[Q] is the reception on this phone weak? - myTouch 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

yea im new to this site but...
is anybody else having really bad connection/reception with this phone?
im on my 3rd mytouch 4g replacement and every phone is the same. its really irritating. i can have full bars then it would just go down to 2bars then right back up to full bars all standing in one spot. idk whats this phones problem.
is there anything i can do to fix it?
thanks in advance!

Answer: My mt4g reception is good and stable so this phone's reception is good.

Related

settings for better reception?

i switched to att because i got a free 8525 and supposedly i got better reception at my home. when i first got the phone i went into field test mode and reception was about -85db. lately it has been around -98db. are there any settings to help get better reception?
i believe there is.. maybe try a different radio.. i can tell you one thing.. i had a tmobile mda and couldnt hold signal in my basement no matter what. but now that i have the 8525 unlocked i pull 2 bars constant
bump. my 30 days are coming up soon. called att and they put in an incident form. there's nothing else they can do. i love this phone and my rate is good. any way to get better reception?
juicychus said:
bump. my 30 days are coming up soon. called att and they put in an incident form. there's nothing else they can do. i love this phone and my rate is good. any way to get better reception?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your question was answered... upgrade your radio, it improved my reception a ton.
i you don't know how then read the wiki.
External attenna

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

Better Reception If I Root?

I have a Nexus One with what seems to be pretty standard reception. In other words my myTouch 3G will have a 3g connection while my Nexus one which is next to it sometimes has a GPRS or an EDGE connection, both on T-Mobile.
Some of this may be the physical aspects of the phone, ie, antenna, it's position in the case and it's efficiency, while some of it might be the software.
So my question is for all you who have rooted. Did you find your reception improved, got worse or stayed the same?
I've only had mine a few weeks, this could help me decide if I want to call HTC and complain and get a replacement before rooting it, etc.
artcarney said:
I have a Nexus One with what seems to be pretty standard reception. In other words my myTouch 3G will have a 3g connection while my Nexus one which is next to it sometimes has a GPRS or an EDGE connection, both on T-Mobile.
Some of this may be the physical aspects of the phone, ie, antenna, it's position in the case and it's efficiency, while some of it might be the software.
So my question is for all you who have rooted. Did you find your reception improved, got worse or stayed the same?
I've only had mine a few weeks, this could help me decide if I want to call HTC and complain and get a replacement before rooting it, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
please post this in the correct forum
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=603
I apologize. How do I get this moved or do I just repost in the dev forum?
You'll be moved pretty soon. =)
I just followed Blueman101's link and reposted .... oh boy!

[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.

[Q] Bad reception / dropped calls / no network

Hey everyone. I don't know if this has been discussed already but I did search the crap out of google only to find, we'll, not much really...
The topic title says it all.. I am having major issues with terrible data reception resulting in unsent SMS and straight to voicemail calls. It is getting really annoying. I have tried everything.. Changed SIM card, Odin back to 4.3 stock, flashed random modems in hope they work...
The really annoying part is that it gets great reception in so local areas.. I went to the BELL store to whine about the problem and the darnn phone was getting 4 bars. Made me look like a fool.
My wife has an s3 with bell and while I get missed calls she gets great reception so it can't be the ISP ..
Is anyone else about to go nuts? Is anyone looking at possible tweaks around this? Thanks
obtuce said:
Hey everyone. I don't know if this has been discussed already but I did search the crap out of google only to find, we'll, not much really...
The topic title says it all.. I am having major issues with terrible data reception resulting in unsent SMS and straight to voicemail calls. It is getting really annoying. I have tried everything.. Changed SIM card, Odin back to 4.3 stock, flashed random modems in hope they work...
The really annoying part is that it gets great reception in so local areas.. I went to the BELL store to whine about the problem and the darnn phone was getting 4 bars. Made me look like a fool.
My wife has an s3 with bell and while I get missed calls she gets great reception so it can't be the ISP ..
Is anyone else about to go nuts? Is anyone looking at possible tweaks around this? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMHO Bell sucks.
Canadian providers just suck.
nicholaschum said:
IMHO Bell sucks.
Canadian providers just suck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your insight lol..
obtuce said:
Thanks for your insight lol..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No seriously.
I have a Canadian Note 3, on Rogers. Occasionally I get only 3G, no signal, and little LTE.
Only in the most crowded places is there good signal, like downtown Toronto.
nicholaschum said:
No seriously.
I have a Canadian Note 3, on Rogers. Occasionally I get only 3G, no signal, and little LTE.
Only in the most crowded places is there good signal, like downtown Toronto.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree my man.. But as i stated, my wife on her S3 gets great signal where i do not... So i think the problem is beyond Rogers/Bell ..
obtuce said:
I agree my man.. But as i stated, my wife on her S3 gets great signal where i do not... So i think the problem is beyond Rogers/Bell ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try updating to the latest 4.4.2 firmware and hope for the best.
nicholaschum said:
Try updating to the latest 4.4.2 firmware and hope for the best.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
up to date alreay man. i am gonna revert back to stock again and keep it stock for a while to see if it's an issue with custom roms.
in the mean time, am i the only one with bad reception issues?
obtuce said:
up to date alreay man. i am gonna revert back to stock again and keep it stock for a while to see if it's an issue with custom roms.
in the mean time, am i the only one with bad reception issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I also have terrible reception problems on mine. I'm in the US (T-Mobile). This phone has the worst reception and I basically don't get any bars in most buildings I go into (where I used to have full bars on my galaxy s2). For data, I only see "E" all the time and rarely see 4G, again in places where I used to always have excellent reception with my old galaxy S2.
Waiting to see if anyone has a tip or a fix for this. I can't return the phone because I bought it second hand. :crying:

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