tkmorgan

Hello. I am considering getting a Droid 2, but am concerned about the signal strength.

1. Some people have said that there is a 50% bug.
2. Some have said that the antenna is in the chin piece and signal strength is lower if you hold it incorrectly.
3. Some have had problems and don't know why.
4. Some have said that signal quality is great.

I am trying to get a feel for what to expect. I live in an area that already has poor reception, and have had difficulty finding any useful information on which phones have the best reception. (So far, my searches have only brought up complaints).

So, my question is "is there anything I can do to make this phone pick up a good signal"? I have seen workarounds for #1 and #2, and will not ask for more on that subject.

#3 scares me, because it could just be people who suffer from #1 or #2, but don't realize it, or it could be that the phone has a genuinely bad antenna. So, how many of you fall into category #3?

I have seen few people state #4. They are the reason I haven't just ditched the idea and begun looking for another phone. How many of you fall into this category?

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I really like this phone, plan to have it for 2 years, and would like to be able to use it reliably, at home, without having to pay Verizon $250 for their femtocell product. So, is that a reasonable request?

Cilraaz

I am in the 4th group. Prior to my D2, I was a Blackberry Storm user. This phone gets better signal than my Storm ever did. I especially notice a difference at work.

I work in a typical office scenario (mass cubicles) and happen to be pretty central in the building (far from windows/exits). So I'm pretty much in a worst case scenario for signal reception. I don't get great service (typically 1 bar of 1X, sometimes 1 bar of 3G), but I am able to get some service. My Storm routinely stared blankly at me with a big X over the signal strength meter.

Outside of my work environment, I usually see full service, unless I'm in a very remote area. I haven't noticed the signal "bounce" that some people have reported (random drops in signal, which come back almost immediately afterward) or any other signal problems.

The only signal related issue that I've had is when trying to pull a bunch of data at once while having low signal. If I, for instance, reboot at work and my phone tries to load WeatherBug data, log into Trillian, and pull TweetDeck updates, the phone will sometimes reboot. That's usually only when I'm being impatient and trying to do a 4th task while the above three are already going.

dittok92

I haven't really had a signal problem with it. I had the Eris before this.. and it always displayed 1 bar, and I'm in the same spot right now and I have 4 bars. I'm pretty sure that was an Eris problem, though, lol. Regardless, signal is fine 99% of the time. I've only had one time where it was in my pocket and i took it out and got spammed with texts from people. Guess I wasn't getting texts in my pocket o.O

DSCR

I also came to D2 from the Storm. I have been working in a location in SC where I was surrounded by towers, but they are all too far away. The Storm would barely function.

I came back to Moto because they have ALWAYS been known to hold signal better than anything else. Every Moto I ever had held signal where others wouldnt, and have been the best PHONES I have ever had. Moto 710 and 815 were in this category. I skipped the whole razor thing. I got stuck with an extra line on the family plan. The Moto W385 might be the best pure phone I have ever had.

All that being said, in the same area in SC, the D2 has no issues, phone or data. In my basement in GA, I live in a sketchy signal area adjacent to Corp of Engineer land where towers arent allowed. I have a standard test for holding signal. With most phones, halfway back in my daylight basement, signal goes away and calls drop. With the D2 and my W385, I can go anywhere in my basement and talk or do data.

IMHO, the D2 is excellent at everything, including holding signal.

Daisy 53

My D2 signal is waaaay better than my Eris. There are places that I would drop calls with my Eris or my Blackberry that I keep with my D2.
HTH

Daisy

TozyJay

I have had no signal issues whatsoever with my D2.

tkmorgan

Thank you for your posts. I was concerned that the antenna on the phone was bad, but I have so many requirements, both from a boss who wants me to have a smart phone, from my own disdain for virtual keyboards, and just the childish desire to have a new toy.

Hearing that many of you are having positive experiences is helpful (particularly when you consider that people will have problems with any phone).

Bradb54452

I have a D2 and i think my reception sucks compared to my old Blackberry Curve. I was up at cabin this weekend and i couldnt make a phone call all weekend, I bever had that problem with my BB. Any thoughts or suggestions? I love the phone but if i cant get better recpeption im going to have to get rid of it.

lrv

I'll be honest, my 3G goes out almost daily. It could be an issue with my D2 only, but I'm throwing it out there.

Personally, I would stay away from the D2. I hate it, and would love having just about any other model instead.

arnould

I use the Network Extender as I have a poor signal too, While it helps your cell signal

Java Programming

Last edited by arnould; December 6th, 2011 at 04:50 AM.

chrstdvd

I live in the country and the nearest tower is 2.3 miles away, and it is probably the worst tower in the Verizon inventory, but my D2 only fails me when the tower has problems.