Do you really experience signal issue with your GN?

[CynicX]

My step brothers gnex does not get enough signal at my house to hold a conversation. I don't own one although I'd like to once the issue is resolved (assuming there is one?). I get decent enough signal with my work provided iPhone to hold a conversation without it cutting out or dropping calls.

 

[mitra88]

Yes, that is what I hope, too - that the problem can be pinpointed and solved! I just don't have the technical expertise to help pinpoint it other than to post my experience and then look at the problems that others are having and read what the experts are saying and try to put it all together.

You can bet that I will be telling VZW, G and Sammy about my experience in the hopes that they can do something about the problem. I hope others will too since that is the only way the problem will get fixed.

Even though we may not be the wireless experts, many of troubles of cellular phones could be pinpointed by users, with the right scientific technique. So, yes, with everyone's help, I am hopeful that we will be able to pinpoint this trouble out of our GNs. As a matter of fact, a lot of other phones' troubles were shot down from the pinpointing feedbacks of their users.

Being a nexus phone - a developer's reference phone - makes me difficult to believe that VZW, Google, or Samsung knew this issue before GN's launch. Also, that means the issue is very deep down, very difficult to notice if used moderately without full attention. But, having tons of devs using this phone (practically I am seeing all of devs I have known while using D1, DX, and Tbolt again with my GN!!!), we soon will be able to further pinpoint the trouble. I have no doubt.

 

[mitra88]

Come on, guys!!! We have 816 visits to this thread, but only 106 votes!!! Where are other 700? Please vote!

 

[Koolthulu]

I really don't care about the number of bars I have, or the data speed, it is the regular loss of service that is really bothering me. I can go from 4 bars to no service without even moving the phone.

 

[Premium1]

Also, have you flashed the 4.0.3 baseband yet (if you are rooted)?

Where did you get the 4.3 baseband? is that the radios that were leaked last week?

 

[mitra88]

where did you get the 4.3 baseband? Is that the radios that were leaked last week?

i515.09 v.ek06 / i515.ek04

 

[Premium1]

i515.09 v.ek06 / i515.ek04

Yeah those are the ones from last week. I installed them and was never really in a bad signal area but some areas were spotty and it seems to be a little better than the 4.0.2 radio.

 

[JeffDenver]

it also seems everyone's big stink is with the signal bars...really?.....the bars tell nothing of actual data.

I agree with this. The bars are good as a very rough estimate at best. They are not reliable at all IMO.

 

[crankerchick]

I have to agree with those saying that this phone definitely is having an issue when in areas of weaker signal.

For starters, those of you comparing bars and/or dBm signal levels to other phones, you really have to stop. Signal bars vary widely from one phone to the next. Second, Android 4.0 is doing something no other phone does (since no other phone runs ICS), and that is report the signal for the data network it is connected to. You can pop on over to anandtech.com and read all about it. Your Galaxy Nexus, when connected to LTE, is reporting LTE strength, while other phones, when connected to LTE, are still reporting the EVDO signal strength, both for the bars and for the signal strength in dBm.

I'm all about figuring out the issue and helping either VZW and/or developers get to the root of this, but people who keep saying "My [non-Galaxy Nexus phone] on 4G had [x] bars and my Galaxy Nexus has [less than x] bars " aren't helping anybody because it's not comparing like signal strengths.

That said, I DO believe there are some issues with the Galaxy Nexus, I just DON'T believe comparing signal levels between phones is going to help anybody figure it out and furthermore, will just give creedence to VZW to modify the bar readings and reported signal strength just to appease people so they can feel good that their phone that behaves the same as it always did but now reports 4 full bars and the same EV-DO signal strenght on LTE like other phones is now somehow working right.

I owned a Rezound for 5 weeks and I can say that phone help LTE like a champ. While I do think that phone is possibly the best at holding LTE, I also think the Galaxy Nexus is having problem holding LTE compared to other phones, not including the Rezound because I think the Rezound is an exception rather than the norm.

On EV-DO, I see the Galaxy Nexus consistently showing similar signal readings to other phones on 3G when in decent to good signal areas, but in weaker locations, the signal strength tends to be lower and the phone will lose connectivity all together. The same with LTE. In weaker areas, for example inside my office, the phone will fall back to 3G when some others can keep it. In my mind, that can be one of two things: either the phone is truly screwed up, or the threshold for falling back to 3G are aggressive, perhaps in an attempt to save battery life.

Also, there are some people who lose data connectivity or voice and data completely, for periods of time. While I haven't experienced anything that extreme (and if I did, i would do an exchange right away), I have seen my connection vary just sitting in the same location, as well as drop out completely and return.

Something isn't right here.

 

[mears]

Where in settings is this History information?

Settings->Battery-><click on graph>
Settings->Battery->Cell Standby

Also, for those who are having data dropouts, are you able to place calls when it happens?

 

[Dirty-Bird]

Did 4.0.3 leak or just the radios? I'm confused. Is there a Google issued radio fix out or just testers?

 

[FishPharm]

There must be a 4G problem going on in my city or area because I haven't seen 4G on my GN for 3 days....I'm going to call support when I get home and ask about it.

 

[Premium1]

There must be a 4G problem going on in my city or area because I haven't seen 4G on my GN for 3 days....I'm going to call support when I get home and ask about it.

I think some were reporting not having 4g yesterday at least kellen from droid-life tweeted asking if anyone had any issues. I did not experience any outage so maybe it was very region specific? Verizon needs to get this figured out with all these outages happening so frequently the past few weeks.

 

[CarryMe]

Did 4.0.3 leak or just the radios? I'm confused. Is there a Google issued radio fix out or just testers?

As far as I know, 4.0.3 won't be officially released until January and what is out now is unofficial.

 

[ohiomoto]

LTE is fantastic when you get it and most of the time, the phone receives data despite what the bars are showing, but there is one area that just don't get a signal with the GN even when selecting CDMA only. This is an area I've never had problems in with my other phones. Otherwise, the phone seems just OK to me.

 

[thebignewt]

I suspect this whole issue is because of VZNs rapid alteration of their LTE network in many locations at random times, even in places where one has become used to a stable and good signal, not just those on the fringes. I suspect that the phone is fine, not technically flawed like the infamous iPhone with "antennagate". I don't have on yet, but plan on using 3G only if I decide to get one next week.

 

[Johnly]

Yes, signal issues here and daily. I do make phone calls. Any other phone would be sent back, but it is a nexus, no worries as all will improve and I would regret getting rid of this device....besides, the signal issues are petty and the heads are working on it.

 

[JeffDenver]

I suspect this whole issue is because of VZNs rapid alteration of their LTE network in many locations at random times, even in places where one has become used to a stable and good signal, not just those on the fringes. I suspect that the phone is fine, not technically flawed like the infamous iPhone with "antennagate". I don't have on yet, but plan on using 3G only if I decide to get one next week.

If this was the case you would expect other users would be reporting the same problem. But it seems to be GN users almost exclusively.

If we did this same poll for the Rezound or the Razr I am guessing the results would be very different.

 

[Johnly]

As far as I know, 4.0.3 won't be officially released until January and what is out now is unofficial.

I am running 4.0.3 based under zygot. Radio is still in need of fixing. I should try zygot 2.0

 

[CarryMe]

If this was the case you would expect other users would be reporting the same problem. But it seems to be GN users almost exclusively.

Yes, this seems to be a GNex problem. My phone cannot grab and hold a 4G signal indoors but it can do that with a 3G signal and it should be harder to grab and hold a 3G signal indoors because it is a higher frequency signal and therefore less building penetration.

This makes no sense unless the problem is with the GNex.