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How is your 3G reception on the Vibrant? I just purchased a Vibrant as a replacement for my aging and bluetooth handicapped G1 and I am disappointed with the 3G reception.
T-Mobile's coverage in my area is moderate, and the G1 has been able to hold on to a 3G signal in most locations. Typically, at home the G1 will hold on to 2-3 bars of 3G, and at work I am lucky to get 1 -- usually camps out on 2G with 4 or 5 bars.
The Vibrant pretty much always shows 0 bars of 3G while indoors, and may even flop back to 2G. It is fairly consistently on 2G in my home at 2 bars and at work I can only get 1 bar of 2G with this phone and spend the majority of the time with no signal at all.
I sat down and did some comparison between the Vibrant and the G1 and have found the following:
1. *#*#4636#*#* menu shows significantly worse signal levels on the Vibrant than on the G1, often times showing 0db and 0asu in the same location I am seeing -89db to -101db 3G on the G1.
2. The service menu on the Vibrant indicates a signal level which on 3G is fairly consistently 8db better than the one shown on the info menu. Interestingly, 2G signal levels as shown on the service menu seem fairly spot on with those shown from the info menu in Android.
3. The service menu 3G signal levels on the Vibrant seem consistent with those that I see on the G1 with a variation of perhaps only a couple of decibels.
That said, it seems interesting that battery usage on the Vibrant seems to indicate nearly 60% of its time with no service under cell standby when I get 0% in the same location with the G1. I am wondering if the time being recorded here is in fact the time spent with 0 bars being displayed even if the phone does, in fact, have a signal.
It is apparent that there is at least a software issue with the display here, as has been concluded in prior threads. However, ignoring the bar display I am wondering what others feel of the signal coverage with their Vibrant versus their old phone?
Does anyone have any experience with any of Samsung's other phone offerings? Do you think Samsung will post a radio update for this phone or possibly release one along with the GPS Fix/Froyo update in September?
I work in a position which requires me to be on-call a certain times during the year, and I can't really afford to have a phone that camps out at 60% no signal. I am really looking for reasons to keep this phone, as I like it otherwise, but practically, I need a phone that is going to receive phone calls. Any objective indications anyone can give that Samsung will continue to support this device may help sway my decision to keep it. My 14 days will be up on Thursday, so I need to make a final decision about keeping this phone before then.
Also, do any developers think that modifying the handling of the signal display in Android will cause a change in the amount of time the phone spends acquiring signal between 3G and 2G, or is this something that is purely handled within the radio firmware? If this is changeable, is this something that can be included in a future custom rom?
No coverage issues with mine.matches my mt3g in pretty much every location.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
I made a call in the BOONDOCKS of NC, in an old river mill with 22 inch brick walls... NOBODY else was able to place a call other than me (all the big networks and nice phones).
I have pretty crappy 3g service here in new rochelle when at home the phone keeps fluctuating between 0-4 bars for 3G and the data speeds very inconsistent. Sometimes it even falls back to EDGE! This is pretty lame, i called t-mobile about it and they said there nothing they can do! If i am unhappy i should return the phone.
I live in NYC...
That is really all I have to say.
3-5 up speeds
constant 3g connection
The bars on the phone are funky though they look like there are none but you can still make calls. Its just the software is off just like the battery percentage.
Rishikesh said:
I have pretty crappy 3g service here in new rochelle when at home the phone keeps fluctuating between 0-4 bars for 3G and the data speeds very inconsistent. Sometimes it even falls back to EDGE! This is pretty lame, i called t-mobile about it and they said there nothing they can do! If i am unhappy i should return the phone.
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If you're at home why aren't you on WiFi?
Seriously it's the most puzzling thing ever. 3G or not, I wouldn't be using it at home. Are you trying to replace your ISP with your phone or something?
You should do a search. Are you aware of the fact that -0dBm is impossible? The bars are off on this phone and the G1 is mediocre overall. It can hold on to a 3G signal for longer because your hand isn't blocking the antenna but the antenna itself is truly mediocre in fringe areas. Move your hand away from the bottom hump on the Vibrant. A lot of questions you're asking.. you're answering yourself.
I am not all too impressed with 3G coverage here at my home, but I mostly blame the network at my location and not necessarily the phone. TMO has spotty coverage near my house....period, and I live less than a mile from the tower. I have a Blackberry 9700 and it has similar issues with 3G. I've called and complained and they give me the usual "you're green on the map...return the phone....blah blah". I was closer to downtown Dallas yesterday and the phone had full bars and never got higher than -80dbm. Speedtest app showed about 3mbps downloads on average. I wouldn't say it was stellar but it's nothing like at home either. Only thing is my phone never automatically drops from 3G to E unless I am making calls. Once again the Blackberry 9700 does the same thing.
However, I am not completely convinced the phone isn't to blame either. I had a week with the new Motorola XT720, aka AWS Motoroi/Milestone that Magenta is/was rumored (who knows?) to get, and if Moto hadn't skimped on the CPU/RAM/screen/app memory of that phone I would have kept it instead of this Vibrant. That phone seemed to get much better 3G signal and HSPA was excellent compared to the Vibrant. I'm lucky if the Vibrant gets HSPA here at all. Overall network performance just seemed faster. It was quite obvious when I powered up the Vibrant the first time that 3G coverage is going to be an issue at my home with this phone.
FWIW my wife has an iPhone 3G which gets great 3G coverage here at the house on ATT. So I borrowed her SIM to test after I unlocked the Vibrant and it didn't make much difference. It did get 3G which I didn't think was technically possible until I saw that this phone has 1900 3G support as well as AWS. I do think the bars and definitely the battery indicators are not accurate whatsoever. I use Battery Indicator Pro and it's definitely obvious Samsung needs a software re-work.
Just because you live within 1 mile of a tower doesn't mean it's 3G or that there isn't something in the way of it's signal and your house.. I live within 1 mile of a tower and it's not 3G. It's supposed to get 3G soon.
heygrl said:
If you're at home why aren't you on WiFi?
Seriously it's the most puzzling thing ever. 3G or not, I wouldn't be using it at home. Are you trying to replace your ISP with your phone or something?
You should do a search. Are you aware of the fact that -0dBm is impossible? The bars are off on this phone and the G1 is mediocre overall. It can hold on to a 3G signal for longer because your hand isn't blocking the antenna but the antenna itself is truly mediocre in fringe areas. Move your hand away from the bottom hump on the Vibrant. A lot of questions you're asking.. you're answering yourself.
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Maybe I don't have WiFi in my house?
Maybe I would love to reduce my monthly expenditures by the $60 I throw away to Comcast?
I am well aware of the fact that -0dbm is impossible. This is simply what the phone is displaying. I also agree that the G1's reception is mediocre, but this phone seems worse than the G1. Blocking the antenna with my hand doesn't seem to make much difference on either the Vibrant or the G1.
I asked for objective answers to my questions which basically boil down to the following:
1. Do you think Samsung will provide support for the software on this phone (including the radio) over the long term ie. do you think there will be upgrades in this department?
2. Do you think this is something custom rom developers can address purely via modifying the OS?
Thanks for your snarky comments, but if you haven't got any objective input into the situation maybe this thread is not for you.
equid0x said:
Maybe I don't have WiFi in my house?
Maybe I would love to reduce my monthly expenditures by the $60 I throw away to Comcast?
I am well aware of the fact that -0dbm is impossible. This is simply what the phone is displaying. I also agree that the G1's reception is mediocre, but this phone seems worse than the G1. Blocking the antenna with my hand doesn't seem to make much difference on either the Vibrant or the G1.
I asked for objective answers to my questions which basically boil down to the following:
1. Do you think Samsung will provide support for the software on this phone (including the radio) over the long term ie. do you think there will be upgrades in this department?
2. Do you think this is something custom rom developers can address purely via modifying the OS?
Thanks for your snarky comments, but if you haven't got any objective input into the situation maybe this thread is not for you.
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You're asking questions that we can't answer. Do we work at Samsung? No. Would stock Android fix this? Maybe.
It seems worse than the G1 because based on your comments the bars are having an affect on what you deem to be "worse". I've had tons of T-Mobile phones including the G1 and the Vibrant is not considerably worse than any. INFACT it will hold on to a 3G signal for longer than most. My CLIQ displayed 3 bars as -105dBm. Accurate? NO.
has been able to hold on to a 3G signal in most locations. Typically, at home the G1 will hold on to 2-3 bars of 3G, and at work I am lucky to get 1 -- usually camps out on 2G with 4 or 5 bars.
The Vibrant pretty much always shows 0 bars of 3G while indoors,
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Where is the antenna on the G1? If you're telling me you're putting your hand over it and not having any disconcernable change you're not doing it right
If you don't have WiFi at your house you need to get some.
heygrl said:
You're asking questions that we can't answer. Do we work at Samsung? No.
It seems worse than the G1 because based on your comments the bars are having an affect on what you deem to be "worse". I've had tons of T-Mobile phones including the G1 and the Vibrant is not considerably worse than any. INFACT it will hold on to a 3G signal for longer than most. My CLIQ displayed 3 bars as -105dBm. Accurate? NO.
Where is the antenna on the G1? If you're telling me you're putting your hand over it and not having much of a change at all you're lying or not doing it right.
If you don't have WiFi at your house you need to get some.
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I know that nobody here is working for Samsung but there are plenty of people here who have developed for Android, and the question I am posing is if this is something that can be addressed in a custom rom.
I think my original post makes it clear that there is obviously a software issue with bar display, but I am wondering if this software issue is also causing the Android OS to force a switch to 2G in an instance where the G1 with a properly functioning display would keep 3G. ie, the phone is switching to 2G early because it thinks it only has -111dbm when it in fact still has -103dbm. I am not clear on whether this functionality is performed within the OS itself or purely within the radio firmware.
My hands are rather large, so holding the G1 basically covers the entire rear of the phone. The antenna is near the top of the phone whereas the antenna on the Vibrant seems to be on the bottom. Though holding both phones in various positions seems to have little effect on the received signal strength so far as I can tell.
The time spent without signal in cell standby I believe to be erroneous. I think it is tallying up that time any time there are zero bars, even if the phone still has a signal. This makes it very difficult to objectively compare the 2 phones. If the OS is in fact driving the switch from 3G to 2G this may explain my poor access in fringe areas as the phone will be constantly flapping between the two. If the functions that drive this behavior are within the AOSP source this could easily be something we can fix in a custom rom even without Samsung's help, even if a radio update would be ideal.
heygrl said:
Where is the antenna on the G1? If you're telling me you're putting your hand over it and not having any disconcernable change you're not doing it right
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I can wrap my hand around the phone (Vibrant), either top, center or bottom and I do not see any change in either reception, call quality, network throughput or number of bars.
heygrl said:
If you don't have WiFi at your house you need to get some.
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Click to collapse
It is perfectly understandable that if he has good reception with a G1, an older phone, he expects at least a similar level or reception with a newer, higher end phone. WiFi would be considered a workaround.
I just received my Vibrant on Monday and it's sadly replacing my amazing Nexus One. I've noticed that the Vibrant antenna is AWFUL. Where I received 4-5 bars on the N1, I'm getting 1-3 bars now and it even goes down to Edge once every few hours.
Like the OP, I've been monitoring the db levels and they're frequently around -95 through -107. While my calls don't actually drop, the quality does get worse. I'm also getting many 3G connection errors when trying to browser or download apps from the Market. It's quite disappointing. The phone is made of plastic as well, so I'd imagine that the antenna reception should be better.
Being that there are only 2 pages on this particular thread, does this mean it's a fluke and others' phones are ok?
allen099 said:
I just received my Vibrant on Monday and it's sadly replacing my amazing Nexus One. I've noticed that the Vibrant antenna is AWFUL. Where I received 4-5 bars on the N1, I'm getting 1-3 bars now and it even goes down to Edge once every few hours.
Like the OP, I've been monitoring the db levels and they're frequently around -95 through -107. While my calls don't actually drop, the quality does get worse. I'm also getting many 3G connection errors when trying to browser or download apps from the Market. It's quite disappointing. The phone is made of plastic as well, so I'd imagine that the antenna reception should be better.
Being that there are only 2 pages on this particular thread, does this mean it's a fluke and others' phones are ok?
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Click to collapse
4-5 bars on a phone with a 4 bar scale?
Stop looking at -dBm on the Vibrant, it's not accurate.
If you don't want the phone to switch to EDGE lock it on 3G.
heygrl said:
4-5 bars on a phone with a 4 bar scale?
Stop looking at -dBm on the Vibrant, it's not accurate.
If you don't want the phone to switch to EDGE lock it on 3G.
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How do you lock it on 3G?
javacody said:
How do you lock it on 3G?
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This worked for me (copy/paste and remove spaces in http):
h t t p://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=7438987&postcount=7
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=7438987&postcount=7
Thanks. 3G is spotty at best in the Des Moines Area, so I'll leave well enough alone.
So, in follow up to this, I had downloaded and installed RF signal tracker from the market and went driving around until I found a tower. It seems that via Android OS the best signal strength received was -81dbm and that was sitting right next to the tower. The phone stayed locked at -81dbm for a few miles down the road so I suspect this is peak signal on this phone which should really be something like -65dbm. I think this pretty much confirms that there is indeed a software issue with the signal display.
I also took some time looking at Android code and found that the bars are driven on GSM/UMTS by asu as follows:
if (asu <= 2 || asu == 99) iconLevel = 0;
else if (asu >= 12) iconLevel = 4;
else if (asu >= 8) iconLevel = 3;
else if (asu >= 5) iconLevel = 2;
else iconLevel = 1;
So figuring up the dbm values from these, I went ahead and created a new asu scale which is adjusted -8dbm from "normal" since this seems to be the worst case of the mismatch between the phone firmware and what Android is reporting and applied that within the market app Real Signal to try and get an apples to apples comparison of signal bars between this phone and the old G1. Unfortunately, the degree if miscalibration means we can't set a negative ASU so we don't get any meaningful display on Real Signal until we hit the 3rd bar. In doing this if I go to a moderate overage area I am seeing the bars I would expect.
After my little drive with RF Signal Tracker its actually pretty clear that discrepancy is really more like -15dbm, which adjusting the figures should mean that this phone in reality gets slightly better reception than the old G1.
It seems we should be able to workaround this in a custom ROM by doing one of the following:
1. Modify getGsmSignalStrength() to add the -15dbm to the returned signal strength value(hackish).
2. Modify the vendor RIL to compensate for the -15dbm offset when on UMTS. (Probably the proper solution).
I'm not clear on whether the vendor RIL code gets posted to AOSP...
equid0x said:
How is your 3G reception on the Vibrant? I just purchased a Vibrant as a replacement for my aging and bluetooth handicapped G1 and I am disappointed with the 3G reception.
T-Mobile's coverage in my area is moderate, and the G1 has been able to hold on to a 3G signal in most locations. Typically, at home the G1 will hold on to 2-3 bars of 3G, and at work I am lucky to get 1 -- usually camps out on 2G with 4 or 5 bars.
The Vibrant pretty much always shows 0 bars of 3G while indoors, and may even flop back to 2G. It is fairly consistently on 2G in my home at 2 bars and at work I can only get 1 bar of 2G with this phone and spend the majority of the time with no signal at all.
I sat down and did some comparison between the Vibrant and the G1 and have found the following:
1. *#*#4636#*#* menu shows significantly worse signal levels on the Vibrant than on the G1, often times showing 0db and 0asu in the same location I am seeing -89db to -101db 3G on the G1.
2. The service menu on the Vibrant indicates a signal level which on 3G is fairly consistently 8db better than the one shown on the info menu. Interestingly, 2G signal levels as shown on the service menu seem fairly spot on with those shown from the info menu in Android.
3. The service menu 3G signal levels on the Vibrant seem consistent with those that I see on the G1 with a variation of perhaps only a couple of decibels.
That said, it seems interesting that battery usage on the Vibrant seems to indicate nearly 60% of its time with no service under cell standby when I get 0% in the same location with the G1. I am wondering if the time being recorded here is in fact the time spent with 0 bars being displayed even if the phone does, in fact, have a signal.
It is apparent that there is at least a software issue with the display here, as has been concluded in prior threads. However, ignoring the bar display I am wondering what others feel of the signal coverage with their Vibrant versus their old phone?
Does anyone have any experience with any of Samsung's other phone offerings? Do you think Samsung will post a radio update for this phone or possibly release one along with the GPS Fix/Froyo update in September?
I work in a position which requires me to be on-call a certain times during the year, and I can't really afford to have a phone that camps out at 60% no signal. I am really looking for reasons to keep this phone, as I like it otherwise, but practically, I need a phone that is going to receive phone calls. Any objective indications anyone can give that Samsung will continue to support this device may help sway my decision to keep it. My 14 days will be up on Thursday, so I need to make a final decision about keeping this phone before then.
Also, do any developers think that modifying the handling of the signal display in Android will cause a change in the amount of time the phone spends acquiring signal between 3G and 2G, or is this something that is purely handled within the radio firmware? If this is changeable, is this something that can be included in a future custom rom?
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Click to collapse
I haven't done any detailed tests but I can state that in real world use, I am not happy with my Vibrant's reception. My G1 was very noticeably better at getting and holding 3G and Edge connections in the same locations where my new Vibrant won't.
Next to a tower on GSM(GSM/GPRS/EDGE) you should see -51dBm at the most with Android. W-CDMA is different because they really don't use -dBm to determine signal quality. They use power/noise.
Am thinking about the evo 4g lte because I've read excellent reviews about the call quality. I already know I won't be getting lte in my area for a long time. Are the 3g speeds actually worse on this model as compared with other Sprint models ? (some reviews have claimed this)
My 3g is slow enough as it is on my HTC Touch (can live with it though), but won't be able to accept anything slower.
i have kno problems with this phone.. its perfect for me im just bored with it... i need a new phone every 6 months i think!!! lol..
I'm hoping the following review is incorrect:
The ugly:
This is where the phone starts to fall apart for me. The network capabilities are awful. They are a clear downgrade from my Evo 4g. I live in Kansas City, and my old Evo 4g had both excellent 3g coverage, and excellent WiMax coverage. Ping times were the only problem I had with WiMax (typically in the 200-300 range), but I typically got 3-7Mbps down and ~1Mbps up with very reliable coverage, especially in my home. Outside of WiMax range, I reliably got 3g coverage that pulled ~1-2Mbps down and up. This is what I would expect, given that I am in Sprint's home market.
I upgraded to the Evo 4g LTE after hearing that LTE was officially "live" in Kansas City. Unfortunately the news that I missed was that by "live", they really mean "about 30% live". There is little to no actual LTE coverage in the city. At my apartment, where WiMax was previously very strong, I can only connect to LTE rarely, and when I do the signal is so weak that my connection times out regularly. Watching antenna strength, the LTE connection sits around -115 to -120dBm (in non-technical terms, that is just a hair above zero bars). I actually disabled the LTE antenna on my phone because it is disruptive FAR more often than it is useful.
"So what", you might say. "Just use 3g". I would agree with you. 3g should be able to get me by in the next few months while Sprint continues their LTE rollout, hopefully with an antenna near my home. Unfortunately the phone's 3g antenna is also highly problematic. 3g signal pickup is weaker than my old Evo 4g, and speeds are considerably worse than my previous phone. Pings usually sit around 200, which is acceptable, but I almost never get above 0.5Mbps down, or up. Additionally (and even more importantly), the phone has a habit of dropping the 3g signal. I tether often, and when I do I tend to lose 3g every few minutes. This is in close proximity to a 3g tower, and with a strong signal (4-5 bars, in the -70 to -80dBm range). The phone will just inexplicably lose 3g connectivity. Google around a bit and find out: this is a known problem that many people are dealing with, and HTC/Sprint have acknowledged the issue and are trying to rectify it. Problem is, it isn't fixed. I truly hope that in the near future an OTA update will fix the problems... after all, I'm basically stuck with this phone for the next 23 months. The network issues are bad enough that I really do miss my old Evo 4g, and I'm very tempted to reactivate it.
Conclusion: at the end of the day, the Evo 4g LTE is a phone, and as such I think the network issues are a pretty big deal. If you are on WiFi constantly, then they won't be an issue for you, but if you're dependent upon Sprint's network in any way, be very careful... this phone has some major baggage.
Update 9/25/2012: A couple OTA updates later, and it is still in pretty bad shape. I am very used to 500ms+ ping now, and 0.1Mbps download/upload speeds. 4g coverage is still nonexistant. According to xda and s4gru, this problem is SPECIFIC TO THE EVO 4g LTE. As in an iPhone 5 and SGIII will both connect just fine to 4g, but an Evo in the same room will not.
Try this neat trick: Go to craigslist and search for Evo 4g LTE. See how many nearly new Evos are being sold for less than half the price of a new one? That speaks more volumes than my review does
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http://wireless.amazon.com/customerreviews/B007ZUN6GS/ref=cr_detail_histogram_top
These post really make me scratch my head...In Memphis LTE is only a month old and only in the northern parts of the city...constant 15mbs+ and elsewhere 4g isnt on yet 3G is maxed out....I never have any problems maintaining a over decent connection on 3G.....it's just odd how much I hear how crappy the ELTE is.....Is it really a bad phone and I'm just in a city where Sprint has it act together or are some of you vice-versa??
jauger said:
These post really make me scratch my head...In Memphis LTE is only a month old and only in the northern parts of the city...constant 15mbs+ and elsewhere 4g isnt on yet 3G is maxed out....I never have any problems maintaining a over decent connection on 3G.....it's just odd how much I hear how crappy the ELTE is.....Is it really a bad phone and I'm just in a city where Sprint has it act together or are some of you vice-versa??
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I sure would like to know before I upgrade to this device.
TravisBean said:
Am thinking about the evo 4g lte because I've read excellent reviews about the call quality. I already know I won't be getting lte in my area for a long time. Are the 3g speeds actually worse on this model as compared with other Sprint models ? (some reviews have claimed this)
My 3g is slow enough as it is on my HTC Touch (can live with it though), but won't be able to accept anything slower.
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My 3g has been much better than my old HTC Hero and better than my Dad's og Evo(not to mention my mom's Samsung Nexus S, My brothers' Samsung, Motorola, and my sister's iCrap 4s).
As long as you stick to stock based roms, you'll be fine. HTC has some great tweaks that cm10 and aosp roms don't have that seem to boost bandwidth and 3g speeds.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Test it out. Set a timer for 13 days just to be sure.. Thats why carriers give you the 14 day trial period to make sure your happy before being stuck 2 more years with them.
I for one am happy with my EVO LTE. I also have a GS3 and from time to time go back and forth.
I had a chance to spend about 3 minutes with this device today at the Sprint store. Love at first sight. I can't put into words how elegantly this phone felt in my hand.
Didn't have time to check out the 3g connectivity, but call quality did seem above average for a Sprint phone.
Can you download a larger format dial pad for this phone (that works properly) ?
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I'm in Boston mass 4g is 27-34 mgb and 3g is about 3-5 on my lte no issues
pbedard said:
I'm in Boston mass 4g is 27-34 mgb and 3g is about 3-5 on my lte no issues
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Are you saying you're getting 3-5 Mbps download speeds while connected to 3G?
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
This is a typical speedtest where i work with S4 vs my One.
As we know from my other thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2451516 the S4 is a complete and total joke when it comes to voice recognition so I swapped it out for the One. The only problem I have with the One as the voice recognition is second to none, is the data speed. Some days it decides it's not going to pick up an LTE signal under any circumstances and some days it does but it seems that the download speed appears to bleed off to almost nothing as seen in this pic. No programs are running at the time I did the speedtest here and both phones ran their speed test separately.
Something is not right.
I'm not having that trouble with my One. I'd take it back and get another. My LTE is usually around 20Mbps and I've had it as high as 37Mbps.
Something is wrong with your phone. While I wish T-mobile had better coverage, when I am in a good area I am getting fantastic speeds on my One.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4
While I don't have two tmo LTE phones, I did switch from straight talk and my tmo LTE is horribly inconsistent while the ATT LTE signal on the same phone is solid wherever I had reception. It also has a weird issue with speed test in particular where it keeps routing me to a server in Denver or Albuquerque even though the location services work fine.
Tmo hspa isn't great in my area but still more consistent by far. I may just switch back to straight talk even with the cap as I have zero issues on ATTs LTE network and don't stream anything other than music. The phone is by far my favorite, even compared to my friend's N4 (the camera and screen spoil you, and I can't see feeling the need to upgrade for a few years now that I have a camera I'm satisfied with)
edit: t-mo LTE is -103 inside or out, ATT LTE is -88 with excellent and consistent speed (ping is a bit higher at 240 as prepaid often is, but that's fine for everything I do). And it's certainly not an issue of grip, as I actually get better ATT LTE while holding it than setting the phone down
Does anyone else notice that the LTE signal on this phone always seems on the weak end? For example, with the T-Mobile cell site about 10 yards away, my LTE reception is -90-95dbm. When sitting that close with my AT&T iPhone 5 (work phone) the signal is about -75-80dbm. What gives? I also notice that the phone does hold onto weak LTE signals, but I am seeing weak LTE signal more often than not. I have seen a -115dbm-120dbm LTE signal. Yes, data still works, my only concern though is that the battery life is getting sucked out of my phone?
Running stock, T-Mobile also likes to show 5 bars for a -109dbm LTE signal. That couldn't be more of an exaggeration could it? Also in my tests, I have noticed if you set the phone to WCDMA only, the signal is a lot stronger.
Anyone care to comment on this?
No issues for me. Even in the factory that i work at i am getting 4G LTE over people with ATT and its quite strong. LTE Tower is a good distance away.
Have you rooted or flashed anything? If its 100 percent pure stock, ask for a replacement. Or even re-flash the latest update to see if that helps.
The only issue i have and others have is where the outgoing data arrow constantly lights up but no data is coming in. I think its a T-Mobile programming bug in 4.4.2 as the issue didn't exist in 4.3 on my S4.
elesbb said:
No issues for me. Even in the factory that i work at i am getting 4G LTE over people with ATT and its quite strong. LTE Tower is a good distance away.
Have you rooted or flashed anything? If its 100 percent pure stock, ask for a replacement. Or even re-flash the latest update to see if that helps.
The only issue i have and others have is where the outgoing data arrow constantly lights up but no data is coming in. I think its a T-Mobile programming bug in 4.4.2 as the issue didn't exist in 4.3 on my S4.
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Yes, but on average what is your dbm? Not going by bars.
T-Mobile also does not have a dense cell grid in my area which could be why. Already past the 14 day return window. Absolutely no device modification has even done.
I'm at full 5 bars on LTE 4G signal strength @ - 97 dBm
Biker1 said:
I'm at full 5 bars on LTE 4G signal strength @ - 97 dBm
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Appreciate the response. Been doing some research lately, and I think its because t-mobile doesn't have many sites in my area. I don't think their frequencies travel far either. Maybe I am wrong, but wouldn't this cause very low LTE signal?
BlockEight88 said:
Appreciate the response. Been doing some research lately, and I think its because t-mobile doesn't have many sites in my area. I don't think their frequencies travel far either. Maybe I am wrong, but wouldn't this cause very low LTE signal?
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If the towers are far from you, I would think that would cause a weak signal.
You can try this app.
It may help to see where the issue may be regarding towers, etc
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.android.telnet
Biker1 said:
If the towers are far from you, I would think that would cause a weak signal.
You can try this app.
It may help to see where the issue may be regarding towers, etc
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.android.telnet
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That app just shows the -dBm as a widget. Anyone else notice a -109 or less signal showing 5 bars?
BlockEight88 said:
That app just shows the -dBm as a widget. Anyone else notice a -109 or less signal showing 5 bars?
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It does give you a more accurate signal bar strength indicator consisting of 14 bars and not 5 bars, as the stock indicator does. I'm at 11 bars.
BlockEight88 said:
Yes, but on average what is your dbm? Not going by bars.
T-Mobile also does not have a dense cell grid in my area which could be why. Already past the 14 day return window. Absolutely no device modification has even done.
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Click to collapse
Ahh. I will have to check the dbm. I don't get full signal but i get like 2 bars. Sometimes four depending where i sit. Then outside, i get full bars. I'll double check the dbm outside with full bars. It should be in and around the -90s.
I have a standard EU model on Vodafone. Several times now I have gone to the same pub with friends. Inside, I always drop to GSM connection while my friends' S3, iphone 4 and galaxy nexus consistently manage to hang onto HSDPA+. This happened during a trip in the mountains as well. It's becoming increasingly obvious that my G3 has a worse reception than most other phones.
Is this expected? how can I improve the situation?
I agree with signal issues. I'm sat next to my partner both on Vodafone.she got a iphone 5s. She has 4bars of signal and im on zero.
welshandy2322 said:
I agree with signal issues. I'm sat next to my partner both on Vodafone.she got a iphone 5s. She has 4bars of signal and im on zero.
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+1
The G3 has known problems on Vodafone(Vodafones fault)
I have had an M8, 1+1 and the G3 at the same time and the G3 is by far the best and on a par with my Nokia 1520 and the 1+1 was the worst. I have now sold both the M8 and 1+1 but they both lost signal quicker and were slower to get it back again and the G3 has slightly faster speed over 10 tests each. The WiFi was better on the M8 as it connected to my home WiFi before I got out of the car when I parked outside. They all work fine in the house so no difference.
My phone is a sim free 855 on EE and the WiFi is Sky. I haven't tested my other one yet but it seems to be the same.
It's happening to me. Also I had lost completely but fixed when reboot. I don't understand why. I heard put copper tape under the back cover for improve signal. I'll try and then let you know.
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Vodafone Portugal I have issues too. Too much I think.
You people do realise "bars" of signal are meaningless? A "bar" is not a measurement of signal (it happens to be a measurement of pressure but thats is besides the point.) Phone signal doesn't really have a unit of measurement so it is given ASU (Arbitrary Strength Unit) which is based off the power of the signal (dBm) Go into settings, about phone -> Network and you will see the quoted ASU and dBm.
Therefore the way signal is represented by bars on a phone is entirely down to how the manufacturer chooses it to be displayed. For example 1 bar could represent 1 ASU on an iPhone, therefore a full 5 bars would mean anywhere from 5 ASU upwards. Whereas on a G3 1 bar could represent 3 ASU, therefore giving a larger display range.
Now I have plucked these figures out of thin air but I think you can see from that example how 1 bar on the G3 and 3 bars on the iPhone would actually be the same signal strength.
Granted if you have NONE and your partner has some, then that is clearly an issue. But don't compare bars, compare ASU.
Just wanted to add my experiences that I've had with my G3 for the past 2 months.
My G3 continuously gets a weaker and more unreliable signal (Three UK) than I have had on any other smartphone I have (One M7, One X+). It's incredibly frustrating as it means I never get LTE indoors but more importantly, my phone will very frequently lose data and cellular connection if I put it in my pocket. What good is a phone if it drops signal while its in your pocket?
573W1E said:
Just wanted to add my experiences that I've had with my G3 for the past 2 months.
My G3 continuously gets a weaker and more unreliable signal (Three UK) than I have had on any other smartphone I have (One M7, One X+). It's incredibly frustrating as it means I never get LTE indoors but more importantly, my phone will very frequently lose data and cellular connection if I put it in my pocket. What good is a phone if it drops signal while its in your pocket?
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Wow, you got 4g on Three network, I went to Three from giffgaff and I had faster speeds on giffgaff 3g than I did with 4g on Three. I'm not on EE and very rarely lose 4g
Are you using a sim adaptor buy any chance?
GTCC said:
Wow, you got 4g on Three network, I went to Three from giffgaff and I had faster speeds on giffgaff 3g than I did with 4g on Three. I'm not on EE and very rarely lose 4g
Are you using a sim adaptor buy any chance?
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I moved to Three from giffgaff and my speeds over both 3G (HSPA+) and 4G LTE have been consistently faster than anything I had on giffgaff. The city where I'm at (Newport) was not on the list of planned 4G cities for 2014 from Three, but it just started rolling out near the start of this month. I'm wondering if it was a rushed rollout to cover the area for the NATO Summit that was in the area a few weeks ago. I've averaged 20mbps download over LTE and about 7/8 down on HSPA+ which are both better than the 3mbps average I had on giffgaff. I'm not using a SIM Adaptor either, the Micro SIM that was in my HTC One M7 fit right into the G3.
I just wish the G3 kept a stronger and more reliable signal, these signal drop outs in my pocket and less reliable elsewhere are defo not Three's (or another carrier's fault), I've never had this issue with any other smartphone I have had. Poor show LG....
573W1E said:
I moved to Three from giffgaff and my speeds over both 3G (HSPA+) and 4G LTE have been consistently faster than anything I had on giffgaff. The city where I'm at (Newport) was not on the list of planned 4G cities for 2014 from Three, but it just started rolling out near the start of this month. I'm wondering if it was a rushed rollout to cover the area for the NATO Summit that was in the area a few weeks ago. I've averaged 20mbps download over LTE and about 7/8 down on HSPA+ which are both better than the 3mbps average I had on giffgaff. I'm not using a SIM Adaptor either, the Micro SIM that was in my HTC One M7 fit right into the G3.
I just wish the G3 kept a stronger and more reliable signal, these signal drop outs in my pocket and less reliable elsewhere are defo not Three's (or another carrier's fault), I've never had this issue with any other smartphone I have had. Poor show LG....
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I would have to disagree with you about the reception on the G3 in my case at least. Both my G3's have better reception than my M8 or my Oneplus One. The G3 even keeps signal(albeit low) in my lift.
I'm in Solihull by the way and according to Three I should of had 4g inside but didn't even get it outside and only got good 4g when I went into Birmingham. Must also say that when I tried Three it was in my Nokia 1520
No problems here compared to my xiaomi mi2.
Same or even better reception.
I have the G3 on T-mobile (USA) and its the best reception phone i've had. Constantly gets LTE where all my previous phones struggled...
(I had HTC One m7, Nexus 5, Z1s, Galaxy S5... to name a few)