Signal strength

[mcrox4]

Upgraded my trusty OG Pixel to 4a. Mostly thrilled with improvements... except signal strength. I can confidently say that my Wifi strength and speed do not compare to my original Pixel. Google support suggests factory reset but I'm not quite ready after all the tweaking I did to get it the way I like. I did do network reset, safe mode, etc. It's not my Wifi; I can hold both phones together, change locations and neighborhood networks and the signal is consistently 10dbm or so worse on the 4a as well as speeds being slower. It really came to my attention when I realized I cannot get a 5Ghz connection in my garage where my OG has no problem streaming music all day long. It seems like my cellular speed is lacking, too, but I no longer have it on the old phone to compare. I can't necessarily say my 4a has poor reception; maybe I just have a really good Pixel 1.
I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has compared their network performance to older Pixels.

 

[B. Diddy]

Do you have a case on? If so, check with it off.

 

[mcrox4]

Yes, same Spigen Rugged Armor on both. Took them off, no change.

 

[B. Diddy]

Are you only comparing signal strength, or also download speeds?

 

[J Dubbs]

Upgraded my trusty OG Pixel to 4a. Mostly thrilled with improvements... except signal strength. I can confidently say that my Wifi strength and speed do not compare. Google support suggests factory reset but I'm not quite ready after all the tweaking I did to get it the way I like. I did do network reset, safe mode, etc. It's not my Wifi; I can hold both phones together, change locations and neighborhood networks and the signal is consistently 10dbm or so worse on the 4a as well as speeds being slower. It really came to my attention when I realized I cannot get a 5Ghz connection in my garage where my OG has no problem streaming music all day long. It seems like my cellular speed is lacking, too, but I no longer have it on the old phone to compare. I can't necessarily say my 4a has poor reception; maybe I just have a really good Pixel 1.
I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has compared their network performance to older Pixels.

I'm still running a pixel 1 in a very thick OtterBox defender case, and it gets the best wifi and cell reception of any phone I've ever used. And I've heard that from other folks like you as well. I just think the original pixels did really well in those areas with the back upper glass design to give the antennas the best reception ;-)

 

[mcrox4]

Download speeds are similar when I'm close to the router but differentiate more as I move away.

 

[mcrox4]

I'm still running a pixel 1 in a very thick OtterBox defender case, and it gets the best wifi and cell reception of any phone I've ever used. And I've heard that from other folks like you as well. I just think the original pixels did really well in those areas with the back upper glass design to give the antennas the best reception ;-)

That makes perfect sense. Like I said, I don't really know that my reception is bad, just that it's worse than the original.

 

[vzwuser76]

That makes perfect sense. Like I said, I don't really know that my reception is bad, just that it's worse than the original.

Actually I wouldn't think that would be the case. Yes, the OG Pixel did have a glass window for the antennas to allow for better signal propagation. But both the Pixel 3a & 4a are plastic backs, not glass and metal. So they should have better, not worse signal strength, at least in regards to the body materials. Sometimes even having metal near an antenna, even if it isn't blocking the antenna, can cause issues.

 

[mcrox4]

Actually I wouldn't think that would be the case. Yes, the OG Pixel did have a glass window for the antennas to allow for better signal propagation. But both the Pixel 3a & 4a are plastic backs, not glass and metal. So they should have better, not worse signal strength, at least in regards to the body materials. Sometimes even having metal near an antenna, even if it isn't blocking the antenna, can cause issues.

I see your point. I'd love if someone else who has the same phones could compare theirs so I could conclude whether it's normal.

 

[sulla1965]

Oddly my pixel 3 and S20 would always drop signal on a certain section of road I often travel, yet my Samsung A51 kept signal every time.

 

[vzwuser76]

I see your point. I'd love if someone else who has the same phones could compare theirs so I could conclude whether it's normal.

I haven't left the house since I got my replacement last Saturday (going to tomorrow though). However, I can say that WiFi performance is definitely better on the P4a than the P3. My bathroom is a spotty coverage area for WiFi on my P3, sometimes it works but most times not. This P4a however always has good signal, so that's a plus for me.

As for phone calls in the house, many times if I'm laying on my couch, somewhere during any call it will start to cut out (I use a Verizon LTE Network Extender in my house) but it hasn't with multiple calls on the P4a.

So far, it's an improvement over my P3.

 

[kbz1960]

I haven't left the house since I got my replacement last Saturday (going to tomorrow though). However, I can say that WiFi performance is definitely better on the P4a than the P3. My bathroom is a spotty coverage area for WiFi on my P3, sometimes it works but most times not. This P4a however always has good signal, so that's a plus for me.

As for phone calls in the house, many times if I'm laying on my couch, somewhere during any call it will start to cut out (I use a Verizon LTE Network Extender in my house) but it hasn't with multiple calls on the P4a.

So far, it's an improvement over my P3.

That's good to hear

 

[mcrox4]

I haven't left the house since I got my replacement last Saturday (going to tomorrow though). However, I can say that WiFi performance is definitely better on the P4a than the P3. My bathroom is a spotty coverage area for WiFi on my P3, sometimes it works but most times not. This P4a however always has good signal, so that's a plus for me.

As for phone calls in the house, many times if I'm laying on my couch, somewhere during any call it will start to cut out (I use a Verizon LTE Network Extender in my house) but it hasn't with multiple calls on the P4a.

So far, it's an improvement over my P3.

Yes, good to hear. Mine's still not as good as my original no matter how i test or what I try and that might just be the way it is. Support had me turn on Wifi Verbose Logging and still suggests I do a factory reset which I'm hesitant to do.

 

[vzwuser76]

Yes, good to hear. Mine's still not as good as my original no matter how i test or what I try and that might just be the way it is. Support had me turn on Wifi Verbose Logging and still suggests I do a factory reset which I'm hesitant to do.

I had to wait until Saturday to do my test (plumber came on Friday) but it didn't have any signal issues, even in some places I usually have them. I'd say maybe there's an issue with yours. On my first 4a, I couldn't even get it activated, so yours being defective isn't outside the range of possibility.

 

[Rukbat]

Download speeds are similar when I'm close to the router but differentiate more as I move away.

That's pretty definitive - it says that there's a problem with the antenna. Whether that's "the connector isn't fully seated", the antenna is bad, the antenna is too close to something metallic (not dressed properly when the case was closed up), etc., has to be determined by a technician who can open the case. But an insensitive receiver won't do that - the difference between the 2 will remain constant until you get into the "overload" area (which you can't with a WiFi router).

 

[mcrox4]

That's pretty definitive - it says that there's a problem with the antenna. Whether that's "the connector isn't fully seated", the antenna is bad, the antenna is too close to something metallic (not dressed properly when the case was closed up), etc., has to be determined by a technician who can open the case. But an insensitive receiver won't do that - the difference between the 2 will remain constant until you get into the "overload" area (which you can't with a WiFi router).

Thanks. With my original Pixel, signal strength and speed reduce as distance or barriers increase roughly like I would expect. My 4a signal acts about the same, albeit around 10dbm less in the same spot. But the speed is more erratic, sometimes starting as good or even double up close, before diving and staying at slower rate or dropping completely well before the OG.