Modem performance

I don't know if this is related, but last Friday I was traveling to visit a friend near the Chesapeake Bay, and stopped at a BBQ place in Mechanicsville, VA. I noticed I had 5G UC icon showing up (I'm on T-Mobile), so I checked my d/l speed, and found this. I was totally shocked by it.
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Pcmag article: "Another member of the PCMag staff also reported that on low-band connections in rural areas, the Pixel was actually able to maintain a connection that the S21 Ultra dropped."

"It’s certainly clear that, on paper, the Samsung modem the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro use just aren’t up to the gold standard that Qualcomm offers. However, as we noted in our review, signal strength and speeds in day-to-day use don’t really tell the same story. Without comparing speeds and strength side-by-side, it’s harder to see the disparity.

It appears without PCMAG actually stating it in clear English; these tests were not performed by the same person, while in the exact same provider area, with the phones side-by-side.

Whereas the other tests WERE done side-by-side in the exact same provider areas. And I believe the key word will be PROVIDER areas. Since LTE coverage has always varied, sometimes daily, from one location to another, and it will also vary for 5G coverage. The majority will never notice drops or rises in signal strength since it will not affect a phone call, and in most cases no noticeable change in surfing.

I am not saying which phone is better, since I am still in the air about which phone to purchase; just saying if I was to pick which article I would, personally, put more credence in it was the actual side-by-side comparison.
 
It's incredible to me that people are now upset, that a phone can't download at 1 to 2Gbps speeds. A CELL PHONE fer ceriss sakes! These people would have freaked out in the 56K modem days.
 
Here is what I can say about my Pixel 6 experience so far when it comes to signal. I work on a Military post that is well known for terrible cell signal. Folks with T-Mobile service have called it T Maybe for years. With my Moto Z4 I could maybe make / answer a call if I walked around and found the perfect spot to stand still, stand on one leg, stick my finger in my ear, stick out my tongue, you get the point. With my Pixel 4XL I could usually make / answer calls in the same area, and had 4G signal sometimes. With my Pixel 6 I have had no issues making / answering calls in the same area, and have a decent 4G signal. So for me, it's the best reception I have had in the past 4 years at work. Those are my results, your usage may vary.
 
I guess the bottom line is that if the phone meets your needs, that's all that matters. For the heck of it, I went to a local park this afternoon that has a known good 5G signal on AT&T. I placed my S21 Ultra side by side with my Pixel 6 Pro on the passenger seat. I dialed up speed test by Okla on each one and hit go. Ultra did 340 down and 11 up. Pixel did 202 down and 33 up. 202 Mbps would be plenty for most people. I will also say I haven't dropped any calls on either device. So, I'm satisfied with my Pixel 6 Pro. I mainly do downloads at home over a fast wifi connection. So as long as you get an adequate signal and don't drop calls you should be fine. If you live in a rural area where 5G is nonexistent, try LTE if your carrier allows you to switch.
 
Here is my experience in downtown Chicago at the train station which is underneath the skyscraper. I am quite pleased. Also have had no dropped calls and frankly have just kept the 5G on all the time. Battery life has been very good.Screenshot_20211118-154642.jpg
 
This is what I am getting in Duluth, Ga
 

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This is what happens when you live in a basement apartment of a house and turn off Wi-Fi and the second pic is when you connect to Wi-Fi wirelessly
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