Anandtech - "Investigating the Galaxy Nexus LTE Signal Issue"

[sc4fpse]

The placement of the antennas is problematic. It is impossible NOT to block all of them, just by holding it In a natural position. Coupled with weak radios, that could explain why the nexus is slower. (I've noticed speed tests are significantly faster when the device is not being held)


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What? The Galaxy Nexus has its CDMA radio in the lower-left hand corner of the device (when looking at the screen), the Bluetooth/Wifi antenna on the center right, and the LTE radio on the top left. It's impossible to block all of these antennas unless you're death gripping your phone with both hands, in which case you would just look stupid. Unless you're holding your phone in landscape mode (either clockwise or counterclockwise), you'll never even touch the LTE radio unless you have the hands of a giant. I have big hands and mine still don't come anywhere near it. Additionally, unless you're left handed, you probably won't cover the CDMA antenna well enough to cause any sort of signal problems.

edit: Source for the Galaxy Nexus, complete with diagram: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/samsung-galaxy-nexus-nabs-fcc-approval-complete-with-verizon-lte/

 

[jroc]

I have some thoughts about the readings I posted in another forum:

I have an issue with the Galaxy Nexus signal fiasco.. - Android Forums

My question to some ppl is whats more important? LTE reception or phone reception? From what I've read recently, the Cat 3 technology in the G Nex and Rezound will post faster, higher numbers than the Cat 2 tech in the Bionic and RAZR. But...is faster, higher LTE speeds the only thing some of us want in a phone?

Thats the question some of us need to decide in all this.

 

[nkd]

I am at Christmas dinner right now and over here I am getting absolutely bad coverage. The phone goes from two bars to no bars and this is suppose to be in good service area and no 4g either when it is suppose to a 4g area. At my house I get constant 4g with one bar with few dropouts here and there and 3g with 2 bars and -93db signal. Over here it goes from -93 to -100 on 3g.

This phone definitely has weaker signal or Verizon maps are total bull. If I have time tomorrow I am going to test it with a razr in this area. I absolutely love this phone and in love the OS. I would go by service in residential areas than business area. I have been there and I always get crazy good service with like -70db on 4g. Verizon needs to have 4g wherever their maps say it is very good 4g area. I mean not only 80% accurate. I am getting no 4g whatsoever here when the map says it is in a very good 4g coverage and not even extended coverage.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[bplewis24]

I have some thoughts about the readings I posted in another forum:

I have an issue with the Galaxy Nexus signal fiasco.. - Android Forums

My question to some ppl is whats more important? LTE reception or phone reception? From what I've read recently, the Cat 3 technology in the G Nex and Rezound will post faster, higher numbers than the Cat 2 tech in the Bionic and RAZR. But...is faster, higher LTE speeds the only thing some of us want in a phone?

Thats the question some of us need to decide in all this.

It is my understanding that, eventually, Verizon plans to do voice and data over it's 4G network. I don't know when, and I don't remember where I read it.

Quick Google search brings up this link: Verizon plans voice and video calling over 4G with VoLTE | VentureBeat

Verizon Wireless is readying a new cellular calling service that offers better sound quality than its current network and is capable of doing video chat.
The new voice and video protocol will route calls over the fourth-generation wireless data network that Verizon started rolling out in December.
The goal is for this service to eventually replace the infrastructure that cell phones have relied on for more than a decade, said Brian Higgins, executive director for ecosystem development at Verizon Wireless.

Maybe this plays a part in their decision to show signal strength of LTE only?

Brandon

 

[jroc]

bplewis, glad you mentioned that.

I also bring up that point at times about all this. And I could fully understand when that time comes for doing that. It just doesnt make sense to me to show only LTE readings right now.

 

[Droid800]

What? The Galaxy Nexus has its CDMA radio in the lower-left hand corner of the device (when looking at the screen), the Bluetooth/Wifi antenna on the center right, and the LTE radio on the top left. It's impossible to block all of these antennas unless you're death gripping your phone with both hands, in which case you would just look stupid. Unless you're holding your phone in landscape mode (either clockwise or counterclockwise), you'll never even touch the LTE radio unless you have the hands of a giant. I have big hands and mine still don't come anywhere near it. Additionally, unless you're left handed, you probably won't cover the CDMA antenna well enough to cause any sort of signal problems.

edit: Source for the Galaxy Nexus, complete with diagram: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/samsung-galaxy-nexus-nabs-fcc-approval-complete-with-verizon-lte/

Not true. My hand blocks the CDMA antenna, and I have small hands. In order for me to reach any on screen elements at the top of the screen I end up blocking the LTE antenna too.


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[Droid800]

I am at Christmas dinner right now and over here I am getting absolutely bad coverage. The phone goes from two bars to no bars and this is suppose to be in good service area and no 4g either when it is suppose to a 4g area. At my house I get constant 4g with one bar with few dropouts here and there and 3g with 2 bars and -93db signal. Over here it goes from -93 to -100 on 3g.

This phone definitely has weaker signal or Verizon maps are total bull. If I have time tomorrow I am going to test it with a razr in this area. I absolutely love this phone and in love the OS. I would go by service in residential areas than business area. I have been there and I always get crazy good service with like -70db on 4g. Verizon needs to have 4g wherever their maps say it is very good 4g area. I mean not only 80% accurate. I am getting no 4g whatsoever here when the map says it is in a very good 4g coverage and not even extended coverage.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

The maps are accurate. As has been said about a hundred times in this thread, topography matters. In an area that is dense with homes or other features, those things can cause excellent signal to go to mediocre inside buildings.

The signal is accurate too; it's connection is the same strength as the razr and others. Again, as has been said before, the issue isn't the signal strength, it's the signal quality. Something else is happening from when the signal reaches to the radio to how it interacts with the phone.


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[Johnly]

It is a hackable loveable nexus on the most powerful network in the world. Do you know what we do????

 

[Ken7]

I am at Christmas dinner right now and over here I am getting absolutely bad coverage. The phone goes from two bars to no bars and this is suppose to be in good service area and no 4g either when it is suppose to a 4g area. At my house I get constant 4g with one bar with few dropouts here and there and 3g with 2 bars and -93db signal. Over here it goes from -93 to -100 on 3g.

This phone definitely has weaker signal or Verizon maps are total bull. If I have time tomorrow I am going to test it with a razr in this area. I absolutely love this phone and in love the OS. I would go by service in residential areas than business area. I have been there and I always get crazy good service with like -70db on 4g. Verizon needs to have 4g wherever their maps say it is very good 4g area. I mean not only 80% accurate. I am getting no 4g whatsoever here when the map says it is in a very good 4g coverage and not even extended coverage.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

We were back in the movies today, but a different theater. There was a period when the Nexus dropped its data signal for about 15 minutes. During that time the Razr had either a 3G or 4G signal for about 80% of that time. This was different than what I've been seeing in other areas. Although I've said before the 'no data' time has been a bit better on the Razr than the Nexus, this time it was pretty significant.

Yet in other areas it seems that the Nexus holds on to a 4G signal a bit better. So it looks like there's a threshold below which the Razr still receives a data signal and the Nexus doesn't. Above that threshold it seems the Nexus is quicker to get and hold on to a 4G signal than the Razr. And above THAT threshold, there's little difference between the two.

I've come to believe this is far more important than these Speed Tests which I'm beginning to think are really not that accurate in real world performance. Just test two phones with very different speed test results and then try to load some web pages. You'll probably find little difference in the web page loading times and certainly not in line with what you'd think would happen as the result of those speed tests (assuming both are showing 4G signals).

It's a pretty complicated interaction and it's not even always consistent.

As for those coverage maps, I take them with a grain of salt.

 

[Ken7]

It is my understanding that, eventually, Verizon plans to do voice and data over it's 4G network. I don't know when, and I don't remember where I read it.

Quick Google search brings up this link: Verizon plans voice and video calling over 4G with VoLTE | VentureBeat



Maybe this plays a part in their decision to show signal strength of LTE only?

Brandon

I wonder if current 4G phones will be compatible with this new VoLTE? I'm assuming yes?

 

[Johnly]

We were back in the movies today, but a different theater. There was a period when the Nexus dropped its data signal for about 15 minutes. During that time the Razr had either a 3G or 4G signal for about 80% of that time. This was different than what I've been seeing in other areas. Although I've said before the 'no data' time has been a bit better on the Razr than the Nexus, this time it was pretty significant.

Yet in other areas it seems that the Nexus holds on to a 4G signal a bit better. So it looks like there's a threshold below which the Razr still receives a data signal and the Nexus doesn't. Above that threshold it seems the Nexus is quicker to get and hold on to a 4G signal than the Razr. And above THAT threshold, there's little difference between the two.

I've come to believe this is far more important than these Speed Tests which I'm beginning to think are really not that accurate in real world performance. Just test two phones with very different speed test results and then try to load some web pages. You'll probably find little difference in the web page loading times and certainly not in line with what you'd think would happen as the result of those speed tests (assuming both are showing 4G signals).

It's a pretty complicated interaction and it's not even always consistent.

As for those coverage maps, I take them with a grain of salt.

so incredibly thankful I do research beyond this thread.....life is good with a nexus in Verizon. Okay, post away again...lol.

 

[Ken7]

so incredibly thankful I do research beyond this thread.....life is good with a nexus in Verizon. Okay, post away again...lol.

So why would you even bother to venture into this thread? Seems it might be a bit boring to you.

 

[Johnly]

So why would you even bother to venture into this thread? Seems it might be a bit boring to you.

boring, yes.....however, it is entertaining. It is the only thread on the net still debating this...

 

[Ken7]

boring, yes.....however, it is entertaining. It is the only thread on the net still debating this...

That's surprising since for so many people and their experiences (mine included), the jury is still out. Not sure how anyone could come to a 100% conclusion on this yet.

 

[Johnly]

That's surprising since for so many people and their experiences (mine included), the jury is still out. Not sure how anyone could come to a 100% conclusion on this yet.

Not really, the nexus phone sucks ass. It is horrid. I give the team 7 days then they can shove this junk back up their concept. Problem is I love the concept to much to care..

 

[Ken7]

Sarcasm noted.

 

[sc4fpse]

Not true. My hand blocks the CDMA antenna, and I have small hands. In order for me to reach any on screen elements at the top of the screen I end up blocking the LTE antenna too.


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I'm going to be blunt in my response to this: You're a freak. Assuming you're not left-handed, in order to sufficiently block the CDMA antenna to the point that it actually causes a noticeable degradation in signal you must be death gripping the phone in a position more appropriate for throwing a split finger pitch than holding a mobile device. And worse, if either of your hands is able to block the LTE antenna in the upper-left corner of the device, then may the late Steve Jobs forgive me, but you're holding it wrong.

In all seriousness, I would love to see a picture of how you actually hold the phone. For someone who so-called "small" hands, I would be absolutely amazed if your hands came anywhere near that LTE antenna while holding the phone normally in a portrait orientation.

http://cdn.androidcentral.com/sites...ostimages/108579/galaxy-nexus-review-main.jpg

http://www-bgr-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Nexus-Prime-front.jpg

 

[bplewis24]

I wonder if current 4G phones will be compatible with this new VoLTE? I'm assuming yes?

I would assume so. Nothing about the 4G network is actually going to change, they're just going to shift the voice calls from the 1x network to the 4G LTE network. The 1x radio in our phones would then no longer be used for voice calls until we are in a 3g only area.

Brandon

 

[budmonster]

When you say all the LTE phones had about the same speeds, does that include the Nexus? If so, I wouldn't worry.

Yeah it included the my Nexus. It seems like most devices in the store had 4 bars and where getting the same speeds. But it was inside a mall so I'm guessing it would be better outside.

 

[m3incorp]

It is for everyone except you....just kidding...but right now the majority of people use these two phones for comparison.

I'm not sure why are you "surprised" how Nexus is "holding up" to the Razr's radio??! Since when is Razr the reference point with it's previous generation category 2 capabilities?!