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Hi all,
I am thinking of ordering teh Xperia from mobiles or o2 direct, having already placed an order for hte HD but o2 are taking a ****ing age getting it "approved" or delaying it for whatever reason.
Question is - although i like the look of the xperia i've heard a bad things about the reception and as I'll be using the xperia as a business phone *calls and synching outlook contacts/calendar etc. will the poor reception prove too much of a problem? I woudl only be getting the phone on the o2 network.
I use Vodafone, and I came from using a N95 to an X1 and have noticed a downgrade in signal strength.
I suppose it depends on where you live, if u have had reception problems previous then going to a X1 might be the same maybe worse.
I am absolutely loving this device. It’s taking some time to get used to, but WOW I have all but praises for this phone (apart from the signal strength of course).
My advice would be to get the phone over the internet or telesales. At lease then you should have 14 days to evaluate the phone (that’s what Vodafone UK do – I’m on the 4th day in now)
What I can say, is that the bars on the phone are a bit deceptive, and when it has none/1 bar, I can still make a perfectly good phone call.
smurkej said:
Hi all,
I am thinking of ordering teh Xperia from mobiles or o2 direct, having already placed an order for hte HD but o2 are taking a ****ing age getting it "approved" or delaying it for whatever reason.
Question is - although i like the look of the xperia i've heard a bad things about the reception and as I'll be using the xperia as a business phone *calls and synching outlook contacts/calendar etc. will the poor reception prove too much of a problem? I woudl only be getting the phone on the o2 network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am on Orange UK and get FULL signal strength at home and 3 bars when out and about. I think that's pretty much what I expect from any phone. I really think it all depends on the network and your location, NOT the phone. O2 PAYG sim more or less the same.
Don't let other users experiences put you off. It really is a great phone!
It can still depend on the phone, but then on each separate unit.
sir.chunk said:
I use Vodafone, and I came from using a N95 to an X1 and have noticed a downgrade in signal strength.
I suppose it depends on where you live, if u have had reception problems previous then going to a X1 might be the same maybe worse.
I am absolutely loving this device. It’s taking some time to get used to, but WOW I have all but praises for this phone (apart from the signal strength of course).
My advice would be to get the phone over the internet or telesales. At lease then you should have 14 days to evaluate the phone (that’s what Vodafone UK do – I’m on the 4th day in now)
What I can say, is that the bars on the phone are a bit deceptive, and when it has none/1 bar, I can still make a perfectly good phone call.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second this. Its an amazing phone, try it for 14 days and see if the signal will be a problem. It will get better, with radio upgrades and this rumoured antenna upgrade, but for now the signal is passable for me.
Pyrojester said:
I second this. Its an amazing phone, try it for 14 days and see if the signal will be a problem. It will get better, with radio upgrades and this rumoured antenna upgrade, but for now the signal is passable for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rumoured antenna upgrade
Tell me.
xmoo said:
rumoured antenna upgrade
Tell me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn I can't seem tofind it. It was just a rumor from another user for an antenna upgrade in January 2009 that SE were going to do.
Probably just wishful thinking.
I too have been rather put off by all the negative comments re: poor reception. Although my X1, now 5 day old, only shows 3 bars of reception most of the time, the actual call quality is fine - its just that I've become very aware of any deterioration in sound quality after reading the negative posts.
I'd echo what everyone else has said, try it for yourself & see what its like....just ignore what the phone says its reception is!
It seems this isn't an unknown problem with some other HTC devices and is often improved with a firmware upgrade (at the slight expense of battery life)
Paul
I have no reception Issues I have X1i and X1a in USA
I almost always have GSM, but 3g is sketchy. If you compare it to a nokia E90 with the same sim in, its always 2 bars less.
3G only and no problems with the reception. Most of the time 1 bar less than my old HTC Trinity, which had very, very nice reception.
i've been on to carphonewarehouse today and they say my lack of 3G is the xperia. when I stand next to a colleague with an iphone, they have full 3G and I'm stuck with crappy Edge! I've got a week to decide but at the moment it looks like the xperia is going back.
I suspect those people with good 3G don't live in the UK.
I get really good HSPDA (on Vodafone UK) whilst at work and it's not too bad whilst at home but I prefer to have 2g with Wifi.
I dont see a problem with reception compared to other phones using the same sim, it's hanging onto the signal that's more of an issue. It can go from 2 to no signal fairly quickly without moving the handset.
Comparing number of bars across different makes of phone is not sensible as one manufacturer may use more bars to show the same strength of signal.
Pyrojester said:
Damn I can't seem tofind it. It was just a rumor from another user for an antenna upgrade in January 2009 that SE were going to do.
Probably just wishful thinking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was it this post?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2908167&postcount=4
xxnoelziexx said:
reception is poor on the x1 my work ordered 150 units which all went back. SE said they will have a new revision Jan09 a rom upgrade will not fix this issue. They need to revise the antenna. I sent my phone back today as at work it could not hold a 3g signal were my HTC Diamond PRO does both on the same network.
The X1 is a good phone but 2 problems for me it is not a keeper the bad keyboard
and reception issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah this is the one.
surprising people are having so many problems with poor reception, i had full reception at home, on my sony ericsson p1i and with my x1i i still get full signal and hsdpa. Still get more or less full signal when i'm not at home. I'm on O2 UK
Picasosz said:
I have no reception Issues I have X1i and X1a in USA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what part of the usa if u dont mind me asking. im considering getting a X1
especially from a g1 user's perspective, for me it seems the slide has noticably worse 3g reception; anyone else notice the same?
Yes it does, I'm sure t-mobile will send out radio firmware updates as they did for the g1. I know the last one gave me a big boost. For now you can choose for it to use 3g only and you'll see a lot less dropping to edge, I have mine set like this and sometimes have very low signal but haven't found a spot yet where it was completely dead.
Hmm, that's weird. I used to have the G1 and as soon as I clapped my hand due to my phone getting atleast 1bar of 3G signal it would drop to E. Which meant me not clapping anymore. But with this phone I am clapping once again.
turboyo said:
Yes it does, I'm sure t-mobile will send out radio firmware updates as they did for the g1. I know the last one gave me a big boost. For now you can choose for it to use 3g only and you'll see a lot less dropping to edge, I have mine set like this and sometimes have very low signal but haven't found a spot yet where it was completely dead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as I understood the g1 radio update mainly made the phone hold onto a weaker 3g signal longer rather than any substantial improvement in overall reception; where I work I get no signal at all if I lock 3g only whereas with my g1 I had nearly 100% 3g uptime, the g1 might not have been state of the art but it's cell radio sure was pretty impressive compared to every other phone I've owned
i get better reception than what i did with my mytouch 3g and way better uplaod and download speeds to
N1M1TZ said:
Hmm, that's weird. I used to have the G1 and as soon as I clapped my hand due to my phone getting atleast 1bar of 3G signal it would drop to E. Which meant me not clapping anymore. But with this phone I am clapping once again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second this, my G1 gets crappy 3G reception even on the most recent radio. I'm picking up my MT3GS tomorrow.
My G1 was next to my old Razr in having near perfect signal. My slide drops out of 3G quite often, even at my house sitting right next to my wife with my old G1 that is still on 3G.
I've noticed this. It seems to have horrible horrible 3g reception. I was in a tiny guard shack, maybe 10'x10', walls were thin, and most of the side walls were made of glass patio doors. Inside the shack I would get E all the time, I could literally step 6" outside of the shack, right on the curb, and I'd get 4 bars of 3G.
in my building i get 3g in the elevator, must be practically living right under a tower!!
my AT&T phones used to drop the signal as soon as the elevator doors closed.
Upstate NY here and I'm getting the in/out 3G with Tmo, wish they would get their 3G working right before even trying to consider releasing 4G (as I was told by a rep)
My phone can drop in and out of 3G and 2G. If u put the phone on wcdma only it doesn't happen. Mine will hold 3G all day long without a problem and it downstairs burn as much battery either.
-------------------------------------
Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App
Sorry double post
a few question:
Does anyone know when the radio update will be available?
How does one go about getting the radio update?
Will the radio update work on a rooted phone?
Thanks.
Really??
Are you kidding me??!! I am so surprised (and disappointed) to read this.
First, the Nexus One, then the HD2 (which I owned), and now the MyTouch Slide?? I think I even heard that the Incredible having these issues.
What is it with HTC phones losing reception?
It's one of the reasons (but not the only one) I returned the HD2. I've been strongly considering the MyTouch Slide, but after hearing this, I have to scratch it off the list until/if/when they fix it.
For those who already own this phone, I sincerely hope they fix it for you.
I've noticed weaker 3G speeds also while at work. I've just activated wcdma only it's a lot better now, but I'm at home right now, so I'll post an update tomorrow to see of it is better at work
Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide using XDA App
I've noticed it really sucks. I'm sitting in my kitchen right now, where I always had a strong 3G signal on my G1, yet now I don't have one. If Tmobile doesn't fix this soon, I'm considering canceling my contract and going elsewhere.
Ive been having issues for the past 2 months or so (dating back to the G1 btw) where Id be on 3G with full service surfing the internet then everything would stop loading, Id drop down to GPRS and it would stay like that for a few minutes. Then 3G would pick back up again.
Ive been having that issue ever since they started rolling out HSPA+. The TMO reps keep saying that it shouldnt happen, but it is. And not just on my phone. My brothers G1 and now his slide did the same thing and my friends MT3G did it as well.
And this issue isnt in a localized area. Its happening all over VA. Im a roving technician and I get this issue wherever 3G is. If the area only offers Edge, I dont have any issues. When the 3G holds though, its decently quick (check signature).
/rant
Thongvilay said:
Upstate NY here and I'm getting the in/out 3G with Tmo, wish they would get their 3G working right before even trying to consider releasing 4G (as I was told by a rep)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tmobile isn't releasing 4g, is expanding its HSPA+ network, which is technically faster than 4g. Be careful when you ask the reps anything. I have had reps tell me things that I know for a fact weren't true but majority of them don't know any better.
Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide using XDA App
laphoneuser said:
It's one of the reasons (but not the only one) I returned the HD2. I've been strongly considering the MyTouch Slide, but after hearing this, I have to scratch it off the list until/if/when they fix it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take what you read here with a grain if salt. Yes some people experience some 3g coverage issues but that doesn't affect everyone and there are a lot of factors to consider. Nonetheless, if you scratch this phone off your list, you'd be missing out on a great device.
Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide using XDA App
forgot about this thread... turns out due to some strange coincidence at the time I first bought my slide the cell tower where I worked went on the fritz and the tech people weren't updated on it yet. I have 3g again at work but still notice that I drop to edge a bit more often than with my old g1... and the data works absolutely horridly on edge with latency issues and timeouts that the g1 never did. oh well, still a solid device although I have my upgrade credit saved for whatever emerald/vision/vanguard madness TMO has planned for this fall
My first Streak lost reception in every 2-5 minutes, the complete service not just 3G. I got a new sim but same issue. Side of the streak my friends HD or HD2 has a stable 3G or H. I get and exchnage and the new one is different, this get a reception in every 5 minutes only GPRS or EDGE. So try exhange again. DO you guys had any reception problem. I am in Wimbledon Park, in Wimbledon i dont have any problem.
Over on MoDaCo, there were people yesterday having problems in London, and one guy specifically in Wimbledon. Up north, everything if A-OK!
that was me, just i am curious about others opinion, this phone definetly worst than the other in same place same simcard so this is phone issue.
qq67 said:
that was me, just i am curious about others opinion, this phone definetly worst than the other in same place same simcard so this is phone issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to some other people it's happened on some other android phones. But yeah, definitely a problem that needs to be looked at by Dell or O2.
I lose signal constantly when on 3G/H always dipping in and out, doesn't seem to pick up 3G very often either even in high strength signal areas. Wifi reception is also a lot weaker than my hero. Worth taking back as hardware deficient or do you think mendable by future radio/software upgrade?
I dont know exactly what the procedure is if I get a new one and has a same issue. I already asked carphonewarehouse can i get an other brand but they said i cant, even if the 5th one is faulty or just doesnt work in my flat. I just cant imagine what happens after 4th or 5th faulty phone if i can swap to other model. The exact question is what happens if Streak has an construction problem? Will I spend my weekends in carphonewarehouse to get an exchange? Ridicoluos. the problem is I love Streak but I seriously started to think to get Desire or HD2
I Hope this is not a sign of things to come with the reception issue,will we be getting teething problems ?
qq67 said:
I dont know exactly what the procedure is if I get a new one and has a same issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can ignore them mate.
Quote the consumer protection act at them if the phone consistently fails to connect. "not fit for purpose"
If they still fail to replace/refund your money, then go straight to a solicitor and go to the small claims court, easy peasy.
I've noticed 2 issues with my streaks' reception.
1) At my house, where I typically get excellent 'H' reception on my HTC WIMO phones, the streak regularly losses all reception, depending on where it is. Moving it by as little as 30cm in a room can make the difference between full signal and no signal. Seems to be an issue with full strength signal. In work, where I get a weaker 'H' signal, I get no drop outs.
2) The WIFI reception always seems weak, steady, but weak. Haven't really had chance to test this outside of my house, so maybe my router setup.
I was wondering where the antennas are, cos maybe I'm "holding it wrong"
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
I noticed this 30cm too.
Between me and the keyboard reception zero never 3G or H 30 cm left never lose reception and 50% of the time is H or 3G, sometime i lost the reception middle of conversation if i am not watching where i am
Yesterday we made a Big O2 Reception Party. 3Winmo 2 Iphone 2 Android and the result is this problems definetly comes from O2. The streak maybe more sensitive for sh.t O2 recption than other phones. that is it. this is my 3rd Streak and i cant beleive all 3 was faulty, or it has a big construction error.
Going straight to voicemail
My dell streak has similar signal issues but another problem. Whenever my closest friend calls me, most of the time he is redirected to voicemail straight away! Though, other people are able to call me.
I've got mine on T-mobile and I get the same coverage as my colleague running a T-mobile Desire - 1-2 bars of HSDPA coverage; my X10 would sometimes drop to GPRS in the same location, something that hasn't happened with the Streak yet...
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
i get great reception on tmobile in hampshire. H/3g 2/4 bars
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk
@flumps
Is the Modaco ROM better than the Dell ROM? Any screenshots?
hey guys, just an observation. When I was using my phone with 3g OFF I was losing reception really often, but when I have 3g on it seems to be much more stable. I know this doesnt fix what most of you are seeing, but thought I would share.
CodeCruiser said:
@flumps
Is the Modaco ROM better than the Dell ROM? Any screenshots?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nothing to screenshot bud. it looks and feels the same as stock rom but a little snappier. its good for a first attempt @ streak rom but nothing flashy about it at this point in time.
back on top. i stand corrected, i have had a issue with reception without even knowing it. i blamed the cut outs on my using task manager and killing something i shouldnt but that doesnt seem to be the case. it knocks completely out randomly and says "no sim card"
I am quite happy with the Dell ROM except that I hate to see Amazon MP3 store app and TouchDown app running everytime I open task manager(even though I kill these). Now TouchDown is a paid app and for some reason Dell thought each and every user of Streak would pay for it so the app must remain installed on device. I know I can root the device and get rid of these apps but that would void warranty(I think).
I was having connection loss issues until I removed the task manager, now it's fine. I think the streak is happier without one.
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
My streak has been stuck on 'g' for the past couple of days, up until then i've had a decent hsdpa connection all over town and in work. Called o2 today and they say that there's been no change in coverage. No idea what the issue might be.
if you have a task killer killing sim toolkit then it will kill reception till it restarts.
There does look like an issue with H connection and the streak, I haven't worked out what it is.
IF someone can get steady H access (and has drop outs) and has their streak rooted can you run Dmesg via adb shell to see what feedout there is about it?
I recently purchased a used Samsung Vibrant. Returning it is not an option at this point. Suffice to say, its not stolen, I've paid my idiot tax, and now I want to move on and try to make someting of the money I 've already wasted. If I had to do it over again, I'd buy a new one.
Basically, the phone unable to show enough signal strength to make a phone call or data connection. Now and then it may show one bar, most of the time no bars or a blue circle/slash icon. AFAIK, even without a SIM the phone should still connect for 911 service. After checking the phone and reading this forum I can verify the phone is running the stock firmware, is not currently rooted or unlocked. As I see it have the following options;
1. Attempt some of the firmware options I find available in this forum. I'm fairly experienced with flashing HTC phones, especially the Touch Cruise, with various radios and Android builds. There seem to be many choices, I'm not sure which to start with but prefer stability over bleeding edge.
2. Contact Samsung support for possible repair, either warranty or at cost. If this is a know simple issue and would cost around $100 or so I'd considering it worth it.
3. Take it to T-mobile and see if I missed something obvious.
4. Slap my self on the back of the head for a bone-head choice, and use my repair money toward a mytouch. At least its Android.
Any helpful suggestions?
Thanks,
Nomedias
New JI6 OTA fixes signal problems
Also avoid palming the phone in left hand on a weak signal, covering the bottom left corner your signal strength drops.. Ive personally only seen this effects data not voice
demo23019 said:
New JI6 OTA fixes signal problems
Also avoid palming the phone in left hand on a weak signal, covering the bottom left corner your signal strength drops.. Ive personally only seen this effects data not voice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I followed the directions at forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=732458 to update to JI6 update. The problem is still there. FYI, the only 512.pit I can find is the one included with the stock ROM. Is that good or is there a more recent one I couldn't find mention of?
you dont need to update pit file. its the same that you already have
demo23019 said:
you dont need to update pit file. its the same that you already have
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, that makes sense.
An update on the issue. I changed the screen timeout to 10 minutes, then set it down. After a couple minutes it might get 2-3 bars (-95 to -105 dBm), but the moment I pick it up it drops to nothing. And no I'm not using a deathgrip, and other phones I have get a solid signal, also on T-mobile. I'm thinking I gonna contact Samsung tomorrow and see what repair options I have, if any.
Thanks for the assist.
Nomedias said:
Thanks, that makes sense.
An update on the issue. I changed the screen timeout to 10 minutes, then set it down. After a couple minutes it might get 2-3 bars (-95 to -105 dBm), but the moment I pick it up it drops to nothing. And no I'm not using a deathgrip, and other phones I have get a solid signal, also on T-mobile. I'm thinking I gonna contact Samsung tomorrow and see what repair options I have, if any.
Thanks for the assist.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't have to be death grip it happens just by covering the bottom left side...like i said in my OP just palming in left hand can cause this.
This only happens when you're on a weak signal.
I have this problem even on JI6 you have to hold phone certain way so you're not blocking antenna with hand.
This happens to me at home but noticed when i get real strong signal on the road or at girlfriends house it doesn't happen
I'm pretty sure nothing is wrong with your phone i think its just a design flaw on the vibrant
BTW here is an old post i made few weeks back before understanding what was actually going on
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=791058
EDIT
hey if you do find a solution with Samsung over the phone could you give me a heads up/PM on what they had you do?
demo23019 said:
......
This only happens when you're on a weak signal.
......
hey if you do find a solution with Samsung over the phone could you give me a heads up/PM on what they had you do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that also follows. FYI, I get a strong signal with other phones at my location using my SIM, even on unlocked AT&T phones. However the Vibrant never gets better than -95 dBm.
I've already sent an email to Samsung support. I'll post an update once that is resolved.
Nomedias
Nomedias said:
Yeah, that also follows. FYI, I get a strong signal with other phones at my location using my SIM, even on unlocked AT&T phones. However the Vibrant never gets better than -95 dBm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you my nexus and diamond never had this problem.
What i was getting at is the vibrant antenna is **** or just a bad designed flaw.
and requires "stronger" signal
Anyways from my understanding there still isn't a real solution for this... but i know JI6 helps
but now battery drains faster because of the new JI6 modem
demo23019 said:
I agree with you my nexus and diamond never had this problem.
What i was getting at is the vibrant antenna is **** or just a bad designed flaw.
and requires "stronger" signal
Anyways from my understanding there still isn't a real solution for this... but i know JI6 helps
but now battery drains faster because of the new JI6 modem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you talking about? The Nexus One and ESPECIALLY the Diamond has typical HTC garbage cell reception. My Vibrant has excellent reception, better than the new G2 with it's antenna at the top (don't cover it, you'll switch over to EDGE) If there is something wrong with yours you should get that checked out!
heygrl said:
What are you talking about? The Nexus One and ESPECIALLY the Diamond has typical HTC garbage cell reception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea ok what ever you say
heygrl said:
If there is something wrong with yours you should get that checked out!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is nothing wrong with mine, like i said before ...
This happens to me at home but noticed when i get real strong signal on the road or at girlfriends house it doesn't happen
its a known issue with vibrant phones..even yours
Just not as noticeable the closer you're to cell towers
demo23019 said:
Yea ok what ever you say
There is nothing wrong with mine, its a known issue with vibrant phones..even yours
Just not as noticeable the closer you're to cell towers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know this because?
1) No, I am NOT near any cell towers
2) Took my Vibrant out to the interstate, had EXCELLENT reception - better than my other T-Mobile phones.
3) Like I said, next to the G2 the Vibrant reports a far better signal
4) if it's not reporting anything higher than -95dBm you have a serious problem. That's probably why it was for sale. Lots of people like unloading junk. It's still under warranty, get a new one from T-Mobile.
this is my 2nd phone not for that reason but old one did same, my friends does same when tested in same spots..ect my phone is fine
considering im in a spotty 3g area even states this on tmobile site on map..
Im talking about about data here not voice...i drop to Edge 3-4 bars when i cover the bottom left i dont lose signal completed. I think there is miss communication between us
=
demo23019 said:
this is my 2nd phone not for that reason but old one did same, my friends does same when tested in same spots..ect my phone is fine
considering im in a spotty 3g area even states this on tmobile site on map..
Im talking about about data here not voice...i drop to Edge 3-4 bars when i cover the bottom left i dont lose signal completed. I think there is miss communication between us
=
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So what does spotty 3G coverage have to do with the phone?
OMG forget it
UPDATE...
Called Samsung support today. The phone is still under warranty, so they issued an RMA number and sent me a UPS label via email. I'll ship it to them and as long as it isn't due to physical damage, it will be covered at no cost to me.
As expected I had to go through the usual steps such as making sure I had a good signal where I was on another phone. Once it was clear it was either a hardware issue or a problem with the software I can't resolve, they had no problem with an RMA. FYI, I was up front about it being purchased from another T-mobile customer, but this did not appear to be an issue.
This is my first time dealing with Samsung support, and all things considered I'm feeling very positive right now. I deal with tech support lines alot in my job and so far I'm happy. Will update when I get the phone back.
Nomedias
I really want to buy this phone... But when I google around, I find tons of forum threads like this and youtube videos like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsEnYzEjjwM
Not too encouraging....
heygrl, you seem to be the only one here who is extremely happy with your reception, so it's hard for me to take your word for it!
Is there any natural way to hold this phone without making the signal drop? The bigger problem for me is that I'm on Wind Mobile, which does not have an EDGE network. So if I lose 3G, I lose my signal alltogether.
I could buy a Motorola XT720... But the screen is just incomparable to the Vibrant
Faruk88 said:
I really want to buy this phone... But when I google around, I find tons of forum threads like this and youtube videos like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsEnYzEjjwM
Not too encouraging....
heygrl, you seem to be the only one here who is extremely happy with your reception, so it's hard for me to take your word for it!
Is there any natural way to hold this phone without making the signal drop? The bigger problem for me is that I'm on Wind Mobile, which does not have an EDGE network. So if I lose 3G, I lose my signal alltogether.
I could buy a Motorola XT720... But the screen is just incomparable to the Vibrant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you read the poll 6 people suggested that the OP try a different firmware. Listed in the JI6 bug fixes
http://ars.samsung.com/customer/usa...ID=2&PROD_SUB_ID=557&PROD_ID=560&AT_ID=341559
Radio: 3G antenna bar patch
SNS Sync: The interval value for synchronizing has been changed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considering the fact that this thread has low replies after the JI6 firmware has dropped and the fact that it sounds like a problem with this particular device, This thread proves much of nothing. The only people that have problems are the ones that complain.
Believe me, I'd be happy to buy this phone if I knew for sure that reception wouldn't be a problem... But seriously, 3g antenna bar patch? That's so Apple-esque. It does nothing to fix the underlying issue that people are having, which is a 20dBm drop in signal when holding the phone at the bottom.
Edit: 30dBm in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYzI2j3A78E (-81dBm to -111dBm)
It seems hard to believe that Samsung could have let something like this slip...
Faruk88 said:
Believe me, I'd be happy to buy this phone if I knew for sure that reception wouldn't be a problem... But seriously, 3g antenna bar patch? That's so Apple-esque. It does nothing to fix the underlying issue that people are having, which is a 20dBm drop in signal when holding the phone at the bottom.
Edit: 30dBm in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYzI2j3A78E (-81dBm to -111dBm)
It seems hard to believe that Samsung could have let something like this slip...
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Click to collapse
The problem was with the bars. It reflected a much poorer level of service. It's hard to tell someone that has no idea how the signal is measured why their service isn't gone or bad because you have "0 bars". The Vibrant only went to -81dBm and that was obviously wrong because the Android system should reflect -dBm up until -51. -0dBm is an amazing signal, which we'll never see on any phone. It would often bounce between -111dBm and -0dBm when it showed no bars of coverage. I don't know how many more times I have to explain this.
The bars WE'RE wrong. People took this to mean that their reception was bad when in reality there was nothing wrong with it. You can't explain this to everyone because they won't understand it or care. You could go into Samsung's service menu to see actual -dBm reception because the bars we're broken and so was the Android readout.
Yes I'm an engineer so I know that 0dBm is a gain of 1 and therefore an amazing signal. However, Android just displays 0dBm when it loses service, NOT when it has a perfect signal (obviously this is technically incorrect, but this is what they chose for whatever reason).
And why was it wrong that the Vibrant in the video started off at -81dBm? That's a pretty reasonable value to have indoors.
But even if it should have started off at -51dBm instead of -81dBm, it doesn't matter because that can easily be fixed with a software patch. What CAN'T be fixed with a software patch is the 20-30dBm DROP in signal when the phone is held. So instead of my phone dropping from -81dBm to -111dBm, it will drop from -51dBm to -81dBm. Are you telling me that's supposed to be a good "fix"?
What's more concerning of course, is in low signal environments, where you can lose service alltogether. Sometimes I pull my Samsung phone out of my pocket and it shows "No Service" for a few seconds, until it gets connected to the network again. (what I'm trying to say is that it loses service in my pocket)
If I don't hear anything more convincing, I'm probably gonna go ahead and order a cheap MyTouch Slide... Way inferior to this phone, but at least it's nearly half the price and I can be confident about my reception.
Hey guys, I'm wondering what actions Sprint or Google will take if the radio problems on the Nexus S 4G end up being hardware problems or NOT fixable via OTA update. Will there be a recall of the device? Hardware replacements? Will it be covered under Samsung's manufacturer warranty?
In other words, I'm just wondering if I should return/exchange it before I might be stuck with a device with faulty hardware.
My ns4g works just fine id exchange it of I were you.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
Had same problems, took it back waiting on evo 3d. I've never had good luck with Samsung phones.
Mine works great also. Take yours back. Bye.
I'm really happy for you that you're not experiencing any problems on your devices, but the fact remains that a lot of people are. My 3g speeds are slower and 4G coverage seems to be a lot harder to connect to than it did on my EVO. (Granted, I don't have the EVO to compare it to anymore) My signal over time is around -86 or -90 dbm and sometimes drops down (or above?) 100 or so. I've also noticed that the signal bars sometimes drop to 0 and/or I lose 3G and return to 1X.
Anyway, back to the main point, I just want to know how Samsung/Sprint/Google will handle returns or warranty replacements if it's not fixable via OTA update
Im sure a new update will include a radio to handle the -dm spectrum and data. Sprint is not known for the fastest internet out there so that is something to consider. If you are within your 30 days take it back. If not, go thru the proper channels and be polite. You will get it replaced or something will be done. If your phone is unusable, they cant make you keep it. Verizon has good 3g, but then again, i live on the outskirts of a major city. All about provider and location. Have you had missed calls or dropped calls? I think the reception is no worse than any other. It is just displayed differently.
Uncle Jimmy says hello
Switching carriers isn't really an option. My family pays for my plan and we've been with Sprint for 11 years or so. Honestly, I'm pretty happy with Sprint. I'm just on the fence about this phone. If anything, I'll go for the EVO3D and be happy with that. I had a good time on my EVO. I'm sure it won't be problem free with a hardware version 1, but there's a few things I like about the 3D more than the Nexus and vice versa.
Anyway, thanks for the response
I simply contact via chat on their page. They had me update the profile then update the PRL - during which the reset my connection on their end. I was instructed that after an hour I should see improvement with signal. Sure enough it seems to be working fine now. So give that a shot. Also the agent I chatted with instantly went to solving the issue without the need for me to describe in any detail of the signal issue. It was like he new how to resolve the issue. So maybe sprint has updated their profiles and PRL which resolves the issue. But from the chat he was particular about me following the steps to update from his prompts like he was performing action on his end.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
Do you by chance have the transcript from the webchat? I'm kinda curious to see it (Not that I don't believe you)
Oh, also... I exchanged my 2nd Nexus for a new one today because of a weird issue that the phone would lock up/freeze with a really dark, greenish tint and only showing part of the screen (Not sure if it was the screen or the whole system) and I'd have to battery pull to get it back.
Anyway... while I was there the Best Buy manager(?) said I wouldn't be able to exchange it for the Evo3D if I decided I didn't like the Nexus? But doesn't exchanging renew the 30 days?
gmap516 said:
Do you by chance have the transcript from the webchat? I'm kinda curious to see it (Not that I don't believe you)
Oh, also... I exchanged my 2nd Nexus for a new one today because of a weird issue that the phone would lock up/freeze with a really dark, greenish tint and only showing part of the screen (Not sure if it was the screen or the whole system) and I'd have to battery pull to get it back.
Anyway... while I was there the Best Buy manager(?) said I wouldn't be able to exchange it for the Evo3D if I decided I didn't like the Nexus? But doesn't exchanging renew the 30 days?
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It does not renew the 30 days.
But can I return it, buy a phone off contract, and regain my upgrade?
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
This is a topic I love discussing. I can tell you from my nexus experience it does in fact get worse service than the EVO. It seems the same as what I got on the epic though. I live in a basement apartment so reception is something I am very aware of at home. I even exchanged my first nexus at the direction of sprint. While in best buy I sat my nexus next to the reps evo, his had full bars, -76 dBm, mine had 0-1 bar and dBm was -9x. He activated the new nexus and it was exactly the same. There is a reception issue with the nexus, the same reception issue ALL samsung galaxy phones have. I had a fascinate for a short time, got rid of it cus it got crappy reception. Same with the vibrant I had. Blame it on what you want, its a fact. With that being said, I think it is being blown out of proportion. I have noticed that most people complaining about the reception are coming from the EVO.
gmap516 said:
But can I return it, buy a phone off contract, and regain my upgrade?
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
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Yup, you can do that. If the reception is THAT bad I would. Im sure there will some sort of update to address the issue, I seriously doubt it will help that much though.
I want to point out one thing that should be kept in mind for anyone coming from the Evo:
The HTC software on the Evo was programmed to overstate the connection strength in terms of bars, and was not even capable of displaying switches to 1x.
AOSP-based icons in the display area seem to be overall much more accurate. I remember there were lots of people on the Evo who would get upset after flashing CyanogenMod because they were "only getting 1x all of a sudden!" when in reality they were always only getting 1x, HTC just displayed the 3G icon anyway no matter what the connection type was. Same for the bars: pretty much any working signal would get you 3+ bars.
I am not saying there is no possibility of legitimate signal issues with the NS4G (I wouldn't know first-hand, I switched to T-Mobile), but the above should be considered when evaluating vague reports of "I only get one bar and my Evo got 4 bars and i only get 1x and my Evo got 3g!!!!"
Also, for the last 4 months Sprint has been doing major, major work on their network. Speeds and connections varied wildly. Ultimately that was why I switched to T-Mobile; the constant dips in speed were just too much for me, even though I know Sprint's network will be better for it in the long run. So there is also the distinct possibility that any poor signal people might see is due to nothing more than network fluctuations.
The really get this ironed out, we would need to see multiple people in multiple locations testing both speed and signal strength using multiple methods, on both an Evo and a NS4G, side by side, over and over, and see the Evo (or any other Sprint phone) continuously demonstrating a clearly superior connection.
At that point I think we'd all pretty much concede that there is a major problem with the NS4G. Short of that, it's really just speculation.
matt2053 said:
I want to point out one thing that should be kept in mind for anyone coming from the Evo:
The HTC software on the Evo was programmed to overstate the connection strength in terms of bars, and was not even capable of displaying switches to 1x.
AOSP-based icons in the display area seem to be overall much more accurate. I remember there were lots of people on the Evo who would get upset after flashing CyanogenMod because they were "only getting 1x all of a sudden!" when in reality they were always only getting 1x, HTC just displayed the 3G icon anyway no matter what the connection type was. Same for the bars: pretty much any working signal would get you 3+ bars.
I am not saying there is no possibility of legitimate signal issues with the NS4G (I wouldn't know first-hand, I switched to T-Mobile), but the above should be considered when evaluating vague reports of "I only get one bar and my Evo got 4 bars and i only get 1x and my Evo got 3g!!!!"
Also, for the last 4 months Sprint has been doing major, major work on their network. Speeds and connections varied wildly. Ultimately that was why I switched to T-Mobile; the constant dips in speed were just too much for me, even though I know Sprint's network will be better for it in the long run. So there is also the distinct possibility that any poor signal people might see is due to nothing more than network fluctuations.
The really get this ironed out, we would need to see multiple people in multiple locations testing both speed and signal strength using multiple methods, on both an Evo and a NS4G, side by side, over and over, and see the Evo (or any other Sprint phone) continuously demonstrating a clearly superior connection.
At that point I think we'd all pretty much concede that there is a major problem with the NS4G. Short of that, it's really just speculation.
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Very good points. My argument is Ive had the EVO and NS4G in the same house, the EVO worked 100% in here, mms, web all of it. I cant make a call or send a text with my NS4G without the airave I had to buy when I got the NS4G. But, the same applied to my epic. It got terrible service in here also.
Lets just hope the update Ive seen mentioned will address signal and not free tethering
mikeyinid said:
Very good points. My argument is Ive had the EVO and NS4G in the same house, the EVO worked 100% in here, mms, web all of it. I cant make a call or send a text with my NS4G without the airave I had to buy when I got the NS4G. But, the same applied to my epic. It got terrible service in here also.
Lets just hope the update Ive seen mentioned will address signal and not free tethering
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I don't wish to invalidate your experience; I definitely believe you. But because there could be so many, many factors involved it is not really enough for ME to conclude that there is a fundamental flaw with the NS4G. But if a few people were able to perform the tests I mentioned, that might convince me (and maybe some folks at Google, too)!
matt2053 said:
I don't wish to invalidate your experience; I definitely believe you. But because there could be so many, many factors involved it is not really enough for ME to conclude that there is a fundamental flaw with the NS4G. But if a few people were able to perform the tests I mentioned, that might convince me (and maybe some folks at Google, too)!
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Im not saying there is anything wrong with the NS4G. Im saying its samsung phones in general...
It's not a problem on the i9020.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
There was an android central, engadget, or phandroid article doing multiple tests in multiple locations between an Epic and a NS4G. The Epic displayed huge differences in data speed. Do a search on those sites and you'll find the article eventually.
I also remember a thread on the Google forums with hundreds of people in various locations performing tests.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
gmap516 said:
There was an android central, engadget, or phandroid article doing multiple tests in multiple locations between an Epic and a NS4G. The Epic displayed huge differences in data speed. Do a search on those sites and you'll find the article eventually.
I also remember a thread on the Google forums with hundreds of people in various locations performing tests.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
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I read that Engadget article. They said they couldn't narrow down a signal problem to the NS4G.
They got faster WiMax speed on the Epic, but that has nothing to do with phone signal, which is what is at question.