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Dropping calls / Reception issues?

Jul 10, 2010
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Hey Everyone, I did a quick forum search, and didn't turn up much.
I'm wondering if anyone has problems dropping calls, or reception issues with their phones.
Amid the Antennagate scandal of iphone, I've decided not to upgrade my older gen iphone for the new one, despite (finally) being offered a free case.
I've been looking into android, and especially the EVO, and I'm strongly considering switching if they ever come back in stock.
According to high lord emperor of the universe, aka steve jobs, all smartphones have antenna problems.
Discuss.
 
Hey Everyone, I did a quick forum search, and didn't turn up much.
I'm wondering if anyone has problems dropping calls, or reception issues with their phones.
Amid the Antennagate scandal of iphone, I've decided not to upgrade my older gen iphone for the new one, despite (finally) being offered a free case.
I've been looking into android, and especially the EVO, and I'm strongly considering switching if they ever come back in stock.
According to high lord emperor of the universe, aka steve jobs, all smartphones have antenna problems.
Discuss.

As a test I have been randomly going around today and holding my EVO exactly like they do in the videos Apple released and my bars don't move anymore than they do when I hold it any differently. In 7 years with Sprint I may have had maybe 20 dropped calls that I know for a fact were Sprint. Since I have had the EVO my Phone has dropped Zero calls. It is fair to point out that my area has excellent Sprint coverage and I have not been out of town since I get it.
Back to the Antennagate thing... SOME smart phones have antenna problems but in typical Jobs fashion he is going to tell everyone that they all have problems. This simply is not true.
 
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Having been with Cingular/AT&T for the past 11 years, I never had much issue with voice coverage here in the KC metro area. That said KC is a very spread out city with a relativly small population base so the towers are not nearly as overloaded on AT&T as places like LA, NY, Chicago etc...

All that being said I've been very happy with call quality and coverage with Sprint and pleasantly surprised by the fact I can have one bar on the meter at my office, which is inside a large metal structure, and still have zero issues with calls, text, data etc... The ability to receive 3g inside my office was simply not possible with AT&T and is very easily done with Sprint at any desk i end up at.

As for the "iPhone" issues, pretty obvious any phone can fall victim to it in a given area. Having large hands, I can cover nearly the entire sides of the Evo when holding it normally and while I didn't pay much attention to the bars, when I watch it, I do lose a bar or two when I pick up the phone. I've never lost a call or noticed a major decrease in 3G speed doing so. Not surprised the iPhone 4 has issues, but i'm not delusional enough to think it's the only phone that holding it will decrease the signal strength. Apple let form win out over function and it bit em in the a$$. It's not the end of the world, and with the internet spreading the mayhem everyone jumps on the bandwagon with their flaming pitchforks when a company like Apple stumbles.

While I don't doubt some people are having issues, it's clearly overblown by bloggers and forums so people think nearly everyone MUST be having these issues.

Back to Sprint's issues... 4G/Wimax does not perform the best for building penetration but I've found their voice and 3G coverage to be a non issue with the Evo.
 
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The answer to this might depend on where you live. I live in Chicago and my EVO's performance is usually above average when it comes to actual phone calls.

My EVO picks up a good signal pretty much everywhere I go and I have zero complaints. The only thing I noticed is that my EVO will drop a call in my building's elevator 1/2 the time before I get out (I'm in the elevator for about 15 seconds at a time), whereas my old, old Sprint phone, a flip phone, did not. I suppose this is evidence the reception is weaker than it could be, but not to the point where it's ever been a problem for me.
 
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I've had quite a bit of dropped calls initially (the 1st week) indoors at my work because of low signal when I hold my phone (not as bad as the iPhone, but it does drop from 2 to 1 or no bars sometimes). However, after I updated my PRL and put on my epik case, the signal hardly ever drops when I hold it and I've only had 1 dropped call since, which might be because of the other person and not me.
 
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I have been a sprint customer for 13 years and just upgraded from the Moto Q. I cover 1/4 of the State of Oklahoma driving 700 miles per week going through rural areas, around lakes an the Ozark Mountain foothills.

With the Moto Q I had about 90% coverage without dropping calls with the ability to switch to roaming only I was up to 97% coverage. No complaints, just got on top of a hill and usually got my call made in the 97% coverage area.

EVO coverage: I now have phone reception in about 50% of the coverage area compared to the 97% with my Moto Q and the ability to roam or go analog only. It is very important as I have to get directions such as turn on the second gravel road with a burned down rock house and the like. Planning is much more key for me now and getting directions before I go out and get out in the backwoods without good directions. (I use 2 GPS units too) 3 gps counting my EVO.

I need to seriously consider adding back a phone with the roam feature as I am not going to get rid of my EVO that I have come to like even though it is a paper weight on 1/2 my territory.

I have had a LOT of dropped calls with customers and calling home once or twice a day to talk to my wife (yes I Love her that much!).

And before you ask, I consistantly upgrade my PRL and have done it at least 3-4 times since I got it June 9.

No 4G here and run on 3G only. Very disappointed in the inability to pick ROAM or ANALOG only. This needs to be a basic feature of any Sprint phone.

My 2 cents worth.
 
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no look for PRL version should be a 60xxx number


Yes I found is under the PRI PRL is already at 60668

I have been reading enough on here to try to get my phone to operate efficiently with all the battery calibrating and no task killers.

I definately give the EVO the full gamet(sp?) of testing by covering such a large area and getting off the beaten path.

Just enjoy so many features of the phone to give it up.

I wish I could share my line with my old Moto Q or my wife's old Moto Q9c for making phone calls only as my business relies heavily on getting directions out in the sticks.
 
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I tried all sorts of holding maneuvers, even covering the entire outer edges with my hand. The funny thing is, the signal DOES drop about one bar, only to regain it (my hands still enveloping the phone) in few seconds.
There are no doubt some dead zones in rural areas with sprint, but as long as I've been a customer of sprint (6+years) reception has never been a problem. I barely recall one or two dropped calls as a customer.

As far as EVO reception is concerned, it's stellar. I've got bigger problems to gripe about, like video quality, multi-touch, but that's a whole different topic.
 
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I have been driving this same area for the past 3 years. With the Moto Q and the Moto Q9c and if either of these phones was left in automatic mode, I still usually got an 80% coverage without going to Analog/Roam only mode, then I am back to 97% coverage.

When I am in the Tulsa metro area and other even small communities no problem. I have been monitoring Sprint rural coverage since 1996 or 97 as I hunt on our family farms during deer season and didn't get coverage with sprint back then with the promise it was coming in a year or 2. That coverage got there about 7 years later and I attribute a lot of that to phone improvement and tower coverage.

For the past 3 years making numerous calls throughout this coverage area and getting acceptable coverage with a roaming feature I have had no complaints with my Sprint coverage.

I can tell you this..... With the EVO, there is a very distinct difference in this phones ability to receive a signal in areas where less of a smart phone was able to receive adequate reception. If I stayed in the Tulsa metro area all the time, I would not be here giving my 2 cents worth but if this can help anyone with the same situation as mine in traveling in rural areas, I am going to help them avoid this if calling is a primary function of their phone. I just happen to like the features of the EVO and have been waiting on this phone for a long time as shown by my previous phone being the Moto Q.

I am not that disappointed that I want to give up the EVO, I am glad Sprint finally offered us something the other providers have been doing for a while now.

if I have to get a second phone I will do it.

Oh yeah, I take pictures all day long also and I think the camera of the EVO is FANTASTIC!

I also dig the ability to "talk" my text messaging while I am driving down the road and not worry about the typing. This is a bonus I did not plan on and one of the better features.
 
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