Database Develop

Is the Nexus One 3g issue a dealbreaker?

Title says it. Contemplating purchasing this phone because I want a sick Android device but its plagued with bad 3g reception stories. Is it that big of a deal? Does anyone regret buying the device over it? Is it a design flaw as i have read or software?

mrbox23 said:
... Is it that big of a deal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No
mrbox23 said:
Does anyone regret buying the device over it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't
mrbox23 said:
Is it a design flaw as i have read or software?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is neither. It is the wireless networks you guys have here in the US that sucks... (At least in El Paso, TX)

I'm tired of people blaming the wireless network, because that's just plain wrong in most cases.
I am a big N1 fan but I will be the first to admit that there's a 3G problem. But here is what I've observed:
- The problem is less evident on the AT&T model, as 3G runs on the same frequencies as 2G, and in general AT&T uses 850/1900, which are lower frequencies (better penetration) than T-Mobile.
- If you're in a very strong 3G area (like on the streets of NYC), you aren't likely to have any problems no matter how you hold the device.
- If you're in somewhat of a sketchy 3G area, and use the T-Mobile version of the phone, it's very possible you're going to drop to edge, if you cover the bottom portion of the phone with your hand. If you have the AT&T version in a sketchy area (low signal overall), it's possible you'll kill your signal entirely if you hold the phone a certain way...but I would say this is very rare.
There's probably a combination of a software and hardware issue causing the 3G issue. With future updates to the radio firmware, I'm sure there will be some improvements, but I don't know if it's going to be as good as some of the other phones available (especially in the case of T-Mobile, where the G1 tends to be fair a lot better 3G wise).
Having said all this - do I regret purchasing an N1? Definitely not - everything else about the phone makes up for the 3G issues, and I still have hope for future improvements.

Reception isn't "deal breaker" bad, and you'll notice there are much less complaints from AT&T users about it. If you are normally in areas with good coverage everything will will be great, but fringe areas might be frustrating. Weak signals are the phones kryptonite.
My question to anyone on the fence is usually, "name a better GSM phone" and then when they say "iPhone" I call them a fanboi. There's nothing worse than being an Apple fanboi.

its not a deal breaker at all. I still hold by my theory that the signal bars are just calibrated less conservatively than other phones, cause I've made and held calls for 15 min with zero bars of 3g showing. even my nokias had trouble doing that.
Sent from my Nexus One using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk

PrawnPoBoy said:
Reception isn't "deal breaker" bad, and you'll notice there are much less complaints from AT&T users about it. If you are normally in areas with good coverage everything will will be great, but fringe areas might be frustrating. Weak signals are the phones kryptonite.
My question to anyone on the fence is usually, "name a better GSM phone" and then when they say "iPhone" I call them a fanboi. There's nothing worse than being an Apple fanboi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just cause they say the iPhone, doesn't make them an Apple fanboy.. people can have legitimate reason why they like the iPhone more than the Nexus...

There could be something to the theory that the phone just reports reception more conservatively. But then again I can easily drop a call in a low signal area by moving my hand around. This is the first phone I've had that does that.
Just cause they say the iPhone, doesn't make them an Apple fanboy.. people can have legitimate reason why they like the iPhone more than the Nexus...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Spoken like a true fanboi.
PS: I was actually joking. I have a jailbroken iPhone as well and its also awesome.

PrawnPoBoy said:
There could be something to the theory that the phone just reports reception more conservatively. But then again I can easily drop a call in a low signal area by moving my hand around. This is the first phone I've had that does that.
Spoken like a true fanboi.
PS: I was actually joking. I have a jailbroken iPhone as well and its also awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
see i have always had the same problem with my other phones in low signal areas, they would ALWAYS drop the call if i moved my hand over it. but they all had antenna in the bottom, like the nexus. i think if your previous phone had the antenna in the top, then you never would have experienced this before.
my nokia n95 was the last phone i had with a top antenna, it was internal at the top near the camera, and that thing was superb with RF.
but then i got the e71 and the bottom antenna dropped calls when i covered it. no service, all the time. i trained myself to hold at the top ever since.
so the nexus doesnt seem abnormal to me. i just thought it was common knowledge though...

PrawnPoBoy said:
There could be something to the theory that the phone just reports reception more conservatively. But then again I can easily drop a call in a low signal area by moving my hand around. This is the first phone I've had that does that.
Spoken like a true fanboi.
PS: I was actually joking. I have a jailbroken iPhone as well and its also awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also hope you were joking about the fanboi thing, as the nearest I've come to owning and iPhone was using family members ones for a few hours. My previous phone was a G1, and your misconceptions of me (if your words were not taken out if context) for stating something that is quite true is quite sad.
As stated before, people can have legitimate reasons as to why they favor the iPhone more than the Nexus. If I was sucked in to the iPhone when it was released, I would probably also be an iSheep - luckily I was only 12 at the iPhone's release. Phone technology wasn't really all that interesting yet.. I didn't care about touch screens etc. Now though, I still don't care about the phone much - but it was definitely brought unneeded hate in the internet towards those who adore it.

I love my Nexus One. No 3G issues on ATT, this actually has much better reception than my HTC Tilt2 with the best custom radio rom for my area. Flashing the radio of your Nexus will help a ton if you experience any of these issues so if you plan on flashing your phone don't worry about it. I love my Nexus and I spend much less time screwing with how the phone works and a lot more time using it.

about nexous one
I have never had any 3g problems ever and i bought this phone right when it came out
i love it get it you will to

This is really simple.
1. Buy the phone. If you have bad reception,
2. Flash to the newest radio. If you still have bad reception,
3. Return the phone.
You most likely won't get to step 3.

The phone legitimately does not get great reception.
I lined up, side by side, my BB Bold 9000, my Motorola Milestone, and me Nexus One, all just sitting on the desk, all with Orange (France) 3G SIMs.
The Bold and the Milestone get about the same signal. The Nexus gets consistently -4 to -10 dBm worse signal in any given placement. Wrapping your hand loosely around the phone will cut the signal by from -6 to -10 dBm on the Nexus, and by around -2 to -6 on the other two.
HOWEVER, the statistics don't really matter - I still get good enough signal at my desk on all three of them to download applications, use GTalk/SMS/telephone/browser all day, etc. Yes, a speed test shows generally better speeds on the Milestone, but it is more than good enough on both Android phones.
AND the Nexus is much faster in day-to-day operation. It scrolls faster, loads faster, runs faster, etc. It is almost sure to get updates from Google faster, and the dev community really does rock.
If I was in the US, I would have to consider some of the other phones out there, simply because the other networks are better than GSM networks, but here in France, the Nexus is fine and dandy.
If I were you, I would consider the network as well as the product, because it makes such a huge difference in the US. But once past that point, if you decide Nexus: buy it, test it, if you don't like it, sell it or return it. Easy.

I carried around my iPhone 3G with me the last few days and any time I had bad or no reception with my N1 I would swap the sim card and try the iPhone and without fail the iPhone would alway have more than enough signal strength.
The phone's reception is simply not as good as other phones, but it not enough for me to want to return it. I just hope that HTC learns from this like they did with the recent change to the atmel touchscreen instead of the clearpad component. I'm sure they will.

I've never had a problem with dropping 3G signal exactly, just the occasional instance where it'll get stuck on "uploading." Not sure if that's a T-Mobile issue or a phone issue. Either way, it happens only rarely and lasts no more than 10 seconds or so each time, so not a dealbreaker.
Other than that, the phone is fantastic. Incredibly fast and customizable. People complain that Android isn't user-friendly, but I honestly find everything quite intuitive (with the exception of a few badly designed 3rd-party apps).

I get the same (even better in a few places) 3G reception on my Nexus then I did with my iPhone 3GS

The OP needs to take note of all the people complaining about reception issues have also NOT mentioned whether or not they have updated the radio.
Everybody sitting with the stock radio from the models released in January/early-February are going to have a lot more complaints than someone who has either updated their radio or bought a newer model that has the updated radio preinstalled.

i still say its just a conservatively calibrated signal meter! seems to match my other phones just fine even if the actual bars are showing zero bars, its still making the call and receiving the data. me thinks its just a software calibration difference...

gsvnet said:
I'm tired of people blaming the wireless network, because that's just plain wrong in most cases.
I am a big N1 fan but I will be the first to admit that there's a 3G problem. But here is what I've observed:
- The problem is less evident on the AT&T model, as 3G runs on the same frequencies as 2G, and in general AT&T uses 850/1900, which are lower frequencies (better penetration) than T-Mobile.
- If you're in a very strong 3G area (like on the streets of NYC), you aren't likely to have any problems no matter how you hold the device.
- If you're in somewhat of a sketchy 3G area, and use the T-Mobile version of the phone, it's very possible you're going to drop to edge, if you cover the bottom portion of the phone with your hand. If you have the AT&T version in a sketchy area (low signal overall), it's possible you'll kill your signal entirely if you hold the phone a certain way...but I would say this is very rare.
There's probably a combination of a software and hardware issue causing the 3G issue. With future updates to the radio firmware, I'm sure there will be some improvements, but I don't know if it's going to be as good as some of the other phones available (especially in the case of T-Mobile, where the G1 tends to be fair a lot better 3G wise).
Having said all this - do I regret purchasing an N1? Definitely not - everything else about the phone makes up for the 3G issues, and I still have hope for future improvements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bro, you're entire post actually supports the claim that the carriers need to build out their networks more in this country! Obviously if the phone works great in an area like NYC or Chicago, but not so great in "sketchy" places like where I live (Toledo, OH), then IT'S THE NETWORK!

PrawnPoBoy said:
I carried around my iPhone 3G with me the last few days and any time I had bad or no reception with my N1 I would swap the sim card and try the iPhone and without fail the iPhone would alway have more than enough signal strength.
The phone's reception is simply not as good as other phones, but it not enough for me to want to return it. I just hope that HTC learns from this like they did with the recent change to the atmel touchscreen instead of the clearpad component. I'm sure they will.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I have had the exact opposite experience. I always have a better signal with my N1 than my wife does with her iphone in the same places.
My wife and I used to have identical Nokia handsets, and her signal was always significantly better than mine. Minute manufacturing variations in low power RF devices can make huge differences, and such manufacturing variations are a normal part of any manufacturing process, including cell phones.
Comparing one phone to another and declaring a problem exists with an entire line of phones is just silly.
Basically, there is no real evidence of a unilateral "Nexus One" 3G problem, even if some handsets have less than expected performance.
So if you want a Nexus One, get it, and chances are that if you are happy with your network, you will be happy with your Nexus One.

Test Proves I-Phone 4 Reception Issue Is No "Illusion"

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/...why-consumer-reports-cant-recommend-iphone-4/

I hate to defend the iphone but....
Most phones have similiar issues. Even on the nexus we all love. I lose 3G/cell signal all the time when I cover the lower half of my phone. This is something common on all nexus unless you have 100% awesome signal.
I think this is why this has not been discussed on this part of the forum
1) This is supposed to be about the Nexus One, not the iphone
2) All of us N1 owners know the N1 also has radio problems.
That being said, I'll still say the nexus is the overall best phone there is.

jz9833 said:
I hate to defend the iphone but....
Most phones have similiar issues. Even on the nexus we all love. I lose 3G/cell signal all the time when I cover the lower half of my phone. This is something common on all nexus unless you have 100% awesome signal.
I think this is why this has not been discussed on this part of the forum
1) This is supposed to be about the Nexus One, not the iphone
2) All of us N1 owners know the N1 also has radio problems.
That being said, I'll still say the nexus is the overall best phone there is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with everything you said, including the last part about the overall superiority of the N1.

table: -75dBm
hand in front of me: -85dBm
next to my ear: -79dBm
That's my N1
But the news is for iPhone not for Nexus so not relevant dor this part of the forum (or any else i guess)

I dont know why people keep saying "this is common among all phones"
No its NOT.
1. You are never in direct contact with the actual antenna on other phones.
2. It usually takes a full grip to replicate this on other phones. Even then loss is not as significant as you are still merely muffling a signal not physically shorting the antenna process.
The iphone merely needs the gap bridged for it to dramatically lose signal to the point of dropping calls almost instantaneously.
The issues the N1 had were getting and maintaining a fix on 3G signals. A far cry from dropping endless calls because you were holding it wrong.

xManMythLegend said:
The issues the N1 had were getting and maintaining a fix on 3G signals. A far cry from dropping endless calls because you were holding it wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, there are plenty of reports of a dramatic drop in signal strength when you cover the back of the N1 with your hand. Not exactly the same thing as iPhone 4, but still a signal issue caused by antenna placement, so definitely in the same ballpark.

bigmout said:
No, there are plenty of reports of a dramatic drop in signal strength when you cover the back of the N1 with your hand. Not exactly the same thing as iPhone 4, but still a signal issue caused by antenna placement, so definitely in the same ballpark.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, it's not even close to the same issue. On the N1, you can muffle the antenna a bit; on the iphone 4, you can actually electrically short it out.

MaximReapage said:
Again, it's not even close to the same issue. On the N1, you can muffle the antenna a bit; on the iphone 4, you can actually electrically short it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This smacks of rationalization to me. People report dropped calls as a result of how they hold the phone. Whether it's because the antenna is "muffled" on the N1 or "shorts" on the iPhone, the result is the same from the user's perspective. In fact, the iPhone issue is arguably less of a problem because you can solve it with a case. I love my Nexus One, but I don't think we do ourselves any favors as consumers by rationalizing the phone's shortcomings.

Ummm...how is this related to Nexus One general?

jz9833 said:
I hate to defend the iphone but....
Most phones have similiar issues. Even on the nexus we all love. I lose 3G/cell signal all the time when I cover the lower half of my phone. This is something common on all nexus unless you have 100% awesome signal.
I think this is why this has not been discussed on this part of the forum
1) This is supposed to be about the Nexus One, not the iphone
2) All of us N1 owners know the N1 also has radio problems.
That being said, I'll still say the nexus is the overall best phone there is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The issue with the iPhone isn't that it has signal attenuation when held normally. All phones do indeed have that problem. The issue is the amount of attenuation. The iPhone 4 loses about 20 decibels of signal when held normally, the N1 loses 5-10 decibels, which doesn't mean that the iPhone loses 4 times as much signal. Decibels are an exponential metric, 10db loss is a tenfold increase/decrease, 20db is a hundredfold increase/decrease. If you use the "death grip" on the iPhone, you might see a 30db loss, yeah that's 1000x. That's why a lot of people didn't even realize that phones did this until now, the iPhone is particularly bad at this phenomenon.

There's a workaround to avoid losing signal when talking, and it's applicable with ALL phone with antenna at the bottom:
Just hold the phone top part when talking and keep hand off the bottom, but it's not possible when doing internet or messaging, or email.
When holding the phone for messaging, try to spread out fingers.

Sounds like Apple is trying to start a new FAD LoL...hope it doesn't catch on!

mingkee said:
There's a workaround to avoid losing signal when talking, and it's applicable with ALL phone with antenna at the bottom:
Just hold the phone top part when talking and keep hand off the bottom, but it's not possible when doing internet or messaging, or email.
When holding the phone for messaging, try to spread out fingers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
which is ridiculous and something a consumer shouldnt have to do. Its very annoying to not be able to hold my phone how it naturally feels to while watching/listening to anything streaming.
its really not that hard to fix this, just make a vertical antenna that way you address the heath hazard of an antenna next to your ear, and still not sacrifice much signal.

Wow, another feature that Apple will try to pass off as being first. HTC was the first to have dropped signal, dammit!!
(Tongue in cheek, guys. I realize the seriousness of the iP4's reception woes is much worse than the N1's.)

ATnTdude said:
The issue with the iPhone isn't that it has signal attenuation when held normally. All phones do indeed have that problem. The issue is the amount of attenuation. The iPhone 4 loses about 20 decibels of signal when held normally, the N1 loses 5-10 decibels, which doesn't mean that the iPhone loses 4 times as much signal. Decibels are an exponential metric, 10db loss is a tenfold increase/decrease, 20db is a hundredfold increase/decrease. If you use the "death grip" on the iPhone, you might see a 30db loss, yeah that's 1000x. That's why a lot of people didn't even realize that phones did this until now, the iPhone is particularly bad at this phenomenon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are reports of a 20dBm loss in signal strength from the way you hold the Nexus One:
If you go to Settings -> About Phone -> Status you will see a display for "Signal strength". When my phone is sitting on the desk, the signal stays consistent. However, the second I touch my phone, the signal drops up to as much as -20 dBm. I am able to replicate this test every single time, whether the signal is incredibly strong or weak.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google's "solution" was basically the same as Apple's -- i.e., hold the phone differently.

Weird, my Nexus One is just fine...........................
WRONG FORUM. Who cares.

Thread moved to OT.

what i specifically want to know is WHY is the nexus' antenna so sensitive compared to other phones. all my nokia phones would lose signal too when covering the antenna, but it seems like nokia and other phones use a moving average to calculate signal strength, over a period of the last 10 secconds or so. so that when the signal is blocked, it takes a few seconds to even start to drop. but the nexus almost seems to give dBm in real time, with no moving average at all. cause the dBm can drop intantly when blocking the antenna.
this is why i try to say that HTC just uses different bars, but the signal reception is no worse than other phones. it just shows in real time.
anyway i was at ATT store yesterday, and all 4 iphone 4's drop from 5 bars to 1 bar just by touching the lower left side. not even squeezing, just lightly pressing it. all 4 units. so what are these new phones doing with antenna that causes them to be so sensitive?
also, about the nexus, we have to think that because the nexus is only 9mm thick, the internal antenna is only seperated from our hand by barely 1 mm or so. so we too are detuning the antenna. its not a short like iphone, but close to it.

Consumer Reports confirms iPhone 4 antenna problems
By Nilay Patel posted Jul 12th 2010 1:30PM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/12/consumer-reports-confirms-iphone-4-antenna-problems-and-so-do/

Enough about the iPhone in the Nexus forum. Please!

[Q] Droid 4 GSM/UMTS Signal level?

Hello, has anyone compared signal levels of Droid 4 to 'real GSM/UMTS' phones?
I've been checking the signal level with android software BestPlace, best I've accomplished is -61dBm, and it's often -80 or smth. I've also never achieved the phone to show 5/5 on signal bar, always max 4/5.
With any other phone I can get decent signal everywhere, as the D4 drops out really often on highways and places with worse reception.
Obviously you can't wait this phone to have as good antenna as real GSM phones because there needs to be antenna for really wide range of frequencies.. But still, any way to make it better.. ?
IMO the 3G-GSM handover is really slow and does work like early 3G-phones.. Very slow switching from 3G to GSM and breaking calls during the switch.

bluri said:
Hello, has anyone compared signal levels of Droid 4 to 'real GSM/UMTS' phones?
I've been checking the signal level with android software BestPlace, best I've accomplished is -61dBm, and it's often -80 or smth. I've also never achieved the phone to show 5/5 on signal bar, always max 4/5.
With any other phone I can get decent signal everywhere, as the D4 drops out really often on highways and places with worse reception.
Obviously you can't wait this phone to have as good antenna as real GSM phones because there needs to be antenna for really wide range of frequencies.. But still, any way to make it better.. ?
IMO the 3G-GSM handover is really slow and does work like early 3G-phones.. Very slow switching from 3G to GSM and breaking calls during the switch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same problem, and despite extensive googling have not found a solution yet.
I tried everything I could find and I am now considering a custom rom.
Sadly also the custom roms don't seem to pay much attention to GSM/UMTS reception, but that search was not extensive yet
Netherlands / KPN

Same problem here. I've two droid 4 and both have a much worse signal strengh than cheep gsm phones.
At the moment i'm trying some build.prop tweaks.
Did you already try something (e.g modified radio)?

How is signal strength?

In regards to the iPhone 6, or Note 4? I am wondering if the device has good signal in fringy locations? Does it hold onto LTE in weak areas?

+1
MattMJB0188 said:
In regards to the iPhone 6, or Note 4? I am wondering if the device has good signal in fringy locations? Does it hold onto LTE in weak areas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This^
Every Samsung phone I've had has horrible service. Defaults to 3G when in my pocket and the signal strength is never as good as other brands of phones I've had ( Motorola, Apple, HTC). The only variable being different is the name brand, I've always been on Verizon and lived in the same place. My note 3 always defaulted to 3G, I can count the number of times my iPhone has defaulted to 3G on one hand( not just looking at signal bar strength). I really want the note 5 but if the signal strength is worse or similar( I'm especially worried about the aluminum material used) to other Samsung phones I won't get it. Even if you have the best phone in the world it's only as good as the cell reception.
Thanks in advance.

I can't speak in terms of the note 4 or iPhone, but my previous phone was a Galaxy S4. In my daily life, I definitely notice that the Note 5 has WAY better signal strength than the S4. I used to sit at this bench, but I couldn't use any internet there (not even 3G!) so I stopped. However, my note 5 is picking up LTE 3/4 bars in an area where a 2013 flagship phone couldn't pick anything up . Definitely an upgrade. Sprint btw.

desertboy83 said:
This^
Every Samsung phone I've had has horrible service. Defaults to 3G when in my pocket and the signal strength is never as good as other brands of phones I've had ( Motorola, Apple, HTC). The only variable being different is the name brand, I've always been on Verizon and lived in the same place. My note 3 always defaulted to 3G, I can count the number of times my iPhone has defaulted to 3G on one hand( not just looking at signal bar strength). I really want the note 5 but if the signal strength is worse or similar( I'm especially worried about the aluminum material used) to other Samsung phones I won't get it. Even if you have the best phone in the world it's only as good as the cell reception.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah this is what I was afraid of. Should be getting the device today. I had read it wasn't the strongest in the signal department, which is why I asked.
zingo1zang said:
I can't speak in terms of the note 4 or iPhone, but my previous phone was a Galaxy S4. In my daily life, I definitely notice that the Note 5 has WAY better signal strength than the S4. I used to sit at this bench, but I couldn't use any internet there (not even 3G!) so I stopped. However, my note 5 is picking up LTE 3/4 bars in an area where a 2013 flagship phone couldn't pick anything up . Definitely an upgrade. Sprint btw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly what I wanted to hear. Thank you for clarifying this information.

So???
MattMJB0188 said:
Yeah this is what I was afraid of. Should be getting the device today. I had read it wasn't the strongest in the signal department.
So how is the signal strength? Are you on Verizon?
On a unrelated note ( pun intended). How is the speakerphone compared to iPhone 6? Another shortcoming of my note 3 was the weak speaker.
Thanks fellow xda'er.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

i live in a rural area and while in the house i barely get 3g and occasionaly switch to the roaming tower. outside lte and was able to stream spotifiy for 3 hours while cutting the grass without problem. coming from a note 2 it's a huge improvement (used get 1x out there or 3g with no throughput). my n6 on verizon is pretty much the same, but i get a slightly better lte signal in the house by the only window where i can catch it - the note 5 sprint does the same, but just not as strong.

On t-mobile its amazing. I have super strong signal and even gets me through old dead zones near my house without dropping calls. so color me impressed. I would say its MUCH MUCH better than the note 3, I was always loosing signal bars when driving but night and day from work to back now, no more dropped calls/dropped internet

Cellular strength and throughput

We know how much you like to stream, ahem, "videos", and so cellular data is mega-important. Rate this thread to express how you think the LG V20's LTE performs. A higher rating indicates that it's fantastic: throughput is excellent and signal strength is top-notch.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add.

Unfortunately, the signal strength is really poor for me

Good signal for me, Lte slows down to less than 2Mbps down while my s7 is doing 34Mbps avg. Im on at&t.

Not enjoying the quality I'm getting, even at home. 2 bars average, and this is in the Dallas area.
Worse than my Note 3, so I don't blame AT&T.

Glad to know I'm not the only one with speed issues. I was thinking there was something wrong with my phone.

I have issues indoors at my job but my Note 7 was the same way too at my job

A lot better than my Note 7. I tested this morning because I am finally getting around to setting up the phone the way I like. It tested at 80/16 which the Note 7 would only speed test at 23/12. This was at home.

Saw a report that the S7/Edge got an update to support 4x4 MIMO and 256QAM down and 64QAM up
Also supposedly the V20 supports this but hasn't been turned on for us (seriously WTF)
http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/1...-mimo-256qam-technologies-faster-data-speeds/

From I what I have read on Reddit from posts by Qualcomm engineers, the LG v20 does not support mimo. It lacks the additional anttenas for mimo, though it does support 256 QAM. I was tempted to get the s7 edge, but AT&T doesn't support MiMo or have any plans of implementing it in the near future.

I'm always at 1 or 2 bars. I often get "no service"

Most of the time I get 0 bars with an X, or full bars with 4G but no LTE, where i used to get LTE with my previous phone, I think this phone has a weak antenna

I need some kind of hardware mod. Anyone know where is the antenna in the phone?

deathhall said:
Most of the time I get 0 bars with an X, or full bars with 4G but no LTE, where i used to get LTE with my previous phone, I think this phone has a weak antenna
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the opposite experience, I get better service with this phone. Maybe yours is defective.
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app

I'm with the 1-2 bar group. My Nexus 5x and Samsung S8 are guaranteed to have 2 more bars than my V20, no matter where I go. I also get the spinning circle near the signal meter indicating it's searching. I've downloaded several apps to confirm my suspicion that this phone's antenna(s) suck. I like the phone, but signal is important when it affects your ability to communicate, not to mention drain on battery.

I think a phone of this size shouldn't be any of bad reception, especially with so many metal contacts within its cover, which must act as antenna.

i have really bad / unreliable reception.
i rooted the phone.
might it be a firmware problem? could i flash it? i believe the firmware that was linked in the instructions was for canada... i'm in europe germany
right now i've got the Alpha Omega ROM installed.

Purchased an AT&T version of the v20 off Ebay h910. What I have learned is the antennas are in the polycarbonate end-caps. GPS would not work for me at all on a clear day outside. Found a thread on the Internet that identified the problem, some replacement end caps do not have the antenna contacts in them. Google "becareful_buying_the_top_plastic_bezel_of_the_v20" for the thread on the fix. I found an additional thread on fixing the call reception but it did not work for me, search "v20-signal-issues". Hope this helps as I spent hours and hours trying things until I found the gps fix. The GPS is in the top end cap confirmed, the 3g is supposedly the 3rd contact in the bottom end cap but can't confirm.

I still have yet to identify my horrible signal strength. The antenna connectors on mainboard were just there with no plugs. Imma check tomorrow if my phone has this stuff in top and bottom caps.

McQueefus said:
Unfortunately, the signal strength is really poor for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya for me too. I have an h910 with dirty santa US996 Super V20 ROM. I don't live in the US so I don't get proper network with Optus here in Australia.

nirvikkhanal said:
Ya for me too. I have an h910 with dirty santa US996 Super V20 ROM. I don't live in the US so I don't get proper network with Optus here in Australia.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why anyone would use a phone intended to be used in the US in another country doesn't make sense
Sent from my LG-H910 using XDA Labs