the "issue" is only prevalent in areas of weaker 3G coverage.
The iPhone 3G is designed the same way and people see the same issues with 3G dropping when you cover it with your hand - you can find the same youtube videos on it.
Google was aware of this before it shipped and in the manual states not to cover the back of the phone and to hold it in the preferred position. I don't think Google has anything to say that isn't in the manual already...
Now, you can argue that the N1 may get poorer 3G reception compared to other phones, but to argue that covering the antenna with your hand causes a degradation of signal is a "design flaw" is asinine. This happens with all phones and all antennas. There's likely few ways they could have placed the antenna in the top of the phone with the size of the current phone and the hardware that's already up there.
I wouldn't hold your breath for Google to "do something" as people seem to want as there's nothing they can "do" other than say, "Read your manual and quit covering the antenna with your hand".

Omg really..when is this topic going to end? Those of us with common sense know that it's nothing to do with the Nexus one or Android specifically. All phones do the same thing. I just did it with a friends iPhone. I can go around my building (AT&T) and cover anybodies phone with my hand and drop a bar, sometimes two. It's common networking knowledge. You cover the antenna, you lose some signal strength.
If you have 2 bars of 3G and you cover it up and lose 2 bars....What do you think happens? You go to Edge. Everybody thinks they know this issue like they invented the damn thing. There is no specific problem with the Nexus One. Give it up already.
Ironically common sense isn't so common these days...

I am sitting at my desk, I have a rooted N1 customized to the max. I am using the ERE36B Radio, (not the one in the OTA) I have 4 bars of 3G/HSPDA If I cover the bottom of the phone with both hands, I dont loose a single bar.
I fully believe this is a software issue. The leaked radio is working great for me, I almost never lose 3G now.
Yes covering the antena will cause you to lose signal, why wouldnt it?

Blah, I have a N1 and G1 on tmobile on different lines and they always have the same service same speed tests. Maybe my phone is the phenomenon, but I doubt it.

krohnjw said:
Google was aware of this before it shipped and in the manual states not to cover the back of the phone and to hold it in the preferred position. I don't think Google has anything to say that isn't in the manual already...
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Whats the preferred position?
Any comfortable way caused you to block the radio.

I get the same signal strength my G1 did in all the same places. Using both the OTA radio and the 36B radio. If I'm in a place with weak 3G I force it to 2G. Why would Google give a **** about T-Mobile's 3G coverage?

JoshHart said:
Blah, I have a N1 and G1 on tmobile on different lines and they always have the same service same speed tests. Maybe my phone is the phenomenon, but I doubt it.
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uberingram said:
I get the same signal strength my G1 did in all the same places. Using both the OTA radio and the 36B radio. If I'm in a place with weak 3G I force it to 2G. Why would Google give a **** about T-Mobile's 3G coverage?
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This is what I have been saying. I have a MyTouch, N1, and G1 and they all have the same signal strength at all times. I sold the G1 already but my wife still has the Mytouch.
Everybody who complains has nothing to compare it to. How can you say something is worse because you "remember" another phone? You can't. It's T-mobiles coverage. It has nothing to do with Google, Android or HTC.
People just need to get over it already and stop complaining.

dumbestcrayon said:
This is what I have been saying. I have a MyTouch, N1, and G1 and they all have the same signal strength at all times. I sold the G1 already but my wife still has the Mytouch.
Everybody who complains has nothing to compare it to. How can you say something is worse because you "remember" another phone? You can't. It's T-mobiles coverage. It has nothing to do with Google, Android or HTC.
People just need to get over it already and stop complaining.
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Ok, since you have access to multiple Android phones...
Can you try the TRUE test?
Open up Settings -> About Phone -> Network on both phones sitting side by side.
Can you compare the *exact* signal strength on both phones? (dBm vs dBm when side by side)
And yes I have absolutely HORRID service in my place. I'm lucky to get better than -95.

In times of change the learners will inherit the earth, while the knowers will find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.
Good job, you apparently know it all. . . BTW, thanks for the earth

From the experience gained using mine is evident that all problems are not hardware but FULLY firmware related.
Since everytime I make a call the phone SHOWS a better coverage than staying only surfing the web. Also when tethering, if I make the phone call suddenly the HSDPA speeds tend to increase at about 20%, I presume that when you are calling, the firmware might be settled to somehow strength the radio signal. Compare this on-call speeds to my "normal" ones:
Anyway, right now the only temporal solution for the indiscriminated switch backs to GPRS when navigating is making sure of accesing the radio config (*#*#4636#*#*) and select WDMCA ONLY...

Reception

As many people here are probably aware of...the Nexus One had some 3G reception problems on T-Mobile. How is the Vibrant working out for those who have it (or get it today)?
EDIT: I'm not here to argue about whether or not the N1 had 3G reception issues. I'm really just interested to hear about the Vibrant's 3G performance in real world use. If you have a vibrant please let me know how it is for you. Thanks!

will let you know in about an hour and 10 minutes. I have had 2 different HD2's in the past 3 months, the first one had a consistent 5 bars of 3G at my house, and my last one would average 2-3, so I'm hoping the Vibrant will be more like my first hd2 in that regards lol

sounds good. will wait to hear about it. this was my biggest gripe with the nexus one, so hopefully it is better in this phone.

N1 does not have reception issue... its tmobiles coverage .. it does the same to my tp2, tmobile dash and I even saw the galaxy doing it in poor signal... in strong area it wont even drop a bar...
And galaxys antenna is at the bottom like the n1...
Check video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LROTHrTR92k&feature=player_embedded#
And here's my tp2 doing it.... its tmobile and of course covering it. Together is the issue.. forgive the language in the video..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Eo7uFtAKDY

temperbad said:
N1 does not have reception issue... its tmobiles coverage .. it does the same to my tp2, tmobile dash and I even saw the galaxy doing it in poor signal... in strong area it wont even drop a bar...
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I'm not referring to what happens if you're in poor signal area. I'm talking about average signal areas where you have decent 3G and very good EDGE reception. The N1 loses 3G reception when held in a specific way, or often defaults to EDGE while other phones such as the G1 hold onto 3G just fine. I've tested this thoroughly, and am quite certain of this.

^ I have both, an N1 and G1. You are either very unlucky or full of $hit.

s15274n said:
^ I have both, an N1 and G1. You are either very unlucky or full of $hit.
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Wow, seems like you need to grow up a bit.
These are my observations, and the N1's signal simply wasn't good enough for me to keep the phone. I no longer own it. I'm not the only person who has had issues with the N1's signal in comparison to other phones. It is true that you can hold many phones in a specific way to drop signal, but on the N1 holding it in a natural way causes a drop, which is a pretty big issue - at least it was for me.

gsvnet said:
I'm not referring to what happens if you're in poor signal area. I'm talking about average signal areas where you have decent 3G and very good EDGE reception. The N1 loses 3G reception when held in a specific way, or often defaults to EDGE while other phones such as the G1 hold onto 3G just fine. I've tested this thoroughly, and am quite certain of this.
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Watch my vids, most phones do this. Just cause ya got full bars 3g doesn't make it a strong signal.....

temperbad said:
Watch my vids, most phones do this. Just cause ya got full bars 3g doesn't make it a strong signal.....
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I've tested this firsthand and don't need to watch any videos. natural use of other phones results in better 3G reception than natural use of an N1. unless you're actually *trying* to hurt the signal on a G1, it's not going to happen easily. That's my experience, anyways. By the way, I use the actual dbm's to measure the signal, not just bars. To say that "full bars" is not strong signal is actually pretty ignorant anyways. Generally full bars is a minimum of around -90dbm which is definitely a good signal. It differs a bit based on how they are calibrated on a particular phone, but this is an approximate rule.

gsvnet said:
Wow, seems like you need to grow up a bit.
These are my observations, and the N1's signal simply wasn't good enough for me to keep the phone. I no longer own it. I'm not the only person who has had issues with the N1's signal in comparison to other phones. It is true that you can hold many phones in a specific way to drop signal, but on the N1 holding it in a natural way causes a drop, which is a pretty big issue - at least it was for me.
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I've read the issue .. I've owned a n1 for 6 months. The issue is tmobile not the phone... I.e. my videos. They do the same.... Its tmobile.. and partially bad antenna placement but its ultimately the poor signal That causes your hand to deflect signal... and from the video the sgs has the antenna in the same place as then1

gsvnet said:
I've tested this firsthand and don't need to watch any videos. natural use of other phones results in better 3G reception than natural use of an N1. unless you're actually *trying* to hurt the signal on a G1, it's not going to happen easily. That's my experience, anyways. By the way, I use the actual dbm's to measure the signal, not just bars. To say that "full bars" is not strong signal is actually pretty ignorant anyways. Generally full bars is a minimum of around -90dbm which is definitely a good signal. It differs a bit based on how they are calibrated on a particular phone, but this is an approximate rule.
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Ignorance is starting a thread about signal and not watching vids people post to help you out... one of them vids is the galaxy s... your answer is in that video

temperbad said:
I've read the issue .. I've owned a n1 for 6 months. The issue is tmobile not the phone... I.e. my videos. They do the same.... Its tmobile.. and partially bad antenna placement but its ultimately the poor signal That causes your hand to deflect signal... and from the video the sgs has the antenna in the same place as then1
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You can point figures at T-Mobile all you want but I constantly have 3G on a G1 in a lot of places where I didn't on an N1 (tested different radios as well, with similar results). The same goes for my Nokia N900, which I can't deplete the signal by the way I hold it no matter how much I try.
It is true that T-Mobile uses the 1700/2100mhz bands for 3G, while AT&T uses lower bands (850/1900mhz). The lower bands are less susceptible to interference like this, and that's probably why the issue wasn't very noticeable on the AT&T version of the N1. However, a properly designed phone will not have as much of a problem on T-Mobile's network as the N1, especially when you're holding the phone in a natural way, and not an obtrusive way.

gsvnet said:
You can point figures at T-Mobile all you want but I constantly have 3G on a G1 in a lot of places where I didn't on an N1 (tested different radios as well, with similar results). The same goes for my Nokia N900, which I can't deplete the signal by the way I hold it no matter how much I try.
It is true that T-Mobile uses the 1700/2100mhz bands for 3G, while AT&T uses lower bands (850/1900mhz). The lower bands are less susceptible to interference like this, and that's probably why the issue wasn't very noticeable on the AT&T version of the N1. However, a properly designed phone will not have as much of a problem on T-Mobile's network as the N1, especially when you're holding the phone in a natural way, and not an obtrusive way.
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I thinks its both. But safe to say if we had better signal I.e. building penetration we would never see the issue...past this.. back to sgs
Please watch the video. The first one shows the same as how the n1 was. Imo the antenna is in the same spot. So that may help you out on your question

temperbad said:
Ignorance is starting a thread about signal and not watching vids people post to help you out... one of them vids is the galaxy s... your answer is in that video
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That's the Galaxy S, not the Vibrant.
The Galaxy S had issues with GPS signal, so far reports are that the Vibrant does not. Clearly there are some changes to the phone in that case. It could be an updated firmware. Thus I can't go by issues that the Galaxy S has, as the Vibrant could very well be different - especially considering that video seems to be from a completely different network operator/country, with different network characteristics, etc. On the other hand, on the N1, the 3G reception issue was a widespread problem, even recognized by Google to some extent - though they never did 'truly' fix it. I'll be the first to say the N1 is a really nice phone, even today - a good 6 months after its release. But it isn't quite as good as other phones in 3G reception, which I determined after owning the phone for almost three months.

temperbad said:
I thinks its both. But safe to say if we had better signal I.e. building penetration we would never see the issue...past this.. back to sgs
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These are the frequencies that T-Mobile was allocated, and they are not the only carrier using higher bands for 3G. It is the job of the phone manufacturer to develop a device that is optimized for the frequencies the intended network uses. The N900 is an example of a device that does really well in this area, the G1 isn't too bad either. In creating this thread, I was hoping to hear about actual usage of the Vibrant on T-Mobile's network, so how about we leave the thread to just that?
Thanks.

gsvnet said:
These are the frequencies that T-Mobile was allocated, and they are not the only carrier using higher bands for 3G. It is the job of the phone manufacturer to develop a device that is optimized for the frequencies the intended network uses. The N900 is an example of a device that does really well in this area, the G1 isn't too bad either. In creating this thread, I was hoping to hear about actual usage of the Vibrant on T-Mobile's network, so how about we leave the thread to just that?
Thanks.
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Its a fact tmobiles 3g doesn't penetrate buildings as well. I don't care what phone you have...
Anyways. I'm saying the antenna is more than likely at the bottom as well. So you may be getting n1 issues... anyways I'm done. Your pretty set in what you believe ...
Hope its well for you...

temperbad said:
Its a fact tmobiles 3g doesn't penetrate buildings as well. I don't care what phone you have...
Anyways. I'm saying the antenna is more than likely at the bottom as well. So you may be getting n1 issues... anyways I'm done. Your pretty set in what you believe ...
Hope its well for you...
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When did I argue anything about building penetration? Of course it's not as good as some other carriers, due to the higher frequencies in use. However, some phones handle this better than others, and I created this thread to learn about the Vibrant's 3G performance. You came here and began arguing over practically nothing, without any experience of the Vibrant yourself. And as 'heygrl' pointed out, you're clearly going out of your way to deplete the signal on the TP2, holding it an unnatural way. Thus the video is not really relevant.
heygrl said:
The vidzzzzzz you posted are crap.
Anyway I ACUTALLY have a Vibrant in a few hours and I will let the OP know how the reception is instead of posting up a bunch of stupid Youtube videos.
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Thanks. Glad to see somebody who knows what they're talking about.

gsvnet said:
When did I argue anything about building penetration? Of course it's not as good as some other carriers, due to the higher frequencies in use. However, some phones handle this better than others, and I created this thread to learn about the Vibrant's 3G performance. You came here and began arguing over practically nothing, without any experience of the Vibrant yourself. And as 'heygrl' pointed out, you're clearly going out of your way to deplete the signal on the TP2, holding it an unnatural way. Thus the video is not really relevant.
Thanks. Glad to see somebody who knows what they're talking about.
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hows that a unatural way? people hold the top alot, think about holding it in landscape, if your holding it with your left hand, your gonna cover the antenna even more so than I was especially typing.. HOW was that Unatural. LOL Thats how you hold your phone....
Edit: and what consists of Unatural? lol Its a 4 inch device, your hands are gonna cover it no matter how hard you try and avoid it... Once again hows holding it at the top vs bottom unatural?
So basically since im holding it at the top vs bottom Im holding it wrong. lol

temperbad said:
hows that a unatural way? people hold the top alot, think about holding it in landscape, if your holding it with your left hand, your gonna cover the antenna even more so than I was especially typing.. HOW was that Unatural. LOL Thats how you hold your phone....
Edit: and what consists of Unatural? lol Its a 4 inch device, your hands are gonna cover it no matter how hard you try and avoid it... Once again hows holding it at the top vs bottom unatural?
So basically since im holding it at the top vs bottom Im holding it wrong. lol
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Whatever you say - I've used a T-Mobile TP2 (in areas with slightly sketchy 3G) and didn't notice this problem. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but under my usage I didn't see this. I don't see it on a G1 or N900 either.
Anyway, I don't care about the TP2 - I'm concerned with the Vibrant, so let's see what people have to say in terms of real world usage.

temperbad said:
I've read the issue .. I've owned a n1 for 6 months. The issue is tmobile not the phone... I.e. my videos. They do the same.... Its tmobile.. and partially bad antenna placement but its ultimately the poor signal That causes your hand to deflect signal... and from the video the sgs has the antenna in the same place as then1
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there's a 78 page thread w/about 3300 posts on google's nexus one support forum that refutes your assertion that it's Tmo's signal or coverage - when the AT&T versions came out, they had same issues
convince them http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=0c0fb2a46ad64955&hl=en&start=3040

No working GPS? No problem. No froyo? No problem. Bad reception? Problem

First off I'd like to say I'm thankful for everything the devs here do. I've tried the 3g fix and it didn't do anything, so now I'm just curious if there is anything else out there that fixes it.
I'm on the newest DL09 and the problem is still there. Bad reception. I'm serious when I say I get full 3g bars maybe 1% of the time, and I'm dead center in a verizon 3g area. I've never seen a signal jump around as much as on the fascinate. It will switch between 3g and 1x constantly throughout the day, and when it's on 3g it looks like the bars are dancing all day long because they just jump around.
My original Droid will have a steady 5 bars pretty much all day. Fascinate...not even close. It's getting ridiculous actually. I can download updates for apps on my droid no problem, but I actually wait til I get home on my wifi to download updates on my fascinate. I constantly get "stuck" loading a page on the net because of the ridiculous reception.
Now my question is...is there any fix out there that actually works that I might have skipped over? Good reception is a HUGE thing, especially when I'm dead center in a 3g area, and the fascinate doesn't have it. I'm thinking about selling it in the next few days because it's absolutely crazy.
People complain all day long about the GPS and no froyo...and I'm actually confused as to why many do not complain about the reception. That's the biggest issue with the phone IMO.
Thanks for any help.

Have you actually tried contacting Verizon about it? It sounds like you've got an antenna issue, which should be pretty easily addressed with a phone swap.

AlexDeGruven said:
Have you actually tried contacting Verizon about it? It sounds like you've got an antenna issue, which should be pretty easily addressed with a phone swap.
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My friends has the same issue, and I've seen people complain about it before. So I think it's a fairly common issue.

brian85 said:
First off I'd like to say I'm thankful for everything the devs here do. I've tried the 3g fix and it didn't do anything, so now I'm just curious if there is anything else out there that fixes it.
..
Thanks for any help.
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I'm assuming you tried the reprogramming codes?
http://www.ehow.com/how_4532332_reprogram-verizon-phone.html
probably the 1st thing you tried, but just checking. I know for me, i went from being in the -102 range (1 bar) to -89 range (2 to 3) at work. Also at home i went from -92 to -51 (MAX)

You did option 2 correct?

Just did option 2 and it seems to have done nothing. Going back and forth between -96 and -101

If you dont see people compalining about reception, its largely due to the fact that the phone doesnt really suffer from reception issues. If I were you, I'd call verizon and make a formal complaint about the hardware restricting your usage, I'm sure they will work with you.

I'm a sales rep at a Verizon corporate store, 4 of my co-workers have Fascinates and we ALL experience a MAJOR difference in signal quality compared to co-workers with Droid X's and Droid 2's...
There's a five page thread on droidforums (fascinate section) about every single person in that thread having reception issues on the fascinate. And if you do a "fascinate reception issue" search on google, there are threads everywhere about that.
I just have a feeling everyone is focused on froyo and GPS so that's why reception isn't brought up much. I highly doubt, with as many people that have this problem, that it's just a problem on some of the galaxy s phones.

agreed bro i lose signal from my bars are really sporadic

BlackHoleSlam said:
agreed bro i lose signal from my bars are really sporadic
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Yeah it's very frustrating.
What's even more frustrating is even when I get 4 full bars I only get -89 on the mobile signal widget..that's far from max reception.

I've never had reception problems per se but I have full bars and 73 dbm. Also for some reason my 3g download rate is nerfed. Earlier today on speed test got 63 kbps and 462 ping dunno why. Mostly hovers in the 300kbps range
Sent from my sch-i500 using dl09 supah clean

AlexDeGruven said:
Have you actually tried contacting Verizon about it? It sounds like you've got an antenna issue, which should be pretty easily addressed with a phone swap.
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I've had two phones now, and they both have very poor signal strength. Comparing my Fascinate to a friends Droid, sitting just a few inches apart, he had a dbm in the mid to high -70's, while mine was in the high -90's.
If you're in a solid coverage area, it gets fine reception and you're not likely to see the problem, but as you travel into a lower signal area, the Fascinate trails off very, very sharply. Even though I live in an area with supposedly blanket coverage, my house is towards the bottom of a small hill and I typically get zero or 1 bars on the display, every once in a while 2, but it'll drop back to 1 or 0 as soon as I pick the phone it.
The Fascinate does have a very week antennae design.

I rarely see 3 or 4 bars...come to think of it, I don't think i've ever seen 3 or 4 bars. This is when I'm in an area which should definitely have excellent coverage.
OP: do you have actual symptoms of poor signal like slow down/up load or dropped calls?
My speed tests when i have 1bar 3G are about 800Mbits up and 500Mbits down. Never dropped a call (rarely make calls, though). I have read that some folks suspect that the Fascinate has reporting issues? I don't know...but since I'm not seeing horrible speeds I've tried ignoring the fact that its always reporting 1-2 bars.
Kind of similar to the TWoS thing. I chased this one for a little bit too before dismissing it as a reporting issue (for now).

I originally was upset about the reception but came to realize that the office building I work in is built like a bunker. Other then when I am in the center of the building I get good reception, at my desk near a window I get 1-3 bars. However anytime other then when I am in this building I almost always have full bars.
However I have noticed that when I am in my office what ever bars I get my friends droid gets one more. But when it comes down to that it isn't Verizon...again the problem is with Samsung.

Hey guys,
what if I did option 1 instead of option 2 in *228 reprogramming?
On another note, my 3g indicator constantly disappears in verizon hotspot areas, it is really quite the annoyance.

Are you on a stock kernel?
Sent from my USCC SCH-I500..

Negative, I'm on Dl09 supah clean with adry's 12/30 test kernel.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

The reception for my Fascinate isn't spectacular. I don't know how it ranks among smart phones, but there is a definite difference between it and my chocolate 8550. In known holes in vzw's coverage I occasionally lose signal, but I don't use it as a phone enough to drop many calls.
However, I spend the majority of my time in strong signal environs, so it doesn't really come up as an issue for me, and I just accept it. It will be a decision factor for my next phone though.
Maybe others have a similar situation: worse yes, but liveable.
Swyped w/ XDA App. When in doubt, mumble.

I have noticed the signal over the past 24 hours has been jumping all over the place like Verizon may be running tests or something. The drop being very consistent intervals of no bars but still 3g.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

My brother has Fascinate as do I and out of the Box his got 2 more bars than mine and his almost always has more signal.
Remember this was before I started rooting and all that.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

Reception Issues with Verizon PLAY R800x?

I've posted this in a couple forums and I'm trying to figure out if it's a widespread issue or just an issue with a few units. My PLAY is consistently getting 2-3 bars LESS than any other phones right next to it. And it seems that BGR also had similar issues with their review unit and said that the PLAY had some of the worst reception they've seen in a long time. And when I posted about this on the official VZW forums, other members also stated they are having similar problems. I'm also struggling to connect to 3G when my area is completely covered in 3G and was ALWAYS on 3G on my iPhone 4.
So I'm wondering, how is everyone else's reception on Verizon? Are you having similar problems, or are you getting just as many bars as other phones in the same area?

My phone also shows only 1-2 bars at most. However if you go to the status of the phone, the phone, the actual strength for me is between -79 - -80 db which as far as I can tell is perfectly good reception.
Haven't had any dropped calls and could make calls so far everywhere I went.

I have the rogers version (canada) and reception/3g is amazing, almost always full bars. Wireless on the other hand sucks.
My friends iphones/captivates get wireless where mine wont...

On AT&T with my R800a and I have better signal now than I ever did on my iPhone 3GS, oddly enough. I get signal in places the iPhone used to choke on consistently.
From what I remember being on Verizon years ago, bars didn't matter as much as CDMA voice is pure digital. You either have a solid connection or you don't at all. EVDO was similar as I remember it, sharing the same data stream and the reason why you can't talk and surf at the same time. Is the phone just showing weak bars or is it a problem of no signal at all?
At any rate, I bet SE will patch the radio firmware in the 2.3.3 update for the US.

It's mostly just showing low bars but the fact that it's having trouble staying on 3G is the biggest thing. It's on 1x 80% of the time but I should always be on the EVDO connection. I'm going to try a few more tests with my girlfriends iphone and my play and see just how much they are different. I really hope it's something that is an be fixed through software.
Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk

My reception is terrible on my unbranded R800a, as I rarely have more than two bars. I know most phones have this issue, but when I hold the phone near the bottom for too long (which is often), it messes with the signal. 90% of the time when I'm using it, it reads zero bars.
I've yet to have a dropped call though, so I'm not too concerned about it...more of a mental thing than anything else.
Edit: I'm getting -101 dBm in most rooms in my house...looks pretty bad to me.

Like I mentioned before, have any of you gone into the about phone section and read the actual signal? I don't think you can trust the bars as actual signal strength. Check the actual numbers.
I had one issue with the phone at 1x, I restarted it and it was fine. I had the same issue with my Droid 2 sometimes, so I don't think it was all on the phone.

Went back to the Verizon store today to see if they would swap it out with a new one. But first we compared it to the floor model and it had the same problem. It had consistently lower signal than other phones in the store. He basically said I have the 14 days to return it and decide whether I want better signal or the gaming controls. He agreed with me that the phone wasn't holding a signal as good as the other phones. Even driving down the highway which ways gave me 5 bars is giving me 1. And my signal is 86+
Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk

Mines is about the same as my htc droid eris on the verizon network.
In settings, about phone, it shows -90 dBm
Just read somewhere off the internet that the about phone settings dBm doesn't represent 3g. it represents 1x. Not sure if it is true.

Do you think I should just try and make them swap the phone out for me and see if the new one is any better before just returning it for good? And what are the chances they would gladly swap it out for a new phone without giving me a hard time and making me pay a restocking fee? The phone is awesome except for the reception issues I'm having. And I'd hate to pass on the phone if it's an isolated incident.

They will xchange it. Do what ive done call tech support and make them document u need aa replacement
Sent from my R800x using XDA App

I tested talk and web browsing, works fine on verizon. Possibly just another iOs limitation. *_*
Back to topic, I've noticed the 2 - 3 bars usually in LA but the signal strength is good dBm. ?
Sent from my R800x using XDA App

mine is usually round -85 DBm and like 1-2 bars, my other tunderbolt is full bars for my wife, have nto checked DBm on it tho

placing xperia play next to original droid.
Droid: 4 bars, -70dBm
Play: 1 bar, -74dBm
Both 3g.
Not sure what this means?

trothmaster said:
placing xperia play next to original droid.
Droid: 4 bars, -70dBm
Play: 1 bar, -74dBm
Both 3g.
Not sure what this means?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This means that the reception is a tiny bit worse in pure radio power. However, its scale is MASSIVELY shifted in regards to bar listings. I would be just bottoming out around -96dBm on my Droid. Dropping out at -80dB is a bad thing.

so it sounds like a software update could help? or am I miss-understanding....

I swapped out my phone and my new one is much much better
Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk

I also swapped mine and see no improvement. What improvement were you seeing?
Sent from my R800x using XDA App

Having the same signal problems with my r800x. I think it might just be an issue with Verizon.

How are the radios?

How's everyone's reception been? Compared to a galaxy s4 or any other phone you had prior. Better? Worse?
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app

I had the Note 4 before getting this and I've noticed it to be around 4 to 6 dBM worse. WiFi is noticeably weaker as well. I have the 64GB variant.

One reason I purchased this phone was the supposed better radios of Motorola. It is noticeably worse than the Samsung Note 4 and HTC One M8. I wish I could just go back to my M8 but that is impossible without repurchasing one and wasting my Edge ;p. I never lost 4G with my M8 while I lost 4G with the Note 4 in a few areas and many times with the Droid Turbo today. Very disappointed in the radio performance, will try again tomorrow with new Sim Card, but I think I might be screwed. The phone is stable at my home and slightly better than the Note 4 here. At work is where I had all the trouble.

jrcbandit said:
One reason I purchased this phone was the supposed better radios of Motorola. It is noticeably worse than the Samsung Note 4 and HTC One M8. I wish I could just go back to my M8 but that is impossible without repurchasing one and wasting my Edge ;p. I never lost 4G with my M8 while I lost 4G with the Note 4 in a few areas and many times with the Droid Turbo today. Very disappointed in the radio performance, will try again tomorrow with new Sim Card, but I think I might be screwed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd wait a few weeks before doing anything drastic. As with any new phone, there will likely be some software bugs to address that may affect signal in the first few weeks.

I can attest for certain the Radio is MUCH better than any phone that I have had. (S4,S5,One M8, Note 4, iPhone6 etc)
My experience that is much different -is a 20 Mile stretch of road to my Home. I live in Fringe Reception area in Norther California (Foresthill) I haven't ever been able to drive the 20 Mile Stretch home without dropping a phone call.( This usually happens numerous times) With The Turbo I was able to stay connected to Verizon Customer Service the Entire 20 Miles to my Home!
The only Bummer about this experience is that I was on the Phone with Verizon regarding the lack of Simul Data! What a complete ****ter! This is something that I will give props to Apple about. The day the iPhone 6 was released the phone could use VOLTE . Kind horse **** that a Flagship VZ Moto exclusive device doesnt have the proper software to use VOLTE on release.

scooby-snack said:
I can attest for certain the Radio is MUCH better than any phone that I have had. (S4,S5,One M8, Note 4, iPhone6 etc)
My experience that is much different -is a 20 Mile stretch of road to my Home. I live in Fringe Reception area in Norther California (Foresthill) I haven't ever been able to drive the 20 Mile Stretch home without dropping a phone call.( This usually happens numerous times) With The Turbo I was able to stay connected to Verizon Customer Service the Entire 20 Miles to my Home!
The only Bummer about this experience is that I was on the Phone with Verizon regarding the lack of Simul Data! What a complete ****ter! This is something that I will give props to Apple about. The day the iPhone 6 was released the phone could use VOLTE . Kind horse **** that a Flagship VZ Moto exclusive device doesnt have the proper software to use VOLTE on release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to hear, so is it a guarantee that when it gets VOLTE it will have Simultaneous data tand voice on every phone call? Also which version of the turbo did u get as far as material.

I purchased the 32GB Red (Carbon) <- thinking about getting the black LOL.
It's for sure a software issue with the phone. My iPhone 6 was able to access VOLTE the day of release in my area. It's unreal that VZ & Moto wouldn't require the feature to be working on release date. It appears to be an issue with the 2014 Moto X as well from what I have been reading
I will say the phone is incredibly snappy, and smooth in performance. I can only imagine how the performance will be when we get L on the phone.
PS. Haven't had enough time to compare the WIFI performance but that is usually not a problem for me anyways- I have 4 Ubiquiti Access Points installed at my home. The way the system works is each wifi AP hands off the WIFI signal simultaneously from one AP to another- all without interrupting whatever you may be streaming The most important item to me is my Cell Reception and a huge Bonus that I can stay connected driving the 20 mile stretch home.
-Scoob

As far as mobile data is concerned, seems to be about the same or slightly better than my G3, however WiFi is significantly worse.
DROID Turbo 1x and WiFi:
LG G3 1x and WiFi:
DROID Turbo LTE:
LG G3 LTE:

Wifi signals are WAY down compared to my other devices which include iphone 5S, 6, HTC One M8, Note II, Note 3, Galaxy S5...
Have the 64GB black nylon one.
I'll have to try outdoors. We have a long range wifi extender to cover a large section of the pasture and all my other devices get a decent signal up to 1km away. This will be a good test.
I had a carbon fiber case on my S5 (Cygnett IIRC) that blocked the LTE signal really bad. That's the disadvantage to having real carbon fiber LOL.
Not sure about the ballistic nylon. Does it have CF in it?
I wish the back came off, I have a friend who's an RF test engineer and he could see if it has attenuation in the (un) desired ranges.

cpufrost said:
Wifi signals are WAY down compared to my other devices which include iphone 5S, 6, HTC One M8, Note II, Note 3, Galaxy S5...
Have the 64GB black nylon one.
I'll have to try outdoors. We have a long range wifi extender to cover a large section of the pasture and all my other devices get a decent signal up to 1km away. This will be a good test.
I had a carbon fiber case on my S5 (Cygnett IIRC) that blocked the LTE signal really bad. That's the disadvantage to having real carbon fiber LOL.
Not sure about the ballistic nylon. Does it have CF in it?
I wish the back came off, I have a friend who's an RF test engineer and he could see if it has attenuation in the (un) desired ranges.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking forward to hearing the results of your outdoor test. And while you're out there, can you check on how readable the screen is in direct sunlight?

scooby-snack said:
I can attest for certain the Radio is MUCH better than any phone that I have had. (S4,S5,One M8, Note 4, iPhone6 etc)
My experience that is much different -is a 20 Mile stretch of road to my Home. I live in Fringe Reception area in Norther California (Foresthill) I haven't ever been able to drive the 20 Mile Stretch home without dropping a phone call.( This usually happens numerous times) With The Turbo I was able to stay connected to Verizon Customer Service the Entire 20 Miles to my Home!
The only Bummer about this experience is that I was on the Phone with Verizon regarding the lack of Simul Data! What a complete ****ter! This is something that I will give props to Apple about. The day the iPhone 6 was released the phone could use VOLTE . Kind horse **** that a Flagship VZ Moto exclusive device doesnt have the proper software to use VOLTE on release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a big difference between holding on to a phone call and getting good data (4G).
Do you get a good 4G signal also? Thanks

My signal not so good with Droid Turbo
I have had around -105 dbm 4G LTE which is 2 bars and have had a few times where I had 3 bars. Normally in the same area I would have 4 to 5 bars. I also had a time where I tried to make a call and it was on 1x when I was in a big city where there is 4G towers. After the call it went to 4G. I sure hope we all get this issue fixed. Other than this issue most everything has been great.

BAYOUREBEL said:
I have had around -105 dbm 4G LTE which is 2 bars and have had a few times where I had 3 bars. Normally in the same area I would have 4 to 5 bars. I also had a time where I tried to make a call and it was on 1x when I was in a big city where there is 4G towers. After the call it went to 4G. I sure hope we all get this issue fixed. Other than this issue most everything has been great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man that sucks the big one. The bars you are seeing are probably 3g or 1x voice signal. Which still sucks if you download an app called advanced signal it will tell you exactly what is going on. I'm defiantly gonna hold off until it gets solved. I have to pay full retail as I am on unlimited Thanks for your input.

My LTE and Wifi strength are also down.
Siting in my office, I used to get full bars of wifi reception on my DNA. Now its at 2 bars. Same goes for my LTE signal.
I'll do some actual testing later, but I hope this gets resolved quickly

Yeah the wifi is killing me. It's incredibly noticeable in various parts of my house that I used to have stellar wifi.

I've had LTE where my M8 struggled to even get 3G. I'm quite pleased with the signal.

I've had better LTE and 3G reception versus my S3. Seems like calls sound better. Better (quicker acquisition, less drops) GPS performance as well. Wifi signal reception seems to be on par. Both phones in the same room a few feet apart, are within 1-2dBm of each other. I haven't tested performance, or compared client statistics on my wireless controller yet.

Signal
Has anyone tried just taking the phone on the road and checking signals not bars but 3G or 4G. If the phone doesnt have voice and internet at the same time that would explain why the phone would go to 1X when your on a call then back up when you get off. If you out and about do you have 4G where you did with previous phones not bars but 4G? The bars on my Droid Maxx tell me what my voice signal strength is not 4G I believe it is the same with the turbo. The WIFI deal Im cluless if it doesnt connect then it doesnt connect. again though it doesnt depend on howmany bars you have. It is how the phone performs. Im in a real crap signal area I can have 1X on my Maxx and still be able to make calls and text because I may have only one bar on the phone. Thanks

wooddale said:
Has anyone tried just taking the phone on the road and checking signals not bars but 3G or 4G. If the phone doesnt have voice and internet at the same time that would explain why the phone would go to 1X when your on a call then back up when you get off. If you out and about do you have 4G where you did with previous phones not bars but 4G? The bars on my Droid Maxx tell me what my voice signal strength is not 4G I believe it is the same with the turbo. The WIFI deal Im cluless if it doesnt connect then it doesnt connect. again though it doesnt depend on howmany bars you have. It is how the phone performs. Im in a real crap signal area I can have 1X on my Maxx and still be able to make calls and text because I may have only one bar on the phone. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look back a few pages, I posted dBm readings between phones. I agree though, comparing bars is useless.

Just figured I'd chime in. I swapped my kevlar version for the normal version and my wifi is back to the same strength that my G2 had. There was definitely something wrong with the kevlar one I had...