Hi,
I'd like to request someone with a Galaxy Nexus on Verizon do a side by side (well, you'll have to pop the sim card out, but "side-by-side" meaning readings in the same spot) comparison of the radio signal levels with this app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5jYy5zaWduYWxpbmZvIl0
It's a great way to see the real signal info, including SNR, etc. I'm VERY leery of a Samsung device after the Galaxy Nexus' terrible radio, and I'm hoping the S4 is better. But I'm hoping to see some proof it's better before I consider buying one (especially since I'll be buying full retail to keep unlimited data).
So for you GNex owners out there who are getting an S4 - would you be so kind as to post a screen shot of that app on both phones in the same spots? Preferably in a weaker signal area (but still on 4G or somewhere the GNex flips between 3G and 4G) and a stronger signal area?
Thanks in advance!
jkc120 said:
Hi,
I'd like to request someone with a Galaxy Nexus on Verizon do a side by side (well, you'll have to pop the sim card out, but "side-by-side" meaning readings in the same spot) comparison of the radio signal levels with this app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5jYy5zaWduYWxpbmZvIl0
It's a great way to see the real signal info, including SNR, etc. I'm VERY leery of a Samsung device after the Galaxy Nexus' terrible radio, and I'm hoping the S4 is better. But I'm hoping to see some proof it's better before I consider buying one (especially since I'll be buying full retail to keep unlimited data).
So for you GNex owners out there who are getting an S4 - would you be so kind as to post a screen shot of that app on both phones in the same spots? Preferably in a weaker signal area (but still on 4G or somewhere the GNex flips between 3G and 4G) and a stronger signal area?
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will tell you this coming from the gnex the signal strength is WAY better on the S4. I dont have time right now to do your comparison but take it for what its worth. I get constant 2-3 bars at work now where i was getting 0-1 of 4G.
Holsum said:
I will tell you this coming from the gnex the signal strength is WAY better on the S4. I dont have time right now to do your comparison but take it for what its worth. I get constant 2-3 bars at work now where i was getting 0-1 of 4G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good info thanks! If you get some time to do a side-by-side comparison I'd be really grateful!
I've got really crappy signal in my room ( at least I DID with my GNex) and now I have 3 bars. I'll sluff off work for a sec and let you know. Stand by
Sparatan117 said:
I've got really crappy signal in my room ( at least I DID with my GNex) and now I have 3 bars. I'll sluff off work for a sec and let you know. Stand by
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great! Thanks a lot! I assume the simcard is usable in both so you can swap it back and forth to get a screen shot in the app for both phones? I really appreciate it!
jkc120 said:
Great! Thanks a lot! I assume the simcard is usable in both so you can swap it back and forth to get a screen shot in the app for both phones? I really appreciate it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does. The Micro Sim (I think) is useable in both. It was kinda funny, I pulled up the screenshot of the GNex on the S4 after beaming it, and kept hitting the white house nav bar icon going "why isn't it going home" ... sigh
haha anyways here...
SG4
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GNex
Sparatan117 said:
It does. The Micro Sim (I think) is useable in both. It was kinda funny, I pulled up the screenshot of the GNex on the S4 after beaming it, and kept hitting the white house nav bar icon going "why isn't it going home" ... sigh
haha anyways here...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, so the Gnex doesn't even have a 4G connection? Can you turn off wifi just in case? Wonder if the Nexus is leaving the 4g radio off with wifi on?
No, 4G is almost non existent in my room. If I get it, it'll be one bar and the data flow will be < 250kb/s I'll walk outside later on and try to get some better results. I think that test shows by itself how much better the radio is on the GS4
Sparatan117 said:
No, 4G is almost non existent in my room. If I get it, it'll be one bar and the data flow will be < 250kb/s I'll walk outside later on and try to get some better results. I think that test shows by itself how much better the radio is on the GS4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sure does! Thanks again!
Yup, my wife has the S4 I have the nexus. She was getting 7mbps in our house on 2 bars of 4G. I was getting 512kbps on 4 bars of 3g. Crazy!
If anyone has the ability to do this test with a DNA vs S4 that would be awesome.
Considering the S3 has weak data radios, but is much better than the Gnex, seems respectfully the Gnex is too low of a bar for comparison
S3 and S4 appear to be similar. I luv my S3 for other things, but data radio reception ain't one of them. I value my friends input and initial impressions are no better than the S3. Watch out for new device pixie dust, since can cause a lack of impartiality
i had a gnex before getting my s4. i'm using the same sim card that was in my gnex and put it in my s4. without a doubt the radios in the s4 are better than the gnex. during my commute and all the places i normally go, when my gnex would drop 4g my s4 keeps 4g.
the test that really did it for me...youtube vids or streaming music would routinely cut off on the gnex when the signal started to degrade. i haven't had that happen once with my s4. also the gps lock is significantly faster on my s4 than it was on my gnex.
no question s4 > gnex. i am very pleased.
I had a GNEX until last night when I got my S4. I noticed that I could not get 4G at home on the S4 which has me worried because I would get 4G with no issues on m GNEX. Actually I haven't seen the 4G icon on my phone yet and I live and work in areas where I would have 4G on the GNEX.
When I got the phone I just took it home and swapped the sim. Not sure if there is some other provisioning that needs to happen.
tenuit thus
This is great information - I have the Galaxy Nexus for my work phone since it came out and I've kind of hated the radio strength. Even the wifi reception at my house was terrible. My old Droid 2 was stable as a rock whereas the Nexus would drop all the time and have bad 4g. So, it's exciting to hear I might get good reception again.
Awful Awful radios on the Gnex. I too came from that boat as well as the GS3. So far so good with the S4 radios.
Well I said I'd do a better comparison. I grabbed my mothers GS3, my GS4, and my old GNex and did a side by side
I'm quite shocked, I barely had 1 bar with the GNex of 4G.
I'm getting just as good our maybe even better signal than my old rezound.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda premium
Related
I live in Minnesota, there is Wimax coverage in the cities that I use a lot.
I know Sprint is rolling out new tower updates, but I don't think they have done jack squat in Minnesota.
I currently have a Epic 4G Touch with AOKP, my 3G speeds are horrible everywhere. I would be lucky if 3G speeds are .20 Mbps. The saving grace is Wimax that I use everyday for work. My work internet is slow, so I tether my Wimax, speeds are decent.
With that said, the EVO 4G LTE isn't even Wimax compatible, and I have no clue when they are going to start 3G tower upgrading let alone LTE here in Minnesota.
What's the point of having a data plan if I have to be on Wifi to use the phone effectively.
So to you owners without LTE and their new 3G, how are you handling it?
having this same dilemna. 3g is so so in my are. usually b/t 200-400kbps.
We have wimax but its not all that great either. I love my epic touch 4g but im just ready for something new. Decisions.
I love this EVO & I have good 3G.
If you have WiMAX now, dismal 3G & you aren't in a 1st, 2nd or pending wave NV/LTE region (don't focus on the city name on the rollout list, if you're near the city, you're fine) I say no.
Test the EVO LTE's speed in store as it runs 3G better, just to get an idea on if you could tolerate that performance, vs judging from your existing phone.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
I have no WiMAX in my area so LTE won't matter to me. 3g is fast enough around here for when I'm not on WiFi.
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Sent from my EVO LTE using Tapatalk 2
I also live in Minnesota and my 3g speed doubled from my og evo
Sent from my EVO using XDA
Usually I am near a wifi so this isn't a big deal for me when wifi actually works. 3g is good enough to stream pandora and check email on the road.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
its worth it. get the phone if you can.
i leave wifi on. this phone utilizes wifi so well and is so energy efficient compared to the evo 4g. im amazed. so i just leave it on.
3g gets turned on when im away from the house.
by the looks of it, lte round 2 rollout will probably be sooner than i thought. hopefully.
Well the short of it is if you truly use wimax every day and you are not in one of the first cities then keep your current phone...otherwise you'll have to go to wifi or suffer through the 3G in your area...
btw here is Mn NetworkVision rollout...http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/...in-network-visionlte-in-the-2nd-half-of-2012/
I was told 2 weeks ago that Memphis will have LTE in Oct
jfoster38122 said:
I was told 2 weeks ago that Memphis will have LTE in Oct
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
click that link i posted up there....they start this month supposedly and have first sites live in July sometime....now if they do the same LTE blockout like they are right now till they are ready with more sites to bring on at once who knows...
My 3G coverage is perfectly fine here in Colorado Springs. I wasnt using wimax on my OG EVO anyway so Im not missing anything. And actually I feel like this phone is having a better signal on 3G than my OG was.
Yes.
I live in Minnesota (Eagan) and here are my recent results from a few minutes ago. With my nexus s 4g I never broke 1.2Mbps down and up was usually around 350 kbps. Something is better about the 3g in this phone. I can't believe the up results.
Evo_Shift said:
I live in Minnesota (Eagan) and here are my recent results from a few minutes ago. With my nexus s 4g I never broke 1.2Mbps down and up was usually around 350 kbps. Something is better about the 3g in this phone. I can't believe the up results.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you for that info, i live in columbia heights and the 3g is so bad here its a joke. Would you say the call quality (dropped calls etc) is better vs your old device? And do we have anyone from the north metro reading here? My kid lives in coon rapids/ blaine area. I was wondering if the new evo is better there also.
woody296 said:
thank you for that info, i live in columbia heights and the 3g is so bad here its a joke. Would you say the call quality (dropped calls etc) is better vs your old device? And do we have anyone from the north metro reading here? My kid lives in coon rapids/ blaine area. I was wondering if the new evo is better there also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've only made two calls and they were both good. I discovered during the calls the tiny microphone hole is easy to cover with my pinky though which annoyed me but i will get used to that. I never had problems on my old phone with dropped calls though.
No.
Is it even worth it if you live in an area without LTE anytime soon?
No. After the newness wears off, it's just another late model Android phone. Seriously.
If it were on VZW's LTE network, it would be worth all the accolades. But on Sprint's third world data network, it's no faster than any other smartphone on their network. Sure apps open quickly, but need data? Get ready for the scrolling progress wheel.
I have one. It's a pleasure to hold, but I use my Droid 4 when I leave the house. It's world's faster than the EVO.
A separate question is, why would anyone be on Sprint, if not for price, these days? I know that's why I'm on it.
(And for the masses 'satisfied' with 3g - Sprint has you right where they want you. I'm sure there were lots of people on dial-up saying "I don't need DSL" 15 years ago... The difference is night and day.).
Figured they'd flip the switch in Atlanta already, in time for their delayed launch. No such luck!
If you want the best phone on the market today that will function until 800 LTE arrives then this phone is for you. This phone IMHO future proof until 2014 LTE roll out. SVDO, and HD voice smooth fluid software interaction, excellent appearance screen wise, build quality, and weight makes this the best Android phone on the market.
This is my opinion from ny handling it yesterday in a Sprint store. SGIII may be faster, but other than "SPEED" the EVO 4g LTE has feature thatmost people will love to have. The number one feature that it has is SVDO, number two HD voice future hardware built in.
If I needed a phone today even if it didn't have LTE this is the one to have! If I don't need a phone I could wait, and I am waiting, but I am leaning towards this and in a few weeks if there are no bugs.......my Photon in immaculate condition is out!
I would say it depends on the way you use your phone.
If you use data intensive apps like I do (netflix, plex, youtube) then no.
I use wimax multiple times thru out my day so I would sorely miss it.
I pr-ordered one from Wirefly because $119 was just too good to pass up.
But cancelled later on because I would be kicking myself after newness wore off and I was stuck on 3G for thenext couple of months until LTD is expected to be launched in NYC.
I say yes for obvious reasons but the one fun fact about this phone is.....You can talk AND surf the web at the same time on 3G!! I see people get upset about the fact they don't have LTE yet or it's not coming to their area anytime soon. Lest we forget my fellow EVO users we did the SAME EXACT THING when the OG EVO was released. WiMax was a big deal but at least LTE is rolled out already in some places. WiMax was non-existent at that time and that didn't stop any of us from pre-ordering and waiting in line for that breakthrough in technology. This phone is no different. It's cutting edge technology and, TRUST ME, when you use the phone and see that screen, you're not gonna give a rat's bottom about LTE. You would, like me, stick to WiFi or 3G and be cool with it until LTE comes to your town the same way we did with WiMax. This phone is light years ahead of the OG and the speed and functionality are unmatched, in my opinion. I find a new feature everyday and I've had my phone since the 25th. I say try it and feel it out. You don't like it return it for your money within the Return Policy and wait for the next big thing. You have nothing to lose and you can see for yourself if you wanna keep it or wait. I can almost guarantee once you use it, it's almost impossible to go back to the OG.
So I know alot of us are having issues with data speed on our Evo 4G LTE's
Im doing a comparison test using speedtest.net. Because I dont have both devices activated at the same time, I had to do it on one then activate the other and do it on that as well. The phones were placed in the exact same location using the exact same tower, which I am about 1000 feet from.
Evo 4g LTE
- signal strength 3 bars -94 dBm
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Evo 4g
- signal strength 4 bars -88 dBm
Now I know this information is slightly off because of the time difference but as you can see the speeds vary greatly. I am going to keep my Evo 4g LTE for a few more days to see if sprint does anything about this.
Things I have done to try and fix the speed issues:
-reset the phone
-reprovision the phone using my MSL
-update PRL
-update profile
-I tested another Evo 4g LTE and got the same dismal results
Sorry I forgot to mention the Sprint rep told me those speeds on the EVO 4g LTE are normal -_-
Wow that was sure "In depth"
In one of the posts on here, there's reference to some optimized network settings. I wonder if that will help.
I don't have the link handy, nor do I recall book marking/subscribing to it. Effectively, it optimizes tcp/ip settings, similar to what was done when going from dialup to dsl/cable; larger receive window buffers and a few other changes.
Sorry I started this thread comparing both phones from 4 different locations on different towers at the same time but for whatever reason none of the screen shots saved on my EVO 4G LTE and I had already switched phones out 4 times and was getting tired of it. But in 3 of the 4 locations the original EVO out shined the 4G LTE. Only in a parking lot with blue skys were the 2 devices similar in speed.
THIS IS JUST RIDICULOUS! 3G IS USELESS FOR ME!
Ping 622 Download 89kbps
Returning this POS if sprint doesn't fix soon.
Sent from my EVO using XDA
Poor Connections - hardware or software?
Massiveian-
Thanks a ton for doing that. I've been keeping a running log of my speed tests on the LTE and was planning to re-initialize the OG 4G to make a similar comparison. You saved me the effort.
Basically your data is pretty clear that the LTE is running approximately 5X fslower than the old 4G on the same exact network setup.
This in my view brings the problem squarely bacj to the phone.
Do you think its fixable? H/W (antenna etc. ) or a S/W problem?
I'm kind thinking that the device and radio are designed for the supposed LTE network and that it's simply suboptimal running on the 3G network and the only thing that's going top work is emergence of LTE network, but based on the "4G" i'm not going to hold my breath.
I'm seeing that this is a real dealbreaker for a lot of users. I'v had the phone since pre-order so its now probably like 2 weks and basically I can't get alot of use out of it.
I'm dialing *2 for sprint in the am and going back to the evo 4g until this is resolved.
I'm frustrated because I got a galaxy [email protected] and it also had really bad connections, now I thought lte would be the one, but looks like I'm going to wait longer.
Mike
I have ****ty data speeds too. I dont ha r data to back it up but my phone sucks add if I am not on WiFi.
Sent from my New School EVO LTE
That ping seems long even for the OG EVO getting 1+ MB/s. Is your GPS picking a server close to you?
For all the people with data connection problems, where are you located? There's been talk about 1st stage LTE rollout cities having their towers heavily worked on to push out LTE which I'm assuming which will affect our data connectivity.
I'm in San Francisco and have noticed horrible speeds in pockets of the city, but will be perfectly normal a few blocks over after switching towers. This makes me fairly certain it's a network issue and not phone issue.
Also, I work in San Jose which is a 2nd stage LTE city (weird how they split the Bay Area into 2 regions) and I've never seen data connectivity issues around there.
Damn those speeds suck, I switched my galaxy nexus for this phone cause I ended up getting better speeds, right now is late in Las Vegas so I'm getting almost 2mbps
This is what I got earlier in the morning
And this is my peak hour
If this speeds go lower I'm changing carriers I like this phone so I do want to keep it but I want to have the same speeds
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
Although the phone itself is fantastic I really cant recommend it based on the data/network performance... and its really unsettling because the build quality is fantastic and I wanted them to really outshine the competition. I bought a case for it, stuck a screen protector on it, made sure it was all good and ready for the long haul and now I'm thinking of returning it.
Here in Dallas with a 3G speed of 157kbps, you just cant do anything with it. I have to feed off my local wi-fi in order to do anything data related with my phone (thankfully that signal is amazing, 12Mbps).
But now after trying multiple roms, multiple settings, different PRL's I have ran out of options and my 14 days are almost up, I guess the only thing I can do is return it and get my NS4G back until I can test other phones.
It's a ****ing shame, I love the capabilities of this phone, but the speed I'm getting is horrendous.
Here is my speeds from numerous days worth of testing.
My speeds were approximately 1/4 of what I was getting on my OG Evo until yesterday afternoon when I went into settings and manually updated my PRL. Now my speeds are comparable to my OG Evo.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
My speeds were also like most of you are reporting, 200k or so. Since having the "software reinstalled and phone re-activated" at the Sprint store this is what I get, same exact place I took prior tests.
Traceamount said:
My speeds were also like most of you are reporting, 200k or so. Since having the "software reinstalled and phone re-activated" at the Sprint store this is what I get, same exact place I took prior tests.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for letting us know. There is a bunch of us ready to jump the gun and return the phone -I do not really want to, but we can't get locked on contract with this going on.-
Can you please provide us with updates on how it works on different locations?
Also, do you have any idea what kind of "reinstall" they did at the store? What if the ones of us who activated the phone by ourselves are the ones having the issue?
Thanks a lot,
fosormic said:
Thank you for letting us know. There is a bunch of us ready to jump the gun and return the phone -I do not really want to, but we can't get locked on contract with this going on.-
Can you please provide us with updates on how it works on different locations?
Also, do you have any idea what kind of "reinstall" they did at the store? What if the ones of us who activated the phone by ourselves are the ones having the issue?
Thanks a lot,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All they do is use your MSL TO GET into the phone to provision it.
They did for me as well and did not work. I have also tried dojng this myself with no change
My speeds are so bad I hardly even do anything that requires data unless I'm connected to wifi.
Data seems much faster on the EVO LTE vs my photon and og EVO. Also, the ability to use 3G data while on the phone on the LTE is a HUGE benefit. Wait for the upgrades, speeds will increase for everyone on 3G as well as LTE.
Also, EVERY new phone has the same exact threads and discussions about how oh my god data is so much slower on this new phone -I'm gonna return it!! Well put the same phone on Verizon's PRL and it works just fine for data speeds. Point being, it's not the phone it's the network-WHICH IS BEING UPGRADED. wait for the upgrades or jump to Verizon.
My speeds are way faster than my OG and my 3D. But have only been so on PRL 24003. I know it's not supposed to work that way, but as soon as I change PRLs, my speed drop.
My speeds at home are the same or faster than I was getting on og EVO, however, the signal is worse. I might try roam control and force my phone on vzw network at work, then if sprint doesn't like it they can cancel my plan
Sent from my LTEvo using the XDA app
Same here in downtown Philly; 3G speeds were abysmal -- when it even connected to a network at all. Between this issue, the issue of WiFi not handing off to 3G (or going to/from roaming -- basically hand-offs were a coin-toss as to whether they'd work), and the random modem-crash reboots, I threw in the towel. The EVO LTE is back at Sprint and I've sadly gone back to my OG EVO. I suspect others will do the same.
I currently have the GS2E4gT and since this phone has come out I have had a lot of issues with signal strength and signal penetration in buildings. I have a lot of dropped calls and although I love the phone for everything else, the reception is killing me and I was hoping that even though the GS3 has the same hardware baseband, I was hoping maybe something in it was helping with signals.
Anyone with a GS3 having better signal strength when compared side by side with a GS2?? I do have a rooted phone but even when brought back to stock the reception is still horrible. The area I live in in Mass doesnt have the best of coverage but even going into Boston where I should get 4G Wimax on the Gs2, it still horrible, Providence also. IMO I dont really feel the need to go to the GS3 because I feel its more of just an upgrade, but if the phone is getting better reception I would surely grab one. Thx
M2Iceman said:
I currently have the GS2E4gT and since this phone has come out I have had a lot of issues with signal strength and signal penetration in buildings. I have a lot of dropped calls and although I love the phone for everything else, the reception is killing me and I was hoping that even though the GS3 has the same hardware baseband, I was hoping maybe something in it was helping with signals.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your best hope is probably with Sprint's planned LTE network upgrades, which haven't been launched yet anywhere. Dunno when it will come to New England markets. Bear in mind that if you buy this phone now, it will work on 3G service. But you will lose whatever Wimax coverage you now get in Boston. After the LTE-based 4G network lights up, it should outperform Wimax by a lot, with better 3G service too.
boomerbubba said:
Your best hope is probably with Sprint's planned LTE network upgrades, which haven't been launched yet anywhere. Dunno when it will come to New England markets. Bear in mind that if you buy this phone now, it will work on 3G service. But you will lose whatever Wimax coverage you now get in Boston. After the LTE-based 4G network lights up, it should outperform Wimax by a lot, with better 3G service too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the LTE roll out is anything like Wimax in this area I will be right in the middle to not receive the service. My question was geared more towrds the 3G reception anyway. Since Wimax sucks here I dont even think about using it. I was just hoping there is some improvement with Sammys phones. I did have the Evo 4G and Evo 3D and never had an issue with those phones with 3G. I love the GS2 but yeah, 3G here is painful. Im hoping my local store gets them in so I can see for myself if there is any improvements with the reception. I know the stores have the Airraves running but I got the hook up to take it for a bit to test.
FYI, the unofficial but generally knowledgeable site S4GRU has a recent article indicating that the Sprint LTE rollout in the Boston market is two months or more away. That would be for an initial launch, with full buildout still to come in the next few months.
If I were you -- especially since you basically like your current handset -- before making a jump to any new Sprint contract I would wait and see how the new Sprint network performs. Then you could test the new LTE-based phone within your 14-day return period. When the new LTE network is complete, even locations that now get about 1 bar of 3G service -- roughly -100 dBm in signal strength -- should get quite acceptable 4G coverage. Almost all Sprint's current CDMA towers will be converted to LTE 3G/4G by the time the buildout is complete.
The Boston rollout is going to blanket most of Massachusetts east of Worcester. I also have some issues with coverage but not really in Boston.
I had an Sg2 and now the s3. I'm actually roaming in my house where sprint has always had an excellent signal even earlier today prior to switching to this phone. I will be calling sprint tomorrow. I'm very unhappy
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
It seems most of the responses in this thread pertain to sprints network when the real question is does the sgs2 suffer from the radio issues that has plagued so many Samsung phones for years. I'd like to know this too my NS4G has terrible Wi-Fi and data strength and seems to drop calls more often. The radios are my biggest concern about the galaxy.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2
mlin said:
It seems most of the responses in this thread pertain to sprints network when the real question is does the sgs2 suffer from the radio issues that has plagued so many Samsung phones for years. I'd like to know this too my NS4G has terrible Wi-Fi and data strength and seems to drop calls more often. The radios are my biggest concern about the galaxy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point. The hard thing about making sense of anecdotal reports is that there are so many variables. I do find the experience of shades333 reported above to be troubling.
My girlfriend also got an s 3 yesterday as well and is having the same signal issues as I am. While using her old phone htc evo her signal strength was double what she now gets on the s 3
There are no other explanations other then there is already an issue with the radio in the s 3. Otherwise the phone is definitely sweet however without a working phone it is pretty much useless. I will definitely be calling sprint today see if there are other issues as well with other users.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
shades333 said:
My girlfriend also got an s 3 yesterday as well and is having the same signal issues as I am. While using her old phone htc evo her signal strength was double what she now gets on the s 3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is she measuring that? If she is just looking at "bars," they are not comparable across devices. What about the performance on the phone at the same location? Is she also being kicked into roaming status like you reported?
boomerbubba said:
How is she measuring that? If she is just looking at "bars," they are not comparable across devices. What about the performance on the phone at the same location? Is she also being kicked into roaming status like you reported?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess my question to start this all out wasnt one about getting too scientific about measuring the devices. It was more of just real world usage and how the phones reception was working.
If I had a S3 and was sitting in my house with my S2 along side and and did see that both phones have the same bars, then along comes my step son with his Evo 3D and he has fulls bars, I would be pissed, AGAIN!..
I really have a love hate relationship with Sammy phones, they look great, perform well but reception is a huge issue. For me its not so much WiFi, although dont ask my wife about hers, LOL, but its coverage. I constantly get a roaming signal and dropped calls. I know to some degree its the network but I also know its the phone. When I went to the Sprint event in Boston and spoke to Sammy supposed tech guy Chris, I asked him why the company chose to use the same baseband when they knew they had issues with it on other phones. I got the company tow line and just left frustrated because most of the people there that were suppose to know about the phone didnt know squat. They only knew what they were highlighting about the phone. I guess for some of the guests this was fine but for a person a little more interested in the function of the specs it was a very frustrating night, couldnt wait to leave.
I had hoped Sammy would have adjusted things and Im still holding out hope that the S3 doesnt run into the same issues with reception that the S2 did. Maybe its just my area.
boomerbubba said:
How is she measuring that? If she is just looking at "bars," they are not comparable across devices. What about the performance on the phone at the same location? Is she also being kicked into roaming status like you reported?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im having reception issues at home... besides bar issues, my phone has gone into roaming with the sgs3, while with my evo 3D just earlier that same day, no roaming... im getting -100 through -102 dbm on the sgs3 at home... not sure exactly what it was with the 3vo but never had to check... though it was never real good at home, but never lost coverage or had to roam...
at work and everywhere else i'm fine...
boomerbubba said:
How is she measuring that? If she is just looking at "bars," they are not comparable across devices. What about the performance on the phone at the same location? Is she also being kicked into roaming status like you reported?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes we were basically doing unofficial side by side comparisons. In fact she pointed out the signal bars to me first complaing she didn't have any when the other phone showed 4 bars. I do understand that they can be misleading but she to is being pushed into roaming. Thinking about trying Sprint only and checking if it's a false reading.
Very discouraging because I always root and tether, but with no signal or roaming signal it will be pointless. This certainly needs to be addressed
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
shades333 said:
Thinking about trying Sprint only and checking if it's a false reading.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It wouldn't hurt to update your PRL, too. Maybe they botched it in the version that shipped.
I have updated both profile and prl several times. Same crappy signal.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
I have a crappy signal at work 1 bar.
I just did a another prl update followed by profile update and sudenly got 3 bars in exactly same spot on the desk.
Before now, they were updated last night when i was activating them... not sure if it made a difference, but i will take what i can.
I am getting the exact same signal strength as my BB but showing fewer bars. If you look at the numbers in ABOUT PHONE however, they are nearly identical.
I am getting a little better data speeds than my Evo 4g, but not by much, the major difference in voice quality for me.
Jeffbucc said:
I am getting a little better data speeds than my Evo 4g, but not by much, the major difference in voice quality for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about reception?
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Other phones I get two three bars consistently in this area of my house. Reception sucks. As you can see below, no bars and terrible signal strength. This is ridiculous. Had to shut roaming off because it would continue to go into roaming otherwise.
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So I ordered an S4 for myself and a One for my roommate... He hated the One right off the bat... We've been battling with them just to get a return label and exchange for an S4 for days (I've literally made like 20 calls just to get this simple thing done and they can't even seem to do that) so finally I sucked it up and said "I'll take the One, you take the S4"
...
I was enjoying 30Mbps down and 20Mbps up speeds on the S4... The One won't even hold the LTE signal, it keeps dropping to HSPA+...
I'm going to be absolutely infuriated if there is no fix for this... I was given a free case for my trouble (at the store) and sent on my way... Well the phone won't charge with the case on because the charger I've been using is too big and the case is built for the charger. The charger that came with the One is ridiculously short compared to Samsung's cables... so I have to take the case off.
Either way, the signal seems atrocious without the case and because the phone was completely dead I haven't gotten to try it with a case.
I already don't like going from 5 buttons to 2 (I know there is a hack to make the HTC button a 3rd), the smaller screen... meh, take it or leave it... but if I can't get a decent LTE signal, this phone is done.
Please someone tell me that I don't have to get on the phone and fight with T-Mobile for another S4 just to get back LTE... I can deal with the quirks like no microSD, smaller screen, down-clocked processor, and I actually got a zero gap phone... but I can't deal with losing LTE because of the switch.
To add RSSI values... -109 while the S4 is at -97... they seem to be between 10 and 12 points apart all the time.
EtherealRemnant said:
So I ordered an S4 for myself and a One for my roommate... He hated the One right off the bat... We've been battling with them just to get a return label and exchange for an S4 for days (I've literally made like 20 calls just to get this simple thing done and they can't even seem to do that) so finally I sucked it up and said "I'll take the One, you take the S4"
...
I was enjoying 30Mbps down and 20Mbps up speeds on the S4... The One won't even hold the LTE signal, it keeps dropping to HSPA+...
I'm going to be absolutely infuriated if there is no fix for this... I was given a free case for my trouble (at the store) and sent on my way... Well the phone won't charge with the case on because the charger I've been using is too big and the case is built for the charger. The charger that came with the One is ridiculously short compared to Samsung's cables... so I have to take the case off.
Either way, the signal seems atrocious without the case and because the phone was completely dead I haven't gotten to try it with a case.
I already don't like going from 5 buttons to 2 (I know there is a hack to make the HTC button a 3rd), the smaller screen... meh, take it or leave it... but if I can't get a decent LTE signal, this phone is done.
Please someone tell me that I don't have to get on the phone and fight with T-Mobile for another S4 just to get back LTE... I can deal with the quirks like no microSD, smaller screen, down-clocked processor, and I actually got a zero gap phone... but I can't deal with losing LTE because of the switch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I remember seeing a post saying that the EVO LTE was the same way at first then later on with software updates it improved so maybe when HTC releases more updates they will fix it.
ubnub82 said:
I remember seeing a post saying that the EVO LTE was the same way at first then later on with software updates it improved so maybe when HTC releases more updates they will fix it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So currently I'm boned?
This phone has ridiculously slow handshakes... I've never seen a phone take so long to negotiate from EDGE (which it inevitably drops to on EVERY incoming call even when in a full HSPA+ area), then it shakes to 4G, then if I'm lucky back to LTE... It was pretty much instantaneous on the S4.
Either way, I'm stuck with this phone so I might as well get used to it. Too bad we can't flash another model's modem to the thing. Guess I'm waiting on HTC *sigh*
Thanks for the help. I might just suck it up, put both my S3s and my MAXX on Swappa and pay full retail for an S4... Still keeps me locked in EIP for this one though since the second S3 is my roommate's. I'm sure he wouldn't mind either way since the bill is getting paid *shrug*
EtherealRemnant said:
So currently I'm boned?
This phone has ridiculously slow handshakes... I've never seen a phone take so long to negotiate from EDGE (which it inevitably drops to on EVERY incoming call even when in a full HSPA+ area), then it shakes to 4G, then if I'm lucky back to LTE... It was pretty much instantaneous on the S4.
Either way, I'm stuck with this phone so I might as well get used to it. Too bad we can't flash another model's modem to the thing. Guess I'm waiting on HTC *sigh*
Thanks for the help. I might just suck it up, put both my S3s and my MAXX on Swappa and pay full retail for an S4... Still keeps me locked in EIP for this one though since the second S3 is my roommate's. I'm sure he wouldn't mind either way since the bill is getting paid *shrug*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For now it would seem so. I just switched from Sprint and I have HSPA+ in almost all the places I go except work but I'm to busy to use my phone there. Hopefully it won't take long before it is updated and the problem is fixed.
Just go to a different T-mobile store and tell them your unit is defective. If it can't hold an LTE signal whereas the S4 can easily, it's clearly defective.
ubnub82 said:
For now it would seem so. I just switched from Sprint and I have HSPA+ in almost all the places I go except work but I'm to busy to use my phone there. Hopefully it won't take long before it is updated and the problem is fixed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well seeing that the TMO/ATT/DEV versions all appear to be the same (with the exception of the TMO being the only one with 1700 LTE/HSPA), I might just try flashing the latest radio I can find... worst case scenario I have no signal and have to flash back. Damn T-Mobile and their AWS band!
Yeah, I too have been having LTE reception issues with my One. I have an iPhone 5 coming in tomorrow for another line I just added, so I'll compare. If it's drastically different in terms of network performance, I'll go with the S4. As much as I love the One, network connection is my biggest priority. What's the point of having unlimited LTE if I can't use it, right?
beret9987 said:
Yeah, I too have been having LTE reception issues with my One. I have an iPhone 5 coming in tomorrow for another line I just added, so I'll compare. If it's drastically different in terms of network performance, I'll go with the S4. As much as I love the One, network connection is my biggest priority. What's the point of having unlimited LTE if I can't use it, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know what's weird? I had an unlocked at&t HTC one that got me LTE in a lot of areas, then I got the T-Mobile version and I don't get LTE in those areas anymore. It just switches between 3g-H and never gets LTE. What's up with that?
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
My One holds LTE fine. Maybe there is something wrong with your unit. Go to a T-Mobile store and so a side-by-side with a display unit to see if the signal is different.
Could definitely be a radio issue then. Man, I played with an S4 in the store yesterday though and its just not as quick as the One is for day to day use. Depressing I can't have the best of both worlds.
malikadnanm said:
You know what's weird? I had an unlocked at&t HTC one that got me LTE in a lot of areas, then I got the T-Mobile version and I don't get LTE in those areas anymore. It just switches between 3g-H and never gets LTE. What's up with that?
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check your APN to see if it's the LTE one (fast.t-mobile.com) and that the phone is set to GSM/WCDMA/LTE auto.
SmiLey497 said:
Check your APN to see if it's the LTE one (fast.t-mobile.com) and that the phone is set to GSM/WCDMA/LTE auto.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually did that and changed Roms and I'm getting LTE in most places except my house which gets 4g but I'm on WiFi all the time so it doesn't matter.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
I think your friend is the one that got boned cause he got stuck with the S4.
Tell your friend to open the browser on the S4, go to Theverge.com full website. Do the same on your HTC One. You friend will want to throw his S4 out the window like I almost did...twice!
Thing is slower than **** on complicated websites, The S4 just can't handle it while the HTC one breezes through everything liquid smooth. Give it a few more days, the microstutters, ui lag, camera lag, browser lag, gallery lag, only available 8GB of space to install apps on will drive him insane. Custom roms won't fix it either, god knows I tried every ROM on my S4 hoping to fix it. The only one that actually made the device usable was the stock google rom, but then again it's just so barebone it's hard to use as a daily.
While I agree, the ONE doesn't hold a signal like the S4, I had no issues with LTE on either devices but I did notice 1 bar lower at the same places with my HTC One compared to my S4. There is no way I would ditch the One for the slow as molasses S4.
I'm waiting on the LG Optimus G2, that thing looks promising.
I watch Netflix in traffic. LTE holds up hahaha
Get a new One or Make sure its updated.
Keep calm. Why call 20 times when you can go to the store?
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Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
ubnub82 said:
I actually did that and changed Roms and I'm getting LTE in most places except my house which gets 4g but I'm on WiFi all the time so it doesn't matter.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I forgot where the apn is located. I'd like to check this.
Also is anyone concerned that tmobile only has 1700mhz for LTE currently? Building penetration isn't going to be very good...
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Building penetration does sort of suck, but I have no problem holding on to LTE in my office building.
The only time I see a noticeable difference in terms of T-mo signal quality is when I'm underground or outside of metropolitan areas.
As for the One vs S4.. I've never owned a Samsung android phone so I cant compare. But like I said, I'm having no issues with my One and LTE in NYC and Newark, NJ. Both of which arent even official T-mo LTE markets yet I think...
Before you go unlocking and flashing randomly, just go to a corporate store and tell them the One is defective. If its having that much of an issue with LTE, it probably is defective.
Now if you ended up buying from a random place online, cant help you there.
What radio are you guys using? I've checked all my APN and other settings and everything is what it should for LTE but still no luck
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
I guess I'll chime in. I'm coming from the nexus 4 with LTE enabled on it. Impressions? I agree, the bars are way lower. Places I got full LTE coverage I only get about a bar or two on the one. Speeds? Usually much better upload on HTC one and a tad faster download as well. Ability to keep LTE signal? Total ****... On my nexus in Atlanta the only time I really lose LTE connectivity is when I am on call, and it reconnects right away after. I get good speeds all over and no complaints at all...
Now, HTC one constantly drops LTE at home in places nexus keeps it fine with couple of bars. At my gym, I always got LTE on the nexus, even if one bar... I usually stream music there. On HTC one, I'd be connected to LTE for couple of minutes at best, then it drops to hspa.
I tried stock tmobile Rom, others, I even flashed international radio update to see how it compares, no luck. Checked apn, reset apn. This is my second HTC one, first one I returned for same issue. But decided to buy it again because I really like the hardware and software on it. S4 is garbage when it comes to software, it is laggy and makes ui very ugly when compared to stock android even, so wasn't an option. I'm considering selling this phone and getting 925 or 8x, I like windows phone... But not too many apps and even though software is optimized, it is quite inferior hardware wise.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
This whole time i've been panicking for a fix but thankfully I'm not the only one. My nexus 4 would pick up lte strongly and reliably. Much better than the One
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
I have a $70 unlimited prepaid sim from T-Mobile The service is good. I've only used my unlocked iPhone 5S with T-Mobile. LTE reception always seems 2-3 bars. Much weaker than AT&T's, and slower (in my area). I am wondering how those of you with the S5 rate their service. I'm assuming the Galaxy phones work better than the iPhone. I do not travel so T-Mobile may be an option for me coming from AT&T.
1. How is WiFi calling on the S5? I read it was bad on the Note 3 initially. Does this work over every WiFi network?
2. Due to the high frequencies, do you T-Mobile users find your service cutting out? Is HSPA+ improved?
Really depends on where you are.
It works great where I am as far as signal is concerned.
I don't have any problems with speed and get around 20+mbps when on LTE
And wifi calling works well on this phone.
As said above it does depend a lot on where you are. Generally speaking in major urban areas T-Mobile has very fast LTE but their data coverage gets spotty in rural areas. Road tripping is always a problem but my girlfriend with At&t would always have at least a 3G connection.
CitrixLemon said:
As said above it does depend a lot on where you are. Generally speaking in major urban areas T-Mobile has very fast LTE but their data coverage gets spotty in rural areas. Road tripping is always a problem but my girlfriend with At&t would always have at least a 3G connection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well what do you think... this is where I mostly travel within my area.
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That doesn't look too bad.
I would say find the adresses of where you will be mostly and zoom in street level though to get more detailed to make sure.
It is hard to get enough granularity with a far out zoom like that.
TheArtiszan said:
That doesn't look too bad.
I would say find the adresses of where you will be mostly and zoom in street level though to get more detailed to make sure.
It is hard to get enough granularity with a far out zoom like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well this entire area by my house is suppose to be good LTE, but its nothing but EDGE. Very strong EDGE I might add.
Anyone else? T-Mobile's HSPA network is definitely more reliable than their LTE network. A few times the HSPA signal switched to E.
MattMJB0188 said:
Well this entire area by my house is suppose to be good LTE, but its nothing but EDGE. Very strong EDGE I might add.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I found in the past 2 weeks I was using an Unlocked Galaxy S4 that I brought from AT&T is that even when you can get LTE with it (and your iphone) it seems that not all antennas are carrying same frequencies, so your phone will change to Edge a lot easier and frequent, I'm saying that the only one in my family with an AT&T service was me, my 2 daughters and wife are on a T-mobile Family Plan, on the past 2 weeks that I switched to T-Mobile and was using the S4 until I could get the S5, all of them were on 4g LTE while me was sometimes but most of the time it changed to Edge, again, just in certain areas (Antennas).
Since I got the S5 on Thursday I can finally say that I get the service I was expecting.
I live in chicago and go all over....north west south su urbs and always have great service. I think your att .s4 may be missing some antennas
MattMJB0188 said:
Well what do you think... this is where I mostly travel within my area.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It looks ok, a little spotty in areas. I'd recommend finding a friend who lives in your area with T-Mobile and ask them how it is.
CitrixLemon said:
It looks ok, a little spotty in areas. I'd recommend finding a friend who lives in your area with T-Mobile and ask them how it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I currently have a $70 prepaid from T-Mobile. I am using it in the iPhone 5S. The iPhone does not seem to play nicely with T-Mobile's bands (despite supporting all of them). That is why I was asking how the S5 performs with T-Mobile service. Does the phone really hold onto HSPA+/LTE signals or does it drop to EDGE often? Using my T-Mobile today, I had no problem streaming spotify on the way to work. AT&T signal is still a lot stronger, but T-Mobile got the job done.
MattMJB0188 said:
Well what do you think... this is where I mostly travel within my area.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live just NorthWest of you, up in Woodridge, and I work in Oak Brook. I have nearly full bars all of the time with terrific speeds. I travel around chi-land and in the city for work and it is just as great all around that area. I seem to only have issues once I get North of Vernon Hills, West of Aurora, and South of i-55. And by issues I mean 1 to 3 bars and not a full signal.
I have family that are in Indiana and I have to go near Muncie Indiana. I take i-65 South and i can tell you once I get past Merriville, the signal is spotty, until I eventually lose it for a bit. Where you are, I'd say 2-3 bars on the LTE is likely the norm, at least for now. Seems like every trip I make into Indiana it keeps improving so I'm sure before too long you will have a terrific connection most of the time.
Gerr1985 said:
I live just NorthWest of you, up in Woodridge, and I work in Oak Brook. I have nearly full bars all of the time with terrific speeds. I travel around chi-land and in the city for work and it is just as great all around that area. I seem to only have issues once I get North of Vernon Hills, West of Aurora, and South of i-55. And by issues I mean 1 to 3 bars and not a full signal.
I have family that are in Indiana and I have to go near Muncie Indiana. I take i-65 South and i can tell you once I get past Merriville, the signal is spotty, until I eventually lose it for a bit. Where you are, I'd say 2-3 bars on the LTE is likely the norm, at least for now. Seems like every trip I make into Indiana it keeps improving so I'm sure before too long you will have a terrific connection most of the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your input. My biggest problem is the constant switching from LTE to HSPA+. I do not know if Samsung phones handle that better than the iPhones but my god is it horrible. My battery on my 5S decreased 25% this morning when with my ATT sim it only decreases 2 percent streaming spotify. I'm not in IL often but T-Mobile is a lot better there. In northwest Indiana it's Swiss cheese coverage (at least now).
People like me are screwed because AT&T is the only carrier that works well. Of course what's the point when they lock down their phones and eliminate features off flagship devices. But I should not have to change my smartphone habits to accommodate another carrier.