VZW Phone with Great 4G Reception

[tylerilyn]

I'm looking to upgrade from a TBolt. I've had a great experience using the TBolt, rooted with ThunderShed 1.4 on imoseyon 6.2.1AOSP+ kernel. Battery life isn't too bad and signal is great with the latest radios installed. It's amazing how it is since I originally got it. No reboots ever, BT works flawlessly, faster... it's just time to get something newer.

The aspect I am most concerned about is the reception with any new phone. I'm on fringe 4G area, but I can always maintain 4G in the house on my TBolt. I had a couple Rezounds and they were so much trouble as far as signal strength. They would (all latest stock, non-rooted) constantly switch between 3G, 4G and sometimes to just nothing at all. Frustrating and nothing like the TBolt experience.

I really want the same great signal strength as my TBolt, but it seems manufacturers are touting all these great new features while forgetting one of the most important aspects, reception.
Some that I've looked at:

• SGS3 - issues, poor signal
• Razr M - seems to have issues when holding it :/
• DNA - some issues reported, bit big for me

and it goes on... I just can't imagine why there isn't a phone that really nails it in terms of signal. And despite the TBolt, I think having the antennas in the back is a bad idea in general.

If I just can't find one that would match the TBolt, I think I'll just switch to PagePlus and use a good 3G phone. Not worth the hassle with 4G at this point.

 

[LegalAmerican]

If you're wanting signal, you have to go Motorola. I'd recommend the Razr Maxx HD.

 

[tylerilyn]

That's what I was thinking as the most likely candidate, if I'm not going to 3G/PagePlus. It seems to have the least amount of threads with issues concerning poor reception.

 

[anon(394005)]

I'd recommend the Note 2. It actually gets much better signal reception than my Thunderbolt ever did, even in a dead zone area not far from where I live (and on my way to work). Don't dismiss the size of it, go check it out in a store and get a feel for it, then decide. I was very surprised how quickly I adjusted to it and shocked how it changed my perception of other (smaller) phones. My Thunderbolt (still have as a backup) now seems like a toy. The S-Pen has a shocking amount of features and uses as well. Not to mention battery life is phenomenal!

 

[tylerilyn]

Yeah, I admit I have little experience with larger phones. I guess I'm basically coming from the standpoint that the TBolt is already so bulky with the XT battery that I'm assuming larger (screen size) phones will feel the same way. I don't want to go back to having a smartphone feel like it's weighing me down.

 

[anon(394005)]

Yeah, I admit I have little experience with larger phones. I guess I'm basically coming from the standpoint that the TBolt is already so bulky with the XT battery that I'm assuming larger (screen size) phones will feel the same way. I don't want to go back to having a smartphone feel like it's weighing me down.

The Note 2 while larger is actually about the same weight if not lighter than the Thunderbolt with the standard battery. Of course it's larger, but I wouldn't say it's bulky. It's hard to describe and something best to experience first hand. Before I made the decision to go with the Note 2, I went to my local Best Buy and AT&T store (Verizon didn't have it yet last Nov.) and played with it for a while to get a feel for it. I was initially worried the size would be a problem, but after messing with it in hand in store numerous times over a week or so, I realized it wouldn't be a problem. Kind of one of those things you have evaluate yourself and decide.

 

[tylerilyn]

The Note 2 while larger is actually about the same weight if not lighter than the Thunderbolt with the standard battery. Of course it's larger, but I wouldn't say it's bulky. It's hard to describe and something best to experience first hand. Before I made the decision to go with the Note 2, I went to my local Best Buy and AT&T store (Verizon didn't have it yet last Nov.) and played with it for a while to get a feel for it. I was initially worried the size would be a problem, but after messing with it in hand in store numerous times over a week or so, I realized it wouldn't be a problem. Kind of one of those things you have evaluate yourself and decide.

I've thought long and hard about what I really want to do, in general, and on a somewhat limited budget. It's just one of those things... More and more, I'm wanting to get out from under the yoke of Verizon. I ask myself, "Do I really need this limited-data 4G at all?" And, if I don't, then I could be paying A LOT less with some lesser known carrier than with VZW without ever having a contract again.

One example. I had gone through Amazon Wireless when I got my phones (Rezounds) and I bought one for me and my fiancee, thinking I could move off my dad's family plan to my own individual plan. Of course, I should have done my research, because then I had 3 lines according to them. All I wanted to do was move my old # over and replace one of the automatically-assigned #'s on my individual plan. But they kept running me through how it was tied to the contract and could not be changed without incurring ETF, even though the old number was off-contract and portable with no ETF.

After so many reps (in-store and phone) saying how there was no way they could possibly do it, I ended up porting my old # out to PagePlus and then porting it back in on Verizon's site, replacing one of the new numbers, all for free, over the weekend in the span of a couple of hours. It's just amazes me, the hoops you have to jump through to do some things when it is on contract.

Also, it would make sense to me if the future was moving from limited to unlimited data... but $60 for 2GB/month?? More like 20GB min. On networks that are getting faster all the time. What's the point...

I've gone OT. :-\ In any case, I'll check out the Note 2 to see how it is. In addition to size (or perceived size), I was shying away from more tablet-oriented devices because I already have a KF HD. But, maybe in the future when I converge my laptop, tablet and phone into one device, a phablet will really make sense.

 

[Josphe72]

VZW Note2 4G reception is very good. Yes the Note2 is a large phone but it doesn't have the big bezel like the Fire HD has. They are very different devices, in feel and performance. My wife bought a (new) Fire HD from a co-worker so I can speak from experience.

In turn....
I took my wife's upgrade, got a Note2 and gave her my Rezound.

 

[tylerilyn]

VZW Note2 4G reception is very good. Yes the Note2 is a large phone but it doesn't have the big bezel like the Fire HD has. They are very different devices, in feel and performance. My wife bought a (new) Fire HD from a co-worker so I can speak from experience.

In turn....
I took my wife's upgrade, got a Note2 and gave her my Rezound.

Well, it sounds like a great device. My options for 4G at this point look like either the Razr Maxx HD as more of a traditional smartphone or the Note 2. Is there a reason (assuming you have an upgrade), you would even go for the KF HD when these large screen phones have most of the same functionality?

I know, for me, it's been being tied into the Amazon content ecosystem. It's still a hassle to get to services like Amazon Video on a phone, and I have all my digital content stored with them (Books, MP3, Video, Cloud storage, etc.).

 

[Josphe72]

Amazon apps are integrated into the TouchWiz ui for Note2.
They play well together.

 

[Imnutsnj]

Give the DNA a try, although it's a 5" phone, it's as comfortable to hold as my HTC EVO 3D is (which is a 4.3" phone), if not more so. The display is spectacular on this phone, as well as the reception (far superior reception). Like what was mentioned above, go to the store and try the different phones out to see which would be best for you.

Sent from my Jelly Bean flavored HTC DROID DNA

 

[delco714]

My note 2 has much better reception than my razr. Quicker GPS lock and better 4g reception.. dunno why but I'm loving it. I get 4g at my ski resort where my razr got shoddy 3g only

 

[jebb]

My Razr HD Maxx beats out my iPhone 4s and Rezound when I'm in buildings with little to no signal. I can't speak for some of the newer offerings from HTC/Samsung as I haven't used them yet.

 

[tylerilyn]

Thanks for the responses. Pretty sure I am going with the Note 2 flashed to Page Plus so I can at least cut down on my monthly bill. I think VZW's network is the best, but I don't want to pay such a high fee for it since I'm okay to be on 3G. And who knows, Page Plus may be getting 4G at some point.

 

[berdinkerdickle]

Anymore opinions?