Is the Data Connection Issues Fixed??

[bawalker]

Good afternoon all!

Last week Sprint/T-Mobile started calling me that they were updating towers in our area to all 5G and let me know that my families phones will no longer work in the near future. Currently we have Note 8 (me) and iPhone 8's for the others. T-Mobile is offering a free upgrade to iPhone 11 for the wife and my mom which will be great for them. However, they offered me several phones all for free, one including the Pixel 6 Pro.

After doing some research on it and the ugly case design aside, the hardware specs look really good. But.... I've been reading about connectivity issues for people possibly related to a modem issue in the phone. The issues include but not limited too, complete disconnections while other phones have full bars in the same room. Having to reboot the phone or factory reset it to restore connectivity. Also that the antenna design was poor (in one review only) and thus it's signal strength is going to be weaker than that of the Samsungs.

Because T-Mobile is willing to GIVE me a FREE phone, the Pixel 6 Pro is the only freebie they have that I'd be interested in. But does it still have the reported connectivity issues from late 2021/early 2022?? Or have those been resolved?

I live in a rural country side area where I had 4G LTE pretty decently, but I don't want to decrease my service when I rely on my phone for my business and other work I do.

Thanks!

 

[bkeaver]

I will tell you that yes the modem in this phone is weaker than those of other phones including, but not limited to, Samsung, OnePlus, Apple, to name a few.

I personally haven't had to reboot to get my signal back but I did have to get a cell spot from T-Mobile in my house to compensate for the weaker signal while at home. I will say this resolves my weak signal at my house whereas my other phone do just fine without it.

The cell spot is basically free, they make you pay a 25 dollar deposit in which you get back when you turn it back in.

As for around town I notice signal fluxing between LTE/4G, 5G and UC5G but as long as I don't get too deep in rural areas I for the most part don't lose signal to the point of call dropping. Maybe occasionally but few and far between. It's in buildings I notice it more and in buildings you will find this is where most of your issues will be.

This is just my experience, others may have different experiences.

 

[B. Diddy]

I've certainly read about connection issues that other people have had, but reception has been totally fine for me on T-Mobile in the Silicon Valley area (and just because it's the Silicon Valley, don't assume signal is always great everywhere -- you'd be surprised how many black holes there are in this area!).

 

[bkeaver]

I've certainly read about connection issues that other people have had, but reception has been totally fine for me on T-Mobile in the Silicon Valley area (and just because it's the Silicon Valley, don't assume signal is always great everywhere -- you'd be surprised how many black holes there are in this area!).

Well to be honest cell signal on all my phones are great on T-Mobile except the 6 pro. There is definitely a modem issue with this chipset unfortunately. Of course everyone's mileage will be different

 

[drvier8]

My P6 is better than it was for the first four months, but it is still subpar compared to my old Pixel 2 or my work iPhone. Places they get full signal, the P6 gets 2/3s or half. And there are places that the P6 can get no signal (for data) where the others do. Every other bug with the phone has been fixed. I work from home 90% of the time, so I am mostly on wifi, but I do notice the weak signal when I go out (store apps fail to load for example). I am sure if I was out and about everyday, this phone would be replaced long ago. As it is, I'm waiting to see P7 reviews and then I will be replacing it with a P7 or something else.

 

[bawalker]

I will tell you that yes the modem in this phone is weaker than those of other phones including, but not limited to, Samsung, OnePlus, Apple, to name a few.

I personally haven't had to reboot to get my signal back but I did have to get a cell spot from T-Mobile in my house to compensate for the weaker signal while at home. I will say this resolves my weak signal at my house whereas my other phone do just fine without it.

The cell spot is basically free, they make you pay a 25 dollar deposit in which you get back when you turn it back in.

As for around town I notice signal fluxing between LTE/4G, 5G and UC5G but as long as I don't get too deep in rural areas I for the most part don't lose signal to the point of call dropping. Maybe occasionally but few and far between. It's in buildings I notice it more and in buildings you will find this is where most of your issues will be.

This is just my experience, others may have different experiences.

Thanks for that info. I live in the WV/VA areas that are already hilly to outright mountainous where some areas only have one cell tower every 10-15 miles. My Note8 has gotten along pretty well and has been consistent from my Note4 days of where I pickup and lose cell service.

Being that roads are surrounded by hills almost always and buildings are in the shadows of hills, I'm wondering if the P6 Pro may not be best for me living and working in a rural area?

At my apartment, I have full service in a far more populated area, but at my mom's and in that county service is sparse to begin with so I hate losing any signal area when I've been used to working with that.

 

[drvier8]

Thanks for that info. I live in the WV/VA areas that are already hilly to outright mountainous where some areas only have one cell tower every 10-15 miles. My Note8 has gotten along pretty well and has been consistent from my Note4 days of where I pickup and lose cell service.

Being that roads are surrounded by hills almost always and buildings are in the shadows of hills, I'm wondering if the P6 Pro may not be best for me living and working in a rural area?

At my apartment, I have full service in a far more populated area, but at my mom's and in that county service is sparse to begin with so I hate losing any signal area when I've been used to working with that.

I live in the DC suburbs so I should have good signal. I've never lost a call, but it is quite often that I go to the grocery store and try to open the loyalty card app and it can't connect. Or trying to do an order on Chick-fil-A. My P6 just won't connect. Work iPhone right next to it (both on Verizon) is at full bars. Sometimes going into airplane mode and back fixes it. Sometimes not.

 

[bawalker]

I live in the DC suburbs so I should have good signal. I've never lost a call, but it is quite often that I go to the grocery store and try to open the loyalty card app and it can't connect. Or trying to do an order on Chick-fil-A. My P6 just won't connect. Work iPhone right next to it (both on Verizon) is at full bars. Sometimes going into airplane mode and back fixes it. Sometimes not.

@drvier8 Your experience doesn't lend me optimism about the 6Pro for the rural areas I live and work in (think rural areas past Winchester, VA). Since I tend to hold on for devices for 2-5 years, I'm not sure I could handle a device that has connection issues regularly.

 

[drvier8]

@drvier8 Your experience doesn't lend me optimism about the 6Pro for the rural areas I live and work in (think rural areas past Winchester, VA). Since I tend to hold on for devices for 2-5 years, I'm not sure I could handle a device that has connection issues regularly.

If you decide to give it a try (maybe the P6Pro is better) test the heck out of it during the return period and return it there are any hints of issues.

 

[goji26]

I've noticed a troubling new behavior with my 6 pro. I'll get notifications for a while and then they'll suddenly my stop. I have to toggle airplane mode and everything including text messages comes rushing in.

 

[mustang7757]

I've noticed a troubling new behavior with my 6 pro. I'll get notifications for a while and then they'll suddenly my stop. I have to toggle airplane mode and everything including text messages comes rushing in.

You on WiFi when this happens? If your on mobile data does same happen without wifi on ? Do u use a VPN?

 

[goji26]

You on WiFi when this happens? If your on mobile data does same happen without wifi on ? Do u use a VPN?

It happens when I'm on mobile data. Happens off and on VPN.

 

[mustang7757]

It happens when I'm on mobile data. Happens off and on VPN.

Try leaving VPN off and rebooting the device and see what happens

 

[goji26]

Try leaving VPN off and rebooting the device and see what happens

I've tried that. I usually don't use the VPN when I'm mobile data. I just wanted to see if the VPN would help anything but it didn't. I've also turned off the adaptive connectivity and other items that people recommend when these issues take place. I guess my next step is a factory reset.

 

[mustang7757]

I've tried that. I usually don't use the VPN when I'm mobile data. I just wanted to see if the VPN would help anything but it didn't. I've also turned off the adaptive connectivity and other items that people recommend when these issues take place. I guess my next step is a factory reset.

Ahh gotcha, i leave adaptive connectivity off myself in past cause connection issues.
You on 5g when this happens! Maybe stay on lte only or reset network in settings just going have to put WiFi password and Bluetooth devices again

 

[goji26]

Ahh gotcha, i leave adaptive connectivity off myself in past cause connection issues.
You on 5g when this happens! Maybe stay on lte only or reset network in settings just going have to put WiFi password and Bluetooth devices again

Happens on 5G and 4G. I leave 5G off most of the time.

 

[mustang7757]

Happens on 5G and 4G. I leave 5G off most of the time.

Give the network reset a try before factory reset