Wavering Reception, Dropped calls

[jackson5]

I am not happy with the reception on my phone. The bars waver around from 3-5 or in more remote areas, 0-2 bars. This happens even without moving the phone and the changes occur every few seconds. I have dropped calls as the bars drop from 2 to 0.
This is my second Captivate. The wifi on this one is much weaker than my first one - 0 bars standing outside my house vs. 2 wifi bars on the first phone.
There is something wierd I noticed on the new phone and that is white paint on the antenna contact points of the back cover. I don't think the paint was on the original phone I bought. Can anyone confirm?

Jason

 

[Intervenient]

I have a launch day Captivate, and there is what appears to be white/metallic like paint on the back cover of my phone covering certain points. I've noted problems with wavering antenna.

 

[jazzman09]

i think everybody with this phone has wavering signal, the back cover or near it is used as the antenna out point so if you cover it it blocks the signal. Case won't help not that issue.

Try putting your phone on a flat surface and see the bars jump to 5 bars, then pick it up and it goes to 3 or 2, sucks.

 

[jackson5]

I'm going to call Samsung tomorrow and raise the issue letting them know that it is very common.

 

[ace35]

the antenna is in the lower 3rd of the phone, in low signal situations i have blue tooth and hold the phone upside down. the gps and wi-fi antennas are in the top third of the phone it seems. that is why the "death grip" shows up in these style phones so easily.

also you can measure the signal you get from the setting/about phone/status page. it takes a few seconds to update but gives you a number instead of a bar to count.

 

[mongstradamus]

so this is a problem with all their phones how unfortunate, i was going to get my phone replaced but if thats the case for all phones sounds like maybe i will have to think about going with a different phone or different carrier.

 

[jackson5]

I talked with Samsung level 3 tech support today. I had to ask to be transferred after the Level 1 person was useless. He said to go and get a new phone and also he said to raise the issue with ATT. One problem is that the phone doesn't automatically switch to edge when in a low 3G signal area. I noticed my phone was jumping from 0-4 bars today while sitting in a chair at the car dealer. This seems like a phone issue. Alas, I have serious concerns about the quality of the phone. Also, I don't think the software is configured properly to work on the ATT network