One vs. GS4: Anyone do a direct radio comparison? - Sprint HTC One (M7)

I've had my One since August, and while I love the speakers and build quality, the LTE reception has been marginal and the CDMA call quality sucks. Long story short, I have someone offering to trade me their Galaxy S4 straight up for my One. Both are in mint condition. I was considering eventually swapping for a Nexus 5 with the tri-band radios, but this offer has me considering otherwise. Has anyone had the opportunity to do side-by-side comparisons of the S4 and One in LTE active areas? I don't want this to turn into a fan-boy rant-fest, especially since I'll probably stick with the One. Just looking for honest opinions of the test results.
Thanks in advance!

I have a one and my wife has an s4. Her s4 definitely will grab an LTE signal faster and hold it longer than my one. She almost always will have a stronger signal when connected side by side as well. Her s4 will usually pump out a faster speed test side by side as well.
I'm not bashing the one by any means. As far as signal goes, I think her s4 has my one beat.
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

If I had the opportunity to trade straight up, I would if signal strength/durability is a big deal to you. My the radio on my wife's Note2 runs circles around my One's radio. I can barely hold a 3G signal in my house, while she's cruising on LTE. Not a big deal to me because I use Wifi anyway.
There's multiple reasons why I would, and multiple reasons why I wouldn't. It all depends on what is important to you. But to answer your question, the Samsung seems to do better picking up signal and holding on to it.

OP before switching to a tri-band device i would do some research and verify the sprint LTE towers your surrounded by support Circuit Switched Fallback technology. If the towers do not support it you wont be getting any better LTE than the ONE, it will actually be worse.
great link that explains what this is in case you were unaware
http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-357-nexus-5-and-lg-g2-experience-temporary-sprint-lte-connectivity-issues-due-to-circuit-switched-fallback-technology/

trcurren said:
I have a one and my wife has an s4. Her s4 definitely will grab an LTE signal faster and hold it longer than my one. She almost always will have a stronger signal when connected side by side as well. Her s4 will usually pump out a faster speed test side by side as well.
I'm not bashing the one by any means. As far as signal goes, I think her s4 has my one beat.
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in the same situation and exact same results.
---------- Post added at 12:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:19 PM ----------
Robisgnarly said:
OP before switching to a tri-band device i would do some research and verify the sprint LTE towers your surrounded by support Circuit Switched Fallback technology. If the towers do not support it you wont be getting any better LTE than the ONE, it will actually be worse.
great link that explains what this is in case you were unaware
http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-357-nexus-5-and-lg-g2-experience-temporary-sprint-lte-connectivity-issues-due-to-circuit-switched-fallback-technology/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great read. I was excited for Sprint to finally get simultaneous voice + data. I don't really talk while browsing web on phone, but I do like apps that while you're getting a call, it searches the # for business / white pages info and displays it in real time, or downloads not being interrupted.
Losing this feature is bogus.

My HTC One, at the area where Sprint's coverage map shows best for LTE, gets almost nothing, at best, and will drop even when I stand still. Even the 3G signal can wave from 4 bars to no bar, dropped data when I stand there not moving, I think it got worse after the 4.3 upgrade. Are you guys having the same? Now that my WiFi are also waving in and out.

ctiger said:
My HTC One, at the area where Sprint's coverage map shows best for LTE, gets almost nothing, at best, and will drop even when I stand still. Even the 3G signal can wave from 4 bars to no bar, dropped data when I stand there not moving, I think it got worse after the 4.3 upgrade. Are you guys having the same? Now that my WiFi are also waving in and out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Completely identical. Doesn't matter where I am at or what I am doing, the signal is bouncing back and forth, switching between 3G/LTE, wifi constantly dropping and picking back up, etc.

\m/ said:
Completely identical. Doesn't matter where I am at or what I am doing, the signal is bouncing back and forth, switching between 3G/LTE, wifi constantly dropping and picking back up, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had the same problem on my One for as long as I can remember. I switched to the Nexus 5 a couple of weeks ago and I get MUCH better signal as well as constant connection. My One would always drop signal, have weak/no signal, etc... I think it's just an HTC thing. Even my EVO LTE would have terrible radios/signal.

\m/ said:
Completely identical. Doesn't matter where I am at or what I am doing, the signal is bouncing back and forth, switching between 3G/LTE, wifi constantly dropping and picking back up, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tyler.durden said:
I've had the same problem on my One for as long as I can remember. I switched to the Nexus 5 a couple of weeks ago and I get MUCH better signal as well as constant connection. My One would always drop signal, have weak/no signal, etc... I think it's just an HTC thing. Even my EVO LTE would have terrible radios/signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, thought it was just my phone. But when I contacted them on Wed afternoon, their CS told me to do this and do that and blah blah blah... at the time I knew it was not my phone, but a wide spread problem they can't simply tell me to send it back for repair or exchange. It is a very sad thing.

For myself, in my area where we have no LTE and weak 3G signal is a concern, the HTC One has done noticeably better than the SG4. The local repair center will actively tell people to switch their devices away from Samsung to HTC.
I cannot speak to LTE signal and I cannot speak of the difference between a Note 3 and the HTC One, but in my corner of Virginia, the HTC One has had the better signal strength.

jskup said:
For myself, in my area where we have no LTE and weak 3G signal is a concern, the HTC One has done noticeably better than the SG4. The local repair center will actively tell people to switch their devices away from Samsung to HTC.
I cannot speak to LTE signal and I cannot speak of the difference between a Note 3 and the HTC One, but in my corner of Virginia, the HTC One has had the better signal strength.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that only applies to 3G, except in my area both Galaxy's and HTC's do well on 3G. Wait till you guys get 4G in your area and see if you get any of the LTE action lol. It's an HTC thing, the EVO LTE and One suffer the same issue.

I assure you I am more than ready for LTE here. It's been a long time coming.
Still, wasn't sure what the OP's specific scenario was so I wanted to alert them to the possibility that their HTC One could be the better device in this situation, rare in larger cities but more out in the fringes.

jskup said:
I assure you I am more than ready for LTE here. It's been a long time coming.
Still, wasn't sure what the OP's specific scenario was so I wanted to alert them to the possibility that their HTC One could be the better device in this situation, rare in larger cities but more out in the fringes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well keep your eye out on a galaxy phone so you can see it pick up LTE while your HTC is on 3G. You'll see what we all experience soon lol.
And to OP, Galaxy phones do better at LTE so the S4 would be ideal if you want to swap your One. Personally I would just future proof my phone and get a tri band device if I were you..

My uncles gs4 gets a weak lte signal in certain areas of my house where i get absolutely none until i step outside
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 09:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:20 PM ----------
Wouldnt trade for it at all though. Not much of a signal difference and dat touchwiz is so.... no. I upgraded from the OG Epic 4g and am happy i went for the One.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 09:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:22 PM ----------
Also it feels so cheap lol my epic looks better than the gs4 ugh bro i advise you dont do it, ESPDCIALLY if signal is your only concern. Not enough of a difference to justify that. The only thing id say do it for, is if you need the sd slot (and even then, theres a little thing for $10 that lets you use sd cards on the One)
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app

After reading several posts regarding the superior reception of the GS4, I made the trade. Immediately, I picked up solid 4G signals were I never had them before. I'll miss the forward facing speakers and the awesome design, but the LTE reception and higher resolution camera are a higher priority for me. One thing I didn't think I would miss is Blinkfeed, but it really grew on me and there's nothing quite as slick on the Android Market. The One is a sweet phone, but I bought it primarily because of an unreal deal from Dell Mobile, and based on my type of usage it's shortcomings were too apparent.
Let the hating begin!

Hahah to each his own, so happy you made an informed decision, even if i disagree much better than saying "well everyone else has it so why not"
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app

I always say to each their own. Not every device is suited for everyone's needs. I'm glad you found a device that works for you!
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

I read somewhere that the aluminium build of the HTC ONE interferes with the signal??? I have no idea if this is true but it wouldn't make sense cause if you put aluminium foil on an antenna you get better reception
---------- Post added at 08:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:53 AM ----------
I read somewhere that the aluminium build of the HTC ONE interferes with the signal??? I have no idea if this is true but it wouldn't make sense cause if you put aluminium foil on an antenna you get better reception!!
trcurren said:
I have a one and my wife has an s4. Her s4 definitely will grab an LTE signal faster and hold it longer than my one. She almost always will have a stronger signal when connected side by side as well. Her s4 will usually pump out a faster speed test side by side as well.
I'm not bashing the one by any means. As far as signal goes, I think her s4 has my one beat.
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Coming from s3 to s4 to one... S4 seems to have had better radios in my area. I still get LTE, but it isn't as strong as when I had s4
Sent from my One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Sprint is pushing an update today.
Not sure if it has new radios or not yet.
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

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?
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.

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.

[Q] Signal strength / reception quality?

Hi all,
The HTC One S is well known for bad reception issues outside urban areas.
We constantly miss calls on 4 HTC Ones which were upgraded to all major ROM versions since 5.2012.
Other / older phones (HTC, Nokia, Motorola...) are always reliable in this area.
I wonder if the great aluminium design of the new One has similar issue?
Have you lucky people with pre-series phones noticed any strengths/weaknesses in reception?
Thanks
v
v said:
Hi all,
The HTC One S is well known for bad reception issues outside urban areas.
We constantly miss calls on 4 HTC Ones which were upgraded to all major ROM versions since 5.2012.
Other / older phones (HTC, Nokia, Motorola...) are always reliable in this area.
I wonder if the great aluminium design of the new One has similar issue?
Have you lucky people with pre-series phones noticed any strengths/weaknesses in reception?
Thanks
v
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried out GPS and call qaulity yesterday, outdoors in noisy street and indoors in three store no issues what so ever phone is loud and clear and no issues with reception.
Have you tried holding the whole body on the upper part and lower part? Because that's the grip of death the iphone encounters. It is ok if you hold it normally but if you grip it fully on the upper part then that's when the problems comes in.
R89SONY said:
Tried out GPS and call qaulity yesterday, outdoors in noisy street and indoors in three store no issues what so ever phone is loud and clear and no issues with reception.
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Click to collapse
Thank you very much for your reply.
Was your experience in the city or outside, where the next GSM Base Transceiver Station is many miles away?
(This is where the HTC One S fails comparing to other phones.)
v said:
Thank you very much for your reply.
Was your experience in the city or outside, where the next GSM Base Transceiver Station is many miles away?
(This is where the HTC One S fails comparing to other phones.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the city, in busy oxford street in london
---------- Post added at 05:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:13 PM ----------
Riyal said:
Have you tried holding the whole body on the upper part and lower part? Because that's the grip of death the iphone encounters. It is ok if you hold it normally but if you grip it fully on the upper part then that's when the problems comes in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have big hands as I didnt want to drop the phone aswell I was holding it tightly whilst covering all the back of the phone.
Ok then thanks! And great!
Riyal said:
Have you tried holding the whole body on the upper part and lower part?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am holding it in a way the GSM antenna in the lower part of the body is not covered.
Otherwise calls are not even possible where I live.
It's locked to GSM as G3/HSDPA is not strong enough.
Placing the phones on the table is enough to miss calls quite often.
No other phone we've ever owned has such a bad GSM/G3 reception in the 800 MHz band.
R89SONY said:
In the city, in busy oxford street in london
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Click to collapse
I am sure the One S works just fine in that area as well.
v said:
I am sure the One S works just fine in that area as well.
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Click to collapse
Me and My GF both had the one S aswell and never had any reception problems, infact had more reception problems with the GS3/Note 2
open the phone cover, there you can see 6 connector, pull them out a little, less than 1 mm. it might help. there is video on that on YouTube.

[Q] Questions about the HTC One before I upgrade my contract

I am in the process of doing an upgade, I should be getting it in a couple weeks. However, when I was playing around with it at the store I had some issues with it.
1) LTE was a problem with the device, and from poking around these forums, I have noticed that other users are experiencing problems. With the demo device, the One was unable to get LTE / 4G, however the S4 that was sitting almost directly next to it was able to pick up 4G fine. Is this a big issue?
2) Does this phone support tri-band LTE? Since I know Sprint is moving to that (or already has moved to that) that would be ideal.
3) How is battery life in low signal areas for this phone? At home, even though we have an airave this only helps a very small area in the household. So in general, I am bound to be roaming or have 0 bars.
4) Design wise how is this phone? Everything I have heard it is sturdy, and when I was playing with it at the store it felt solid.
5) Any huge faults (other then the possible SIM/LTE Issue) that would be pointed out on this?
6) Do you have to do the HTC-Dev trick to unlock the bootloader? Coming from a S2 there wasn't really any need to do any of that trickery, just flash and be done.
Right now, I am trying to decide against the S4 or the One, and while the S4 has a removable battery and microsd, if the One has 32 GB of storage, that should be plenty for me as long as I can set up Folder Sync, or a tasker profile to sync images and files to my server.
I am not really a huge fan of the S4 from a Touchwiz perspective, and all the new "features" just seem sorta gimmicky to me, granted I have never really tried them but enabling them is just destined for drained battery usage. I have never really had a Google Experience Phone, I have the nexus 7, but that is a tiny bit differentm so I am not sure as to whether flashing the Google Edition Roms would be of any benefit for me.
At this stage, I am just trying to figure out the benefits of one phone over the other (apart from removable battery and microsd card).
Bump, would really appreciate some feedback.
GH0 said:
I am in the process of doing an upgade, I should be getting it in a couple weeks. However, when I was playing around with it at the store I had some issues with it.
1) LTE was a problem with the device, and from poking around these forums, I have noticed that other users are experiencing problems. With the demo device, the One was unable to get LTE / 4G, however the S4 that was sitting almost directly next to it was able to pick up 4G fine. Is this a big issue?
2) Does this phone support tri-band LTE? Since I know Sprint is moving to that (or already has moved to that) that would be ideal.
3) How is battery life in low signal areas for this phone? At home, even though we have an airave this only helps a very small area in the household. So in general, I am bound to be roaming or have 0 bars.
4) Design wise how is this phone? Everything I have heard it is sturdy, and when I was playing with it at the store it felt solid.
5) Any huge faults (other then the possible SIM/LTE Issue) that would be pointed out on this?
6) Do you have to do the HTC-Dev trick to unlock the bootloader? Coming from a S2 there wasn't really any need to do any of that trickery, just flash and be done.
Right now, I am trying to decide against the S4 or the One, and while the S4 has a removable battery and microsd, if the One has 32 GB of storage, that should be plenty for me as long as I can set up Folder Sync, or a tasker profile to sync images and files to my server.
I am not really a huge fan of the S4 from a Touchwiz perspective, and all the new "features" just seem sorta gimmicky to me, granted I have never really tried them but enabling them is just destined for drained battery usage. I have never really had a Google Experience Phone, I have the nexus 7, but that is a tiny bit differentm so I am not sure as to whether flashing the Google Edition Roms would be of any benefit for me.
At this stage, I am just trying to figure out the benefits of one phone over the other (apart from removable battery and microsd card).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't answer 1 or 2 because I don't have LTE where I live but I've been hearing that some people get through like five to six hours on screen time on a single charge but some don't. Design wise, this phone is probably the best looking and feeling handset out right now. It can compare with the iPhone and probably is better. Feels really good. And yes you have to do the HTC Dev thing. I would suggest getting the One over the S4 but that's just me. I got it because I was tired of using TouchWiz and absolutely hated it (came from S2 as well), didn't care if it had a SD card slot or not because 32 GB is plenty like you said and because the phone is just incredible. Feels really good in the hand and Sense 5 is great. Watch review videos on both the One and the S4 to see what they each offer. In a lot, if not all, of the videos I've seen of the HTC One vs S4, the reviewer chooses the One. Its just a really good device. I don't have a lot of first hand experience with it though. Played with it a few times and loved it. My One should be here in a few days and I am really excited
Sent from my Epic 4G Touch using XDA Premium
I'm not in a LTE launched area but I am in an area where LTE is spread all over and let me tell you, this phone struggles to hold LTE when you hit - 115dbm or greater. Where as other devices(my wife's s3 and my Note 2) Will hold onto 4G just fine.. And to keep a good LTE signal I have to practically fornicate with a cell site... If I could do it over again I wouldn't. Other things made me happy though such as the screen, stereo FF speakers, build materials etc...
Sent from my HTCONE using xda premium
My One holds LTE just as good as my S3, guess it depends on how good LTE is in your city. And every review I've seen they always choose the One over the S4. You can't go wrong with this phone.
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 4 Beta
The LTE in my area has been pretty fast, and constant, but in some cases it does drop. As stated before, I guess it just matters how good the LTE service is in your area. The phone quality is excellent, but if you weren't going to use a case, the black version of the phone chips off if you were to drop it, leaving little white marks on the otherwise good looking phone. As for battery, mine usually lasts about 8 hours with a good amount of usage (a lot of music, internet, Twitter, texting, Youtube), and usually about 14 hours if I just check everything once in a while.
Still hard to tell for me about lte - it's my first lte phone too. It works well but most people complain it doesn't pick it up as well as others. The recent update sprint pushed seems to have resolved that but I'd look for others to chime I to confirm.
Edit: also there are no triband phones yet. Htc one doesn't support the triband network.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app
syed239 said:
I can't answer 1 or 2 because I don't have LTE where I live but I've been hearing that some people get through like five to six hours on screen time on a single charge but some don't. Design wise, this phone is probably the best looking and feeling handset out right now. It can compare with the iPhone and probably is better. Feels really good. And yes you have to do the HTC Dev thing. I would suggest getting the One over the S4 but that's just me. I got it because I was tired of using TouchWiz and absolutely hated it (came from S2 as well), didn't care if it had a SD card slot or not because 32 GB is plenty like you said and because the phone is just incredible. Feels really good in the hand and Sense 5 is great. Watch review videos on both the One and the S4 to see what they each offer. In a lot, if not all, of the videos I've seen of the HTC One vs S4, the reviewer chooses the One. Its just a really good device. I don't have a lot of first hand experience with it though. Played with it a few times and loved it. My One should be here in a few days and I am really excited
Sent from my Epic 4G Touch using XDA Premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I have been reading reviews and watching videos, and so far everyone I have seen is sorta on the fence, or they end up going either way. 32 GB is nice, but, if I accidentally wipe the storage space or something goes wrong with the phone, have that SD Card in there for me to save all my pictures too, is definitely a positive. Same with the removable battery. Because otherwise, you replace the entire thing. I have held the device (albeit with the anti-theft hardware on it that is the sprint store and such). I enjoy the feel, it feels solid, I would just have to wonder how hot it gets, compared to the S4. I know my S2 gets pretty hot at times. From the reviews I read about the camera, they also favor the S4 since the HTC One's algorithms for reducing noise seem to interfere with pictures in broad daylight as well. Which is a definite negative.
BrianBaker said:
I'm not in a LTE launched area but I am in an area where LTE is spread all over and let me tell you, this phone struggles to hold LTE when you hit - 115dbm or greater. Where as other devices(my wife's s3 and my Note 2) Will hold onto 4G just fine.. And to keep a good LTE signal I have to practically fornicate with a cell site... If I could do it over again I wouldn't. Other things made me happy though such as the screen, stereo FF speakers, build materials etc...
Sent from my HTCONE using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, the dual forward facing speakers are a definite plus. It does indeed make the sound so much stronger/better. Like I mentioned above, the build felt solid in my hand.
McCullyCullen said:
The LTE in my area has been pretty fast, and constant, but in some cases it does drop. As stated before, I guess it just matters how good the LTE service is in your area. The phone quality is excellent, but if you weren't going to use a case, the black version of the phone chips off if you were to drop it, leaving little white marks on the otherwise good looking phone. As for battery, mine usually lasts about 8 hours with a good amount of usage (a lot of music, internet, Twitter, texting, Youtube), and usually about 14 hours if I just check everything once in a while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would be using a case, definitely. What is your average signal area? Full bars, medium signal strength, or low? I personally live in a low signal area at home, and at school I had 5 bars, though, I don't know if they have LTE there.
gk1984 said:
Still hard to tell for me about lte - it's my first lte phone too. It works well but most people complain it doesn't pick it up as well as others. The recent update sprint pushed seems to have resolved that but I'd look for others to chime I to confirm.
Edit: also there are no triband phones yet. Htc one doesn't support the triband network.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hm, thanks for confirming that. I was hoping they would have supported it considering they are going to be moving forward with tri-band lte.
On another note, has anyone used the Zoe feature? Is it all that nice or is it more or less just really stupid? When I was talking to the sales rep, he was like "Yeah, I use the zoe feature all the time with my kids" and to be honest, I think he was just trying to sell the HTC one up. Does anyone know if there are applications developed by a third party that perform a similar function?
I know this may be out of the question, but have you considered t-mobile?
Their phone is also unbranded, but it is international, GSM, gets more support from developers, uses T-Mobile's blazing fast HSDPA+ (and soon, LTE), and should cost about the same...
Zoe is nice. But not for those who use 4.1.2. It stores 20 pictures and one 3 second video. The 4.2 update fixes that, saving only 1 picture and 1 video. You can still extract your stuff though.
For me, the 32 Gb is enough. I load this thing up with huge games and I take a lot if HD video, but I always transfer it to my HDD. If you are using this on vacation, I recommend using OTG. That way you can transfer all your pictures to the flash drives.
Battery life is subpar in my opinion. Not what I would expect from a "comeback" phone. I am never able to get more than 10 hours or so of normal use. However, the custom ROMs in here apparently are way more efficient and there are people getting like 60 hours of use.
The phone gets hot. Like 101 degrees Fahrenheit hot. And you feel it. Because the entire back if the phone is like a giant heatsink. But that's better than the S4. I'm sure it gets just as hot, but cooks the hardware instead letting the heat out.

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.
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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

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