Database Users

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

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.

In Light of NS4G Signal Problems - Advice Wanted

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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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)!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.

Help in returning my Nexus 4

Hello. Since I buy this phone the signal wile on 3G keeps dropping from 5 bars to 2,5,2,3,2 etc. It does not totally disconnects but the issue is draining my battery because is always trying to get a full signal. Plus wile gaming it gets hot and even when I'm just browsing the web only it gets hot. I want to know if is just me or this is not happening to anyone else. This phone is a week old so I am in my 15 days return.

Doesn't sound as if anything is wrong. If your hand is covering the lower portion of the phone, that is where the cell antennae are and you will see reduced bars. If you set it on a table and the bars are more consistent it is your hand that is attenuating the antenna.
It does get warm when it is working hard.

Solutions Etcetera said:
Doesn't sound as if anything is wrong. If your hand is covering the lower portion of the phone, that is where the cell antennae are and you will see reduced bars. If you set it on a table and the bars are more consistent it is your hand that is attenuating the antenna.
It does get warm when it is working hard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick reply. Another thing is the battery. Why the battery has more Mhz than the iphone 5 but it last less?

Because Apple designs and optimizes everything, from the OS down to the CPU.

Solutions Etcetera said:
Because Apple designs and optimizes everything, from the OS down to the CPU.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So basically there is nothing wrong with the hardware of my phone, every issue is just the os for now?

darkdhanil said:
So basically there is nothing wrong with the hardware of my phone, every issue is just the os for now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is my assessment. Nothing seems out of the ordinary based on your description. I have yet to see an Android phone anywhere near as efficient with battery as a modern day iPhone.

Solutions Etcetera said:
That is my assessment. Nothing seems out of the ordinary based on your description. I have yet to see an Android phone anywhere near as efficient with battery as a modern day iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Last Questions
Is there any workaround on the signal? Or any help with the drops? Are you getting 3 to 4 signal bars on 3G?
Thanks for your patience.
PS: Yes i notice that i put it on a table and i get full signal bars but when i grab it it start to drop. Even with a bumper on. That sucks lol.

Holding the phone higher up helps some, so that your hand does not cover the antennas at the bottom of the phone.

darkdhanil said:
Last Questions
Is there any workaround on the signal? Or any help with the drops? Are you getting 3 to 4 signal bars on 3G?
Thanks for your patience.
PS: Yes i notice that i put it on a table and i get full signal bars but when i grab it it start to drop. Even with a bumper on. That sucks lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
who do you use for a carrier?

s2monkey said:
who do you use for a carrier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is a Puerto Rico carrier called Claro. Basically Verizon since they buy Verizon in here.

darkdhanil said:
Is a Puerto Rico carrier called Claro. Basically Verizon since they buy Verizon in here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have you gotten the chance to look up your carriers apn's for your area? it can help with cell reception and data speeds. i use at&t and if i dont configure my apn properly my signal and data suck haha. only 2-3mbps compared to 15-20mbps.

s2monkey said:
have you gotten the chance to look up your carriers apn's for your area? it can help with cell reception and data speeds. i use at&t and if i dont configure my apn properly my signal and data suck haha. only 2-3mbps compared to 15-20mbps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes i have set the apn and still the same. A friend came to my house with the same carrier but using an iphone 5 and he had 3 bars only and i have 5 wile untouched but 3 while grabbing it so i think it is ok then.

darkdhanil said:
Yes i have set the apn and still the same. A friend came to my house with the same carrier but using an iphone 5 and he had 3 bars only and i have 5 wile untouched but 3 while grabbing it so i think it is ok then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah could also be how far you are to the nearest cell towers, but your grip on the phone shouldn't make that much of a difference . i've also seen a free app called getril help. it makes your ril(radio interface layer) match your baseband(radio) i've used it in the past when i was playing around with different radios.
good luck dude!

s2monkey said:
yeah could also be how far you are to the nearest cell towers, but your grip on the phone shouldn't make that much of a difference . i've also seen a free app called getril help. it makes your ril(radio interface layer) match your baseband(radio) i've used it in the past when i was playing around with different radios.
good luck dude!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The app says the ril matches. I am sending the phone back to google. I already ordered the replacement. Was thinking that maybe they fixed this internally in the new white one but i'm not taking any chances so i replaced my new black one. BTW I have 7 days with it .

Signal booster without wifi, or phone mod? RESOLVED - Sort of

Just moved to a rural area and the Verizon map shows I should have either 3g or 4g (right on the edge of the line between the two) in my location. But if I hold my tongue just right, at best I may get 1 bar of 3g. And if I'm indoors, forget it. Not even voice calls or texts. Any apps to try for this? I guess I kind of doubt it.
My main question is, has anybody tried any of the signal boosters? Not the ones that use wifi, because I don't get that in my rural area either. It seems I just bought a place in an infamous dead spot. I'm talking about one of the tower mounted "repeaters" like the ones at Wilson Electronics. There is a local company that sells and installs them, for $1800! Yikes! I'm wondering if they could possibly work THAT well? Anybody have any experience with these?
Edit:
I've sort of resolved this, in case anybody runs across this thread. Not the resolution I was looking for, but something is better than nothing. I wound up having to get a local "wireless" internet connection. Instead of broadband, its an antenna that goes on the roof, and a modem that looks like it was made in the 80's that goes inside. Verizon hooked me up with a Samsung booster and it actually seems to work really well. I've only had it for a day, but so far, no dropped calls, no crackling, great sounding calls and immediate text deliveries. Oh, and the internet is rated at 4mbps in case anybody is shopping around to fix a similar problem. Wish I had more info on the Wilson, non-wifi boosters. Maybe in the future...

scott_65 said:
Just moved to a rural area and the Verizon map shows I should have either 3g or 4g (right on the edge of the line between the two) in my location. But if I hold my tongue just right, at best I may get 1 bar of 3g. And if I'm indoors, forget it. Not even voice calls or texts. Any apps to try for this? I guess I kind of doubt it.
My main question is, has anybody tried any of the signal boosters? Not the ones that use wifi, because I don't get that in my rural area either. It seems I just bought a place in an infamous dead spot. I'm talking about one of the tower mounted "repeaters" like the ones at Wilson Electronics. There is a local company that sells and installs them, for $1800! Yikes! I'm wondering if they could possibly work THAT well? Anybody have any experience with these?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no idea about signal boosters but you can try different modems and see if that helps, if you haven't already. Just put your phone in download mode and flash thru odin. You may need to be rooted if you aren't. Not 100% on being rooted to flash modems but I would be rooted to make sure. I'm on NC2 leak and that modem was awful for me. Now I'm on NC2 with the NC4 modem and it's been lovely.
Link : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=47400062&postcount=1

Thats good to know, thanks! I'm having horrible luck on NC2 as well. But my wife is using my old note 2 running an old jb rom I had on it (I think maybe cleanrom). She's having the same problems. So I know its not just the phone, it is the actual signal at this location. But I will try the modem change, since my signal has suffered everywhere else too.
Would still like info on boosters if anybody else has used them, thanks

scott_65 said:
Thats good to know, thanks! I'm having horrible luck on NC2 as well. But my wife is using my old note 2 running an old jb rom I had on it (I think maybe cleanrom). She's having the same problems. So I know its not just the phone, it is the actual signal at this location. But I will try the modem change, since my signal has suffered everywhere else too.
Would still like info on boosters if anybody else has used them, thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, then maybe my info won't help if you're wife's phone signal is sucking too, but I tried.

Sorry man, wasn't trying to be rude at all, your info was much appreciated! I just downloaded and installed the NC4 modem, I'm using it as we speak. I appreciate any help that anybody on these forums offers me. Your knowledge will undoubtedly help out my situation.
That being said, I'm also looking for information from anyone that has used one of these boosters for this other particular reception problem that I'm having. I was merely stating that, while your solution will likely help my phones individual signal strength, my location is requiring a little more effort than just a phone enhancement. Sorry if I came across rude or offended in any way. Its never my intentions

You weren't rude at all dude, sorry if I gave you that impression. We're good.....

Do you have land-line phone service? I'm thinking of getting one from best buy that costs about $300. It does not use the phone line, per se. It just uses the wiring as the antenna and boosts 4g. Don't remember the name. . .

LeftyGR said:
Do you have land-line phone service? I'm thinking of getting one from best buy that costs about $300. It does not use the phone line, per se. It just uses the wiring as the antenna and boosts 4g. Don't remember the name. . .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have the service, but the old house I bought does still have the wires in it. Same thing I suppose, unless it uses the voltage thats in the wires... Good idea, I'll look into it as well. Thanks!

If you want cell phone voice coverage get a verizon network extender if you have home internet. Otherwise use a wilson electronics db pro 4g or dt4g amplifier system. Amazon sells them at a decent price