Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK

[Technosticrati]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

Had the update for a few weeks and I'm pretty disappointed. Unless I am in a Spark coverage area the phone will not connect to LTE at all. The LTE at my house was always on the weaker side but still worked just fine and in a rather large town south of me I always got full LTE everywhere now I get zip for LTE and I also lose the 3G signal rather regularly for 30-60 seconds and then it comes back. The battery is also draining like crazy, likely because it's consistently checking for LTE or trying to connect to LTE. Oddly enough if I turn airplane mode on/off then the LTE icon pops up with no signal for up to minute, like it sees the signal but can't connect or deems it to weak, then just defaults to 3G.

I'll likely give it until KitKat comes out to see if any tweaks to the radio are done but if not then the phone is going adios, sadly.

Might want to see if Sprint can assist you with these issues. They will escalate your concerns to the technical team and try to diagnose your issues with the device or local towers. Won't hurt and could help, although a long shot.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[mrbuddy]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

The Spark icon spins? That seems like it's going to get really annoying.

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[johnner1999]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

The Spark icon spins? That seems like it's going to get really annoying.

Posted via Android Central App

Its not even for spark, any LTE connection... And yes it really gets old fast.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

 

[mrbuddy]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

But speaking of fast... Man that's some fast data! On the road between Houston and Conroe.

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[cwise2222]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

Might want to see if Sprint can assist you with these issues. They will escalate your concerns to the technical team and try to diagnose your issues with the device or local towers. Won't hurt and could help, although a long shot.

Posted via Android Central App

I work for Sprint and I'm a part of tech support, though not part of the network tech teams, so I already know there isn't much they can do for this. Other people with non-spark phones can stand next to me and get an LTE signal just fine while I get nothing so it's not the network, it seems to be how the phone is programmed to search for and lock onto an LTE signal and even 3G signals. Not everyone has this issue by any means so it could just been an issue effecting a small number of phones.

KitKat is coming soon, sooner then I though since AT&T of all places has already released it, so tweaks to how the radio run are bound to happen. I'll see what happens then. considering it's an employee account I can't be to disappointed anyway

 

[Technosticrati]

I work for Sprint and I'm a part of tech support, though not part of the network tech teams, so I already know there isn't much they can do for this. Other people with non-spark phones can stand next to me and get an LTE signal just fine while I get nothing so it's not the network, it seems to be how the phone is programmed to search for and lock onto an LTE signal and even 3G signals. Not everyone has this issue by any means so it could just been an issue effecting a small number of phones.

KitKat is coming soon, sooner then I though since AT&T of all places has already released it, so tweaks to how the radio run are bound to happen. I'll see what happens then. considering it's an employee account I can't be to disappointed anyway

Interesting point. I just ran a test with a Note 2 and found it was getting faster speeds in the exact same location than my G2 on spark. Hope that Kit Kat changes this but it's disappointing to see that this phone still needs network optimization.

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[johnner1999]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

Interesting point. I just ran a test with a Note 2 and found it was getting faster speeds in the exact same location than my G2 on spark. Hope that Kit Kat changes this but it's disappointing to see that this phone still needs network optimization.

Posted via Android Central App

And you are near an activated band 41 tower?

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

 

[Technosticrati]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

And you are near an activated band 41 tower?

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

Not sure where the nearest tower was located but it had me on band 25. Even on the same band however I was getting lower speeds.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[fishhawk]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

Not sure where the nearest tower was located but it had me on band 25. Even on the same band however I was getting lower speeds.

Posted via Android Central App

How do you tell which band you are actually using?

 

[Technosticrati]

How do you tell which band you are actually using?

##DEBUG#

Type that into your phone dialer and select LTE Engineering.

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[fishhawk]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

##DEBUG#

Type that into your phone dialer and select LTE Engineering.

Posted via Android Central App

Thanks! Shows I'm on Band 25, which is the band the phone used before the ZVA update. So no surprise performance is no better.

 

[johnner1999]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

Spark isn't active in many areas officially. But they are testing it in more places.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

 

[fishhawk]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

Spark isn't active in many areas officially. But they are testing it in more places.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

Yeah, must be what's going on. I changed the priorities, but it stayed stuck on band 25. Supposedly I'm in a Spark-enabled area, but perhaps not the tower I connect to.

Edit: Changed the priorities to 25=0, 26=1, 41=1; now seeing 8.1 down, and 2.8 up.

Actual band priority listed is 25=3; 26=1, 41=2. But ##DEBUG# shows the band as "Not available". Interesting.

Edit2: after while, it went to band 25, and I was back to download speeds under 4. I guess the tower doesn't want me running on the other bands

 

[bcbbanga4l]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

My spark works I see the thing moving around all the time in certain area when I work in the building it just goes to regular 3_g kinda disappointed

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

 

[johnner1999]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

My spark works I see the thing moving around all the time in certain area when I work in the building it just goes to regular 3_g kinda disappointed

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

FYI the spinning logo for LTE doesn't mean spark. Its for LTE

Sprint really messed up with confusing people.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

 

[Mikey47]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

FYI the spinning logo for LTE doesn't mean spark. Its for LTE

Sprint really messed up with confusing people.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

Guess what, spark is LTE. ;-)

But I agree, there should be someway to know what band you're connected to. Maybe it should say LTE25, LTE26, or LTE41 instead of just LTE.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[VW Maverick]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

As wonderful as that would be to people like us, it would be too confusing to the unwashed masses who make up the other 90% of the cell phone customer base.
Just seeing the spinning icon to show connected LTE is good enough for me and as an aside, as long as you are connected and can do whatever you need to do on your phone as fast as you want, does it really matter which Band you are actually on?
Just an observation.

Mav.

Sent from my Sprint Tri-Band LG G2.

 

[garwynn]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

As wonderful as that would be to people like us, it would be too confusing to the unwashed masses who make up the other 90% of the cell phone customer base.
Just seeing the spinning icon to show connected LTE is good enough for me and as an aside, as long as you are connected and can do whatever you need to do on your phone as fast as you want, does it really matter which Band you are actually on?
Just an observation.

Mav.

Sent from my Sprint Tri-Band LG G2.

There are some cases, such as a tower running multiple bands, where it makes sense prioritizing one over another.
Building penetration is one example. One band may work better indoors versus another.

 

[ginglish]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

Ok, I get that the spinning icon means LTE/3G is connected and moving data. What do the bars show? Do they show relative LTE/3G signal strength or just 1G phone?

 

[VW Maverick]

Re: Sprint's LG G2: Tri-Band LTE aka SPRINT SPARK-Update released.

If you are connected to LTE, it will say that and the icon will spin.
If you are connected to 3G, it will say that and show a different spinning icon.
The bars are a good representation of your current signal strength.

Mav.

Sent from my Sprint Tri-Band LG G2.