Official Signal Strength and Reception Thread

[Stelv]

Just so you guys know in my old fascinate no bit of software fixed the horrible radio. I did just about every mod and kernel combo you could think of. The hardware was just bad. That being said though software can fix a radio a lot if the times (if hardware isn't bad) and bar indicators are often inaccurate. I don't have much faith in Samsung after owning a fascinate or my cousin owning a charge. Radio and gps are 2 of Samsungs biggest weaknesses...definitely keep a steady eye on it.

And yes Google employees use the GSM version of the Nexuses which has a totally different radio in it. Samsung tends to have more issues with cdma technology.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

[Premium1]

Re: low signal strength?

Just so you guys know in my old fascinate no bit of software fixed the horrible radio. I did just about every mod and kernel combo you could think of. The hardware was just bad. That being said though software can fix a radio a lot if the times (if hardware isn't bad) and bar indicators are often inaccurate. I don't have much faith in Samsung after owning a fascinate or my cousin owning a charge. Radio and gps are 2 of Samsungs biggest weaknesses...definitely keep a steady eye on it.

And yes Google employees use the GSM version of the Nexuses which has a totally different radio in it. Samsung tends to have more issues with cdma technology.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

Well the nexus uses different gps things to help lock on faster. Not to mention it seems the sgs2 does not have the gps issues the sgs1 had.

 

[Kunji]

Re: low signal strength?

And how would that be different from any other electronics nowadays? Pretty much all electronics are made in China nowadays.

The labor there is cheap. The communist government covets our paper dollars, so they work their people in factories all day to slap together crap for us to buy with our paper dollars.

Why anyone would give you a phone in exchange for paper is beyond me, but the Chinese will.

gnex is made in Korea not China ....

 

[Willis]

Re: low signal strength?

I tested signals on Nexus and my Razr side by side at the store with surprising results:

4g test showed Nexus at 109dbm and Razr -80dbm

I then jumped on both browsers and the Nexus proved to be just as fast as my Razr if not a little faster at loading web pages. I also streamed the same video from youtube on both and found no noticable difference even tho the Nexus showed to have a weaker signal.

The real interesting part is when I turned both phones to 3g only the Nexus showed -75 dbm while my Razr Showed -77dbm essentially a wash.

So although the LTE signal shows to be much weaker, in real world test the NExus appears just as fast if not slightly faster even with the weaker signal.

Only other thing I noticed is the screen on the Nexus although larger which is one of the reasons I have an interest in it, does appear to be more washed out compared to my Razr. Just my observatiosn based on my not so scientific tests

 

[exarkun]

Re: low signal strength?

I just compared my galaxy nexus, my wife's galaxy nexus, and my work iphone 4 side by side at my home (where verizon is the only decent signal, albeit poor)

All 3 show -100db

I can't complain if it is getting as good reception as an iphone...

 

[xelhabb]

Re: low signal strength?

I switched to CDMA only for now until the 4G bugs get worked out. Battery life better and more bars.

I suspect a baseband update will remedy this eventually. I went through the same thing with the DX from Eclair to Froyo to Gingerbread.

 

[zenit#AC]

Re: low signal strength?

have any web sites done a teardown on a gnex yet? Wonder if antenna/radio chips are same as the ones used on the Charge.

 

[Ken7]

Re: low signal strength?

I've had the Nexus since launch and today went into a local corporate VZW store. I compared signal strength on each and every 4G phone.

There was not a single 4G phone that came close to the poor signal strength of the Nexus...not one! In fact ALL the phones were getting between 45db and 56 db (at the worst)...this includes the cheapy 4G phones.

The Nexus? Their unit (and mine) was only getting 79db with a full set of bars.

I had issues in a mall the first night I got the phone and this was the same mall I'd been to with both my Bionic and my Rezound. Both of those had no issues with the 4G in the mall, but the Nexus could not hold on to the 4G signal. Granted it's not a strong 4G signal there, but that's the point. It's these areas that the other phones hold on to it and the Nexus can not.

The qualitative measurements of all the 4G phones today showed me this is a REAL problem guys. This is nobody's imagination and this does not vary from phone to phone. The Nexus radio has an issue and I'm dubious if it can be fixed via software.

It's really a shame since I like the phone otherwise, but without knowing if it will or can be fixed before my return period, I'll probably be forced to go back to the Rezound.

 

[Ken7]

Re: low signal strength?

I tested signals on Nexus and my Razr side by side at the store with surprising results:

4g test showed Nexus at 109dbm and Razr -80dbm

I then jumped on both browsers and the Nexus proved to be just as fast as my Razr if not a little faster at loading web pages. I also streamed the same video from youtube on both and found no noticable difference even tho the Nexus showed to have a weaker signal.

The real interesting part is when I turned both phones to 3g only the Nexus showed -75 dbm while my Razr Showed -77dbm essentially a wash.

So although the LTE signal shows to be much weaker, in real world test the NExus appears just as fast if not slightly faster even with the weaker signal.

Only other thing I noticed is the screen on the Nexus although larger which is one of the reasons I have an interest in it, does appear to be more washed out compared to my Razr. Just my observatiosn based on my not so scientific tests

Willis, you really need to consider this, it's NOT the speed in question, it's the ability to hold on to a 4G signal in a marginal area. I will bet you anything that once the other phones get down to about 95db, the Nexus will no longer have a 4G signal. THAT'S the problem, not the speed when it's still getting a 4G signal.

The Nexus radio is broken...certainly compared to other phones. If I had only seen the quantitative measurements today, I might have thought "Well, maybe the Nexus is not reporting the number accurately". However I know this is not the case since when I did go to a marginal 4G area, the Nexus dropped its 4G and the Rezound & Bionic kept it.

 

[Ken7]

Re: low signal strength?

Just so you guys know in my old fascinate no bit of software fixed the horrible radio. I did just about every mod and kernel combo you could think of. The hardware was just bad. That being said though software can fix a radio a lot if the times (if hardware isn't bad) and bar indicators are often inaccurate. I don't have much faith in Samsung after owning a fascinate or my cousin owning a charge. Radio and gps are 2 of Samsungs biggest weaknesses...definitely keep a steady eye on it.

And yes Google employees use the GSM version of the Nexuses which has a totally different radio in it. Samsung tends to have more issues with cdma technology.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

You are absolutely right. I had a Charge and that too had a dismal radio. People thinking this will be fixed with a software update may really be kidding themselves. I hope I'm wrong, but I've got less than 2 weeks to make a decision. If I hear no acknowledgement and an assurance of a fix by then, it goes back.

Yes the screen is nice and so is ICS, but if you can't hold on to a 4G signal in marginal areas, to me it's not worth it. The Rezound has a great screen too and will be getting ICS down the road. But I KNOW the Rezound has a fabulous radio in it as does the Motorolas. I can't believe at this late date that Samsung still hasn't learned.

 

[VideoEngineerAJS]

Re: low signal strength?

Willis, you really need to consider this, it's NOT the speed in question, it's the ability to hold on to a 4G signal in a marginal area. I will bet you anything that once the other phones get down to about 95db, the Nexus will no longer have a 4G signal. THAT'S the problem, not the speed when it's still getting a 4G signal.

The Nexus radio is broken...certainly compared to other phones. If I had only seen the quantitative measurements today, I might have thought "Well, maybe the Nexus is not reporting the number accurately". However I know this is not the case since when I did go to a marginal 4G area, the Nexus dropped its 4G and the Rezound & Bionic kept it.

I never got decent 4G speeds at home anyway, so I just always go to WiFi when I'm at home. Aside from home, I always have solid 4G so I'm not really all that concerned and given that I know updates will be coming I'm definitely not taking the phone back.

Of course everyone has different wants and needs so whatever works best for everyone else, but I'm not giving up the phone just because I'm not getting 4G at my home since I never use it at home anyway and I can still make calls. For me it would be stupid to give up the phone, especially since I know updates will just make the phone better.

 

[ace0187420]

Yeah if it can get better through updates that would be great. If not might have to swap it out for a rezound even though I dont want to.

 

[VideoEngineerAJS]

Re: low signal strength?

You are absolutely right. I had a Charge and that too had a dismal radio. People thinking this will be fixed with a software update may really be kidding themselves. I hope I'm wrong, but I've got less than 2 weeks to make a decision. If I hear no acknowledgement and an assurance of a fix by then, it goes back.

Yes the screen is nice and so is ICS, but if you can't hold on to a 4G signal in marginal areas, to me it's not worth it. The Rezound has a great screen too and will be getting ICS down the road. But I KNOW the Rezound has a fabulous radio in it as does the Motorolas. I can't believe at this late date that Samsung still hasn't learned.

That would be wrong. I distinctly remember VZW saying that any phone bought after November 14th had until January 9th to return the phone.

 

[soogriff]

Re: low signal strength?

My phone has shown 2 bars the entire time I've had it, but I haven't had any issues with calls dropping. All my calls have sounded great.

 

[CarryMe]

Re: low signal strength?

Yeah if it can get better through updates that would be great. If not might have to swap it out for a rezound even though I dont want to.

Why would you pick the rezound over the razr?

 

[Ken7]

Re: low signal strength?

I never got decent 4G speeds at home anyway, so I just always go to WiFi when I'm at home. Aside from home, I always have solid 4G so I'm not really all that concerned and given that I know updates will be coming I'm definitely not taking the phone back.

Of course everyone has different wants and needs so whatever works best for everyone else, but I'm not giving up the phone just because I'm not getting 4G at my home since I never use it at home anyway and I can still make calls. For me it would be stupid to give up the phone, especially since I know updates will just make the phone better.

Well the flaw in your logic is that update might NOT make it better in terms of 4G. The Charge never got better. If it's hardware there is nothing that can be done. So it's not good reasoning to be certain that software will solve the many people battling with this issues.

 

[MrVeda]

Re: low signal strength?

I picked up my GN yesterday from a Corporate Store and they pointed out the return date on the receipt is 30 Days and is printed in B/W. I'm moving over from T-Mobile who have WiFi calling.

They also warned me the radio will not be as good at the Moto Razr as I live in a poor reception area. Cannot make or receive calls now - called Customer Service and they will happily send me an Extender for $250 plus tax and shipping - very generous of them!

I wish I could see the difference from a Razr or Rezound. Love the GN - just wish I could make calls on it instead of forwarding the number to a cell phone that does work.

Anyone else considering the Extender to keep this phone?

 

[wtherrell]

Re: low signal strength?

Check out the Fascinate forums, It also suffers from these exact problems...

Yes, but rooting and custom roms cured that on my Fascinate. Besides, it had no LTE capability at all. I bought this expensive phone as an upgrade but it appears to be a downgrade with respect to one of the most important things a smartphone can do.

 

[Stelv]

Rooting, custom roms, kernels, etc never fixed the radio on my fascinate. It was just bad through and through.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

[iBowToAndroid]

Re: low signal strength?

That would be wrong. I distinctly remember VZW saying that any phone bought after November 14th had until January 9th to return the phone.

It's actually til January 15th

You are absolutely right. I had a Charge and that too had a dismal radio. People thinking this will be fixed with a software update may really be kidding themselves. I hope I'm wrong, but I've got less than 2 weeks to make a decision. If I hear no acknowledgement and an assurance of a fix by then, it goes back.

The antenna may be hardware, but it's still controlled by software. You can't make it as good as a Moto one (which is why I'm praying that the next Nexus is a Moto - both for antenna quality and overall build quality) but they can push out a different radio. See: Nexus S 4G