In Serious Need of Advice

[Murph5150]

Guys,

I'm on my 3rd LG G3 and I called the executive office in Georgia for Verizon and actually had their VP offer me ANY replacement for free. Being a customer for 19 years has its advantages. My G3 got great reception, had useful features, and the battery life was decent. Here's my concern:
My previous two phones were Samsung devices; the Nexus and S4. Both had horrendous service. My two coworkers both had Motorola and with their two bars of signal, could use their phones in our office. My S4 had zero signal strength. So I see a pattern that with the two prior Samsung devices I've owned have poorly worked in areas where reception isn't great.

The Note 4 has my interest. But.. I'm afraid of getting a 3rd Samsung with weak signal strength. So I'm considering, in order, the Note 4, Nexus 6, DROID Turbo, and a 4th G3.

If you guys could offer me help, tips, advice, etc I'd really appreciate any feedback. Is Verizon even getting the Nexus 6?

-David

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[sforsyth01]

I have no issue with signal on my Note 4. BUT I also had no issue with my Note 3 and S3. That is something that is tough to gauge for people not in your exact situation.

Motorola is known for having excellent antennas in their devices so it doesn't surprise me that they would outperform a Samsung in low signal areas.

Verizon is getting the Nexus 6 but, at this point, only God could tell you when they will get off of their collective butts and release it. Personally I got tired of waiting and got the Note 4 - No regrets at all with that decision.

-Shawn
Noting the world one S-Pen at a time.

 

[beh]

Why would you think a 4th LG3 would get different results than the first 3? You do recall the definition of insanity right? LOL
I have the Note 4 and use it extensively in low signal strength areas (in the back of beyond rivers that I fish in eastern WA and OR) with excellent results. I have never been without a usable signal when others with different branded phones did have a usable signal.

 

[ChemMan]

I would find someone with a Note 4 and on the same carrier you use and have them come and visit where you plan on using the replacement. See what they get and then decide.

 

[Murph5150]

Haha, I'm an engineer and physicist and am very familiar with the definition of insanity. And it would actually be my 3rd. I appreciate your feedback. Nobody made reference to the S4, which I was hoping to see so we could share experiences, but I'm being given 30 days to try out as many devices I want and will not be charged a restocking fee. So I suppose I could try the other three. I thought the Turbo would have better customer reviews. I was surprised to see it 4/5.

The Note 4 will likely be where I start. The Nexus 6 also has received mixed reviews. Part of me wants to go Turbo because like it was said, Motorola phones have amazing radio/antennas. I must have read 50 reviews today lol. Each phone seems uniquely designed well, and speaking of the definition of insanity, I continue to see the G3 receive excellent reviews. At least I was given 30 days and no restock fee which was generous. I actually can play trial and error which goes against the grain of the philosophy of a physicist and engineer.

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[Haalcyon]

I would try the Note 4. Its signal reception is fine for millions but the only way you'll know if it works you is to try it in your environments. ...of course you know this.

 

[jrsharp70]

As someone who has had almost every note device ever made, as well as the moto X and 2 iPhones... I give everyone the same advice:

Unless you think you will use the S Pen and multitasking functions, go with the Droid turbo. I use the s pen a lot because I am constantly taking notes, every day.

One day I may not be though, and if that magic day were tomorrow, I'd own a Droid turbo. I'd trade my Note 10.1 2014 tablet in for a Kindle HDX or a nexus. And I'd never bother with samsung again.

But that day is not tomorrow, and I love the s pen features. So I put up with samsung crap.

 

[bassplayrguy]

I am kind of a phone freak and have used just about every phone on the market today aside from any windows phones. Samsung has come along way after starting a little slow and has surpassed all competition. IMHO.

 

[Murph5150]

Wow, you guys are making this a difficult choice lol. I'm not interested in the S-Pen. I like the Note 4 because of its size and great battery life together. I'm probably going to test them all because I have plenty of time. However I might choose the Turbo as my first case study. Both phones have incredible specs and the hard truth is it is an impossible feat to beat the reception in a Motorola.

Again, valuable feedback, and I appreciate it. Maybe after the 30 days is up I can be a tech advisor instead of a confused consumer.

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[sly11]

Note 4 is awesome!! My only issue is reception coming from BlackBerry 10 (z30) was way ahead of iphones and this note 4

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[Android D]

Wow, you guys are making this a difficult choice lol. I'm not interested in the S-Pen. I like the Note 4 because of its size and great battery life together. I'm probably going to test them all because I have plenty of time. However I might choose the Turbo as my first case study. Both phones have incredible specs and the hard truth is it is an impossible feat to beat the reception in a Motorola.

Again, valuable feedback, and I appreciate it. Maybe after the 30 days is up I can be a tech advisor instead of a confused consumer.

Posted via the Android Central App

Just curious...U have always been an Android Fan or ever used the iphone?

 

[Murph5150]

Always Android. OE Moto to Incredible to HTC Rezound to Bionic to Nexus to Galaxy S4 to LG G3. I "think" that covers the chronology of Androids I've owned. I'll never migrate to iOS.

 

[jrsharp70]

First off, I'm surprised that an engineer isn't taken with the kevlar of the turbo. Second, until you have used Motorola's hands-free commands and the awesome notification screen, you haven't used android to the fullest. Plus the driving mode is amazing.

Some may say to you that the note has all of these features (except the touchless notifications), but they don't work like the Droid does. That's samsung for you.

And the battery life of the turbo is at least as good.

Trust me. Samsung will drive you nuts. Remember, the first thing you will have to do is go through figure all of the crap have to turn off first so you don't throw the phone. There is even an article on it the AC homepage from a while back.

 

[Haalcyon]

Trust me. Samsung will drive you nuts. Remember, the first thing you will have to do is go through figure all of the crap have to turn off first so you don't throw the phone. There is even an article on it the AC homepage from a while back.

I've never ever ever wanted to throw any of my Samsung phones and I'm about as impatient as they come. This Note 3 and my Note 4 work truly beautifully. I do the same things to all of my phones. I disable apps I'm not going to use, whether the phones are Samsung or otherwise. That seems pretty logical.

 

[D Android]

I had S4 and couldn't even get 3g where I live. With Note 4 the signal is much stronger and I never had dropped calls like I did with S4.

 

[LaTuFu]

I would definitely suggest the Note 4 over the other choices you're looking at. Moto does have the best signal strength of any manufacturer, hands down. But the UI, battery life (and no removable battery or external storage), and display are big steps down from the Note 4.

I have not noticed a significant difference between the signal I got on my S4 and the signal I am getting on my Note 4. In the areas I have a hard time getting signal with the S4, I still have problems with the Note 4. I do seem to maintain calls better in those areas with the Note 4, but they still drop from time to time.

Overall, I'm pleased with the Note 4. It is a much better phone than the others you're looking at.

 

[Murph5150]

First off, I'm surprised that an engineer isn't taken with the kevlar of the turbo. Second, until you have used Motorola's hands-free commands and the awesome notification screen, you haven't used android to the fullest. Plus the driving mode is amazing.

Some may say to you that the note has all of these features (except the touchless notifications), but they don't work like the Droid does. That's samsung for you.

And the battery life of the turbo is at least as good.

Trust me. Samsung will drive you nuts. Remember, the first thing you will have to do is go through figure all of the crap have to turn off first so you don't throw the phone. There is even an article on it the AC homepage from a while back.

Kevlar is useful in situations where velocity, momentum, and net force at impact matter. My phone, to the best of my knowledge, won't travel at 3,500 km/sec. I'm at the Verizon Store.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[LaTuFu]

First off, I'm surprised that an engineer isn't taken with the kevlar of the turbo. Second, until you have used Motorola's hands-free commands and the awesome notification screen, you haven't used android to the fullest. Plus the driving mode is amazing.

Some may say to you that the note has all of these features (except the touchless notifications), but they don't work like the Droid does. That's samsung for you.

And the battery life of the turbo is at least as good.

Trust me. Samsung will drive you nuts. Remember, the first thing you will have to do is go through figure all of the crap have to turn off first so you don't throw the phone. There is even an article on it the AC homepage from a while back.

My experience has been the exact opposite of yours, or you are simply repeating internet mythology, I dunno.

The first Samsung Galaxy device was a horrible mess, there is no question about that. The original Note wasn't much better from what I remember. But starting with the Galaxy S2 and going forward, they have been incrementally outstanding devices.

Every Moto smartphone I've ever had, however, I couldn't get rid of fast enough. Display nowhere near as capable as the Samsungs, performance, battery life, whatever. The only thing I've ever liked about Moto phones are their signals. Ever since the pre-smartphone days Moto has been outstanding with signal strength.

Bloatware is a non-issue with these devices now, you can disable whatever you don't plan to use. If you're with a carrier other than Verizon or AT&T, it is even easier to avoid bloat, since the smaller carriers don't mess with that too much.

 

[Haalcyon]

Kevlar is useful in situations where velocity, momentum, and net force at impact matter. My phone, to the best of my knowledge, won't travel at 3,500 km/sec. I'm at the Verizon Store.

Posted via the Android Central App

This. Lol.

 

[ChemMan]

Kevlar is useful in situations where velocity, momentum, and net force at impact matter. My phone, to the best of my knowledge, won't travel at 3,500 km/sec. I'm at the Verizon Store.

Posted via the Android Central App

You and the insouciant cat Sneaky.