People receiving your phone--how is the signal strength?

In dBm (NOT bars) is your signal strength better or worse?


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tekhna

Well-known member
Nov 9, 2010
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I want to try to get to the bottom of this, given Samsung's crappy track-record with CDMA/LTE radios.
If you go to System Settings-->About Phone-->Network it should tell you your signal strength in dBm. Mine for example on my Rezound at the moment is -82 dBm.

If you're coming from another LTE phone, how does it compare?
 

rion_j

Well-known member
Mar 29, 2010
635
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I want to try to get to the bottom of this, given Samsung's crappy track-record with CDMA/LTE radios.
If you go to System Settings-->About Phone-->Network it should tell you your signal strength in dBm. Mine for example on my Rezound at the moment is -82 dBm.

If you're coming from another LTE phone, how does it compare?

is 82 good? what number is considered a good signal? just curious, it's been awhile.
 

tekhna

Well-known member
Nov 9, 2010
543
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is 82 good? what number is considered a good signal? just curious, it's been awhile.

In the -80s is totally fine. Some people sit in the -70s, which is pretty good. The problem with the Nexus is people were in the -100s and -110s.
 
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rion_j

Well-known member
Mar 29, 2010
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wow, 100's? dam, that is bad. i've been eyeing that device as well but keep hearing about bad signal. thanks for the heads up.
 

rushmore

Well-known member
May 3, 2011
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Razr and Rezound both have great reception, but the devices need to be compared in the same place by the same person.

Example: Rezound -82 dBm is fine if the G3 also gets the same signal reception and compared at the same place. Then there is the issue of the OS, since ICS and GB interpret 4G differently.

Best case would be both devices using ICS and in the same place. Anything else would have no real value.


Added:

Another practical point is places you notice one device works and another does not (pretty absolute then).
 

TallyHo

Junkie
Jun 14, 2010
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Got this from Phandroid and a mod named ofTheDamned had posted it

Technically -1 is a higher number than -100, so a "lower" negative number will always be better.

-105 to -100 = Really bad
-99 to -90 = Not great
-89 to -80 = Pretty good
-79 to -65 = Good
Over -65 = Excellent

It's useless to just see a number as you need to compare it another phone in the same spot.
 

tekhna

Well-known member
Nov 9, 2010
543
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Razr and Rezound both have great reception, but the devices need to be compared in the same place by the same person.

Example: Rezound -82 dBm is fine if the G3 also gets the same signal reception. Then there is the issue of the OS, since ICS and GB interpret differently.

Best case would be both devices using ICS and in the same place. Anything else would have no real value.

Yeah, that's what I'm asking for. If I had my GS3 I'd plunk it next to my Rezound (running ICS) and compare. Apples to apples.
 

jtbndy

Member
Dec 19, 2011
10
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I'm really interested in this thread in comparison to the Nexus. If the radio/signal is much better on the SGIII I might be jumping ship as I'm still having data dropping/weak signal issues.
 

rushmore

Well-known member
May 3, 2011
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Yeah, that's what I'm asking for. If I had my GS3 I'd plunk it next to my Rezound (running ICS) and compare. Apples to apples.


And is why this is a sweet thread :) Assuming the results are what we want to see, it could be sour...... :( ..... ;)
 

TallyHo

Junkie
Jun 14, 2010
147
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Well, in another thread someone said their new GS3 is -89 dbm, so we know it is at least capable of that. Seems like a fairly normal signal strength. Of course, he could be sitting under a tower and then it would be bad lol.
 

scorpiodsu

Well-known member
Jul 12, 2010
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Users will need to take note of their current device before activating the gs3 in they don't have another Verizon phone where they are. Just saying the signal strength independently is really no benefit. Need to know how it compares to another phone in the same spot. I hope users know this instead of just giving out a number with actual comparison.

For instance my wife's iPhone is at 89 and my nexus is at 92 in the same spot.
 

rushmore

Well-known member
May 3, 2011
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The battery life for my Razr thin sucks (worse after ICS update), so I will be leaving the Razr regardless. Still, the reception is great and I have listed certain key areas I dwell and the current dBm. Case in point, my 4G signal in a big building my office is at = -105. Anything higher would not be a good thing. 3G is also good with the Razr and works in places the Incredible did not.
 

tekhna

Well-known member
Nov 9, 2010
543
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That is probably a good thing, since this soon could be trolls ;)

Heh, yeah, I'm guessing it'll take a few days to shake out. I just wanted to get out ahead of it, because it's been such a serious problem in the past.
 

TallyHo

Junkie
Jun 14, 2010
147
15
0
Well, in another thread someone said their new GS3 is -89 dbm, so we know it is at least capable of that. Seems like a fairly normal signal strength. Of course, he could be sitting under a tower and then it would be bad lol.

He came out of the basement (literally) and updated....-78 dbm......nice!
 

biff6789

Well-known member
Aug 28, 2010
499
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I've got a tower right outside my office window and my Thunderbolt is currently at -38 dBm

When I get my S3 I'll do an "apples to apples" comparison with my Bolt which will show how good/bad the S3 radio is since my proximity to a tower is a non factor
 

TemporalBeef

Well-known member
Jul 31, 2010
167
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Right this minute, i have -117 on my GNex at work where the signal always sucks. At home I'm in the 80's and that's even with a vzw tower three streets over.
 

scuba561

Well-known member
Jun 5, 2012
49
3
0
Right this minute, i have -117 on my GNex at work where the signal always sucks. At home I'm in the 80's and that's even with a vzw tower three streets over.

Can you make calls (without them dropping) at -117 db? Just wondering. My phone is -94 db at home (far from tower) and, while I never drop calls, I get the missed words every now and then.
 

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