Database Users

Should I let the poor reception issue put me off buying one?

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

weak 3g reception?

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

[Q] Vibrant with weak/no signal strength, options?

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...
Click to expand...
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.

Verizon tier 2 support admitted...

...to me that the samsungs have their antennas placed in such a way that it is very prone to signal issues.
This comes after they swapped me out 3 times in my first month of service to try to get me a working data connection. My wifes droid 2 doesn't have the same problems and data is great. So they told me today that they are sending me a new droid x because the signal is a known issue.
I have mixed feelings about this cause I love the Fascinate. However not having data a connection really isn't an option. The x is still a sweet phone. If they know the antennas are poorly placed then I would doubt a software update is going to fix the issue.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Isn't the antennae in the bottom half of the device? I feel like I read that in the manual.

It seems to me that after the OTA update, that my reception went way up!
ptfdmedic said:
...to me that the samsungs have their antennas placed in such a way that it is very prone to signal issues.
This comes after they swapped me out 3 times in my first month of service to try to get me a working data connection. My wifes droid 2 doesn't have the same problems and data is great. So they told me today that they are sending me a new droid x because the signal is a known issue.
I have mixed feelings about this cause I love the Fascinate. However not having data a connection really isn't an option. The x is still a sweet phone. If they know the antennas are poorly placed then I would doubt a software update is going to fix the issue.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

The impression I got was that it wad a hardware defect. To get a better idea of signal strength go to settings,about phone,status and look at the signal strength number. It should be -86 to -92 according to the techs. Once you get -93 the signal isn't good data at all. I sit around -106 most of the time while my sides droid 2 is around -86 most of the time. Is ashame because these phones are really nice. They can tweak reception maybe with a software update but they can't fix a bad design. I wonder if this is why Verizon isn't pushing this phone like the other carriers are. I don't remember having this issue with my Epic prior to switching.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

The signal reporting could probably easily be fixed with a software update. I sit outside with full bars and a great signal, and that screen will show me the same values as when I'm inside with next to no signal. I wouldn't trust it to determine if there is a problem or not, but that is just me.
Also, when you have so many phones that are already good, and a few more on the way, how do you decide which one's to "push" to the public? I'd also guess that they'll wait until it gets updated to Froyo before pushing it more as I think it's the only phone they have still without it.

They cram the droid x down everyones throats even though it is inferior to the fascinate. Why would they push a phone with so many known issues? I was simply suggesting that this may be a reason why you don't see verizon advertising the crap out of the fascinate.
As far as the signal goes I don't believe it is reporting wrong. It will take me almost a minute some times to connect a call after hitting send because there is no signal. I have a .01 mb/sec download spead on my fascinate cause the signal isn't strong enough for a more reliable connection.
I'm not the first to have this problem and my whole point was the tier 2 tech guy told me that antennas are a known issue and its a design issue on the samsung. I was simply sharing my experience thats all. I know a lot of people are in the same boat as me and at least there are options to switch models. They know its a problem and were quite willing to get me out of the fascinate. I never asked them for anything but help to get it working. They told me of they give me another fascinate i will have the same problem because its a design issue.
They could tweak the radio with an update but if it is a hardware issue it will never get fixed. Samsung doesn't have a good reputation for fixing these problems even the
easier software issues like GPS never gets fixed.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Good for you, I'm getting tired of my fascinate too.i like my phone but the signal sucks, no gps when you need it, and I can't be farther then 20 feet from my wifi or I won't get signal o yeah and a ton of late txt's that i get from people like a day later.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

I always think that it is counterproductive to start a thread to complain about a device without including what market they live in. Also taking into consideration that it does not look like [OP] has been happy with any of the devices he has had since the beginning of September. I myself have not seen any issues with reception but if you look to the left you can see I'm in a major market. GPS does not annoy me. I might use it twice a week and I open gmaps put the phone on the dash and pick it up a minute later with a lock rain or shine. I've done some traveling and have not noticed any difference in signal from my past devices. And I would gather that if a true poll were to be done about peoples satisfaction with the fascinate it would reveal similar results below.
Worst phone ever. 1%
Don't like it. 4%
Love it. 95%
I wish you luck in your quest.
good day.

I got a speed test result of 2Mbps down and 200Kbps down, both with -96dBm listed as the signal strength. Maybe the cellular antennae isn't designed as great as other devices, but you can't tell me that I should have an order of magnitude difference in bandwidth when the signal strength reading is the same (within the resolution that the software can measure) without there being a software issue.

Wow. Ok. Well I'm in the Cleveland market not that it matters as its hardware related. Yes I'm complaining because I really like this phone but it doesn't work as as its supposed to. If you read the forums the galaxy s phone have lots of problems from gps, signal to slider and image retention. It a shame because these are really nice phones, probably the best ones out right now.
I'm not on a quest for a perfect phone. I had issues with the Epic as many others have had as well. I left Sprint because I am the father to 3 Autistic kids. We spend alot of time at the Cleveland clinic and for some reason Sprint doesn't cover there very well.
I left Sprint and moved to Verizon for the better network but with the Fascinate I have been unable to tap into the network. We communicate with our customers and our kids doctors via email so the data connection. So yeah I complain when something that I am paying good money for doesn't work. I don't have money to throw away and verizon is more expensive then sprint. I was impressed with verizons customer service and am grateful they are helping me solve this problem because in real life I have much bigger things to worry about. I just wanted to share what I was told. I'm not looking for problems with this phone but I do need more then. 01 mb per sec on the 3g side.
Rob
www.lostandtired.com (my families story)
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

I get you. This is an amzing phone but one marred with problems some of which could be fixed on the software side others that can't. But a great phone none the less.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Maybe your right. My frame of reference was my wifes droid 2 network performance. There is a significant difference between the reported reception of the 2 devices . That also translates to the download speed as well. As far as the signal numbers go that is just what Verizon tech told me. But in all honesty now that you mention it you mention it didn't the iphone 4 have a reception reporting issue that was fixed by an update. I'm basing my issues on real world performance though and not just the numbers. The numbers just seem to coincide with my data connection issues. Verizon said it was my phone and not the service in my area but you may be correct with the signal reporting. Thanks for pointing that out.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

ptfdmedic said:
Wow. Ok. Well I'm in the Cleveland market not that it matters as its hardware related. Yes I'm complaining because I really like this phone but it doesn't work as as its supposed to. If you read the forums the galaxy s phone have lots of problems from gps, signal to slider and image retention. It a shame because these are really nice phones, probably the best ones out right now.
I'm not on a quest for a perfect phone. I had issues with the Epic as many others have had as well. I left Sprint because I am the father to 3 Autistic kids. We spend alot of time at the Cleveland clinic and for some reason Sprint doesn't cover there very well.
I left Sprint and moved to Verizon for the better network but with the Fascinate I have been unable to tap into the network. We communicate with our customers and our kids doctors via email so the data connection. So yeah I complain when something that I am paying good money for doesn't work. I don't have money to throw away and verizon is more expensive then sprint. I was impressed with verizons customer service and am grateful they are helping me solve this problem because in real life I have much bigger things to worry about. I just wanted to share what I was told. I'm not looking for problems with this phone but I do need more then. 01 mb per sec on the 3g side.
Rob
www.lostandtired.com (my families story)
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a post about fixing slow 3G speeds, I have doubled mine playing around with it. I moved to Verizon because T-Mo didn't have good service at my new residence, and I was dropping calls. Also only edge. I would have little or no signal for the hour drive from and to Savannah, and dead zones in some of the busiest parts of the city.
I was very reluctant to jump carriers because I had an N1, and absolutely loved it. When I made the decision, I did a significant amount of research, and waited a month to grab a fascinate on release.
I haven't seen a single instant of no service, or for that matter, a 3G connection. Even in the rural boonies I have at least your reported data speeds, and about two bars on signal. Sitting in the middle of a five floor concrete and stone courthouse which is notorious for killing connection, I pull down .78 average and a -92 dbm.
So then, in complete agreement with the above posters, unless you know something about the phone hardware from a very well founded technical standpoint that has escaped the rest of us who are having no such issues, then perhaps you should consider some other possibilities. maybe you just got a bad device?
Or.
Perhaps you are actually a Droid X Ninja, working for Motorola to dissuade the ignorant from buying a better device....
hmmmmm....
In all seriousness though, I would take it Verizon and see about a swap. Your area should have a sufficient infrastructure to have a decent experience.

Daswolven said:
There's a post about fixing slow 3G speeds, I have doubled mine playing around with it. I moved to Verizon because T-Mo didn't have good service at my new residence, and I was dropping calls. Also only edge. I would have little or no signal for the hour drive from and to Savannah, and dead zones in some of the busiest parts of the city.
I was very reluctant to jump carriers because I had an N1, and absolutely loved it. When I made the decision, I did a significant amount of research, and waited a month to grab a fascinate on release.
I haven't seen a single instant of no service, or for that matter, a 3G connection. Even in the rural boonies I have at least your reported data speeds, and about two bars on signal. Sitting in the middle of a five floor concrete and stone courthouse which is notorious for killing connection, I pull down .78 average and a -92 dbm.
So then, in complete agreement with the above posters, unless you know something about the phone hardware from a very well founded technical standpoint that has escaped the rest of us who are having no such issues, then perhaps you should consider some other possibilities. maybe you just got a bad device?
Or.
Perhaps you are actually a Droid X Ninja, working for Motorola to dissuade the ignorant from buying a better device....
hmmmmm....
In all seriousness though, I would take it Verizon and see about a swap. Your area should have a sufficient infrastructure to have a decent experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you. The problem is I have been swapped out 3 times and I promise I'm not a droid x ninja I live in Canton Ohio very close to the pro football hall of fame. So you are right about the infrastructure. I honestly don't know what the problem is but it is only happening on the fascinate and not the droid 2 that my wife uses. All 3 of the phones have had the same reception issues. Maybe there is a bug in the code for reporting signal strengh as been suggested. I did try the 3g fix and pushed the file to the correct place but it didn't appear to make a difference one way or the other. People have had mixed success with that.
Get yours works great and that's awesome but for me I can't pull anything better then -96dBm and usually sit right around -106dBm. Verizon keeps telling me its the phone and gives me a new one and it performs the same way.
My intention was not to cause an a problem but to share what I had been told with others who are experiencing the same problems. Not everyone seems to be having the issue but there are issues. I had image retention on my Epic but not on the fascinate. However, there are many people having the retention with the fascinate as well. Just cause I haven't had it doesnt mean its not a problem for others. I really hope this is a software issue but I was told it wasn't. I was just trying to help others with the same problem by sharing what verizon told me. I'm glad your phone works well for you and honestly I'm envious because I wish mine did. Aside from my Palm Pre this is the best phone I have had. I just can't get it to work. The x should arrive soon and I see if there is a difference in performance regarding the network. My guess is that it will work better but part of me is really hoping that it has issues as well so verizon will put in a trouble ticket. They say my area is not having any problems and so they haven't put in a trouble ticket. I truly hope its a network issue or something else that can be fixed.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Motorola is known for having the best signal strength/connectivity in their phones/devices compared to other manufacturers. I personally haven't had an issue yet, but I'm getting similar download speeds to my old TP2, which is my comparison and there were places that signal and internet were terrible, and they are just slightly better with my Fascinate now, so I'm content with what I have.

Glad it is working well for you. The other thing that occured to me today was maybe my wifes phone is reporting the signal incorrectly and there is actually a problem in my area that just hasnt been reported. I had just assumed the Droid 2 was working better cause the numbers were better and it seem to connect calls faster and data was more stable.

It could just be a combination of things. Poor antennae placement in the Fascinate would lead to slightly worse signal strength and translate to lower data rates. A software error could make it seem like the problem is worse than it really is. I think the highest signal that anyone has seen reported on the Fascinate is -86dBm (or close to that). Compared to a Motorola device which has what may be one of the best systems for signal, and a similar software error may make it so that it appears that the signal strength difference is much greater than it really is. To go along with all of that, signal strength and data speeds are so dependent upon the environment and a ton of other factors that could make either go up or down from one minute/hour/day to the next.

Thanks. Makes sense.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

I to have been experiencing signal issues. This is a distinct signal difference between my Droid 1 and the Fascinate. While the signal received seems to be similar I have call quality issues on the Fascinate I have never had on the Droid. I to will end up returning this phone because of the issues unless Verizon can find a way to fix it.
The Fascinate is a great phone but poor signal is not an excuse for Verizon.
No, I'm not saying my market because it doesn't matter. The fact that there is an issue is the reason for this thread. If you happen to live in an area that has perfect signal every where you go then goody for you.

Having not owned another droid phone, i have experienced just the opposite as some of the posters here. I came from a TP and had problems talking on the phone in my house. The Fascinate has no problems inside the house or any other area i travel in. Where i work has spotty coverage as best but as soon as i step out the door i have signal, whereas with the TP i had to walk across the street to a vacant lot to get signal.

Xperia play reception problem ...

Hey everyone and tnx for reading this.
I am experiencing some reception problems with my play today.
Just started to happen today.
Here is wat happens. Out of no where (and i really mean out of nowhere!) the phone has no more reception or connection to 3G or wats so ever. Ithe icons show a diff story. The reception level is full and then internet is showing 3G as normal. But i think they hang. Cuz when i use data the 3G icon changes to H.
anyways this has happened over 10-15 times during the past ten hrs or so. My friends are saying ur phone was off or out of service and im at home where i always have perfect reception.
I didnt install or remove any app.
I didnt play with settings.
I try putting it in and out of flight mode. Sometime it worked. Not everytime tho.
I tried restartung the phone. Reinserting sim and batt. Also tried searching for network manually. But i keep losing reception. Any idea?
Thanks
Sent from my R800a using XDA App

Who is your provider? Sorry still getting used to all the providers.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

mamallica said:
Hey everyone and tnx for reading this.
I am experiencing some reception problems with my play today.
Just started to happen today.
Here is wat happens. Out of no where (and i really mean out of nowhere!) the phone has no more reception or connection to 3G or wats so ever. Ithe icons show a diff story. The reception level is full and then internet is showing 3G as normal. But i think they hang. Cuz when i use data the 3G icon changes to H.
anyways this has happened over 10-15 times during the past ten hrs or so. My friends are saying ur phone was off or out of service and im at home where i always have perfect reception.
I didnt install or remove any app.
I didnt play with settings.
I try putting it in and out of flight mode. Sometime it worked. Not everytime tho.
I tried restartung the phone. Reinserting sim and batt. Also tried searching for network manually. But i keep losing reception. Any idea?
Thanks
Sent from my R800a using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
G is slow speed.
E is medium speed.
H is broadband speed.
Go to wireless and networks to change to GSM only (permanently slow but better reception) or WCDMA only (permanently fast but probably worse reception based on how developed your carriers communication infrastructure is).

Legato525 said:
Who is your provider? Sorry still getting used to all the providers.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its rogers. Im in canada. Its not the network. I have been with them for years and i have had the Xperia play for over a month now. Never ever had a problem with reception. In fact its amazing.
As a matter of the fact u kno this is the problem from my phone. Which is most lijely software since i had my friend sitting next to me with his Bb he is also with rogers. He was fine bue wen he tried calling me mine said its out of service. Also i couldnt make a call to him. A few mins later everything got fixed and again it got messed up. As i said at all time the reception bar is full! But its not real since i jave no rec.
Any ideas?
Sent from my R800a using XDA App

dsswoosh said:
G is slow speed.
E is medium speed.
H is broadband speed.
Go to wireless and networks to change to GSM only (permanently slow but better reception) or WCDMA only (permanently fast but probably worse reception based on how developed your carriers communication infrastructure is).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tnx for ur advice. But i have had this phone for a month and i have been with rogers for yrs. So this is something happening now. Most likely software based.
I will however try wat u said
Sent from my R800a using XDA App

mamallica said:
Tnx for ur advice. But i have had this phone for a month and i have been with rogers for yrs. So this is something happening now. Most likely software based.
I will however try wat u said
Sent from my R800a using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GSM and WCDMA work differently and independantly. Your old Rogers phone probably worked using GSM.
WCDMA is not as well supported and could be considerably worse reception even though it is with the same carrier.
Go GSM only and note if the reception is better.

dsswoosh said:
GSM and WCDMA work differently and independantly. Your old Rogers phone probably worked using GSM.
WCDMA is not as well supported and could be considerably worse reception even though it is with the same carrier.
Go GSM only and note if the reception is better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand what you are saying. but as I said I have had this phone for a month and it worked perfectly. amazing reception and super fast data transfer. but its beeen 1-2 days that I am approaching such problem.
so its a software problem....

mamallica said:
I understand what you are saying. but as I said I have had this phone for a month and it worked perfectly. amazing reception and super fast data transfer. but its beeen 1-2 days that I am approaching such problem.
so its a software problem....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ye i understand. I'm just trying to throw some idea in the air to help you. I can understand how much of a frustrating problem it could be.
Lets' clarify -
1) You bought Xperia Play, worked perfect
2) After a month, your phone shows a good signal, but when friends telephone you it goes to answer machine as if you had 0 signal?
3) Basically all reception is lost and you have no signal, but sometimes it shows you do, even though you dont.
Here's some things to try -
1) Put your sim card in another phone and note the behaviour. Does it stay a strong signal? If yes, then it has got to be the Xperia Play at fault.
2) Put another sim card into your Xperia Play. Does it stay a strong signal? If yes, then it is actually your network provider at fault. If no, then the phone is at fault.
3) Try resetting the whole phone to default. Does the problem persist? If yes, then it is a hardware fault. If no, then problem solved.

dsswoosh said:
Ye i understand. I'm just trying to throw some idea in the air to help you. I can understand how much of a frustrating problem it could be.
Lets' clarify -
1) You bought Xperia Play, worked perfect
2) After a month, your phone shows a good signal, but when friends telephone you it goes to answer machine as if you had 0 signal?
3) Basically all reception is lost and you have no signal, but sometimes it shows you do, even though you dont.
Here's some things to try -
1) Put your sim card in another phone and note the behaviour. Does it stay a strong signal? If yes, then it has got to be the Xperia Play at fault.
2) Put another sim card into your Xperia Play. Does it stay a strong signal? If yes, then it is actually your network provider at fault. If no, then the phone is at fault.
3) Try resetting the whole phone to default. Does the problem persist? If yes, then it is a hardware fault. If no, then problem solved.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot. I did restart it to factory defult yesterday! didnt help! I even reinstalled the whole software using SEUS. nothing is changed.
I know the service provider is fine since my friend sitting next to me had perfect signal. he is also using the same network as i do.
now I am jus waiting for my brother to come home. he has the arc. same network. im gonna double check the sim cards and if its the phone i will send it for repair!

I am having the same problem with mine and reception, I don't know if 85dbm is supposed to be good but I am used to having full bars in my house. I only get about 2 now.

Reception for me is terrible. Used to be a lot better on my crappy old samsung gravity.
Drops to zero bars constantly, and often says no service when inside the house.
My wifi stops working the second I'm out the front door too. Wifi works fine across the street for all my other devices, including a laptop and a samsung captivate.
This leads me to believe the radio transmitter is a defective design. I'll be calling my provider tomorrow.
Edit: wifi doesn't work now at all.
The phone's wifi icon shows it as connected, but theres no transfer of data, router doesn't see the device as logged in.
Some google searches have revealed this to be a common defect. I for one am not pleased.
Sent from my R800a

Just holding the device lowers signal!!!!
I know that sounds like crap but in the instruction manual it says not to cover the back fo the phone as it affects the signal.
No two ways around it, the phone has issues. I have taken it to carphone warephone and shown them it going from 4 bars to 1/0 bars just buy holding it. As it is over 14 days I am screwed. Whats worse it tha that had stop selling the phone to new customers as it has so many issues.
If you look at your battery life, then click on it you get the graph which shows signal. On mine were it say awake / screen on. i.e. you are holding it, the colour goes from bright green to dull green in perfect unison.
I am currently on my 2nd phone, the first one had 5 different faults. I now have 4 batteries due having to use moxier mail as the stock mail is sh1t. unhappy times

nelly_boy said:
I know that sounds like crap but in the instruction manual it says not to cover the back fo the phone as it affects the signal.
No two ways around it, the phone has issues. I have taken it to carphone warephone and shown them it going from 4 bars to 1/0 bars just buy holding it. As it is over 14 days I am screwed. Whats worse it tha that had stop selling the phone to new customers as it has so many issues.
If you look at your battery life, then click on it you get the graph which shows signal. On mine were it say awake / screen on. i.e. you are holding it, the colour goes from bright green to dull green in perfect unison.
I am currently on my 2nd phone, the first one had 5 different faults. I now have 4 batteries due having to use moxier mail as the stock mail is sh1t. unhappy times
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4 bars for me.
Cover the back with my hand.......yep still 4 bars.
If the phone was bad I would of had a **** load of problems too right?
Phone has worked perfect for me in the 2 months I have owned it.

nelly_boy said:
No two ways around it, the phone has issues. I have taken it to carphone warephone and shown them it going from 4 bars to 1/0 bars just buy holding it. As it is over 14 days I am screwed. Whats worse it tha that had stop selling the phone to new customers as it has so many issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just take it back.. Demand they fix it or give you a new one... Itll still be under warranty
Sent from my LT15i using XDA App

Hi guys!
I'm sorry to hear about your problems with Xperia PLAY.
I would suggest that you try some things before considering leaving it into your retailers for a check by a service technician.
Double check that the problem is not caused by an old SIM card. Old SIM's and new phones can sometimes cause troubles. So please try with a later SIM card if possible.
If that doesn't make any difference you could reinstall the phone software or update to Android 2.3.3 which is under launch right now. When the update becomes available for your device differs from market to market and is also depending on operator customization.
BR
Johan
Sony Ericsson

Johan-SEAnswers said:
Hi guys!
I'm sorry to hear about your problems with Xperia PLAY.
I would suggest that you try some things before considering leaving it into your retailers for a check by a service technician.
Double check that the problem is not caused by an old SIM card. Old SIM's and new phones can sometimes cause troubles. So please try with a later SIM card if possible.
If that doesn't make any difference you could reinstall the phone software or update to Android 2.3.3 which is under launch right now. When the update becomes available for your device differs from market to market and is also depending on operator customization.
BR
Johan
Sony Ericsson
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a warning, if you unlocked Bootloader ! using FOTA or SEUS very likely will result in a non-usable handset (bricked) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Johan-SEAnswers said:
Hi guys!
I'm sorry to hear about your problems with Xperia PLAY.
I would suggest that you try some things before considering leaving it into your retailers for a check by a service technician.
Double check that the problem is not caused by an old SIM card. Old SIM's and new phones can sometimes cause troubles. So please try with a later SIM card if possible.
If that doesn't make any difference you could reinstall the phone software or update to Android 2.3.3 which is under launch right now. When the update becomes available for your device differs from market to market and is also depending on operator customization.
BR
Johan
Sony Ericsson
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did all that. Except the update. Actually I just realized its the network. All my frind have the problem. Rogers confirmed. Play has a nice reception. It was the network! Thanks for all ur help.
Sent from my R800a using XDA App

captain67 said:
Reception for me is terrible. Used to be a lot better on my crappy old samsung gravity.
Drops to zero bars constantly, and often says no service when inside the house.
My wifi stops working the second I'm out the front door too. Wifi works fine across the street for all my other devices, including a laptop and a samsung captivate.
This leads me to believe the radio transmitter is a defective design. I'll be calling my provider tomorrow.
Edit: wifi doesn't work now at all.
The phone's wifi icon shows it as connected, but theres no transfer of data, router doesn't see the device as logged in.
Some google searches have revealed this to be a common defect. I for one am not pleased.
Sent from my R800a
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was having trouble with that also.
I changed my router to 802.11G only. I have devices that do not support n so i went with G. it took a day or two but but it fixed it.
to get it working when it does that you have to disconnect and then reconnect.