Pixel XL signal strength

[miyanc]

I'm on Verizon as well and live in a rural area. My closest tower is around 12 miles away which is the fringe for LTE signals. When I moved here in 2009, my 3G signal was passable, around -82dBm outside and -95 to -105dBm inside, so I got a Network Extender in the home. After we had some long term issues with it and I had to go without for awhile, I found that the signal level in our area had dropped. Now outside we get around -95dBm and inside is useless unless your next to a window, and even then keeping a call going is an ordeal. Apparently the switch to LTE has also decreased the signal range for 3G.

Regardless, one of the reasons I'm looking at a Pixel is being able to have WiFi calling in an unlocked device with pure Android and quick updates. I was hoping they'd bring WiFi calling to my 6p, but that isn't going to happen, so it'll either go to someone on our share plan that lives in good signal area other my backup.

Its more of a consolidation of resources. each tower is usually independently owned or managed. So what the carriers have to do is rent or buy space/bandwidth or however it is done. So if verizon can put 10 magic beans on the tower and originally all 10 were 3g, things were good for 3g, but then jack wants to add lte, they may get the ability to add more beans, but more likely, because 10 beans was enough they will move some beans to jack. Eventually jack will get all the beans because there is less ans less money in 3g and verizon can get more magic out of us if they can deliver it faster.

unitl Puff comes along and delivers us some lte advanced magic. then we will need to rearrange the beans again.

 

[miyanc]

So because of this thread I am starting to track my two current phones; HTC 10 and an iPhone 5 (to be replaced). The back corner of my house is a proverbial dead zone. The other two carriers "die" back there. Part of the reason I am on Big Red.

iPhone trended from 99-107.
HTC 10 trended from 97-103. I did use my phone for voice last night due to work calling with support issues. I had calls dropped by my DNA on the same couch cushion. I have not had a call dropped with my 10 in the six months that I have owned it supporting my customers from there.

Could the dB numbers just be people being sensitive (I hope)? I really want the Pixel but the call coverage and notifications HAVE to be there as this is my wifes primary point of communication. Period.

IMO, this phone is worth it. I am hoping some tweak or replacement will get me a better signal. When I got the original note 7 it was the first phone I had with a finger print scanner. It worked but it was working maybe 70-80% of the time. What did i now, maybe that was good? Or maybe it was user error. when I got the s7e I knew it was the phone. and then when i got my second n7 It was confirmed.

I also believe almueit is correct, in that all mileage may vary and not all is equal. just because mine is under preforming based on my life and previous phones doesnt make this phone bad for all. The one area I had hoped this phone would be better at is signal. In the past with every other phone I have seen them all struggle with handoffs. cell to wifi, 3g to 4g to 1x to trusted wifi and such. With google rolling out project fi I had hoped this phone would have done all that without issue. In my case it may just be this phone. I am hoping to get some answers today from my mystory big brother.

 

[supreme8124]

I'm shocked that a top notch company like Google didn't do their homework on signal strength. Read an article the other day that was about why Pixel phones are not waterproof. It said Google ran out of time to make phone waterproof, so did they design Pixel so fast they didn't test signal strength? I'm going to say yes.

 

[matty032]

Okay got my Pixel XL. Testing at home. The Moto X will show a quarter of a bar around the house. The Pixel shows no bars. However, the network signal strength app shows 110-116db just like on the Moto X. And I have strong WiFi throughout the house, so my calls have no problems. And WiFi calls sound as good as VoLTE.

 

[supreme8124]

Went to Verizon and got a new sim card, hope it helps. I know in the back of my mind I should send Pixel XL back and pick out a phone with better signal strength.

 

[veedo]

I went back and forth between the Moto z force and pixel 5 for a few days. The signal strength numbers varied at times, but the actual speed and ability to use voice/data didn't seem to be any different. I don't think it's a weak signal phone by any means, at least on the Verizon bands I was using.

 

[matty032]

I went back and forth between the Moto z force and pixel 5 for a few days. The signal strength numbers varied at times, but the actual speed and ability to use voice/data didn't seem to be any different. I don't think it's a weak signal phone by any means, at least on the Verizon bands I was using.

Same here except with the Moto XPE. Using the Network Cell App, I get the same numbers no matter which phone I use. I believe Google needs to just adjust their signal meter settings. Bump it up a notch.

 

[vzwuser76]

Its more of a consolidation of resources. each tower is usually independently owned or managed. So what the carriers have to do is rent or buy space/bandwidth or however it is done. So if verizon can put 10 magic beans on the tower and originally all 10 were 3g, things were good for 3g, but then jack wants to add lte, they may get the ability to add more beans, but more likely, because 10 beans was enough they will move some beans to jack. Eventually jack will get all the beans because there is less ans less money in 3g and verizon can get more magic out of us if they can deliver it faster.

unitl Puff comes along and delivers us some lte advanced magic. then we will need to rearrange the beans again.

And that's pretty much what's happening but its also the reason why voice has gone to hell. I remember being on analog and towers having ranges of a 40-50 miles radius, now they're lucky to get 10-15 miles. Pretty much everytime they introduce a new standard, the signal range drops in half, which would be fine if they added towers to compensate for the smaller footprint, but they don't. Remember the commercial where Verizon was ridiculing Sprint for the disclaimer under their map that said the map didn't depict actual coverage? Well Verizon's got pretty much the same disclaimer on their map. It's not actual coverage, it's where they CAN provide service. But still they call it a coverage map. I've offered our land to put up a tower on multiple times, but nothing.

I'm worried that LTE Advanced will have the signal again and then I'll really be screwed. Guess I'll just have to hope that T-Mobile or AT&T increase their coverage area.

 

[Friendzone]

Poor indoor signal strength has been my dirty little secret on most of my Android phones for years because I always noticed my coworkers with iPhones getting much better reception but I have to bite my tongue due to me razzing them about iPhones. I get the feeling a lot of the Android oems are using basic generic radios. Only Android phone I ever had with great reception was Motorola but go figure, radios are their specialty

 

[Amele]

The Lg G3 I had starting about 3 years ago, never had a decent signal. My Note 7 got great coverage. With the Pixel Xl I have to move around the house. In one room, nada. In the other, fair to decent. Right outside, pretty good. I think some of it is the carrier and some of it is how the antennas or whatever are implemented on the phones.

 

[ElronTheElder]

From David Ruddock at Android Police:

Google's Pixels are advertised as supporting LTE band 4, an AWS frequency. The band is commonly used throughout North and South America, and a number of readers from both continents have gotten in touch to let us know the Google Pixels are having difficulty with this band which, in some regions on some operators, is basically the only LTE signal available to subscribers. A Google Product Forums thread where these problems are being discussed can be found here.

Well, at least they don't start fires.

 

[frannip]

That actually is significant... -97 to -105... every drop of -3 dBm is the equivalent of cutting the power in half... You have a drop of 8 dBm... So you cut it in half, cut it in half again, and almost cut it in half a 3rd time...

reference - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DBm

My Pixel XL waivers between -98 and -127 dBm standing in place, in my kitchen, next to sliding glass doors that were OPEN. And I live in a suburb with very strong 4G LTE coverage. I've done all the suggested fixes (swap sims, clear case to keep antenna unobstructed, etc), nothing changed this. I have a business iPhone 6 to compare with and it has no issues, full bars thought my home. Pixel XL? I'm lucky it works as a phone at all unless I'm literally outside. I am praying for an OS update that fixes the issue because truth be told, I really do like the phone and chose it over LG V20.

 

[DJM626]

Going through the same issues on Verizon. It's really fast , great camera and features . If only I can use it as a phone now instead of a 700.00 point and shoot and I'd be happy

 

[sulla1965]

If only I can use it as a phone now instead of a 700.00 point and shoot and I'd be happy

LOL

 

[Amele]

Mine confuses me. Mostly the calls are ok. Drops one off and on but not so many it would make me nuts. But I cannot get a decent signal on lte to get online. If it gets on at all, it takes so long to open a site that I am ready to throw the phone at a wall. I just want to know when the bus is coming, you know? How hard is that?

 

[matty032]

Instead of add NEW antennas, Verizon has been removing a lot of their rural antennas off the towers, and moving them into the cities. For this Advanced LTE system they have started using. I have noticed the once perfect signal in rural areas has gone to fair, poor, or non existent now.

 

[cbreze]

Instead of add NEW antennas, Verizon has been removing a lot of their rural antennas off the towers, and moving them into the cities. For this Advanced LTE system they have started using. I have noticed the once perfect signal in rural areas has gone to fair, poor, or non existent now.

That doesn't make much sense tho. Why make your coverage worse when it took them years to get it up to the level it is. Just because it's rural,? still makes little sense and seems counter productive.

 

[DJM626]

And we pay big bucks because they are supposed to be the best?

 

[cbreze]

Their rural coverage beats all others most of the time. I don't think that this moving equipment to cities is the norm. It doesn't seem like a smart move to dismantle what you have to move it somewhere when you need it where it was in the first place. Maybe they plan on putting it back? Kinda counter productive tho. Don't have any idea what their strategy is regarding their network so maybe they're doing something else thats causing poorer signal in that particular area and their grand scheme will ultimately be better . My rural, mountain,forest coverage is amazing with Verizon. It's the only real reason I stick with them. Just my .02

 

[matty032]

I am a cellular nut. I check out all the towers/antennas on my travels. I am noticing empty antenna mounts on a lot of the towers. Where they have taken down the antennas. And not replaced them. Especially in rural areas. They are compromising their rural signal for the advanced LTE. For Advanced LTE to work, the phones need to connect at more than one frequency. So, they double up the bands in urban areas. Robbing Peter to pay Paul so to speak. Us country bumpkins pay the price. ATT has abandoned three towers totally near me they used to be on. Neighbor says they have lost service totally and are trying to find one that works now. I guess they view high speed coverage for heavy concentration of people more important than good coverage for spread out few in the rural areas.