(VZW) Nexus 4.0.X Update Discussion

[JamesSJ]

So, where are you at now in your decision-making process? Is it looking like you're going to have to return your Gnex for something else as well? From all I've read, the Rezound has better reception than the Gnex, but I wonder if the Razr Maxx has even better signal than either? I want the absolute best signal possible. The Gnex was fun and stock ICS has been awesome, but I need to be able to get a dang signal and make a call. I'm glad someone else had had the same issues. The signal is just so unreliable and I'm about to go back to the oil and gas production business in about a month or so. So, I'll be out in the middle of nowhere a lot. Even when I WAS in the middle of nowhere last year, I could still get at least a 1x signal with my Droid Incredible and make a phone call. I know there is NO WAY that my Gnex could do that. That's why I have a serious decison to make. It's either the Razr Maxx or the Rezound.

I believe that a lot of us in this forum are going to, unfortunately, be having to make the same decision now. Because I think this is a hardware problem. I waited on the update and now I have it, and the problem hasn't gotten even a little bit better. It's possibly even a little bit worse. I had high hopes when I installed the update last night, but I should have known better. It's the Samsung hardware radio, apparently.

I am still waiting on the update. If signal strength does not improve, I will ask for the RAZR Maxx. I just hope it gets ICS soon.

 

[JamesSJ]

Not sure if you're refering to anyone in particular, but as I've stated, I'm on my second Nexus. How many am I supposed to get before I finally admit that it's Samsung's weak hardware? I would be fine if I lived in a city right in the middle of town next to a tower, or even on the outskirts of the city, but I live in the country. I have a wilson DB Pro home cellular amplifier installed in my home ($380) and still this phone will not hold a signal most of the time and I can rarely, if ever, make a phone call in my home or outside of my home. Would my Gnex work for someone in a city closer to signal? Sure. It most definitely would. However, not everyone lives in the city. My Droid Incredible did great out where I live and everywhere else. Mine, and Trophynuts problems are hardware. I'm not going to try to get another replacement Gnex. I don't think a new phone is going to help what I believe the problem is for me, weak hardware radios. This is my first Samsung phone. HTC and their radios served me much better where I live and where I travel. The GNex is a flawless phone if you live in a metropolitan area (at least mine is and would be) but I don't live in one of those areas. I need a phone that can pull in a signal and hold onto it. This phone is not one that can, apparently.

I agree. I think the GNex is a great phone in strong signal strength areas. In weak signal strength areas, the "radio" is poor.

 

[Nashdroid]

I am still waiting on the update. If signal strength does not improve, I will ask for the RAZR Maxx. I just hope it gets ICS soon.

Yeah, try the update to see if it helps you. Don't be surprised if it doesn't though, because it sure didn't help me. It made the phone a little faster and snappier, and now when the screen goes black or to sleep, I've noticed that it fades out instead of just flashing off to black. Those are few of the only differences I've seen. I've also noticed the placebo effect of the bars. It says I have full 3G bars but the speed tests are even slower than they were on 4.0.2 and I still can't make calls at home and 3G data connectivity is scarce.

The Razr Maxx doesn't have an HD screen, which stinks, but it will have ICS soon and I can just put on Apex Launcher (I assume) to kinda get rid of Blur. Also, I guess there will eventually be a stock build available for it. The screen size of the Gnex is bigger but it's only bigger when you're watching a video. Otherwise, it's just a 4.3" screen with onscreen buttons. If the Razr can hold great signal, I'll just go with that I guess, as much as I seriously can't stand Motorola. Bombarding us with phone after phone after phone is just ridiculous, and what they did to the Bionic owners by releasing the Razr VERY soon after and then what they did to the Razr owners by releasing the Razr Maxx VERY soon after, just doesn't seem right to me. But when there's no other choice and you need a phone that works as a phone, I guess the choices are limited.

 

[trophynuts]

yeah the debate could go on and on. I can only speak for my experience and i'm on my second G Nex and it is just as bad at my house as the first. I don't go by signal bars. I go by dbm if anything and primarily i go by if i can make a phone call or not. Or send an MMS message because a lot of times i can't do that either at home.

@nashdroid right now i'm in limbo. Until this update leaked yesterday i was about to call VZW to have another replacement sent. I'm willing to go through at least 3 but that is my limit. If that happens i will make the decision at the time on what device i will ask for. I think the Rezound is a great device and i've always been a moto fan.

I and other people have agreed that after this experience i would take a locked moto bootloader over a samsung that has this many issues. So if i have to pick the lesser of the two evils i'm going with the one that will let me make a phone call from my house.


now since a soak test leaked i'm willing to wait a few more days to see how it pans out before calling for another replacement.

 

[Lucky Armpit]

The more I read, the more I fear that I will have to give up my beloved Nexus. Not for poor signal strength, but for the one-way audio/audio reboot issue. Honestly, I'm dreading the phone call I'm going to have to make to Verizon more than anything else. While their customer service has been fantastic, they always make me feel like a 6-year old asking mommy for a new toy while out shopping (hoping against hope they are going to say yes when the possibilities are great they will say no). I'll just have to insist and be firm but polite and continue to ask for someone else until I get someone on the phone that can help.

Of course, the update could fix my problem. Only time will tell.

 

[Nashdroid]

The more I read, the more I fear that I will have to give up my beloved Nexus. Not for poor signal strength, but for the one-way audio/audio reboot issue. Honestly, I'm dreading the phone call I'm going to have to make to Verizon more than anything else. While their customer service has been fantastic, they always make me feel like a 6-year old asking mommy for a new toy while out shopping (hoping against hope they are going to say yes when the possibilities are great they will say no). I'll just have to insist and be firm but polite and continue to ask for someone else until I get someone on the phone that can help.

Of course, the update could fix my problem. Only time will tell.

See, and I've NEVER experienced the one-way audio issue. Just have experienced the weak radio. The weak radio is my only problem. Honestly, if someone who has a phone with one-way audio problems used my phone, they'd be jumping for joy. Because, my phone has never experienced that. I think the hardware on my Gnex is what most people would call a phone that doesn't have any issues, for them anyways. Because if you aren't in an outlying 3G area like I am, you would never have a complaint about my particular phone. My first GNex was just like this one. No difference at all.

 

[Nashdroid]

@Trophynuts Weighing it out, I think I would rather have the Moto radios with a lower resolution screen of the Razr Maxx over the HD screen of the Rezound with the smaller battery life. I can't believe I'm considering trading this GNex for a Motorola, but geez...I really don't have any choice at this point.

 

[trophynuts]

totally understand man.

 

[Sandroidfan]

The more I read, the more I fear that I will have to give up my beloved Nexus. Not for poor signal strength, but for the one-way audio/audio reboot issue. Honestly, I'm dreading the phone call I'm going to have to make to Verizon more than anything else. While their customer service has been fantastic, they always make me feel like a 6-year old asking mommy for a new toy while out shopping (hoping against hope they are going to say yes when the possibilities are great they will say no). I'll just have to insist and be firm but polite and continue to ask for someone else until I get someone on the phone that can help.

Of course, the update could fix my problem. Only time will tell.

If your problem is just one way audio/call muting issue, not signal strength, I think it's just bad hardware unit. It's probably better trying to replace it with new unit rather than waiting for OTA to fix it. Swapping phone won't do much for signal strength, but issue like this is probably from bad one.

 

[jkc120]

If your problem is just one way audio/call muting issue, not signal strength, I think it's just bad hardware unit. It's probably better trying to replace it with new unit rather than waiting for OTA to fix it. Swapping phone won't do much for signal strength, but issue like this is probably from bad one.

I've had it happen on ALL of the nexuses I've owned. If it's hardware, I think it affects many/all of them.

 

[Lucky Armpit]

If your problem is just one way audio/call muting issue, not signal strength, I think it's just bad hardware unit. It's probably better trying to replace it with new unit rather than waiting for OTA to fix it. Swapping phone won't do much for signal strength, but issue like this is probably from bad one.

I swapped my Nexus three times but returned them all because of screen problems. I never kept them long enough to see if the different phone would not have the one-way audio issue. I guess I do have the option of swapping it out for another Nexus as I'm certainly within the one-year warranty timeframe.

I'm just ready to be off this train.

 

[TheyCallMeBT]

I've had it happen on ALL of the nexuses I've owned. If it's hardware, I think it affects many/all of them.

My DX did this. I haven't had the first problem from my GNex. Sucks to hear that all your replacements have had the issue. I got mine in the first week.

 

[Sandroidfan]

I've had it happen on ALL of the nexuses I've owned. If it's hardware, I think it affects many/all of them.

That sucks for you.
So do you think it's basic hardware design/parts issue that affects all Nexuses out there? I'm not sure if it's so wide spread. I guess software issue is more likely if call muting happens in that many of them.

 

[JamesSJ]

The more I read, the more I fear that I will have to give up my beloved Nexus. Not for poor signal strength, but for the one-way audio/audio reboot issue.

I think the "one-way audio" issue is just the beginning of a dropped call in a weak CDMA area. When my calls drop, first the other person cannot hear me but hears clicking sounds, then the call completely drops.

 

[Stigy]

Verizon released a statement about yesterday's update: Verizon’s public beta test of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus could be coming to an end soon | Android and Me

All updates are a result of work with our hardware and software partners and have to be tested on our network just like our phones. When they are ready we push them to handsets but we don’t do that until we are absolutely certain they won’t harm either customers’ phones or our network.

 

[jkc120]

I think the "one-way audio" issue is just the beginning of a dropped call in a weak CDMA area. When my calls drop, first the other person cannot hear me but hears clicking sounds, then the call completely drops.

I think you're right. Come to think of it, most of these occurrences were at my house which is in a fringe (extended 4G) area, but I thought the 3G coverage was good. I'll have to pull up their map and see...

 

[jkc120]

Verizon released a statement about yesterday's update: Verizon

 

[JamesSJ]

I think you're right. Come to think of it, most of these occurrences were at my house which is in a fringe (extended 4G) area, but I thought the 3G coverage was good. I'll have to pull up their map and see...

The maps are not that accurate. If you are showing 4G then your signal strength reading is LTE. If you want a CDMA reading, just turn off LTE on your phone and wait a minute for the CDMA reading.

 

[Sandroidfan]

@Trophynuts Weighing it out, I think I would rather have the Moto radios with a lower resolution screen of the Razr Maxx over the HD screen of the Rezound with the smaller battery life. I can't believe I'm considering trading this GNex for a Motorola, but geez...I really don't have any choice at this point.

If I have to leave Nexus, I'd rather go with Rezound and deal with small battery or put extended battery. Moto radio is good but they are mediocre at pretty much everything else in my opinion. And I'm not fan of fixed battery design. Looking at both forums, Rezound radio seems just as good and handles 3G/4G switching better.

 

[jkc120]

I think you're right. Come to think of it, most of these occurrences were at my house which is in a fringe (extended 4G) area, but I thought the 3G coverage was good. I'll have to pull up their map and see...

Ok, looking at the maps, I'm well covered for 3G:

And although I'm in an extended 4G area, still covered there, too:

So why would it be cutting out due to low signal if I'm well within the 3G area and 1X is definitely no problem?

 

[ajoudi84]

I was just wondering if anybody has installed the update that uses Wallet. I'm just worried about getting the dreaded "Secure element not responding" error message. I'm running a unlocked, non-rooted, stock Verizon Galaxy Nexus. Just looking for a confirmation of someone using wallet before and after installing without any problems. TIA

 

[jkc120]

The maps are not that accurate. If you are showing 4G then your signal strength reading is LTE. If you want a CDMA reading, just turn off LTE on your phone and wait a minute for the CDMA reading.

Right I know that. I could try turning off 4G when I'm at home and see if it still happens when I make phone calls, but I'm fairly sure that's been tried and didn't help.

Since I'm in a fringe 4G area, I do drop to 3G at home occasionally, but it's usually -93 dBm or better, which I don't think should cause signal drop outs.

 

[TheyCallMeBT]

I think the "one-way audio" issue is just the beginning of a dropped call in a weak CDMA area. When my calls drop, first the other person cannot hear me but hears clicking sounds, then the call completely drops.

I don't know if it applies here, but this wasn't the case with my DX. Once it started, EVERY call would do it (they could hear me, but I couldn't hear them), until I rebooted (i.e., yank out the battery, curse the phone, and decide to not throw it because I needed it). After it booted up, the phone calls would be fine until it started it again in a few days/ couple weeks.

 

[jkc120]

I don't know if it applies here, but this wasn't the case with my DX. Once it started, EVERY call would do it (they could hear me, but I couldn't hear them), until I rebooted (i.e., yank out the battery, curse the phone, and decide to not throw it because I needed it). After it booted up, the phone calls would be fine until it started it again in a few days/ couple weeks.

No it's different. When it happens on the Nexus, you can hang up, call the person right back and it'll be fine (until it decides to do it again).

 

[JamesSJ]

Right I know that. I could try turning off 4G when I'm at home and see if it still happens when I make phone calls, but I'm fairly sure that's been tried and didn't help.

Since I'm in a fringe 4G area, I do drop to 3G at home occasionally, but it's usually -93 dBm or better, which I don't think should cause signal drop outs.

Turning off LTE does not help phones calls or texts. LTE is data only. Turning off LTE allows one to get a CDMA reading. All phone calls and texts are handled by CDMA. Just wait a bit for the signal reading to change from LTE to CDMA. As I noted earlier, my LTE is -106 but my CDMA is -120. My map is like yours in that it shows complete voice coverage. It is just not accurate.