Getting Sick Good reception

[WalkaboutDavid]

Just took my S4 on a long road trip through Utah and was absolutely shocked at how good the reception was. I'm standing on a ridge above the amphitheater at Bryce Canyon getting full LTE coverage. I actually posted a photo of myself on FACEBOOK from the top of Angels Landing in Zion. I was also able to get 1 or 2 bars of coverage (not LTE, of course) on some back trails in Caynonlands National Park and all through most of Arches. I really did not have any reception issues until I got into the Grand Staircase-Escalante region.

Anyway, I know reception is all about the availability of cell towers, but the phone's performance was stellar.

 

[AdmSuvvuk]

Just took my S4 on a long road trip through Utah and was absolutely shocked at how good the reception was. I'm standing on a ridge above the amphitheater at Bryce Canyon getting full LTE coverage. I actually posted a photo of myself on FACEBOOK from the top of Angels Landing in Zion. I was also able to get 1 or 2 bars of coverage (not LTE, of course) on some back trails in Caynonlands National Park and all through most of Arches. I really did not have any reception issues until I got into the Grand Staircase-Escalante region.

Anyway, I know reception is all about the availability of cell towers, but the phone's performance was stellar.

LOL...not a Sprint customer, eh? At my office my phone is an expensive paperweight. If I go outside, hold my arms up and keep my mouth positioned just right I *MIGHT* get a voice call through. Data, forget it. This is in Port Orange, FL (part of the Daytona Beach metro area)

 

[WalkaboutDavid]

LOL...not a Sprint customer, eh? At my office my phone is an expensive paperweight. If I go outside, hold my arms up and keep my mouth positioned just right I *MIGHT* get a voice call through. Data, forget it. This is in Port Orange, FL (part of the Daytona Beach metro area)

I'm a verizon man!

 

[Outatime]

...a Sprint customer...

There's your problem

 

[rushmore]

I think it is more a tribute to Utah topography and a lot of VZW cell towers

I have tested two S4 phones and both had/have same reception as my S3. My sons have the iPhone and DNA. Both are better with reception than the S4. Even so, I found the S3 acceptable and ditto for the S4. IMO there is no better overall device than the S4.

 

[treb1797]

IMO there is no better overall device than the S4.

Good to see your pixie dust hasn't warn off yet

 

[AdmSuvvuk]

There's your problem

Agreed. I had Verizon for over a dozen years. I had to let them go for a variety of reasons, one of which was the high price I was paying. There has not been a day that has gone by I've not regretted dropping them, but I simply couldn't afford it anymore. By dropping to Sprint and a couple of pre-paid type for the younger ones I'm paying almost $200 less for the 4 lines.

 

[B2L]

LOL...not a Sprint customer, eh? At my office my phone is an expensive paperweight. If I go outside, hold my arms up and keep my mouth positioned just right I *MIGHT* get a voice call through. Data, forget it. This is in Port Orange, FL (part of the Daytona Beach metro area)

I was just going to say the same thing. I'm a Sprint customer living in Utah, in Salt Lake City the reception is awful. Although, once I get out of the city it's pretty fantastic. (Even without LTE.) I typically get 3-4 MB/s down in Utah county where I work.

 

[rushmore]

I had Tmo in Kentucky. Bad stuff! Verizon is one of those "You get what you pay for" analogies. Tmo was a little cheaper, but I GOT what I paid for.

 

[rushmore]

Good to see your pixie dust hasn't warn off yet

PD free! The main issue with the S4 is the same radio reception as the S3. Would have preferred iPhone or DNA level, since have those devices to directly compare to when out & about. Not different enough to worry about, since call range seems the same. It is the data radios that Samsung can not appear to nail down at the level of competition. Thats said, neither of those have sd card slots. More than fair-off trade for me

 

[Goodspike]

This thread is making me glad I didn't switch from Verizon to T-Mobile to get the Google Edition S4. I go to a lot of different, sometimes remote places, so coverage is important to me.

 

[WalkaboutDavid]

This thread is making me glad I didn't switch from Verizon to T-Mobile to get the Google Edition S4. I go to a lot of different, sometimes remote places, so coverage is important to me.

I came very close to switching to T-Mobile for the exact same reason. I really did not want all the Samsung touchwiz stuff. Fortunately, it has mostly been easy to disable.

 

[Goldchamp]

Agreed. I had Verizon for over a dozen years. I had to let them go for a variety of reasons, one of which was the high price I was paying. There has not been a day that has gone by I've not regretted dropping them, but I simply couldn't afford it anymore. By dropping to Sprint and a couple of pre-paid type for the younger ones I'm paying almost $200 less for the 4 lines.

Not sure how great that $200 saving is if you can't use the phones

 

[AdmSuvvuk]

Not sure how great that $200 saving is if you can't use the phones

No joke! I don't disagree with you. There were other reasons, though most of them circled back to $$. I loved Verizon, but I just couldn't stay when my employer quit paying the freight. The price was part, the $400 per line deposit to move the lines from my employer to personal was another. I just couldn't stay. On the other hand, when I had Verizon I could get voice in that location, but data was sketchy. AT&T is the only carrier that has coverage in that 1/2 mile or so area, and it's intolerable inside. It's like a vampire corridor.

 

[Goodspike]

Not sure how great that $200 saving is if you can't use the phones

You save even more if you don't have unlimited minutes!