Stay Strong or try Rezound? 1-15 deadline!

[Germwise]

After several calls to VZW technical support, I was told that my SGN signal troubles are all because of areas of low signal.

Nevermind my comparisons against other 3g or 4g phones, the SGN works it's my area...

Last night I finally talked to another Tech. The guy was really nice and told me how he mods his phones and that the SGN was going to get another update in march (4.04) that might address the signal issue.

Unfortunately this is after the 1.15.12 deadline. I love the SGN but 60% of the time I get no signal. I would hate waiting for march, nevermind the 2 year contract if the signal never gets fixed.

I'm toying with the idea of exchanging the SGN for a Rezound while within the window to see if I get better signal (if so how much) and then decide whether or not to keep it. If I don't like it, I might come back and get another SGN.

I feel kind of guilty because I would be exchanging my phone 2 times if I happen to not like the Rezound.

What would you guys do? Will VZW give me trouble if I want to return to the SGN?

 

[artman540]

Have you tried switching to just CDMA to hold a signal? I did that with mine and now I always have signal. I believe the issue is that the LTE network is not as built up as we're led to believe.

 

[michaelsrevel]

i have the same problem. Im in Maryland and i have friends surfing the web in my passenger seat, while i couldnt get a signal. This is the coolest phone i've owned. However, the signal strength and mediocre camera have me debating a switch. I have a few more days to decide.

 

[BubbaNexus]

my GN has been great. i don't think i'll be downgrading to a rezound.

 

[syntrix]

OP, have you considered returning the SGN?

Then buy another phone so the 14 day window starts again?

I'll agree with everyone, I go back and forth with great ADD, and I'm keeping my SGN.

 

[Bonez]

I love the SGN but 60% of the time I get no signal.

Turn off 4G and put it on 3G only. Then do a battery pull and turn the phone back on. Signal issues are gone. Yes, you won't have 4G, but you'll have a good 3G signal.

Since I've done this (couple weeks ago), I've had no signal issues, and I get the same 3G signal as my Droid X, which tells me the 3G radio in the GNex is not weak and works just fine.

 

[alostpacket]

Do what works for you, IMHO.

Try some signal tips on these forums, see if they work. Then think about the pros and cons of the devices and hassle of switching. Get a good nights sleep, then decide what you want to do.

If you have to switch because the signal is something you really are having trouble with, it's totally OK. Everyone's situation is different.

I get terrible signal at my house for 4G, but great signal in the area near my house -- so for me, that's fine since I use WiFi at home.

So do what works for you. The only downgrade is to use a phone that doesn't make you -->

 

[jubb]

My signal sucks. Love the phone other than the signal. Gonna try the batter thing. Were are some other signal tips mentioned.

 

[krs128]

My signal is fine, i am in Buffalo, NY.

correct me if i am wrong but you can't go by your status bars on your phone and compare it to another phone. i remeber a thread (maybe a different forum) that compared the Droid Charge with full bars to the Galaxy Nexus with half bars, but when you went in the settings to see the actual signal strength they were identical.

 

[truelove79]

Do all phones not get a good signal in your area? Or is it just the nexus that gets a bad signal? If it is just the nexus, you can always try a signal booster.

 

[vandyman]

Just remember that the Nexus has a 1 year warranty, so if you still have a problem in a month they have to honor it.

Month = In hopes of an update.

 

[Premium1]

OP, have you considered returning the SGN?

Then buy another phone so the 14 day window starts again?

I'll agree with everyone, I go back and forth with great ADD, and I'm keeping my SGN.

You only get one return, so what you choose you are stuck with. No other 14 day window.

 

[SeattleYanksFan]

You only get one return, so what you choose you are stuck with. No other 14 day window.

Not true. He can return the Rezound and then after a couple days his upgrade will be available again to purchase any phone he wishes.

 

[redraptor]

Not true. He can return the Rezound and then after a couple days his upgrade will be available again to purchase any phone he wishes.

Is this true? Im tempted on going from the Razr to the Gnex, but want to switch back if I have a serious signal issue. I have an Inc 2 that I can sit on for a little while if it can buy me another return window...

 

[SeattleYanksFan]

Is this true? Im tempted on going from the Razr to the Gnex, but want to switch back if I have a serious signal issue. I have an Inc 2 that I can sit on for a little while if it can buy me another return window...

No, it's not true. I make things up so people suffer the consequences of my pranks.

J/k, but check out this thread: http://androidforums.com/verizon-ga...nexus-what-my-options-am-i-stuck-rezound.html

 

[redraptor]

No, it's not true. I make things up so people suffer the consequences of my pranks.

J/k, but check out this thread: http://androidforums.com/verizon-ga...nexus-what-my-options-am-i-stuck-rezound.html

I actually meant that for other people. I trust you (or at least I want too) but I want to make sure that all this has levity to it. dont get me wrong though, I will give you the biggest virtual cookie if this all pans out!!!! Thank you for bringing this to my attention.


EDIT: Hmmmm so apparently after 72 hours of returning my new phone, the system resets itself into thinking I never bought the new phone and gives me a new return window...correct? If that is so, I should return my Razr, wait 72 hours and (Subtly) ask if I have the 14 day return policy and hope for the best...correct? If not then I need to make a VERY serious decision weather I should go with the Nexus or back to the Razr.

 

[jkc120]

I actually meant that for other people. I trust you (or at least I want too) but I want to make sure that all this has levity to it. dont get me wrong though, I will give you the biggest virtual cookie if this all pans out!!!! Thank you for bringing this to my attention.


EDIT: Hmmmm so apparently after 72 hours of returning my new phone, the system resets itself into thinking I never bought the new phone and gives me a new return window...correct? If that is so, I should return my Razr, wait 72 hours and (Subtly) ask if I have the 14 day return policy and hope for the best...correct? If not then I need to make a VERY serious decision weather I should go with the Nexus or back to the Razr.

I can only speak from my experience. But let me give you the short version:

- bought nexus on release day 12/15
- swapped nexus due to screen "issue" (which I've since learned is normal) on 12/17
- exchanged nexus for rezound on 12/26 (in a different state no less)
- swapped rezound due to hardware issue on 1/9
- took rezound back today (well, yesterday I guess, 1/10). Full refund given (for me in the form of a gift card since they didn't have enough cash)

Now supposedly 3 days from now my upgrade date will reset and I can go to a VZW corp store or any reseller and buy (whatever) phone I want. Subject to the 14 day return period. Now, discounting the (b**ch) who accused me of defrauding Verizon, I could theoretically return the nexus I plan to buy and get a razr, that being my "one exchange". As far as I can tell the return resets the "one exchange" thing. Of course, you're out $70 (2x$35 return fee) but for ME it's a small price to pay to try 2 devices then decide which is best for me.

This whole ordeal for me made me realize an unlocked and open device with the (hopefully) updated radio to fix signal probs for some is better (again, for me) than having the superb radio in the rezound. This is just my particular situation, and again it was kind of an ordeal for me, but I am now sitting on a gift card and awaiting my reset of my upgrade date promo. I'm sure I'm not in good favor with VZW right now after all the returns/exchanges/etc I've gone through, but as I said to the (smarta**) CSR who accused me of defrauding verizon: "Hey, it's your company's policy, not mine. If you have an issue, take it up with them. I'm not defrauding anyone, I'm just trying to find the device that's worth nearly $4000 to use for 2 years (I'll let you all do the math but $140/mo for 2 years in a contract + $300 out of pocket). So I just let her give me the evil eye and waited patiently while she activated my old dinc and gave me the vzw gift card.

 

[Lodingi]

I was leaning on returning my GN before the deadline. I flashed the new radios a couple days ago and my signal seems much improved. If I'm satisfied with the updated radios, I may keep it. To be continued I guess.

 

[esmith818]

I've been waffling on this decision for almost two weeks myself. My greatest hangup was the issue with my mic seeming to cut out on long calls. A new SIM card "seems" to have fixed the issue for me, but I'm still leery given all the other posts saying it didn't work for them.

I finally decided that given how I typically use a phone (calls are not in the top 3 activities for me) this phone WILL be my phone for the next 20 months or so. Considering that tinkering with ROMs and mods is one of the major reasons I wanted an open phone, I am convinced that the Rezound, (despite some excellent hardware specs) just won't be a good choice for me.

As for camera, while there are probably better cameras on phones out there, the Nexus' camera is the best phone camera *I* have ever used. I certainly think it is satisfactory for spur of the moment pics. Reading reviews of EVERY phone available is just a cause of unnecessary stress.

For the record, if you do NOT intend to root and flash custom ROMs nor do you care about a "vanilla" UI, then I would be inclined to say that the Rezound might be a better phone for you. Suffice it to say that the Nexus is a better phone for me.

 

[Bogeyjoker]

I'm in the same boat as the OP, including the return deadline. I'm sitting in my office with a -120dB signal. Because my signal is so bad I really have no choice but to have Wifi on. I started with a fully charged battery at 7am and was down to 8% at 9:30 and have it on the charger now. I'm not in a 4G area, so I have my device set to CDMA. I upgraded from a Droid Eris which got a great signal in my office. I've done the battery pull...didn't seem to help.

Other than that, I love the GNEX, and I can't stand the thought of going back to 2.2, or 2.3...but I'm a businessman and lack of a functional phone, and horrible battery life is a deal breaker. The lack of a removable battery in the Razr makes me nervous and the battery life of the Rezound is supposedly poor as well. I'm dragging my feet returning this device and I'm going to end up getting stuck with it.

 

[SeattleYanksFan]

I'm in the same boat as the OP, including the return deadline. I'm sitting in my office with a -120dB signal. Because my signal is so bad I really have no choice but to have Wifi on. I started with a fully charged battery at 7am and was down to 8% at 9:30 and have it on the charger now. I'm not in a 4G area, so I have my device set to CDMA. I upgraded from a Droid Eris which got a great signal in my office. I've done the battery pull...didn't seem to help.

Other than that, I love the GNEX, and I can't stand the thought of going back to 2.2, or 2.3...but I'm a businessman and lack of a functional phone, and horrible battery life is a deal breaker. The lack of a removable battery in the Razr makes me nervous and the battery life of the Rezound is supposedly poor as well. I'm dragging my feet returning this device and I'm going to end up getting stuck with it.

Even in places with the worst possible service, I get far more than 2.5 hours of battery. Something is up with your phone, I think.

 

[Ken7]

Turn off 4G and put it on 3G only. Then do a battery pull and turn the phone back on. Signal issues are gone. Yes, you won't have 4G, but you'll have a good 3G signal.

Since I've done this (couple weeks ago), I've had no signal issues, and I get the same 3G signal as my Droid X, which tells me the 3G radio in the GNex is not weak and works just fine.

Not a good solution IMO for people that bought a phone with 4G capability only to have to strip it of that capability.

 

[LandLockedPH]

Turn off 4G and put it on 3G only. Then do a battery pull and turn the phone back on. Signal issues are gone. Yes, you won't have 4G, but you'll have a good 3G signal.

Since I've done this (couple weeks ago), I've had no signal issues, and I get the same 3G signal as my Droid X, which tells me the 3G radio in the GNex is not weak and works just fine.

So then, why have a 4g device?

 

[AntimonyER]

Yeah the 4G signal on my phone is disappointing, but the Thunderbolt also had issues, so it is almost certainly my location. The Thunderbolt would cycle all day long, I actually found that more annoying than just straight up not having a connection, which is the case with the Nexus. I guess you could make the case it is a little worse than the Thunderbolt, But 3G meets my requirements for data speed 95% of the time at work (browsing, twitter, facebook).

 

[Bogeyjoker]

Even in places with the worst possible service, I get far more than 2.5 hours of battery. Something is up with your phone, I think.

Before the charge, in battery info page, screen was at 56%, Android OS was 26% and cell standby was only 6% even though time without a signal was listed at 90%....I found that a bit curious...