Help Given Up

[michaelkahl]

My 4G signal isn't as strong (according to the numbers) as my TBolt but I'm still pulling 10Mbps consistently and I'm thinking that this is somehow software related and will be fixed in an upcoming patch. If not I can get a warranty replacement.
I know that some do and some don't have an issue with 4g reception, but I still believe it could be software. There are so many variables to each handset that it's difficult to say. There have been moments that I've seen my signal at -80 or below so who knows. Either way I'm still pulling good speeds and I was able to get 12 hours out of my battery today. Considering that I'm still in the tinkering phase with this phone I count this as good (yes I was on 4g most of the day...over 8 hours).

Either way, if you are not happy with the device then by all means exchange it for something else. YOU need to be happy with your decision, not anyone else on this forum or in your life. Figure it out and best of luck to you.

 

[Ken7]

The reception is an issue that many are having, including myself, and it is one that should be fixed with software updates. Sound odd? Yep, but it is the case and has been with plenty of CDMA Samsung phones.

I think the Charge is a better comparison and unfortunately no update was able to salvage the lousy LTE Samsung radio.

 

[xGalaxyNexusx]

Basically, you would lose battery power even if it was on the charger during navigation. My Incredible would do this if it wasn't on a good charger. I used my Nexus today for navigation for about 30 minutes unplugged and it lost about 15% of it's charge in that 30 minutes. I don't consider that to be too too bad. Can't get a real good read on the battery initially yet though.

Wow, that's nuts. I didn't realize navigation used that much. I used to use nav daily when I traveled for a job I had. I'd have my DX plugged into the car charger the whole time, with turn by turn gps. After I'd get to where I was going (usually a trip of one to two hours) my phone would come off the charger and into my pocket for at least 7-8 hours. Not once (unless I left it off the charger and/or forgot to charge the night before) did I use my full battery in that time (travel+work hours+travel home). Does that mean the DX had a great battery, or was it something I was doing? Do you think that HTC you mentioned would have been extremely different?

Sorry, I'm just intrigued by this for some reason. Thanks for your answers.

 

[xGalaxyNexusx]

Don't these discussions happen with every new release of the latest, greatest technology? Some good units, some bad, and all the problems hit the forums. It's hard to generalize a phone after 2 days.

I won't be owning the Nexus, because I don't have an upgrade for awhile (oh well!). Congrats to you early adopters.

Don't let that stop you! There are tons of ways around this!! You NEED to own this phone =)

 

[xGalaxyNexusx]

My 4G signal isn't as strong (according to the numbers) as my TBolt but I'm still pulling 10Mbps consistently and I'm thinking that this is somehow software related and will be fixed in an upcoming patch. If not I can get a warranty replacement.
I know that some do and some don't have an issue with 4g reception, but I still believe it could be software. There are so many variables to each handset that it's difficult to say. There have been moments that I've seen my signal at -80 or below so who knows. Either way I'm still pulling good speeds and I was able to get 12 hours out of my battery today. Considering that I'm still in the tinkering phase with this phone I count this as good (yes I was on 4g most of the day...over 8 hours).

Either way, if you are not happy with the device then by all means exchange it for something else. YOU need to be happy with your decision, not anyone else on this forum or in your life. Figure it out and best of luck to you.

What are you using to test the speed of your 4G? Just curious... wanna try my own.

 

[zerocool79346]

I think the Charge is a better comparison and unfortunately no update was able to salvage the lousy LTE Samsung radio.

Meh, not really. That phone had next to no real OEM support whereas this one will have more than any other Android released this year.

 

[Ken7]

Not really. If you look around the biggest complaint is the signal issues people are having. The battery is secondary, but as I said before the burn in period isn't even close to being done yet. As far as your other issues go, I'm not seeing those.

If you want to get a different phone then go for it. Your phone, your life and your choice. I just think it is a bad idea to dismiss this phone too soon. I know for me, if the signal isn't improved with an OTA soon it will be going back and exchanged for a Rezound by mid January. I'd at least try a factor reset before returning it.

I'm actually happy with the battery life now. I had better reception yesterday until I went into a restaurant in Manhattan. At that point I lost data for much of the time. Of course I had no reference as I've had before since this was a place I hadn't gone to with other phones.

But there have been places I've gone to where the Rezound definitely got better reception.

Have we confirmed that VZW will actually exchange the phone beyond the 14 days? I thought there was a question about the phone being activated, even though the receipt doesn't say that.

 

[xGalaxyNexusx]

I'm actually happy with the battery life now. I had better reception yesterday until I went into a restaurant in Manhattan. At that point I lost data for much of the time. Of course I had no reference as I've had before since this was a place I hadn't gone to with other phones.

But there have been places I've gone to where the Rezound definitely got better reception.

Have we confirmed that VZW will actually exchange the phone beyond the 14 days? I thought there was a question about the phone being activated, even though the receipt doesn't say that.

It's 100% that it can be returned up until January 15th. I've confirmed with 2 different CSR's AFTER it was told to me by the sales rep who rung me up.

I just think if you were ever going to give a phone a chance, this is the one. Not only has Google guaranteed to do the updates for no less than 18 months, but also Verizon will want this phone to keep up with some of the others that are coming out on competing networks. The Nokia that will be coming out, as well as a few others, should keep Verizon and Google on their toes to continually improve what I assume is their premiere device. I don't think people are understanding that we are in the first 3 days of this phone, and just the beginning of a vast 4G network that will no doubt monopolize the industry. With VZW set to buy out Cox, even more areas will be experiencing 4G speeds. So, as OTD said... it's your phone, your life, etc... you are the one who has to live with it... but since VZW gave you an extra couple weeks, why not use them? Make a pact with yourself that if you are still unhappy come January 10th or so, then you'll return it then.

Hell.. you don't even have to do it by then... Newegg.com/trade will give you $344 for a used Nexus in perfect condition. So as long as you take extra special care of your device, you could actually MAKE money by taking it back in February if you wanted. Use the $344 to pick up a ReZound and pocket the difference...

People are too picky nowadays! Maybe you all got faulty ones, because mine is amazing! No signal issues, no Wifi issues, and definitely no battery issues (I've used mine with iHeartRadio streaming all day, playing games and downloading apps from the market - off the charger for 12 hours 16 minutes and 24 seconds - and I still have about 12% battery left). So, take it back or don't... but either way, might as well keep it for a month and see what happens!

 

[bjanow]

Not really. If you look around the biggest complaint is the signal issues people are having. ......<snip>

Would you mind explaining that to me? I've seen your posts regarding the great signal with the Rezound but I don't know what you mean exactly. How does it manifest itself and what are the consequences in real life? TIA

 

[breadnatty08]

What are you using to test the speed of your 4G? Just curious... wanna try my own.

The Speed Test app in the Market is what everyone uses. Make sure to do several tests before you get an accurate reading.
The other thing is to look under About Phone - Status - Signal Strength. It gives you a good barometer on your phones cell strength (higher is better).

 

[runamonk]

Not saying everyone who has a working phone is, but dont go and accuse me of spreading "propaganda" either. I've had nothing but issues with this damn thing and I've got the right to be pissed off about it.

I've done a full charge cycle, on both the standard and today the extended. If it makes any difference my phone charges in an 1 1/2, which seems far too fast, so idk. I haven't returned it yet, but I dont see much stopping me from doing so.


Also -- i'm not sure a swap will solve these problems. Several other people have reported -100db radio issues, and bad battery life too. The proof is in the pudding, its just not a very good handset.

If I had the same issues you're reporting to have I would have returned it that day. What I don't understand is why you haven't returned it for a refund or exchanged it for a new phone.

 

[Ken7]

Meh, not really. That phone had next to no real OEM support whereas this one will have more than any other Android released this year.

But the problem is (and it's a VERY real problem) is that people, myself included, will have to come to a decision as to whether the Nexus radio can be fixed before the return period is up.

My visit to a VZW store today showed that every single 4G phone had MUCH better 4G reception. In fact, there was about a 25db difference between the Nexus and the worst of the other 4G phones. And let me tell you, this is NOT a case of the Nexus not reporting its signal strength accurately. My actual experiences in a marginal 4G area proves that the #s are right and the 4G reception is just poor. Both the Rezound and the Bionic held the 4G signal in a shopping mall with no problem whereas the Nexus could not.

There is a real issue when the 'premiere' Android phone can't beat a $99 4G phone. Not good.

It's really a shame since I like the phone otherwise and the battery life has been surprisingly good. But I won't gamble with crappy 4G reception in marginal areas.

 

[Ken7]

Would you mind explaining that to me? I've seen your posts regarding the great signal with the Rezound but I don't know what you mean exactly. How does it manifest itself and what are the consequences in real life? TIA

The dropping of the 4G signal in marginal areas where other phones, with better radios, can hold on to the 4G. That's the net result.

 

[vel0slave]

Treo 180, Treo 360, Ipaq 3650 tethered to a candy bar, i700 (talk about cutting edge for the day!) the i730 the 6800, the Incredible and now the GNEX. I have been using Smartphones from the start and I have yet to see one new release without people bitching in the forums about the battery life and I have yet to buy one that didn't need a serious extended battery to give at least or more than a days use.

It's a small computer with a lot of BIG computer features/services.

IT USES A LOT OF ELECTRICITY PEOPLE!

Let's get over it... start ignoring the whiners (damn near trolls) that had no clue when they purchased and just move on.

 

[Slug]

start ignoring the whiners (damn near trolls) that had no clue when they purchased and just move on.

..... was the WRONG answer.

This is a discussion forum. People come here to discuss things. Opinions and experiences differ. That's called "real life". Branding anyone who complains a "whiner" simply because their experience doesn't match yours is immature and disrespectful. Please, let's hear no more of it.

 

[OfTheDamned]

Would you mind explaining that to me? I've seen your posts regarding the great signal with the Rezound but I don't know what you mean exactly. How does it manifest itself and what are the consequences in real life? TIA

When I am talking about the signal I am talking about the dBm and asu that I am seeing in Settings > About phone > Status. Keep in mind that bars don't really mean anything. They are just the way that the phones software interprets the dBm into a nice image for everyone. Remember the old At&t "More bars in more areas" slogan? It really meant nothing because the actual signal reading could be manipulated by the software to show more bars no matter how bad your signal actually was.

Comparing the Nexus with other phones I see an average of 15 to 20 digit difference in the dBm. Now this is while I am on the LTE network so this is primarily affecting data. If you switch the phone from LTE/CDMA to just CDMA you will get a completely different number. This is usually only showing a 10 digit difference. Unless you are reaching -110 or lower dBm then you aren't really losing signal or dropping calls in most cases. So really the main issue for these phones is the data.

This also gets a little more complicated when you go into speed tests. I have had the Razr, Bionic, Rezound and Nexus all lined up and ran a speed test on each. Even with the Nexus showing poorer signal it was still getting the same overall speeds as the other phones (all at 9-12 Mbps). Oddly the Rezound which was showing a poorer signal than the Razr and Bionic was the one that got the best results in a speed test. Keep in mind that speed tests should be viewed and valued just as much as quadrant scores, IMHO. While they are all cool to see they don't really show real world results all of the time.

So, in the real world poor signal quality would typically result in poorer connection and loss of connection. The Nexus having poor signal quality in areas where 4G coverage is at its thinnest it could result in a switch to 3G. If that switch is happening too often then it could also result in poor battery life as well, since the phone is designed to try and seek out 4G signal whenever it is available. This can of course be fixed by simply jumping on a wifi network or switching the phone to CDMA only.

Can it be fixed or is it doomed forever? Software updates did wonders for the signal on my Fascinate (it jumped by a measure of 20 when the phone updated to Gingerbread) and it also improved signal on the Thunderbolt as well. I've heard mixed reports on the Charge though. I'm quite sure that this is one of the reasons that the phone was delayed for as long as it was. I'm also quite sure that Verizon, Google and Samsung are all aware of the issue and the new updates in testing (4.1 that was talked about during pre-release) can solve most if not all of the problem.

 

[zerocool79346]

But the problem is (and it's a VERY real problem) is that people, myself included, will have to come to a decision as to whether the Nexus radio can be fixed before the return period is up.

My visit to a VZW store today showed that every single 4G phone had MUCH better 4G reception. In fact, there was about a 25db difference between the Nexus and the worst of the other 4G phones. And let me tell you, this is NOT a case of the Nexus not reporting its signal strength accurately. My actual experiences in a marginal 4G area proves that the #s are right and the 4G reception is just poor. Both the Rezound and the Bionic held the 4G signal in a shopping mall with no problem whereas the Nexus could not.

There is a real issue when the 'premiere' Android phone can't beat a $99 4G phone. Not good.

It's really a shame since I like the phone otherwise and the battery life has been surprisingly good. But I won't gamble with crappy 4G reception in marginal areas.

Meh I can understand that I suppose. But not having LTE, I honestly couldn't care less for myself. There is no better phone out on Verizon right now IMO and since I don't have to deal with LTE (won't have it for 8 months at the earliest) I'm completely pleased by the radio performance of the phone on 3G and calls.

BTW, I think there is a lot of debate as to whether not the HW radio is actually the same as the Charge's (considering ours has a Qualcomm 4G sticker on the phone, I seriously doubt it) so there is still a very real hope that an update (probably 4.1 per P3Droid's posts) will fix LTE reception somewhate.

 

[MartinS]

I can honestly say (and I've been critical of my other phones on this forum) that the G Nexus is the only handset I've owned and not experienced buyer's remorse. It's not perfect but it is the best phone I have owned.

Reception is fine
Wifi is strong and definitely better than Nexus S
GPS seems good (admittedly not used much)
Battery is average and usually lasts a day (doesn't seem as good as SGSII mind)
No lag, both scrolling around and opening apps etc

Maybe I'm a fan boy!

 

[GaresTaylan]

When I buy a device that works great I don't tend to go out of my way to make threads about it or spread the word using the Internet because I'm happy/content and busy utilizing it to its full potential.

When I buy a device and I have a lot of issues, I feel like letting everyone that will listen know. A lot of people do this, it's human nature. You're likely to hear one person praise the device for every 10 that complain.

Think about that the next time you claim the "majority" have the same problems and feelings you do.

 

[miniSQ]

If you're not even willing to try a swap, then you just lost credibility, to me anyway. sure, some people are having the same issues as you, but maybe a swap would be the answer for them as well.

i am returning mine too and am not willing to take a swap...bottom line it is not a great phone..sorry. I will take my incredible for another 6 months and hope for a better phone.

My biggest complaints..

1. screen quality
2. sound quality
3. lag on loading mms and email
4. flimsy feeling

 

[P M]

i am returning mine too and am not willing to take a swap...bottom line it is not a great phone..sorry. I will take my incredible for another 6 months and hope for a better phone.

My biggest complaints..

1. screen quality
2. sound quality
3. lag on loading mms and email
4. flimsy feeling

sadly i feel somewhat the same. i am 50/50 with wanting to turn back in. though what would be the next greatest thing that:

1. is just as fast
2. just as large (screen wise)
3. just as raw as google wants it to be (can get updates more quickly)
4. just as dev-friendly (easily rootable/moddable).

what would that be and how soon? i would hate to go back to bb curve (dinc broke on me after i fixed the screen--i dropped it againnnn and one of the micro connections broke :-( ).

 

[civicsisedan]

People who think that the radio is fine are oblivious and are omgomg i haz a nexus its perfect mentality.

Defending your phone is normal and praising it to bw the best is expectes.

But this also is not my first 4g device (its my third) and i live in a great 4g area that should never drop to 3g.

Well i drop to 3g in buildings where other phones stay at 4g.

 

[mttfrog13]

Is there literally one phone out there that someone hasn't made a thread like this for? Going back and forth over this stuff is pointless. If people fail to realize that batteries take at least a few days to condition, even though this has been mentioned over and over, there's no point in trying to change their perception.

As for the signal issues. There is always going to be a manufacturing variability in production that will give one gnex better signal than another. I would've at least tried swapping to another gnex. The signal issue might be valid but I have a feeling that is just the moto fans stirring up trouble and thinking that moto has the absolute best radios and build quality.

 

[Thai]

The reception is an issue that many are having, including myself, and it is one that should be fixed with software updates. Sound odd? Yep, but it is the case and has been with plenty of CDMA Samsung phones

And you assume this from Samsung/Google history? You mean how Google/Samsung fixed Nexus S Wifi issue? Strange...because this is what happens with my Nexus S Wifi: http://androidforums.com/nexus-s-4g/451791-nexus-wifi-comparison.html

Still as crappy today as it was when i got it...no fix whatsoever from Google and/or Samsung. 4G...crappy also.

Software? Hardware? Regardless, the fact that Google/Samsung somehow has managed AGAIN to screw up Wifi/4G reception is mind boggling in such a new phone!! My camera rant regarding Samsung/Google can be searched...decontenting at its best!

 

[civicsisedan]

Is there literally one phone out there that someone hasn't made a thread like this for? Going back and forth over this stuff is pointless. If people fail to realize that batteries take at least a few days to condition, even though this has been mentioned over and over, there's no point in trying to change their perception.

As for the signal issues. There is always going to be a manufacturing variability in production that will give one gnex better signal than another. I would've at least tried swapping to another gnex. The signal issue might be valid but I have a feeling that is just the moto fans stirring up trouble and thinking that moto has the absolute best radios and build quality.

Binoic radio was terrible.

Htc rezound was the best.

Would go Rezound by a longshot then nexus-bionic...