Going from iPhone to Android....should I do it??

[Wnrgway]

I had the same problem when I switched from an iPhone 4 to the GS3. The iPhone very rarely dropped a call and the GS3 would drop most calls. My wife also has a GS3 and had the same issue. We tried resets, replacing the SIM card, disabling 4G. None of it worked. It's the receiver in the phone or the software controlling the receiver. As you only have 2 weeks to decide, you may want to take it back.

Now this only happened in and around our house. There's a relatively small area with a weak signal there. So some folks will say they never have an issue at all. Likely its because they don't spend a lot of time in areas that have low signals. When you live there, it's a whole different story.

I solved the problem by buying a used Verizon Network Extender. It connects to my broadband and acts like a mini cell tower in our home. With the extender we get excellent reception. t integrates with the phone so well that I barely realize it's there. You'll need to connect it to a broadband router via an ethernet cable and place it within the vicinity of a window to get a GPS signal. GPS is needed for 911 assistance and it won't work without it. They can be a bit pricey , so buying used helps. I looked at it as a longer term investment as we aren't going to be moving any time soon.

 

[MrDoh]

I had the same problem when I switched from an iPhone 4 to the GS3. The iPhone very rarely dropped a call and the GS3 would drop most calls. My wife also has a GS3 and had the same issue. We tried resets, replacing the SIM card, disabling 4G. None of it worked. It's the receiver in the phone or the software controlling the receiver. As you only have 2 weeks to decide, you may want to take it back.

Now this only happened in and around our house. There's a relatively small area with a weak signal there. So some folks will say they never have an issue at all. Likely its because they don't spend a lot of time in areas that have low signals. When you live there, it's a whole different story.

I solved the problem by buying a used Verizon Network Extender. It connects to my broadband and acts like a mini cell tower in our home. With the extender we get excellent reception. t integrates with the phone so well that I barely realize it's there. You'll need to connect it to a broadband router via an ethernet cable and place it within the vicinity of a window to get a GPS signal. GPS is needed for 911 assistance and it won't work without it. They can be a bit pricey , so buying used helps. I looked at it as a longer term investment as we aren't going to be moving any time soon.

Yep, same here, except I didn't have to put it near a window, it's right in the middle of the first floor of my two-story house and gets GPS fine. That's where I had to put it to cover my whole house, and works best there. I guess I have a lot more GPS than Verizon cell signal *sigh*. The only difference is that I got it when I had an iPhone...I didn't get dropped calls with the iPhone, but my battery life was terrible without the Network Extender.

 

[Wnrgway]

Right...I don't have mine right next to the window. It's about 6 feet from the exterior wall on the 2nd story. The room has a single window. There's also a GPS extension cable available that's 30' long.

I ended up buying 2 used extenders. The first was defective and I returned it. Verizon support being what it is had me basically hanging it outside the window to try to get a GPS signal. They then wanted me to set it up on the SW side of the house. A properly working unit shouldn't need to go through these contortions.

 

[hossman12]

Ahhhhh.... 20hrs standby. 2hrs screen on time. 70%battery left. Once u learn how to manage this thing possibilities are endless

Sent from my MetroPCS GS3

 

[badbrad17]

I think not....LOL
Both my kids iPhones work perfectly. I hate to say it, but I might be exchanging the phone....I am not giving V any more money than I already do monthly!

If you still want to give Android a go my recommendation would be the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx. Motorola is at the top of the food chain for their radios and the phone has the biggest battery in the business. People who own this phone love it. The reviews are far better than even the S3.

 

[epidenimus]

You could try flashing a different radio. It's easy enough to do and may fix your issues with reception. I am also in NC and have much better coverage with Verizon and very few problems with my SGS3.

 

[Wnrgway]

. It's easy enough to do and may fix your issues with reception. I am also in NC and have much better coverage with Verizon and very few problems with my SGS3.

How would you do this? Would you have to root the phone first?

 

[blade22222]

How would you do this? Would you have to root the phone first?

Yes you have to be rooted.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Android Central Forums

 

[nolittdroid]

Come to the dark side so happy I picked the s3 over the iPhone 5!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Android Central Forums

 

[nrm5110]

Yes you have to be rooted.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Android Central Forums

Actually that's not true. You don't need to be rooted. You need a custom recovery. That's not the same thing.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

 

[zapfrog]

Odd, my iPhone 4 dropped calls all the time and now my S3 hasn't dropped any.

*looks around for a piece of wood to knock on*

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Android Central Forums

 

[blade22222]

Actually that's not true. You don't need to be rooted. You need a custom recovery. That's not the same thing.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

True, I stand corrected.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Android Central Forums

 

[sk8rat97]

yupp. thats just what happens to everybody after apple realeasing the same phone 5 phones. except for people to stupid to realize that.

 

[emburybrett1]

Odd, my iPhone 4 dropped calls all the time and now my S3 hasn't dropped any.

*looks around for a piece of wood to knock on*

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Android Central Forums

The gsm iPhone 4 did have an issue with the way you hold the phone but they also did give away free cases to fix that issue

 

[zapfrog]

The gsm iPhone 4 did have an issue with the way you hold the phone but they also did give away free cases to fix that issue

I realize that but we were usually a model behind and by the time we got it the free bumper give away was long done with.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Android Central Forums

 

[Tom Bodner]

I was in the same boat, although I never upgraded to the iPhone 5. I took a chance after playing with the s3 and, now having had it a couple of months, haven't even looked back (at apple). My girlfriend has the iPhone 4 still, and every time I pick it up, it feels so small and I wonder, "how did I ever use this??"

It was definitely a learning curve, but the features and customization were what sold me. The iPhone 5 really just was the 4s with a faster processor and a slightly larger screen. I still haven't grasped the full functionality of the s3 at this point, but I think you'd be making a good leap if you went android.

But, really take a look at what you're going to be using it for, what you already have invested in Apple products, etc. Good luck!