Update Killed My Signal - Sprint

[jimd1050]

No signal issues on mine after update with AT&T... would think that there wouldn't be a lot of differences? Hmmm...

 

[Almeuit]

thanks. I bought from Best Buy. doubt Sprint will talk to me which leaves paying a deductible and getting a refurb from Assurion. no way. I will do further testing next week while I'm out of the boonies and we'll see what happens then.

Bars mean nothing -- they could have just tweaked how the phone shows the bars. You would have had to know your actual signal (-dBm) before and after the update. I wouldn't be surprised if it is the same signal but they just tweaked the "bars" algorithm.

Getting another device won't change this if it was tweaked (which sounds like it was). Are you noticing degraded service? As in do you drop calls or w/e or does it all function the same and just the bars look different?

 

[toenail_flicker]

Bars mean nothing -- they could have just tweaked how the phone shows the bars. You would have had to know your actual signal (-dBm) before and after the update. I wouldn't be surprised if it is the same signal but they just tweaked the "bars" algorithm.

Getting another device won't change this if it was tweaked (which sounds like it was). Are you noticing degraded service? As in do you drop calls or w/e or does it all function the same and just the bars look different?

down to 3G at times and dog slow at that. and I've always had LTE since I moved here in 2012 and never had such bad speeds.

eta - so why have everyone else's speeds gone up? the bars are reflective.

 

[recDNA]

Bars mean nothing -- they could have just tweaked how the phone shows the bars. You would have had to know your actual signal (-dBm) before and after the update. I wouldn't be surprised if it is the same signal but they just tweaked the "bars" algorithm.

Getting another device won't change this if it was tweaked (which sounds like it was). Are you noticing degraded service? As in do you drop calls or w/e or does it all function the same and just the bars look different?

But that tweak would affect everyone and it would be a discussion I would think.

 

[Almeuit]

down to 3G at times and dog slow at that. and I've always had LTE since I moved here in 2012 and never had such bad speeds.

eta - so why have everyone else's speeds gone up? the bars are reflective.

I am just saying bars don't always tell the true story. Just like back in the day when AT&T released an update and everyone got "more bars" but their -dBm was the same (a.k.a the signal never changed even though they are showing more bars).

So while yes a software update can mess with signal -- without a doubt -- just saying I normally don't take "bars" as my signal strength. I always check -dBm before and after updates.

From the sound of what you're saying they did tweak the modem some and apparently it is less forgiving such as it is dropping you to 3G quicker versus hanging onto the LTE signal.

 

[Almeuit]

But that tweak would affect everyone and it would be a discussion I would think.

Yes it would affect everyone if they had the exact same signal as the OP (in -dBm) .. If they didn't then no it wouldn't really mess with them. Signal is a tricky thing to compare since you can only do a true comparison from phone to phone if you're sitting in the same spot.

 

[jadedangel143]

Since update i've had 4g and 4 bars. Pre update i had 2 or 3 bars and would bounce between 3 and 4g.

 

[toenail_flicker]

Since update i've had 4g and 4 bars. Pre update i had 2 or 3 bars and would bounce between 3 and 4g.

glad to hear it! I am only one bar now and it occasionally bounces to two and then goes back to one. so sad :'(

 

[DARK Vader777]

But that tweak would affect everyone and it would be a discussion I would think.

It has effected everyone. I never use to be able to have a conversation on my phone without the call dropping in my home. And don't try to use data services before the update. So I agree, in this case those bars mean something. Living in the boonies and cell service doesn't seem to be a problem now in my area.
I still think they made certain areas worse by making other areas better.
How would they be do this and explain, that's something that maybe a carrier would be able to tell you.
GOOD luck to everyone, and happy holidays

 

[toenail_flicker]

GOOD luck to everyone, and happy holidays

the same to you!

 

[toenail_flicker]

just did an extended test drive for signal purposes. I used Pandora since that was part of how I gauged the strength of my previous signal vs. previous gens. like the N7, I can still stream Pandora out and back without issue, which is great.

my signal here is still a dog, but something is better and it leaves me wondering if Pandora hasn't had some improvements in that area since I last tried it. the second I started the app my bars jumped to five on LTE while still in my driveway. I had quit using it since I couldn't stream it and preferred my titles which have no problem streaming since not dealing with cloud.

 

[DARK Vader777]

just did an extended test drive for signal purposes. I used Pandora since that was part of how I gauged the strength of my previous signal vs. previous gens. like the N7, I can still stream Pandora out and back without issue, which is great.

my signal here is still a dog, but something is better and it leaves me wondering if Pandora hasn't had some improvements in that area since I last tried it. the second I started the app my bars jumped to five on LTE while still in my driveway. I had quit using it since I couldn't stream it and preferred my titles which have no problem streaming since not dealing with cloud.

Praying for you bro.
Hopefully they just have little kink to work out and you'll start receiving the full benefit of the upgrade.

 

[toenail_flicker]

Praying for you bro.
Hopefully they just have little kink to work out and you'll start receiving the full benefit of the upgrade.

thanks. that would be nice, but so far it is not bearing out.