Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software coming

[jcochran1977]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

You know what is funny I was the person that started the complaints on Sprints User Forum for the signal problems with the Nexus S.. I had to return it and leave Sprint because I couldn't make a call or get texts let alone data on that thing!!

 

[Bob61]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

Phone was on hold for release for over a month and no one noticed during that additional month of testing there was a signal problem. I was really stoked about this phone initially and planned to snag one, but crap like this just shows this still isn't a very well planned device or release. I expect to see some problems, I don't expect to see problems with basic functionality like this phone appears to have.

 

[Bob61]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

My Nexus is showing the same number of bars that my Bionic did when i had it, about 2. At least the Nexus isn't bouncing between 3G and 4G and sucking the battery dead like the Bionic. With the RAZR getting an update to allegedly improve 3G/4G connectivity, it seems all LTE phones have issues with connectivity out of the gate.

Bars mean nothing, you can program it to display solid bars all the time. Look at the signal strength and compare. Reports are this is consistently showing a lower signal strength compared to other phones - unacceptable.

 

[TrendyProfessional1]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

They will figure it out. For web browsing 3g with this processor smokes trust me.
Now when the Razr Max hits then I will be thinking

 

[bplewis24]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

As I suggested earlier, Anandtech is on the case. This is just preliminary testing, but this should be required reading for everybody that is complaining while comparing their phones to 3G phones: AnandTech - Investigating the Galaxy Nexus LTE Signal Issue

So how does the LTE Galaxy Nexus compare to the Droid Charge and Bionic, the two handsets we can actually view LTE signal strength in dBm on? Very closely as a matter of fact.

I have a Bionic kicking around which has to go back very soon, but fired up logcat and put the Galaxy Nexus next to it. The Bionic reports signal strength pretty constantly whereas in Android 4.0 the number has some hysteresis, but here the numbers are pretty darn close, with the Bionic hovering between -91 and -95 dBm, and the Galaxy Nexus reporting an average of -92 dBm.

the Charge shows a positively laughable 4 out of 5 bars in an area with very low LTE signal strength, whereas the Galaxy Nexus (moreover, Android 4.0) has a very conservative and realistic strength to bars mapping. Carriers love to make things out to be better than they really are, however, and the result is this kind of hilarious visualization which portrays LTE signal as being much better than it really is if you stare at bars all day.

Verizon confirming though a tweet that there’s some sort of signal issue affecting the Galaxy Nexus confuses me, since from my perspective there isn’t any issue at all. The only real issue that exists is that the Galaxy Nexus (and really just the stock Android 4.0 signal strength to bars mapping) doesn’t line up with what Verizon has shipped on other devices, thus leading people to make apples to oranges comparisons and imagine an issue. I wager that some of this confusion is also compounded from the number of Verizon customers that are just now getting their first LTE handset with the Galaxy Nexus. It might be surprising to discover that LTE coverage right now isn't nearly as good as 1x/EVDO, but these things will improve as the carrier's LTE rollout continues.

Brandon

 

[kaze06]

Brandon, that's probably the best and most relevant article I've read yet concerning the issue. I've seen no connectivity issues at all in comparison with any other phones I've used or phones others are using parallel to mine. Numbers and graphical representation means nothing in the light of real world effectiveness.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[bplewis24]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

For the record, the above quoted passages (and the rest of the article) make sense to me. I rarely ever left 4G on while I used my Bionic, but when I did, it would drop out intermittently and switch to 3G often. The same thing happens with the Nexus, except the Nexus shows a more realistic connection than the Bionic did, at least according to Anandtech.

It also makes sense that 3G tends to always have a 3 or 4 bar connection for me. I'll await further testing from Anandtech regarding this, but I'm inclined to believe them considering their testing methods.

Brandon

 

[nkd]

I just got my nexus. Coming from razr. I live in good coverage area. No it is not just the bars. Although I have not had any drops and I have had good data coverage. The dbm readout are indeed 15-20 over razr. I don't know if the readout is wrong. I have no signal problems but the signal is definitely weaker. With that said I love my phone.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[booboolala2000]

I have noticed some difference but I know that Google is working on this. So really I am not that concerned. I have never lost connection just had some slower experiences. This will get fixed with an update.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[Tom in Bristol]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

Brandon, that's probably the best and most relevant article I've read yet concerning the issue.

I agree and almost wish it were in it's own thread so more (newer owners?) folks would see it and learn from it.

Edit: Just discovered that it now is in its own thread! Good!

 

[Droid800]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

I just got my nexus. Coming from razr. I live in good coverage area. No it is not just the bars. Although I have not had any drops and I have had good data coverage. The dbm readout are indeed 15-20 over razr. I don't know if the readout is wrong. I have no signal problems but the signal is definitely weaker. With that said I love my phone.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Apples and oranges.

The RAZR displays its CDMA/EVDO signal in its dBm/signal display reading. The Nexus shows LTE. In other words, comparing the two numbers to each other means absolutely nothing.

 

[Droid800]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

Phone was on hold for release for over a month and no one noticed during that additional month of testing there was a signal problem. I was really stoked about this phone initially and planned to snag one, but crap like this just shows this still isn't a very well planned device or release. I expect to see some problems, I don't expect to see problems with basic functionality like this phone appears to have.

Did you ever think that they released it because they had any issues (btw, which there aren't any, at least with LTE reception) nailed down and updates in the pipeline? 4.0.3 is already primed and almost ready for release, and it includes improved radios all around.

Relax people. They know about whatever issues exist, and the fixes already are in the pipeline. Be patient.

 

[Kunji]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

Apples and oranges.

The RAZR displays its CDMA/EVDO signal in its dBm/signal display reading. The Nexus shows LTE. In other words, comparing the two numbers to each other means absolutely nothing.

for me, the bottom line is when i am in a building and my rezound can get 11 down on 4g and my nexus is choking away at .16 on 3g then i say there is an issue dBm comparisons aside...i am of the patient bunch and besides, i really have no choice as i've made my exchange for this phone from a razr

 

[Droid800]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

for me, the bottom line is when i am in a building and my rezound can get 11 down on 4g and my nexus is choking away at .16 on 3g then i say there is an issue dBm comparisons aside...i am of the patient bunch and besides, i really have no choice as i've made my exchange for this phone from a razr

The guy at Anandtech theorizes there may be an issue with 4G to 3G handoff, and the threshold at which the Nexus switches to 3G may be too low, which would explain that.

 

[nkd]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

Apples and oranges.

The RAZR displays its CDMA/EVDO signal in its dBm/signal display reading. The Nexus shows LTE. In other words, comparing the two numbers to each other means absolutely nothing.

No you are wrong. I am talking about comparing LTE to LTE signal bro. When I turn on LTE signal on Razr it goes up to -85dbm and when I switch to 3g it goes to -70dbm sitting in the same location. Razr does not display 3g signal when 4g lte is on, that is just stupid. I even use the opensignal app to double check.

 

[bplewis24]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

No you are wrong. I am talking about comparing LTE to LTE signal bro. When I turn on LTE signal on Razr it goes up to -85dbm and when I switch to 3g it goes to -70dbm sitting in the same location. Razr does not display 3g signal when 4g lte is on, that is just stupid. I even use the opensignal app to double check.

You guys are still under the assumption that the software you're using displays LTE signal info, which it DOES NOT. The author of the article also tested the Razr. From the comments:

RE: Problems are real by Brian Klug on Monday, December 19, 2011
I have a RAZR right here with me (currently on my desk are the Bionic, RAZR, and Galaxy Nexus) and all perform the same. Again I see many implicit comparisons with EVDO which just cannot be made.

-Brian

What you're probably witnessing when you switch from LTE to 3G is a re-authorization of the signal onto the corresponding tower, in which the signal strength will fluctuate for a few moments. But that "about phone" info is NOT LTE.

Brandon

 

[pauldroidr2d2]

You guys are still under the assumption that the software you're using displays LTE signal info, which it DOES NOT. The author of the article also tested the Razr. From the comments:



What you're probably witnessing when you switch from LTE to 3G is a re-authorization of the signal onto the corresponding tower, in which the signal strength will fluctuate for a few moments. But that "about phone" info is NOT LTE.

Brandon

This is interesting to me. People thought Verizon delayed the release of the Nexus because of Google wallet, and VZW back up. More than likely any delays were to work these types of bugs out of the phone. Now people are whining because VZW didn't get these bugs worked out prior to release.

VZW, is damned by many folks here no matter what they do!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[sc4fpse]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

No you are wrong. I am talking about comparing LTE to LTE signal bro. When I turn on LTE signal on Razr it goes up to -85dbm and when I switch to 3g it goes to -70dbm sitting in the same location. Razr does not display 3g signal when 4g lte is on, that is just stupid. I even use the opensignal app to double check.

Oh, you bet it's stupid! But you're wrong. When 4G LTE is enabled, the RAZR displays 1xRTT signal strength, not LTE. In fact every Verizon 4G LTE phone before the Galaxy Nexus did this. Some phones (Charge, Bionic) had hidden menus that allowed you to view the real LTE signal strength. But other devices, like my Thunderbolt, had no way of displaying this, either numerically or graphically via signal strength bars.

The Galaxy Nexus is the first (and currently only) device that properly displays LTE signal strength, both in the normal status menu and graphically via signal strength bars. Yeah, it's stupid that devices before the Nexus displayed 1xRTT instead of LTE, and tricked everyone into thinking LTE signals were much stronger than they really were.

 

[philly]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

Apples and oranges.

The RAZR displays its CDMA/EVDO signal in its dBm/signal display reading. The Nexus shows LTE. In other words, comparing the two numbers to each other means absolutely nothing.

how does this make any sense.. I dont live within 50 miles of lte coverage.. and I have my phone set to CDMA only.. how does the nexus only show -dbm in LTE?

 

[threepio]

Re: Verizon looking into the signal strength issue, software comi

Im not too worried about this. Glad 4G is widespread in Chicagoland.