[Q] Signal strength - Nexus 6 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I live in a fringe area of Verizon' in Phoenix . I have always had Motorola phones except for a Samsung Note 3. I never had dropped calls until I bought the Samsung phone and then Version checked my reception and said I had 7% dropped calls and they were not going to improve their service. I appeared my only option was to move to the east side of Phoenix which has great reception.
I bought the Nexus 6 in February and I haven't had any dropped calls since then. I was told Motorola had great radios and now I believe it.
My question is does any other manufacturer have a great reputation for superior radios? Unless I move I will never buy another Samsung phone but are there other phones I should consider to get good reception?
Version told me to buy the net extender which was a waste of money.
Any suggestions?

DaleGriggs said:
I live in a fringe area of Verizon' in Phoenix . I have always had Motorola phones except for a Samsung Note 3. I never had dropped calls until I bought the Samsung phone and then Version checked my reception and said I had 7% dropped calls and they were not going to improve their service. I appeared my only option was to move to the east side of Phoenix which has great reception.
I bought the Nexus 6 in February and I haven't had any dropped calls since then. I was told Motorola had great radios and now I believe it.
My question is does any other manufacturer have a great reputation for superior radios? Unless I move I will never buy another Samsung phone but are there other phones I should consider to get good reception?
Version told me to buy the net extender which was a waste of money.
Any suggestions?
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HTC in recent years have been pretty good in the radio area, but still doesnt come close to Moto IMHO

mademan420 said:
HTC in recent years have been pretty good in the radio area, but still doesnt come close to Moto IMHO
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Motorola is quite well known for good radios for smartphones. HTC made horrible ones in the past and then made some good ones until Nokia got all over their backs for copyrights infringement. Samsung is the worst I have seen when it comes to cell phone signal reception and wifi reception. They mage good screens,good Flash memory and recently cameras but that is pretty much it. My cell phone reception and wifi reception on my new Galaxy S6 is pretty much horrible.

From my recent experience 1+1 has best reception. Then nexus 6,then galaxy s6 then lg g4.
Sent from my SM-G920T

My last phone was an LG. The reception on it was pretty horrible. I have a VZW tower I can see from my front porch. I would constantly not receive text messages and drop calls on the G2. I've had Samsung phones in the past, they've been hit or miss it seems. This is my 3rd Motorola made phone, and the reception is amazing on it. My personal opinion is you're not going to find a phone manufacturer on VZW with better radios. Fringe areas are the absolute worst by the way. I was on one until about a year and a half ago when they jumped on this tower.
http://kryon.smugmug.com/Purenexus/i-bRKJdsk/0/O/OPERATIONPNbanner5x1.png

Related

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?
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No
mrbox23 said:
Does anyone regret buying the device over it?
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Click to collapse
I don't
mrbox23 said:
Is it a design flaw as i have read or software?
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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.
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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...
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

Is reception on the Captivate that much worst than my Tilt2 ?

I am beginning to lose my cool when it comes to reception and my Captivate.
At work I used to watch a lot of youtube on my Tilt2 and altough it some times went on a wont connect spree....most of the times youtube was a no problem.
Unfortunately the Captivate is like almost never connects or just a little bit and once again loses it.
Is this about the whole hspa thing?
Even at home when reception is better for both, South Park is a lagfest with the Captivate if I use 3G unlike the Tilt2 but then again that could also be Skyfire....in any case...is this normal?
I guess you have never used and iPhone???
I had an iPhone 3GS and it was a POS when it came to reception.
I'm sooooooo happy I'm finally able to have an android phone on AT&T.
It takes some getting use to compared to the iPhone. Just basic navigating through the phone is very different.
I don't mind dealing with some minor flaws of the Galaxy S because I know for sure this phone will be improved because it was released on all four major carriers, not to mention it was already out as the GT i9000.
anyway - just my thoughts
sorry - I know this didn't answer your questions but wanted to share
Never had an iphone and never will! lol
Its just that I love this phone so much that I just cant stand it that reception is hurting me this badly...I just need to be patient I guess.
Like on the weekend... instead of streaming a soccer game to my Android I had to ask my wife for the Tilt2 again to watch the game with some friends at the park...
No. My tilt2 got sligltly better reception too. It OK I love my captivate.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Man, you guys are killing me. I have a Tilt 2 with Energy ROM and for the most part I'm happy with it, but I'm just dying to upgrade to a Captivate, but I keep hearing about reception problems. On the other hand, if you Google any phone these days you hear about reception problems. If you guys are saying the reception is worse than my Tilt 2 I'm just not sure I can live with that though. I frequently work on drilling rigs where reception is pretty bad to non existent. I'm thinking about just swapping out my Tilt 2 for a new one since the keyboard is wearing out, but for $125 deductible, an upgrade sounds pretty good.
Reception is the same or better from my original Tilt.
Phytrax said:
Man, you guys are killing me. I have a Tilt 2 with Energy ROM and for the most part I'm happy with it, but I'm just dying to upgrade to a Captivate, but I keep hearing about reception problems. On the other hand, if you Google any phone these days you hear about reception problems. If you guys are saying the reception is worse than my Tilt 2 I'm just not sure I can live with that though. I frequently work on drilling rigs where reception is pretty bad to non existent. I'm thinking about just swapping out my Tilt 2 for a new one since the keyboard is wearing out, but for $125 deductible, an upgrade sounds pretty good.
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I would upgrade if I were you.
As much as I liked my Tilt2 there is no way I would go back to it after being using the Captivate. The speed difference is just too much.
So much that I have gone from fancy Energy Roms on my wife's now tilt 2 to the simplest and fastest 2.1 ROMS I can get so it does not feel too slow.
Tilt2 has had numerous radio upgrades you can install since it came out
I would imagine when samsung releases some radio revisions we will have better luck with reception.
I really have not noticed the Captivate having significantly less reception than the tilt2. Now for battery low on the other hand.....
For me the difference is obvious even on stock tilt 2 radio.
For example watching you tube at work with my tilt 2 it was almost always a non issue but with my Captivate I get several disconnections and most of the times I have to go to low quality mode to get a decent experience.
Still, no way I am going back to the Tilt2 ...wish I they could finally get android running on it...that would make it a much nicer phone I think
I dunno, I've had noticeably worse reception on my captivate than my old blackberrt 8310
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
shaolin95 said:
I would upgrade if I were you.
As much as I liked my Tilt2 there is no way I would go back to it after being using the Captivate. The speed difference is just too much.
So much that I have gone from fancy Energy Roms on my wife's now tilt 2 to the simplest and fastest 2.1 ROMS I can get so it does not feel too slow.
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See, this doesnt make sense to me. After all it is a PHONE first, everything else second. So you're willing to sacrifice reception ability for speed of user interface, etc? Why? In your post you were just complaining about how poor the captivate's reception is vs. the tilt 2, yet you'd recommend the captivate because it has a faster CPU or slicker UI than the tilt2? Why not just carry two phones, one to actually use as a phone and one as a toy? That makes about as much sense to me. JMO.
derek4484 said:
See, this doesnt make sense to me. After all it is a PHONE first, everything else second. So you're willing to sacrifice reception ability for speed of user interface, etc? Why? In your post you were just complaining about how poor the captivate's reception is vs. the tilt 2, yet you'd recommend the captivate because it has a faster CPU or slicker UI than the tilt2? Why not just carry two phones, one to actually use as a phone and one as a toy? That makes about as much sense to me. JMO.
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Ok first I think someone forgot his pills this morning
First reception not extremely poor compared to the tilt2 just youtube freezes more often at work which is a hard place for every phone for some reason. The Tilt2 was better but I did had to switch radios from time to time like something will change then a new radio will do better for this month or so.
Second, this is only for video watching...phone calls I have zero issues in quality or connectivity so far...yes it is a phone so that IS the main reason to have it.
The main issue has been Skyfire but I got confirmation from the developer that this is indeed a matter of Skyfire on the Android not being quite up to par yet to the Windows version but they are of course working on it.
So, today for example, I have been connecting to the market and downloading stuff and even watching youtube quite smoothly.
So in my first post I gave the impression it was a huge difference it was based on SouthPark and Skyfire.
So if you are able to calm down a bit feel free to rejoin the conversation but if you are going to go off like that then by all means, there are more threads around.
Regards
Well I'm glad I found this thread. When first hearing about the Captivate I was not very interested due to concerns about the Samsung interface, reception issues and GPS issues. I was also really hoping for a 4.3" screen and possibly front facing camera and a flash.
Now after reading that the GPU is top notch, GPS issue is fixed, or will be soon, and reception is generally fine I'm very much leaning toward the Captivate. Samsung interface seems to be not as bad as I initially though, and the speed is plenty fast enough even without froyo. Also NewEgg has them for $79 with a contract renewal.
I have to say I really love the new MaxSense ROM's from Energy though. I hope I can make Android look that good once I take the plunge. I'm still worried about the lack of hardware keyboard too, mostly the fact that it covers half the screen when using it.
For what it's worth:
I've owned a Tilt2 for 3 months, tried out pretty much all the available radios, and have a pretty good judgement of it's reception. I've also owned a Tilt (Kaiser) for almost 2 years.
My Captivate gets much better reception than either phone: I get solid HSDPA reception in places where neither my Tilt/Tilt2 could. The trick is to just ignore the signal bar. I live in an area with poor reception, even after the 850 MHz upgrade, and at times my phone shows no bars, but gets good quality voice/data reception. So don't rate your impressions of signal quality based on the on-screen display, only how the device actually performs.
And as far as GPS goes, I've head-to-head compared it against my Tilt2 (which has a pretty decent GPS) and the hardware itself is more sensitive, and sees 3-4 satellites indoors in places my Tilt2 can't. There are definitely weird and inconsistent problems getting/holding a lock, but to me it feels like a kernel or other software issue. So hopefully a solution can be found (by Samsung or Devs).
Shammyh said:
For what it's worth:
I've owned a Tilt2 for 3 months....
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Thanks for the input. That's good to hear considering I'm fairly happy with the reception on my Tilt2. I have to say the GPS is inconsistent though. Sometimes it won't even pick up outside. I'm thinking about heading to Best Buy this weekend to pick up the Captivate and give it a try. I'm really looking forward to the improved video performance, bigger screen, and a standard headphone jack.
Shammyh said:
For what it's worth:
I've owned a Tilt2 for 3 months, tried out pretty much all the available radios, and have a pretty good judgement of it's reception. I've also owned a Tilt (Kaiser) for almost 2 years.
My Captivate gets much better reception than either phone: I get solid HSDPA reception in places where neither my Tilt/Tilt2 could. The trick is to just ignore the signal bar. I live in an area with poor reception, even after the 850 MHz upgrade, and at times my phone shows no bars, but gets good quality voice/data reception. So don't rate your impressions of signal quality based on the on-screen display, only how the device actually performs.
And as far as GPS goes, I've head-to-head compared it against my Tilt2 (which has a pretty decent GPS) and the hardware itself is more sensitive, and sees 3-4 satellites indoors in places my Tilt2 can't. There are definitely weird and inconsistent problems getting/holding a lock, but to me it feels like a kernel or other software issue. So hopefully a solution can be found (by Samsung or Devs).
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Click to collapse
Oh no, my impressions were not based on bars...in fact, you will see not a single comment about those I think. That is irrelevant to me.
Although as I mentioned on my previous post, without considering the differences between the Skyfire performance, the difference is not that big.
How are you getting HSDPA on that phone, I thought the hack was not working for ATT?
Phytrax said:
Thanks for the input. That's good to hear considering I'm fairly happy with the reception on my Tilt2. I have to say the GPS is inconsistent though. Sometimes it won't even pick up outside. I'm thinking about heading to Best Buy this weekend to pick up the Captivate and give it a try. I'm really looking forward to the improved video performance, bigger screen, and a standard headphone jack.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sure you are going to love it.
I was afraid of going away from the keyboard but Swype is sweet too.
derek4484 said:
See, this doesnt make sense to me. After all it is a PHONE first, everything else second.
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Click to collapse
If reception is primary concern I hear the Jitterbug gets good reception?
Seriously there has been a slightly weaker signal for me but we are talking less than 10%.
P.S. map your coverage if AT&T gets bad enough coverage maps from real use they will have to fix their coverage.
My reception has been great with my Captivate, it drops less calls than my iPones and Nexus One did....my Blackberry Bold is still the king though (always had great reception with it, and battery life was insane). I do however have issues with AT&T's network in the DC/Baltimore area...theres just so many people using data that everything I do lags and takes twice as long, and I've almost never been able to watch Youtube videos in Hi-Def while on 3G...on ANY of my phones while in a populated area, but it works fine at my parents house and when connected to our 3G microcell at home. I think the Captivate works great as a phone and the 4" screen seems like it sits right in the middle of being too large and too small, meaning its perfect for me. I owned a Tilt2 and couldn't stand it after owning iPhones and the Sprint Hero...I loved the keyboard but signal strength and the browser killed it for me, it only lasted 2 weeks before it went back. Give me the Tilt2 form factor with the Captivates screen and guts on AT&T and it'll be my next phone lol.
shaolin95 said:
Oh no, my impressions were not based on bars...in fact, you will see not a single comment about those I think. That is irrelevant to me.
Although as I mentioned on my previous post, without considering the differences between the Skyfire performance, the difference is not that big.
How are you getting HSDPA on that phone, I thought the hack was not working for ATT?
I am sure you are going to love it.
I was afraid of going away from the keyboard but Swype is sweet too.
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Click to collapse
As I understand, it's HSUPA (uplink) not HSDPA (downlink) that's the problem. Without HSDPA, we'd all be getting download speeds of less than 1 Mbit/s. And since the hardware supports it, it's only a matter of time before someone releases a working HSUPA radio.
It really is a great phone though. And for me, the biggest deal-breaker over the iPhone4 (and most other phones) is that I can simply drag-and-drop video files from my computer to my phone. From simple Xvid/Divx/OtherAVI files, to 720p HD MKV files. No transcoding, or other work required.
Don't buy it expecting it to be flawless though, the underlying hardware may be, but without XDA and the community to fix the software flaws, it wouldn't be nearly as appealing a phone.
Well I found a guy selling a Captivate on eBay for $400. My contract isn't due for an upgrade yet so I figured what the hell, if they come out with something amazing next year I could use my upgrade then. I'm definitely looking forward to the h264 decoding and "5.1" sound. I just hope I can find some widgets to make the interface look as awesome as my Energy MaxSense ROM on my Tilt2.

Is reception dismal, or what?

I've seen lots of complaints about the HD7's reception. With my DEFY I've gotten the best 3G reception ever on T-Mobile. HTC seems to have longstanding complaints about 3G reception and hearing about it with the HD2 and HD7 isn't encouraging.
So, Is the HD7 the best or worst you've had on T-Mobile?
Mine is not good, the signal is very weak. My other phone which is the Nokia N8 gets better signal on the same spot.
Overall I get pretty good reception as I did on any of my other phones, except in my living room. It is a total dead zone. Only that part of my house, out of anywhere I go, has a problem. Otherwise I get on average 4/5 bars. I am in Northern California if location is anything important to you.
As more Radio's become available to flash we should be able to get optimal signals hopefully. I personally haven't found it any different to my previous phone (TyTN II)
I've owned a mytouch 4g, g2 and hd7 all of which are htc made
It seems that these phones tend to have a bad reception in low signal area
however the hd7 tends to have the worse
wi-fi calling really works in handy for the mytouch 4g and g2 and i wish they would release this for Wp7
I also have a Defy as well as a HD7. The Defy was the forth phone I had with T-Mobile the others being a Moto Razr V3, T-Mobile Tab and Nokia Nuron. The Defy gets the best reception I've ever had and still does. Sitting in the same spot in my home the Defy gets full bars 3G while the HD7 only gets 2 bars 3G. Even the Nuron gets better reception.
Remember that the "bars" don't mean that much. A better test would be seeing which phone keeps a working signal (can make phone calls) the longest, as you drive away from a tower and into a dead zone. Then you can see which phone actually has the best and the truest reception.
ace10134 said:
Remember that the "bars" don't mean that much. A better test would be seeing which phone keeps a working signal (can make phone calls) the longest, as you drive away from a tower and into a dead zone. Then you can see which phone actually has the best and the truest reception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
I had one or two disconnections during my conversations but the reception has been OK.
Reception in North Texas is good. Went out to lunch with a friend on Saturday who couldn't connect to the internet on his fruit phone but we could on my hd7. Every place will be different.
Well it's kind of disappointing to hear the varying but mostly bad reports on the HD7's reception. I guess I'll have to wait for something from Samsung or Nokia, if I can't get my hands on one for cheap.
The reception is not that bad its only if you live in the middle of nowhere where I see even a remote issue
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
My reception has been just fine in places where T-Mobile has reception. That being said, after updating my phone's radios, reception and even data speeds have improved greatly.
Now that I have the No-Do update I'm sorry to say that reception on this phone is still really bad. I was hoping that T-Mobile or HTC would include some sort of radio update. Well, since they didn't is a way I can update my radio firmware without flashing a whole new rom?
I only know of two TMOUS (531) Radios...
1. RUU_Schubert_TMOUS_1.20.531.01_Radio_5.51.09.11a_22.31.50.09U
2. RUU_Schubert_TMOUS_1.54.531.02_Radio_5.51.09.29a_22.32.50.10U
I'm currently on the 2nd one... but I've also tried the newer European and Telestra ROM/Radios as well...
All of them have worse receptions than the HTC TP2 that I had... and it really sucks at my house where I loose data connections all the time.
My reception sucks! I came from Verizon where my reception at home was not the best but with this HD7 its awful. I did have TMO before with an MDA and the reception wasnt nearly this bad. I drop calls daily. However, in some of my clients homes where my old verizon sucked, this phone shines, go figure.
Reception is going to depend on where you use your device. Try it out for 30 and if it doesnt work for you take it back. This phone is amazing and worth the trial! Good luck!
TechJunkiesCA said:
My reception sucks! I came from Verizon where my reception at home was not the best but with this HD7 its awful. I did have TMO before with an MDA and the reception wasnt nearly this bad. I drop calls daily. However, in some of my clients homes where my old verizon sucked, this phone shines, go figure.
Reception is going to depend on where you use your device. Try it out for 30 and if it doesnt work for you take it back. This phone is amazing and worth the trial! Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure but making a call in a weak signal area with the right phone can be the difference between holding it or constantly dropping it.
dzotx said:
I only know of two TMOUS (531) Radios...
1. RUU_Schubert_TMOUS_1.20.531.01_Radio_5.51.09.11a_22.31.50.09U
2. RUU_Schubert_TMOUS_1.54.531.02_Radio_5.51.09.29a_22.32.50.10U
I'm currently on the 2nd one... but I've also tried the newer European and Telestra ROM/Radios as well...
All of them have worse receptions than the HTC TP2 that I had... and it really sucks at my house where I loose data connections all the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm currently using the 2nd radio listed above. I really like this phone but the dropped calls are making me crazy. Damn if only T-Mobile would just go ahead and release WiFi calling on this phone.
JamesDax said:
I'm currently using the 2nd radio listed above. I really like this phone but the dropped calls are making me crazy. Damn if only T-Mobile would just go ahead and release WiFi calling on this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But your DEFY performs better under the same conditions? Right?
I have found the opposite.
I had the Desire HD, Galaxy S, and my HD7.
The HD7 works in my gym while the Desire HD did not. I found the reception the same for the Galaxy and the HD7.
I'm using mine on Telus.

State of the Union - Moto X?

I posted another thread on here earlier, but Samsung has driven me over the edge. Both my Note 3 and my wife's Note 3 have hardware problems requiring manufacturer replacement. Every Samsung product I buy (including non-mobile) just has problems - I have never had more problems with any other brand. Their support and service is terrible, and if it wasn't for T-Mobile I'd be looking at a 10 day warranty repair through Samsung. So bad quality and bad support just tell me "time to move on."
As mentioned I'm with T-Mobile and my house is in a valley so signal isn't great, but they are mailing me out the signal booster. Otherwise my signal is typically OK. I read up on the Moto X a lot awhile back during initial reviews, but haven't kept up because I went with the Note 3. Beyond obviously losing the stylus and larger screen, is this a fair assessment of what I'll be looking at with the Moto X?
1. No WiFi calling for T-Mobile, but also read a report where the Moto X maintains calls with 8-9db worse signal than other phones.
2. Camera isn't great, but it is much better than initial release.
3. Voice activation is also much more consistent than initial release.
4. Motorola, in warranty situations, mails out a replacement.
5. Great battery life - among the best
6. Less buggy experience as it is closer to stock Android
7. ~$300 in my pocket by the time I sell my replacement Note 3 and buy Moto X with the $70 sale
#6 is interesting to me because what bothers me since switching from Apple is overall quality. In one year with Android I have had hardware problems, endless software bugs, and while I still like Android more than iOS eliminating the headaches with bugs sure sounds appealing right now.
If you're comparing Android to iOS 5 or 6, Android still has more bugs. I have avoided iOS 7 thus far. I gave up on Sammy years ago due to reasons you have stated so can't speak for certain, but am willing to bet there are plenty of bugs in all of Samsung's cruft that won't be present on a Moto x.
Don't count on Motorola shipping you a replacement throughout the warranty period.
The radios in the Moto X are superior to the Nexus 4 and 5. I'm in the mountains and never had reliable service at home and around town with the Nexus phones. No problems with the Moto X; one of the best things about this phone! Another is the quality of the speaker (phone).
My X is on Verizon but yes the signal is excellent. The camera is fine but not as good as Note3. Voice controls work well. Not sure about warranty replacement, doubt it. Considering you are on TMO you can pop your Sim in anything and keep going. Battery life is very good 18+ hours runtime with 3-4 hours of screentime stock unrooted. Nearly stock Android is nice, first android device I have not needed to root and run custom rom (posting this from my rooted hisense sero7 pro tablet). Take the money and run while the Note3 still holds value. MotoX should be worth $150 later this year when you get bored with it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Side by side, my Moto X was 4-5 db lower than my friend's HTC One. Both phones were on T-Mobile.
Don't worry about the warranty. Except for the occasional app crash, my phone runs flawlessly. Though I haven't had an app crash since 4.4.2, so maybe that's fixed now too.
Cool thanks everyone. I'll go with the Moto X. It sounds like it is the perfect answer to what I need right now.
vicegrips said:
Cool thanks everyone. I'll go with the Moto X. It sounds like it is the perfect answer to what I need right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never mind...
MOTO X Slapped
Another owner chiming in here. Been through each company (except Sony cause I'm on TMO). Motorola phones (even the Moto X) have always had the best signal in my area. Where other phones would get -100dB and drop me off HSPA, I can get around -90 below otherwise and maintain a steady connection.
vicegrips said:
As mentioned I'm with T-Mobile and my house is in a valley so signal isn't great, but they are mailing me out the signal booster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm with t-mobile and am in the same signal situation as you. My Moto X signal reception is slightly worse than my Sony Advance, and sometimes I am unable to make a call with the Moto X where I was able to with the Sony.
You and I are in a valley. No carrier can reliably supply a consistent signal in my location and it doesn't matter what brand phone I have. I'm curious that when you get the signal booster if you could report your findings with it here on it's performance.
Since the Moto x does not have wi-fi calling I use the "Xfinity Connect App" to make wi-fi calls if I can't make one regularly, which is rare since I can usually find a signal somewhere in my house, but sometimes I can't. You can make and receive calls from your home phone # from any location where you can get a wi-fi connection. For instance, I can make and receive home phone calls at my workplace thru "Connect App". Obviously, you must be a Comcast subscriber to use it.
rupterr said:
I'm with t-mobile and am in the same signal situation as you. My Moto X signal reception is slightly worse than my Sony Advance, and sometimes I am unable to make a call with the Moto X where I was able to with the Sony.
You and I are in a valley. No carrier can reliably supply a consistent signal in my location and it doesn't matter what brand phone I have. I'm curious that when you get the signal booster if you could report your findings with it here on it's performance.
Since the Moto x does not have wi-fi calling I use the "Xfinity Connect App" to make wi-fi calls if I can't make one regularly, which is rare since I can usually find a signal somewhere in my house, but sometimes I can't. You can make and receive calls from your home phone # from any location where you can get a wi-fi connection. For instance, I can make and receive home phone calls at my workplace thru "Connect App". Obviously, you must be a Comcast subscriber to use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know I can't give T-Mobile a total pass here because I had AT&T for nearly 14 months in this same house and never had problems. A friend stayed with us for 3 months when they moved out here with Verizon and they also didn't have a problem. As far as I can tell it is because of the placement of T-Mobile's 1 tower, where if I'm not mistaken AT&T has 2 and Verizon maybe 3? I still like TMobile better. They are cheaper and their customer service reps have been great to work with.
Regardless, I do seem to consistently get 1 bar of 4G upstairs so I think the signal booster should work at home. If you are in the same spot you might want to call T-Mobile because they have started sending signal boosters out for free again. They just run a quick study on your area to see if you qualify, the equipment is sent, but you do have to return it if you ever leave.
vicegrips said:
You know I can't give T-Mobile a total pass here because I had AT&T for nearly 14 months in this same house and never had problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand. In my case no provider can supply a consistent signal where I live. It's all about the towers, and nobody wants towers in there backyard. My local government won't allow them in the area where I live, so I'm stuck. Thanks for the info, i'll check out the tmobile signal booster as I'm sure I will qualify.
My gsm moto x is pulling down signal where work Samsung Verizon is unusable in a few areas. Damn I miss Motorola and Nokia phones.
Sent from my XT1053 using HoFo mobile app.
Solutions Etcetera said:
If you're comparing Android to iOS 5 or 6, Android still has more bugs. I have avoided iOS 7 thus far. I gave up on Sammy years ago due to reasons you have stated so can't speak for certain, but am willing to bet there are plenty of bugs in all of Samsung's cruft that won't be present on a Moto x.
Don't count on .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My observation is with iOS generally, there may core functionality missing that should really be there. But broadly the OS that is there working pretty well overall.
With Android, there's often a lot of stuff on there that just doesn't work
don't get me wrong, I'm a huge android fan.
rupterr said:
I understand. In my case no provider can supply a consistent signal where I live. It's all about the towers, and nobody wants towers in there backyard. My local government won't allow them in the area where I live, so I'm stuck. Thanks for the info, i'll check out the tmobile signal booster as I'm sure I will qualify.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a quick note... the T-Mobile (Cel-Fi) require a 3G signal to boost. Since 2G is all that is available at my home, it was not an option for me when I had my Nexus 4.
As for cell towers in your back yard... I wouldn't mind having our small town's tower much closer to me (considering it is disguised as a tree).
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Got the phone not that anyone really needed an update. I can say with certainty the move from the Note 3 screen to the Moto X is a bit of a shock. Especially since I'm going from pure 5.7" usable screen to 4.375" (4.7" includes the buttons). Of course I knew what I was getting into, but that doesn't mean it still can't shock a bit.
This is a really well thought out phone. When this came out I was totally caught up as a new Android user in the "arms race" of software / hardware functionality going on with all the new phones, and I forgot until now how sometimes just a few features that aren't that glamorous on paper can be so nice. This is why I was partial to Apple for so many years, they always seemed to have things setup in a way that made life a touch easier in moments.
This phone takes that to a new level, and I hope they are able to sustain this direction under Lenovo. The notification system, the touchless controls, and the minimal but purposeful software Motorola added is so great. Some of the simple stuff too is great - a more natural unlock motion and the time that fades in when I pull the phone out of my pocket to see what time it is. I can see why so many of you are passionate about the phone. All this stuff on paper is hard to show off, but get it in your hands for a bit and it's a "wow this is nice" experience.
Anyway I'm pleased - thanks everyone.
I had a GNote3 that I returned for my Moto X. Loved, loved, loved the GNote3 screen but hated, hated, hated Touchwiz and the crap Samsung radios.
vicegrips said:
2. Camera isn't great, but it is much better than initial release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The camera is not great in low light and indoor shots and varies with HDR on or off. It is an ISO/white balancing problem that can be improved with software. There are paid camera apps like Camera Awesome and FV-5 that help but they don't open with the wrist gesture, which is a very nice feature.
Colors are not as vibrant even outdoors, but again paid camera apps help with this as does Snapseed post processing.
vicegrips said:
3. Voice activation is also much more consistent than initial release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Voice activation is far better on the Moto X than S-voice on the GNote3.
vicegrips said:
5. Great battery life - among the best
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GNote3 had a better battery life than the Moto X. But among the non-phablets, the Moto X is second only to the Droid Maxx, which is #1 but isn't on TMobile anyhow.
vicegrips said:
6. Less buggy experience as it is closer to stock Android
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's stock android+ - the plus being touchless controls, motorola assist and active display. Touchless Controls + Motorola Assist = true handsfree driving experience for calls and texts. Active notifications are nice, too.
vicegrips said:
7. ~$300 in my pocket by the time I sell my replacement Note 3 and buy Moto X with the $70 sale
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on how much you can sell the GNote3 for.
vicegrips said:
#6 is interesting to me because what bothers me since switching from Apple is overall quality. In one year with Android I have had hardware problems, endless software bugs, and while I still like Android more than iOS eliminating the headaches with bugs sure sounds appealing right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bugs come with the territory on Android. But in return for tolerating some bugs and finding fixes for them, you get freedom. If minimal bugs is important to you, get an iPhone.
I can't believe the radios on Samsung are still so bad. I would consider the note 3 as a second phone and put CM on it but it would be a pointless endeavor.
MotoX Developer Edition went from German 4.4.2 to Great Britain 4.4.2 to T-Mobile 4.4.2 no problem. Fastboot FTW!
SymbioticGenius said:
I can't believe the radios on Samsung are still so bad. I would consider the note 3 as a second phone and put CM on it but it would be a pointless endeavor.
MotoX Developer Edition went from German 4.4.2 to Great Britain 4.4.2 to T-Mobile 4.4.2 no problem. Fastboot FTW!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Based on the phones I've owned...and guests phones, my only phone options that I've witnessed working in my house (not having to go outside to make a call) are Motorola and iPhones.
And most the big phone brands and flagships have entered my house. Lol
Sent from my Moto X cellular telephone...
kj2112 said:
Based on the phones I've owned...and guests phones, my only phone options that I've witnessed working in my house (not having to go outside to make a call) are Motorola and iPhones.
And most the big phone brands and flagships have entered my house. Lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes... ironic that it seems the actual "phone" part of most of today's superphones is an afterthought.
Solutions Etcetera said:
Yes... ironic that it seems the actual "phone" part of most of today's superphones is an afterthought.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not for me. 2 years outside making calls on my s2....never again. Gets cold and wet too much. Lol
Sent from my Moto X cellular telephone...
---------- Post added at 05:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:59 PM ----------
Texts were tough inside even...and using data if my internet was down...no way!
Sent from my Moto X cellular telephone...

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

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