Help Is it my phone, or Sprint service?

[tdgobux]

This is my first experience with Sprint service, i moved from an iPhone and what prompted me is the amount of call drops when i'm home (Cols, Ohio). I switched to the Evo and was alarmed about the number of dropped calls i receive when I'm home; or when I'm not "Outside" - for example, in a classroom/building or the first level of a parking garage where i never had connection problems before with ATT or VZW. The Best buy guys don't want to replace the phone because they say it's a network issue; so, i only have a couple more weeks before i hit the point of no-return.
I love the phone, love the android os, this is the first phone that hasn't re-booted on me since i got it 2 weeks ago.
Suggstions? Thoughts?
Should I just go to VZW and the Incredible?

 

[Cubanjinx]

You should start off by checking out the coverage maps in your area, that would give you a better idea of whats causing it. You can call sprint too and they can give you info on coverage in your area as well.
I've been with sprint for 6 and I've NEVER had a dropped call issue.

 

[dannys58]

I am wondering something similar. Been with VZW for 10+ years, great coverage but you pay for it. I LOVE MY EVO, but calls drop on me all the time and I am not getting texts from some people (we checked it is from all carriers).

I walk around and watch my phone, and the bars go up and down as I walk, 3G pops on and off. In fact I have checked it just sitting still in my office or at home and the bars go up and down. Is this just Sprints lousy coverage or is there something wrong with my phone?

 

[neodorian]

Never had dropped calls so it is probably just coverage in your area. None of the carriers has perfect coverage and there is a lot of overlap in populous areas but there are plenty of places where you will only have good coverage by one or two carriers.

Best bet: check who offers coverage *first*, then pick the least expensive carrier that offers coverage in your area.

 

[ito.badengrish]

If your old phone was having issues inside your home and your new phone is doing the same thing. I would venture to say it's your home. There is a possibility of that something is causing your signal to be poor.

My home is a sprint wasteland.

 

[dannys58]

No issues with VZW in my home, office or area. I might have a drop in bars over hundreds of feet, but never when I am walking along or for that matter sitting still (and no I dont have a metal plate in my head ).

So, with the bars going up and down from say 2 to 4 and the 3G light going on and off, could this be a bad phone or is this just a normal Sprint thing?

 

[ktambascio]

I'm seeing very similar issues. I'll be sitting at my desk, and the bars will drop from 4 to 1 instantly. There seems to be some correlation with the 3G indicator. It's almost like the number of bars drops when there's no 3G activity. When the 3G light comes back on, the bars seem to jump up to 3-4, then drop back down when the 3G light goes off.

Other times, it's just 1-2 bars, even where the sprint coverage map indicates it should be a full-strength signal. Or the signal will be great outside, but 1 or 0 bars inside. My old phone on AT&T never had problems like this, so I doubt it's the house blocking the signal like that.

Overall, I love the EVO, but I'm just unsure of Sprint's service. I have about 3 weeks to decide under the 30-day plan. Can't go back to AT&T because of the lack of a good Android offering. Might try Verizon.

 

[hardheaded]

I'm not gonna lie, my service with sprint is first-rate. That said i am worried that I am over paying. A friend of mine is with Boost which is part of Sprint and pays half the price for the same service. I found this site Loyal Customers of Sprint - Unite! which has the email address for the CEO of Sprint Mr. Hesse. I hear if you tell mr hesse that you want the boost prices he listens and agrees.

 

[Braaainz]

I've been with sprint for years and I've traveled all over the country. I've had problems with dropped calls twice. Once was because I lived in the shadow of a mountain and the other due to (i think) competing signal towers. When I had at&t (which granted, was well before the iPhone) I always had connection problems.

 

[traceythompson]

I had the hero before I got my Evo about 2 weeks ago. I never once had a dropped cal with my hero and we have 5 other phones in this house and no one looses calls. All of a sudden, especially since the ota update, I can not keep a single call for more than a minute. I called Sprint today, they had me do a hard reset. I hate doing those, you have to completely set the phone up, it never seems to help a situation. Needless to say, it did nothing for my phone, as I still can not keep a phone conversation. They said they would send me a new phone. I don't want this problem with a new phone as well.

 

[tdgobux]

You should start off by checking out the coverage maps in your area, that would give you a better idea of whats causing it. You can call sprint too and they can give you info on coverage in your area as well.
I've been with sprint for 6 and I've NEVER had a dropped call issue.

Thanks - I live in a metropolitan area where there is coverage by all the carriers - which is why i asked the question. my neighbors have had sprint for years with no problems, so it didn't really occur as an issue. but i can't handle going back to the old days where i can't keep talking to someone as i enter a parking garage, or an elevator. so it's goodbye to the evo as much as i hate saying it. Hello Incredible.

 

[SirSlayer]

This is my first experience with Sprint service, i moved from an iPhone and what prompted me is the amount of call drops when i'm home (Cols, Ohio). I switched to the Evo and was alarmed about the number of dropped calls i receive when I'm home; or when I'm not "Outside" - for example, in a classroom/building or the first level of a parking garage where i never had connection problems before with ATT or VZW. The Best buy guys don't want to replace the phone because they say it's a network issue; so, i only have a couple more weeks before i hit the point of no-return.
I love the phone, love the android os, this is the first phone that hasn't re-booted on me since i got it 2 weeks ago.
Suggstions? Thoughts?
Should I just go to VZW and the Incredible?

There are a couple things you could try.

1. Update PRL. From Main screen hit Menu/settings/System updates/Update PRL. Surprised no one from BB or Sprint has told you to try this yet. There could be a new one for your area.

2. Update the Radio software in the phone. Unfortunately this one requires you to root your phone, but when I got my evo I too was getting dropped calls in my house. Now I already new the service was shitty there before but I would at least get one bar. I did root my phone for several reasons and one of them was to update the radio. XDA-Forums has a thread on how to do that. I did stop having dropped calls though after I did this.

3. Spotwave z1900 Wireless Cell Phone Signal Booster. Do a Google search for it. Its around $115.00 and mine is being shipped to me right now. This might help with the house issue. I use my phone enough in the home to warrant trying this solution....we will see on this one.

 

[tdgobux]

There are a couple things you could try.

1. Update PRL. From Main screen hit Menu/settings/System updates/Update PRL. Surprised no one from BB or Sprint has told you to try this yet. There could be a new one for your area.

2. Update the Radio software in the phone. Unfortunately this one requires you to root your phone, but when I got my evo I too was getting dropped calls in my house. Now I already new the service was shitty there before but I would at least get one bar. I did root my phone for several reasons and one of them was to update the radio. XDA-Forums has a thread on how to do that. I did stop having dropped calls though after I did this.

3. Spotwave z1900 Wireless Cell Phone Signal Booster. Do a Google search for it. Its around $115.00 and mine is being shipped to me right now. This might help with the house issue. I use my phone enough in the home to warrant trying this solution....we will see on this one.

Thanks for the suggestions - i wish i had this before i returned the phone. That said, the signal boost may work inside my home, but i get the lack of reception whenever i am in a building - unless I have no roof, the service is awful. Since I returned it today, I've had 2 other people tell me they're longtime sprint customers that never had an issue until they got this phone.

 

[RiverOfIce]

The really funny thing is that Verizon towers are usable by sprint, heck a good part of Verizon towers are sprints.

I would ask for a new phone, then if that does not work, go back to verizon.

If they work they work, but I would first try to call sprint and see if they can help you.

It may be a tower problem, wind storm knocked a receiver loose.

I have traveled to every part of sprint network, and only get reception problems in my apartment, never a dropped call, just fragmented call.

I would call sprint and see what can be done.

 

[SirSlayer]

Thanks for the suggestions - i wish i had this before i returned the phone. That said, the signal boost may work inside my home, but i get the lack of reception whenever i am in a building - unless I have no roof, the service is awful. Since I returned it today, I've had 2 other people tell me they're longtime sprint customers that never had an issue until they got this phone.

That sucks, well sorry to have lost ya as a EVO user but you have to do whats right for you. Good luck to ya.

 

[tdgobux]

That sucks, well sorry to have lost ya as a EVO user but you have to do whats right for you. Good luck to ya.

May have lost an Evo user, but I have to admit - it was the best phone I've ever used. - I have had 4 Windows Mobile phones and an iPhone - this was my first Android OS and was the best so far. So I'll get either the Droid X or Incredible and continue to advocate for the android OS.