Why Is GNex Getting Such Bad 4G LTE Speeds Compared to iPhone 5?!?!?!?!

[androidluvr2]

It is a loyalty plan.

What does this mean?

 

[dpham00]

What does this mean?

It is not a standard plan, i.e. It was never listed on their website. You had to call in to get it. They said it was for loyal customers... Whatever that means. There is also a senior plan, same price but less minutes.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II

 

[androidluvr2]

It is not a standard plan, i.e. It was never listed on their website. You had to call in to get it.

Can you still get it?

 

[dpham00]

Can you still get it?

Doesn't hurt to call. At the time, I was off contract on all lines so I called pretending to cancel service because another carrier was cheaper. They offered me the 550 minute family plan.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II

 

[androidluvr2]

They offered me the 550 minute family plan.

So is that $40 per month for 550 shared minutes and then $10 per month per line? Or does the $40 per month include a line?

 

[dpham00]

So is that $40 per month for 550 shared minutes and then $10 per month per line? Or does the $40 per month include a line?

$40 per month plus $10 per line. Basically a $10 savings over the 700 minute plan

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II

 

[androidluvr2]

Considering the iPhone has a much newer radio, why wouldn't it?

I did speed tests in an area where the signal is strong and the GNex is on par with the iPhone 5 in that area. So it seems like the problem is what has always been discussed here - the GNex radio is subpar in weaker signal areas.

I don't think that is a function of the technology changing so much in 9 months time since phones older than the GNex, like the Motorola Razr, perform fine in weaker signal areas. I think it was a bad radio by Samsung.

Mostly I am trying to figure out if the problem is my phone in particular or just a bad Samsung designed radio. As long as it is the latter, I can live with it.

 

[vivek615]

As far as what it can handle... Used to havespeed tests over 40mbps in certain parts of Seattle (with 50 db roughly don't remember) 20 to 30 was more common..

However around the time of iPhone 5 release I saw a massive speed decline. (12 to 16 Mbps average it's still not bad though.) ... I am on unlimited so maybe I'm capped

I do think that this phones lte radio was decent considering this phones meant to be hspa 21...

I do still feel hurt at the fact that this phone was never given the attention it needed, but at the end of the day it's for enthusiasts


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[androidluvr2]

Was told to get a new SIM card, I did, but still same issues. Today I was down the street and the iPhone 5 was able to receive an LTE signal and my GNex could not even receive 3G signal!

My phone was from one of the initial batches made in Korea since I bought it very soon after the release date. I am wondering if there was a bad batch of phones early on?

 

[kca2000]

Was told to get a new SIM card, I did, but still same issues. Today I was down the street and the iPhone 5 was able to receive an LTE signal and my GNex could not even receive 3G signal!

My phone was from one of the initial batches made in Korea since I bought it very soon after the release date. I am wondering if there was a bad batch of phones early on?

I have one of the initial launch phones as well. I also have one of my friends that still use the Gnex that was purchased 6 months later then me, and a few that used to have them and have since upgraded. Reading through your comments i see you have answered the question, but still question your phones hardware.

Like DM and others have said, This phone has terrible radios. Its a hardware issue that has no fix. I have tested the phone throughly over time with different radio packages. All that has gotten a little better is handoffs. (The point where the phone switches its data source) From 3g to LTE, Wifi to 3g/4g data, ect.

Signal and performance has seen little improvement, The phone IS capable of insane speeds when everything comes together. Clear day, no obstructions, Pinned LTE in an area known for strong signals, time of day/night when traffic should be minimal. Ive reached 45 meg down/20 up locally and 49 down/25 up while traveling.

I still have issues when inside structures, Ill find myself with out a signal when people around me on newer android phones/iphones have 2-3 bars. Or without LTE when others have it and are pinned out. (No idea why this happens, but im usually inside somewhere.)

I too have a network extender at home. Generally i have a pinned signal when within 10 feet of the extender, but anywhere else in the house my bars drop to 1-2. My girlfriends iphone keeps a pinned signal until were in the driveway, then she sees a drop and finally a switch over. If i am on the other side of the house from the extender, on a call and the outside signal seems like a better idea to the phone, it will try to switch and drop my call in the process. Then ill see the signal "reset" and pick back up on the network extender.
The radios themselves are terrible. You just have to live with it because at this point, because its not being fixed. It upsets me all the time as well, ill be in he middle of a good signal area and the phone will just loose all signal, Poof! Gone. Then a minute later it will come back. No reason, just happens. Its not your phone specifically, every gnex experiences this in one way or another. If you are fortunate enough to rarely travel and are always in an area with a strong signal you may never see this issue. But people that live in or travel to weak signal areas are gonna notice.
Till this day i have no real other complaints about the phone. I can deal with only a dual core processor, I can live with the camera being less then optimal, The screen has started to degrade, but its nothing i didnt expect to happen at some point. But these radios are the worst and really tick me off, a year ago i had hope that they would be fixed with a new radio update, but 3-4 packages later i am still left with a subpar phone. It is what it is, newer phones with newer radios don't experience these problems much or at all. But were unfortunately stuck with it until we upgrade.

Sorry for the rant/long post, but hopefully some of this helps.

 

[dpham00]

It is an issue with the gnex, phones of that time like the razr out rezound didn't have the signal issues that the gnex had. After going through several gnex, Verizon may agree to switch you to one of those.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II

 

[androidluvr2]

Sorry for the rant/long post, but hopefully some of this helps.

Thanks, it helps alot!

I persuaded Verizon to send me a CLNR and then another. The first was Chinese made and had a better signal than my Korean made original. I wonder if the problem is the antenna and when they switched production to China they were able to reposition the antenna because the Chinese made one did have better reception. Unfortunately, it had 3400+ hours of talk time on it and the screen was degraded.

The second CLNR was Korean made first activated in 12/2011 with only 56 hours of talk time on it. Signal is just as bad as my original GNex but the screen is great.

Samsung has lost me as a customer of their cell phones for life. I will NEVER buy a Samsung again (unless it is a Nexus since I won't have a choice if they make the next Nexus).

 

[mookiekillsit]

I just got one of these off Craigslist (brand spankin new for $125) as a backup phone in a couple months after the Google I/O and the LTE signal is very poor. Is this a bug w/ the update? I've seen others complain about it also.

Any remedies so I don't need to spend 5 hours searching through threads haha?

Thanks!

 

[dpham00]

Thanks, it helps alot!

I persuaded Verizon to send me a CLNR and then another. The first was Chinese made and had a better signal than my Korean made original. I wonder if the problem is the antenna and when they switched production to China they were able to reposition the antenna because the Chinese made one did have better reception. Unfortunately, it had 3400+ hours of talk time on it and the screen was degraded.

The second CLNR was Korean made first activated in 12/2011 with only 56 hours of talk time on it. Signal is just as bad as my original GNex but the screen is great.

Samsung has lost me as a customer of their cell phones for life. I will NEVER buy a Samsung again (unless it is a Nexus since I won't have a choice if they make the next Nexus).

The gnex was built to Google specs and Google provided the software updates. It is not entirely Samsung's fault. Samsung does have a good radio in my note 2, better than the radio in my razr maxx, which is supposed to have an excellent radio. My s3 has a decent radio add well.

I understand your concern though. Some refuse to buy an htc phone after the bad radio on the Thunderbolt.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II

 

[androidluvr2]

I just got one of these off Craigslist (brand spankin new for $125) as a backup phone in a couple months after the Google I/O and the LTE signal is very poor. Is this a bug w/ the update? I've seen others complain about it also.

Any remedies so I don't need to spend 5 hours searching through threads haha?

No remedies. It is a hardware design problem. It is why they didn't hold their value and you could buy it so cheap on Craig's List.

 

[androidluvr2]

The gnex was built to Google specs and Google provided the software updates. It is not entirely Samsung's fault.

I can see Google specifying they want 32GB of memory and a dual core processor, but hardware considerations like radio design and antenna placement are out of Google's area of expertise and are entirely Samsung's fault.

good radio in my note 2, better than the radio in my razr maxx, which is supposed to have an excellent radio. My s3 has a decent radio add well.

I think Samsung cared about the GNote 2 and the S3 more because those were their flagships. The GNex didn't sell many units so I doubt Samsung cares since there aren't many of us who they lost as customers over this.

 

[Mellimel22]

As far as what it can handle... Used to havespeed tests over 40mbps in certain parts of Seattle (with 50 db roughly don't remember) 20 to 30 was more common..

However around the time of iPhone 5 release I saw a massive speed decline. (12 to 16 Mbps average it's still not bad though.) ... I am on unlimited so maybe I'm capped

I do think that this phones lte radio was decent considering this phones meant to be hspa 21...

I do still feel hurt at the fact that this phone was never given the attention it needed, but at the end of the day it's for enthusiasts


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

U answered yo question in yo own post Lol. I think the declining speeds are due to the influx of ip5 users.

Sent from my Sprint Galaxy Nexus rockin 4.2.2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Mellimel22]

I can see Google specifying they want 32GB of memory and a dual core processor, but hardware considerations like radio design and antenna placement are out of Google's area of expertise and are entirely Samsung's fault.

I think Samsung cared about the GNote 2 and the S3 more because those were their flagships. The GNex didn't sell many units so I doubt Samsung cares since there aren't many of us who they lost as customers over this.

Haha I beg to differ on that note. The Gnex didn't do s3 numbers but it sold plenty units. Sprint, Google, and Verizon sold a ton.

Sent from my Sprint Galaxy Nexus rockin 4.2.2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[dpham00]

I can see Google specifying they want 32GB of memory and a dual core processor, but hardware considerations like radio design and antenna placement are out of Google's area of expertise and are entirely Samsung's fault.

I think Samsung cared about the GNote 2 and the S3 more because those were their flagships. The GNex didn't sell many units so I doubt Samsung cares since there aren't many of us who they lost as customers over this.

I don't know the detail to which Google specified the device, but regardless, it is a Google phone. If there is a problem, they can stop sale as soon as the problem was discovered. They can buy back defective units. Then fight it out with Samsung later. But it was a business decision, they chose to ride it out and take the backlash.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II

 

[mookiekillsit]

No remedies. It is a hardware design problem. It is why they didn't hold their value and you could buy it so cheap on Craig's List.

Thanks for the heads up. It still works just not as good as I would prefer. At least I'm in Wifi 85% of my day haha.

Thanks again!