Does phone model affect quality/speed of connection?

[marbleize]

Have a list of Android phones under consideration.

Must use it in a location that receives variable signal strength--sometimes it's on the low side. No wifi available.

Deal-breaker criteria is using an app that requires sending/receiving encrypted info from this location and avoiding time-outs. I can?t change the location. I can?t control the cell phone towers. I can?t control the service from Sprint. All I can do is try to identify the best possible phone.

So--
Where can I get the info needed to compare these phones for which one is likely to get the best reception?

(If this is not possible, would better like to understand why/why not.)

 

[PvilleComp]

Some OEM's use better radio/antenna hardware than others. Motorola and HTC seem to have better Radio/Antenna designs then Samsung. Samsung traditionally has always had the worst reception of the big three.

Your best bet is to take liberal advantage of Sprint's return policy. Start at the top with the phone you really want and use it for a week. If it does not meet your needs then try another for a week and so on.

Another alternative is to see if you can put in a cellular repeater. Wilson makes the best one's I've sen and they have solutions for almost anything you can think of.

Cell Phone Signal Boosters and Antennas at Wilson Electronics - Wilson Electronics Inc.

Hope this helps.

 

[marbleize]

Interesting. Where does one find this info? How about differences in different models within the same brand?

I'm bummed that none of the several Sprint employees seemed to be aware of this (or willing to share the info).

Sprint's policy is not so liberal, at least as we were told. 2 weeks max. for any and all returns/exchanges. Which has now passed, of course. There's always craigslist and ebay, but I want to be sure I'm getting a model that won't perform as disappointingly as one I tried.

Cellular repeaters are something I didn't know about. That brings up the question, how to make sure that the problem is the particular model's radio/antenna, and not the Android version of the app (versus the iphone version, which I have been using)?

 

[MrSmith317]

Interesting. Where does one find this info? How about differences in different models within the same brand?

I'm bummed that none of the several Sprint employees seemed to be aware of this (or willing to share the info).

Sprint's policy is not so liberal, at least as we were told. 2 weeks max. for any and all returns/exchanges. Which has now passed, of course. There's always craigslist and ebay, but I want to be sure I'm getting a model that won't perform as disappointingly as one I tried.

Cellular repeaters are something I didn't know about. That brings up the question, how to make sure that the problem is the particular model's radio/antenna, and not the Android version of the app (versus the iphone version, which I have been using)?

The easy answer to your question is this: You can't know. You can stand in the exact same spot with someone with the exact same phone and get 2 different result for signal. They shouldn't be that far off but different nonetheless. You can do the same with the exact same app and get two completely different results and that goes for ANY phone.

The previous poster did nail it on the hardware manufacturers. HTC and Moto have historically had better radio hardware than Samsung. LG is also an option but I'd have to put them in third with Sammy still pulling up the rear.

If you're stuck with a phone and disappointed by it's reception then you should definitely look into a cell repeater. Make sure it's compatible with the bands that you/Sprint uses.

 

[PvilleComp]

Radio and antenna strength is not a feature that's regularly reviewed or bench-marked. in reviews so it's sort of a hunt and peck. All phones work fine in the majority of areas where the majority of folks use them, but you sound like me, skirting in and out of fringe coverage. I just try and stick with the tried and true OEM's.

The Wilson repeaters will repeat all CDMA and GSM US bands and 3G data as well (Not LTE yet that I know of). They will not do iDen. (And BOTH of the existing iDen users are PISSED )

 

[marbleize]

I just posted, but it seems to have disappeared...

I'm using the phone (trying to anyway) just a few miles from the downtown of a metro area of over 2 million people. Could it be that the bldg's construction is affecting the signal?

Would Sprint or Wilson know better which repeater to get? Or maybe it would be better to get a Motorola or HTC phone and see if I can avoid getting a repeater...

But I'd still like to figure out if it's the phone or the Android version of the app. Does an app have to have different versions for different phones, or can all Android phones (that the app creator claims to support) use the same version of that app?

 

[PvilleComp]

From Wilson's site:

Now featuring adjustable gain to simplify installation! The DB Pro cellular signal booster is Wilson’s dual-band (800 &1900 MHz) wireless amplifier for use in homes, offices and other buildings. The DB Pro significantly improves voice and data performance for multiple cell phones and data cards simultaneously, and works with all major North American cell phone carriers, which include both Cellular (824-894 MHz) and PCS (1850-1990 MHz) carrier frequency bands. This 65 dB in-building booster combines high performance with ease of installation, and can be used with an outside Omni-directional gain antenna with multiple mounting options that eliminates researching cell tower locations and antenna orientation.

Here's the link for the specific product:
Product Details

Which repeater to choose depends on how much area you want to cover. Start here and check out what they have, Sprint will be covered (except for the 4G stuff):
Phone Signal Boosters & Antennas for Home, Office, and Buildings - Wilson Electronics Inc.

 

[marbleize]

"mounting options"...looks like I'd have to attach something to the outside of the bldg. Not sure the office bldg owner would be okay with that.

 

[Haggis47]

Cellular repeaters are expensive and are only good for one location.

 

[srkmagnus]

Cellular repeaters are expensive and are only good for one location.

Yes; however, the price has gone down since this thread was started in 2012.

 

[Hebekiah]

It's amazing that the radios aren't mentioned in phone specs. I've had very different wi-fi range with different phones (Moto G xt1045 still the king). Seems like something that oughta be talked about but it's dark and mysterious. No luck googling it either.