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bad 3g signal

rooter

Lurker
Apr 18, 2010
5
0
Well, I'll start by saying this is my first android and I like it. My problem is the reception!!! We also have a iPhone 3gs and itv never looses its 3g signal. With the nexus I am constantly on edge service when the iPhone has all its bars on 3g!!! What would be making my nexus go to edge when I have 3 bars on 3g and the phone is sitting in the same spot?? Is the receiver junk in the nexus?? Does anyone have a solution?
Thanks, Doug
 
Welcome to the club.

These issues have been going on a long time. If you try to contact google about it they will have you contact HTC and if HTC replaces your defective hardware you'll get another N1 with the same problems. One thing that seems to help me when I'm having issues is to hold the phone from the top since holding the phone from the bottom reduces the signal even more.
 
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It's a known problem. As far as I can tell, the phone struggles to hold onto 3G in marginal 3G signal areas. That coupled with the fact that the antenna is in the base where you hold the phone compounds the issue.

Try for yourself. Go into menu, settings and about phone and watch the signal figures drop and rise again as you pick up and put down the phone.

It's not just 3G therefore. Before a new mast went up in my area, I would regularly go from 2 bars GPRS to none. This was obviously a pain in the arse when I got a text or call with signal, pick the phone up and it drops.

With a good strong signal though, the phone works well now and I never lose 3G where I live. This probably explains why you would get some people who confirm your problem and some that have not experienced it.
 
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Thanks for the fast reponses everyone!!! Awsome site for a begnner like me. I talked to customer support a found out it is in deed an antenna issue, its mounted in the base and putting your hand there like we all do to use our phones will cause me to lose the 3g. At first he said he has never got a call on this issue but I finally got him to admit its a design flaw. I did the *#*#4636#*#* and switched to usa carrier which did not help.

My Issue now is should I keep it or return it before my 14 days are up?? Is it worth putting up with the way you have to hold it to keep a good signal?? I really like the phone and android platform but what else is out there comparable to the nexus on at&t??

Thanks, Doug
 
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You know what I've noticed alot of... Mostly US people will 3G issues. Canadians and Euros don't seem to be complaining as much.

Im not trying to say the phone isn't adding to the issue but what the hell is up with US telecoms? Im sick of every single one of them trying to get by with the bare minimum.

Our Euro and Canadian counterparts seem to have much "denser" signal than us in allot of cases.

Im in Cincinnati on T-Mobile 3G and here is a weird example, My wife's parents live like 25 minutes off the main roads of the city in an area that is "alot less traveled." An area where houses are on lots of land. They recently (last month) got a new tower somewhere and I get 4 bars of "H" anywhere in their house, even the basement.

I on the other hand live right off a highway, about 10 minutes from downtown. I have 2-3 bars of Edge.

Moral of the story, US telecoms.. Get your heads out of your asses and get with the times.
 
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Oh not just that but using the Antenna's App I found a "newer" hsdpa tower and got pretty damn close to it for 3G/H testing on my N1. Even on this tower, being maybe 70 yards away TOPS... I get a MAX of .6-.7 Mbps download and .4-.5 Mbps upload.

In realworld around the city testing I get like .4-.5 down and .2-.4 up. If you're going to advertise 3G maybe you should upgrade the backhaul from your towers and not just update the transmitter so it says 3G.

Yes I know Edge is slower than .4-.5 down but still. Everyone else on 3G in Cinci gets better than that with other carrier. Including the smaller Cincinnati Bell one.
 
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if its really acting bad for you then i am afraid you are going to have to return the phone. before that try holding the phone with your pinky and finger finger spread apart slightly so at the bottom of the phone it is giving the transceiver a 1 inch opening which doesnt block the signal. obviously the problem is the antenna in the bottom is blocked by the hand. this method has worked great for me.
 
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