Do the signal bars represent CDMA or LTE?

[prodigy1814]

This is my first phone with 4G. I have no idea if the signal bars on the Verizon Galaxy S4 are telling me about the CDMA vs. LTE signal strength. Can someone clear this up?

 

[B. Diddy]

Go to Settings/Wireless & Networks/Mobile Networks/Network Type and Strength, which should show you the breakdown of 1x (CDMA) and 4G (LTE) signals.

 

[Scott Kenyon]

The bars are simply signal strength. They don't tell you whether you're on CDMA or LTE. There should be an icon at the top near the signal bars that either says 3G or 4G. That's how you know.

 

[B. Diddy]

Whoops, thanks for the correction, Scott. I was thinking that Verizon was running voice over LTE already, but that isn't until 2014.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Scott Kenyon]

Go to Settings/Wireless & Networks/Mobile Networks/Network Type and Strength, which should show you the breakdown of 1x (CDMA) and 4G (LTE) signals.

This works as well.

 

[DeerSteak]

It seems that the bars represent whatever the icon in the status bar shows. So if you've got 3 bars and a 4G LTE icon, then that represents LTE strength. It also seems in my experience that LTE strength is a bit lower all around as compared to CDMA.

 

[Maria Esponoza]

Networks/Mobile Networks/Network Type and Strength, which should show you the breakdown of 1x (CDMA) and

You can also download and install this app: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...s/details?id=jp.maruse.cellinf&token=0a437crm

Your "bars" represent the RSSI (signal strength) of whatever technology type you are using at the time. So if you have 4 bars and it says "4G" or "LTE" then the signal is relevant to that. If it says 3G (which is also CDMA) then its relevant to that. Hope that makes sense!

 

[prodigy1814]

The bars are simply signal strength. They don't tell you whether you're on CDMA or LTE. There should be an icon at the top near the signal bars that either says 3G or 4G. That's how you know.

It seems that the bars represent whatever the icon in the status bar shows. So if you've got 3 bars and a 4G LTE icon, then that represents LTE strength. It also seems in my experience that LTE strength is a bit lower all around as compared to CDMA.

You can also download and install this app: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...s/details?id=jp.maruse.cellinf&token=n_vYWxv7

Your "bars" represent the RSSI (signal strength) of whatever technology type you are using at the time. So if you have 4 bars and it says "4G" or "LTE" then the signal is relevant to that. If it says 3G (which is also CDMA) then its relevant to that. Hope that makes sense!

I guess I'm still not clear even with all the responses. Maria Esponoza said "whatever technology type you are using at the time". When I'm on a phone call, I'm still able to use my mobile data connection to surf the web. So, that means I'm using both technologies simultaneously. So what do the bars really represent? The strength of my call signal, or the strength of my data signal?

 

[B. Diddy]

I believe that the bars represent your voice signal. Your data signal is only represented on your notification bar by the 4G or 3G symbol. I know that I've been bumped down to 3G data even with 2-3 bars, so I don't think the bars correlate with data.