Cell Service vs other devices and speakerphone quality

[jlekach]

So i am currently working with both a Nexus 4 and a Blackberry Z10 and what I have found is that, using the same exact T-Mobile network in the US, the Nexus 4 has a significantly worse reception (Full "4G" bars on the Z10 vs almost no service on the Nexus 4). I also found that the speakerphone function on the Nexus 4 is not really audible (even though the volume is all the way up and I can hear music through the speaker fine) vs. the Z10 which is super clear and works great.

Having been a long time BB person (who has, in general hated many things on the phone) and someone who is now looking at Android for myself and my company, I just wanted to understand why these differences exist and if they hold true with other Google phones or is just an issue with the Nexus.

Thanks for the help and feedback!

 

[CoMoNexus]

So i am currently working with both a Nexus 4 and a Blackberry Z10 and what I have found is that, using the same exact T-Mobile network in the US, the Nexus 4 has a significantly worse reception (Full "4G" bars on the Z10 vs almost no service on the Nexus 4).

The signal strength meter on any phone has to be taken with a grain of salt because there's no industry standard for what each bar represents (e.g., XX dB). Plus, some phones max out at five bars, while others top out at six, like Nigel's amp goes up to 11 in "This is Spinal Tap."

Are you saying that you're able to make calls with the Z10 in places where the N4 can't?

 

[jlekach]

That's correct. I will have reception with the Z10 in places the Nexus does not (or is very weak) whereas the Z10 tends to be very strong re the signal...

 

[CoMoNexus]

That's correct. I will have reception with the Z10 in places the Nexus does not (or is very weak) whereas the Z10 tends to be very strong re the signal...

I don't have a Z10, but I'm not surprised because it's common for one phone to perform better than another in the same spot on the same network. A particular chipset, antenna or configuration of the two can make a noticeable difference with voice and data.

 

[greydarrah]

I have no signal issues with mine where I am, but that in no way means that you may not have issues. It could be that the z10 has better internals, it could be that you have a bad n4, or as someone else suggested, it could be that the actual reception while on a call is no different and only the phones reporting of signal strength is incorrect.

You said, "I will have reception with the Z10 in places the Nexus does not (or is very weak) whereas the Z10 tends to be very strong re the signal..." Are you referring to the reception that occurs in an actual call (in other words, you make and receive calls on the z10 where the n4 calls either fail or are dropped), or are you referring to the reception that your signal bars display? I ask because what's displayed and what a phone can do could be very different.

 

[jlekach]

I'm referring to the fact that I can make calls with my Z10 when I can't with the Nexus 4.

 

[greydarrah]

I'm referring to the fact that I can make calls with my Z10 when I can't with the Nexus 4.

Then I would say that either the z10 has better radio/antenna internals, or your n4 is defective. It would be great if you knew someone else with an n4 that could come by your office to try it out.

Edit: I also have never had any trouble using my speaker phone. Perfectly audible without the volume maxed out. Maybe you should call Google and RMA the device.