S4 antenna problems

[Cannadude]

It started with phone call reception problems at my house. There is usually 2 bars but I cannot make outgoing or receive incoming calls. So I have to switch sim cards to my HTC one just to make a call or check voice mail. That has been on going for about a month. Today, I started not getting a Wifi connection (out of range) when the phone is more than 4 feet from the router. I have restarted the router, restarted the phone. My laptop and other phone works just fine so it is not the router or cell reception. So I am now having weak cell reception and very weak wifi reception.
Any help is appreciated

I have been inside and know how to replace the antenna. Does this wire handle both wifi and phone call reception? BTW , DATA reception seems to be working OK. Maybe a little weak- I don't know but it works when the wifi fails

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Does the S4 have a case? If so, is it a metal case? Metal in cases can sometimes interfere with reception.

 

[allogist]

I am having the exact same problem with my S4. Started soon after last update, but I don't know if it was immediately after. here are my symptoms:

1) Extremely weak wi-fi signal. If I sit next to the router and point phone at it, I get full bars. if I turn the phone away from router, it drops down to 2. Walk two feet away and I get nothing. Other phones in apartment have no problem getting signal. I used WiFi Analyzer on this and another (cheap) phone; other phone shows several networks, with ours having strong signal. Mine shows a total of 2 networks, with both having very weak signals.

2) Weak phone/messaging. Granted, service is poor in my neighborhood, but this phone can't manage where other phones can.

3) Nutty GPS. Rerouting, rerouting, rerouting, rerouting, madness.

4) Voicemail message indicator only sporadically turns off when there are no new messages.

I thought antenna, maybe SIM card, so I had both replaced. THE EXACT SAME ISSUES are happening on the replacement phone. Verizon and Samsung were no help at all. Samsung wanted me to send phone back ("but, I just got a new phone..." fell on deaf ears).

The only constants from the old phone are battery and memory card. I removed memory card so see if it would make a difference but it didn't. I'm at a loss. Because service is so bad in this area (1 mile from Manhattan, for gosh sake), my phone is essentially useless at home without wifi.

PS: rubber case on or off, doesn't make a difference.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Sounds like a dud phone. Does it pick up other wi-fi networks ok, or is that behavior universal? Is the GPS specifically weak, or is it the navigation that is off? In other words, when you open Maps with GPS on but aren't navigating anywhere, does GPS locate you precisely and quickly?

 

[jstntime]

I am having the exact same problem with my S4. Started soon after last update, but I don't know if it was immediately after. here are my symptoms:

1) Extremely weak wi-fi signal. If I sit next to the router and point phone at it, I get full bars. if I turn the phone away from router, it drops down to 2. Walk two feet away and I get nothing. Other phones in apartment have no problem getting signal. I used WiFi Analyzer on this and another (cheap) phone; other phone shows several networks, with ours having strong signal. Mine shows a total of 2 networks, with both having very weak signals.

2) Weak phone/messaging. Granted, service is poor in my neighborhood, but this phone can't manage where other phones can.

3) Nutty GPS. Rerouting, rerouting, rerouting, rerouting, madness.

4) Voicemail message indicator only sporadically turns off when there are no new messages.

I thought antenna, maybe SIM card, so I had both replaced. THE EXACT SAME ISSUES are happening on the replacement phone. Verizon and Samsung were no help at all. Samsung wanted me to send phone back ("but, I just got a new phone..." fell on deaf ears).

The only constants from the old phone are battery and memory card. I removed memory card so see if it would make a difference but it didn't. I'm at a loss. Because service is so bad in this area (1 mile from Manhattan, for gosh sake), my phone is essentially useless at home without wifi.

PS: rubber case on or off, doesn't make a difference.

I've also recently been having excruciatingly bad wi-fi reception, soon following the last update. I don't use a case. Other devices pick the router up just fine in the house, but the S4 plummets as soon as I get outside of the 15' radius.

All this being said, I've had no issues at all with 2), 3), or 4).

Very curious to see how this thread germinates...

 

[Cannadude]

Interesting. Yes the poor call reception thing started literally the day after a forced Samsung update. I thought maybe it was a coincidence but it looks like I'm not the only one. The thing is, it's like it just keeps deteriorating. The WIFI went from only working within 4 to 6 feet of the router to now only working if I touch the phone to the router as close as it will go. I have been to other free Wifi places (Starbucks, ATT) and the phone does not find them with scan. I found somewhere on the web that the antenna terminals can become dirty (oxidized or something) or the soldering can fail but it looks like a big job to get there because it's on the back side of the circut board. I've given up. It has a small crack in the glass so I submitted an insurance claim to replace it. They are sending me a Alpha. Frankly, I'm sick of new phones. I have had nothing but fails. Before this it was a HTC one that always had Sim card issues and then the camera stopped working. Now it shuts itself off for days at a time. I am sick of wasting money on expensive defective junk that costs three to four hundred dollars and lasts half a year

 

[Cannadude]

Yeah I'm in Portland about 800 yards from a tower and 1 or two bars but no call signal. Now the phone call only works if it shows all 5 bars.