galaxy nexus to rezound people!

[andr01d]

Dear Tx,
Did you say hardware issue? I can fix it!!

 

[schimm]

While the explanation has been given here in this thread, as well as countless others for a few weeks, I just wanted to chime in and say that I find it curious that anyone cares what the signal strength says anyway.

No matter what the reading or how you interpret it, if the phone can't connect to the data network or make calls reliably, that's a problem, bottom line. (As it was on both Nexuses I briefly owned.)

Not sure if anyone else has noticed but it seems to me as I follow the various Nexus forums that while the issues are being largely accepted and/or worked around, anyone that asks a question about signal strength- presumably because they are having the same problems many of us experienced- they are provided the now standard issue response about how LTE phones report LTE numbers and 3G phones report EVDO numbers.

There is an accepted work around to the 15 to 30 percent signal loss I was experiencing on the Nexus (as reported in my cell phone standby numbers when looking at battery usage). Return that piece of junk for a phone with a good radio/antenna.

 

[TxGoat]

Dear Tx,
Did you say hardware issue? I can fix it!!

lulz, how much extra is it to get the dish to look more "android-ish"? That doesn't look like a "pure google" experience to me...

 

[andr01d]

ummmm..... I can OTA a firmware update to make the top rounder

 

[BlueBiker]

No. Both phones are reporting 4G reception if you have 4G enabled.

No they're not, as you mentioned in your next paragraph. Currently the Nexus is the only VZW ICS phone, and therefore the only VZW phone reporting LTE signal strength in its Settings menu (and only when it's actually connected to an LTE signal).

From what I've seen, the Nexus and Charge report LTE signal strength, while the other phones report CDMA signal strength.

No, read it again. Like every other GB phone, Charge always reports 3G signal strength in its Settings menu. You can dig up LTE strength in a special service mode, but that's probably true of many other GB phones and is an obscure method that ordinary users wouldn't know how to access.

The "fix" for the Thunderbolt via OTA update didn't give you a larger antenna for improved signal strength nor did it give you a larger battery. It gave the illusion of improved battery life by adjusting how the phone sought out the weak signal. When I downloaded the OTA, instead of the phone searching for 4G in certain areas for countless hours, it would just consistently remain in 3G. That's not exactly a "fix" in my opinion.

You know... I agreed with the entire rest of your long post, but this gives me pause. It's definitely not an illusion when battery life is dramatically improved by an OTA update. It may be true that the Thunderbolt didn't have a very impressive radio, but there's probably an interpretation that the software was just overreaching, optimistically trying to establish 4G connections that the radio just couldn't deliver.

 

[TxGoat]

No they're not, as you mentioned in your next paragraph. Currently the Nexus is the only VZW ICS phone, and therefore the only VZW phone reporting LTE signal strength in its Settings menu (and only when it's actually connected to an LTE signal).



No, read it again. Like every other GB phone, Charge always reports 3G signal strength in its Settings menu. You can dig up LTE strength in a special service mode, but that's probably true of many other GB phones and is an obscure method that ordinary users wouldn't know how to access.



You know... I agreed with the entire rest of your long post, but this gives me pause. It's definitely not an illusion when battery life is dramatically improved by an OTA update. It may be true that the Thunderbolt didn't have a very impressive radio, but there's probably an interpretation that the software was just overreaching, optimistically trying to establish 4G connections that the radio just couldn't deliver.

I mean the illusion of a "better" signal reception, although I also think it's the illusion of a better battery. It's not like they're giving you more power, they're just tweaking how the phone handles certain events to save battery. It's like when a text comes in on other phones (like the iPhone) the display comes on. On the Rezound and Thunderbolt, it just made a noise and the LED would blink, or power management. I'm not saying it's necessarily a bad thing. Battery efficiency is part of the engineering that dictates how much power they'll need for the device, but it still doesn't make up for HTC putting a small battery on a phone like the Thunderbolt. An OTA update won't necessarily fix hardware deficiencies and the Nexus definitely has some hardware deficiencies despite how hard the Nexus crowd tries to convince themselves that it doesn't.


And for the record, I didn't feel the OTA update really remedied my battery issues with my Thunderbolt as I'd still struggle to get more than 7 hours out of my phone.

 

[BlueBiker]

An OTA update won't necessarily fix hardware deficiencies and the Nexus definitely has some hardware deficiencies despite how hard the Nexus crowd tries to convince themselves that it doesn't.

Not to worry, it'll be fixed on the Nexus MAXX, woohoo!

And for the record, I didn't feel the OTA update really remedied my battery issues with my Thunderbolt as I'd still struggle to get more than 7 hours out of my phone.

Ouch. I'd be one unhappy camper having to charge that often.

 

[replica9000]

Sensorly can show you both CDMA and LTE signal strengths, btw.

Thanks, but not exactly what I was looking for. I found a widget (Network Info Widget) that gives me the info I wanted to monitor.




I'm assuming because I don't have 4G in my city, my signal will read -99, like CDMA/EVDO reads -120 when there is no signal.

 

[Bogeyjoker]

My Rezound is on its way to me and my Nexus is going back. I've had it a month and I decided I can't live with the poor signal and horrible battery life. It should have only taken me a day or two to figure it out, but I was kept in a trance by ICS! I'll give an honest comparison when I get some time in with the Rezound.

 

[locoandroid]

Well I just turned the GN due to many issues, so far loving the reception and crispiness of the speaker, the only thing I'm missing is the ICS integration,NFC and ability to run several games (gameloft,etc.)Hopefullytwe get real soon the ICS update

 

[pragmatous]

Seeing how the NFC antenna is in the battery and there are rumors that you can put the NFC chip on sim cards I am pretty sure this will be in almost every phone in the coming months.

ICS is already coming to the rezound.

http://www.extremetech.com/mobile/105683-nfc-enabled-sim-cards-to-become-a-worldwide-standard

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1446475

Well I just turned the GN due to many issues, so far loving the reception and crispiness of the speaker, the only thing I'm missing is the ICS integration,NFC and ability to run several games (gameloft,etc.)Hopefullytwe get real soon the ICS update

 

[jroc]

I have a RAZR that is my main phone, and was looking for another one to go along with it. I tried the G Nex starting 1-5-2012...in the beginning it was fine, surprised me in some ways. Didnt surprise me in some ways....As the days went by...the good things it did started to go bad.

Exchanged it for a Rezound yesterday...and so far the RAZR and Rezound are more reliable, they both get 4G in my apt...something the G Nex couldnt do even on 4.0.3. They both pick up 4G quicker in my area...which a is weak to bad to very bad reception area. If I didnt have a family plan....I would be seriously debating getting rid of my RAZR right now for the Rezound. The pros n cons of each device came into play today when I tried to watch Netflix outside...lol. That went to the RAZR by a mile. The Rezound: A decent phone with decent phone and data reception and the extra perks? HTC did a good job with the Rezound. Maybe having the antenna on the battery door helps, if so.... so be it...lol. I will be looking for similar HTC phones in the future now.

Good job HTC.

G Nex and Rezound both post better 3G reception in my apt than my RAZR. IMO ICS, unlocked bootloader, dev phone, fast OS updates wasnt worth it for me. In less than a day I'm more happy with the Rezound than I was in 2 weeks with the G Nex. So much so that if I wasnt on a family plan....I would be seriously debating on getting rid of my RAZR. But...they are good compliments to each other. Sharper screen on the Rezound, better outdoor viewing on the RAZR. I like the colors on my RAZR more.

Oh...my kids and kids mother really like Sense UI...lol. But my kids mother is also in love with the thinness of the RAZR, she says she gets comments on it when she has it in the streets.

 

[evetskirk]

As a very happy Rezound owner, here's what I don't like (excluding the above):

• Screen illegible in sunlight: Maybe it's usable at max brightness, but definitely not IMO at auto-brightness
• Cover impossible to remove: I carry a guitar pick to help me pry off the back cover as needed. Maybe it beats a loose cover that falls off, but I feel as if I'm going to break the cover when removing it
• Battery unimpressive, not terrible: I prefer not to disable 4G or enable sleep mode (timed overnight data disconnections) to conserve battery, but the 2750mAh sure solves that problem!
• Power & volume buttons too flush: After 3wks ownership I still curse the flush power & volume buttons that are very hard to 1) find, and 2) press
• The four red touch buttons often don't light when needed, possibly a proximity sensor issue. Once you memorize which button is which, it matters less

So the phone isn't perfect, but there's no other current Verizon phone I'd swap it for.

My thoughts exactly, I could not have said anything different, and none of these are deal breakers. The rezound is a great piece of equiptment. It fits in your hand beautifully and is easy to use with 1 hand. To me that is most important as well as the ability to change batteries, add storage, although the cloud is out there. I was down to the iphone, nexus, razzr, and rezound. The rezound met all my needs and fit perfectly in my hand. I did add the extended battery and thought it might make it uncomfortable to use with the added width, but to my surprise it doesn't make any difference in handling at all. Still fits in my pocket nicely and don't have to worry about dropping it when I use it.

 

[Boomstk]

I've been poking around the past month on different phones. I think Verizon's marketing didn't do this phone justice. When I was first looking, the ads for this phone made it sound like it was only aiming at the audio aspect of it. So really I never even looked at this phone.

When I held a Nexus in my hands I was really impressed. I figured this was the phone I will have. At the time, I wasn't eligible for an upgrade so I had waited. Finally I was ready so I started reading the posts here on phone. I was shocked on how bad the reviews were for the Nexus. It had its perks don't get me wrong. But the fact that I have poor service where I live, was the deal breaker for me. I opted to pass on the Nexus.

So then I look at the RAZR. I read a bunch on that and it seemed this would be my other option. And doing research brought me to the Rezound. After reading all the positive feedback here I was sold.

I picked up my phone Friday and I havn't been able to put it down. I even came from the DINC, and the more I mess with this phone the more impressed I am on how much better it was than the DINC.

 

[BlueBiker]

The rezound met all my needs and fit perfectly in my hand. I did add the extended battery and thought it might make it uncomfortable to use with the added width, but to my surprise it doesn't make any difference in handling at all. Still fits in my pocket nicely and don't have to worry about dropping it when I use it.

Good points. The thickness may look off-putting in photos or on a spec sheet contrasted w/other thinner phones, but in real life the shape of the phone -- even w/extended battery -- works great!

I think Verizon's marketing didn't do this phone justice. When I was first looking, the ads for this phone made it sound like it was only aiming at the audio aspect of it. So really I never even looked at this phone.

Yeah it's a head-scratcher. As the expression goes, HTC left money on the table by mis-targeting a phone w/excellent hardware & software. I haven't even taken the earphones out of the box.

I picked up my phone Friday and I havn't been able to put it down. I even came from the DINC, and the more I mess with this phone the more impressed I am on how much better it was than the DINC.

Glad you're getting so much use out of it already!

 

[andr01d]

^I randomly bought the Rezound for the audio!! Ugh... there goes my secret. Some older Sony-Ericsson Walkman cellphones were also targeted toward the audio fans (don't worry i don't have one ha ha). I have about $20k worth of audio/MP3 files (100.00% legit/paid since i ripped them from my CDs over the years). But it took me like 2 weeks or slightly more before I finally took the Beats headphones out of the pouch to try if it's actually working

(For the record, TxGoat, I do not have any Lady Gaga MP3 or CD. But apparently she's also a Monster Headphones/Heartbeats artist lol... scarry... but yeah.... the next HTC phone will have... never mind)

bye

 

[pragmatous]

The ear phones are amazing. The best I've ever own in my entire life.

Good points. The thickness may look off-putting in photos or on a spec sheet contrasted w/other thinner phones, but in real life the shape of the phone -- even w/extended battery -- works great!



Yeah it's a head-scratcher. As the expression goes, HTC left money on the table by mis-targeting a phone w/excellent hardware & software. I haven't even taken the earphones out of the box.



Glad you're getting so much use out of it already!

 

[WizeGuyDezignz]

The ear phones are amazing. The best I've ever own in my entire life.

You can't be serious.

 

[sdsubasketball]

You can't be serious.

for me I haven't tried the earphones that came with my phone, but I tested them at the store and I thought they sounded good. Maybe they are somewhat muddy but the sound was punchy and I like that aspect. But then again I'm not an expert on earphones.

At the end of the day some of us like it and some of us prefer something else

 

[BlueBiker]

for me I haven't tried the earphones that came with my phone, but I tested them at the store and I thought they sounded good. Maybe they are somewhat muddy but the sound was punchy and I like that aspect. But then again I'm not an expert on earphones.

At the end of the day some of us like it and some of us prefer something else

From what I've read in a lot of reviews, the earphones themselves are terrific quality, easily better than what comes with virtually any other phone.

What's more debatable is the Beats EQ settings, which accentuates the levels that some people like to hear but are in no way audiophile oriented.

 

[WizeGuyDezignz]

To clarify, I'm not saying that the iBeats headphones that are included are bad. I'm just saying that if they are the best that you've ever owned, then you haven't owned very many at all.

For headphones (iBeats) that retail for $99, you can get a pair of Kipsch Image S3's for $30 that sound better.

The moral of the story is that the included headphones are much better than the standard ones that come with other phones, but they aren't better than ones that cost less than half of their retail price.

 

[schimm]

I turn beats off and use my old reliable Koss porta pros that I got at Best Buy. A little bass heavy but I like their balance otherwise. I'm not worried about audiophile ear speakers (a little high end lingo for ya!) because they are, after all, transmitting a compressed and compromised signal anyway.

 

[TxGoat]

To clarify, I'm not saying that the iBeats headphones that are included are bad. I'm just saying that if they are the best that you've ever owned, then you haven't owned very many at all.

For headphones (iBeats) that retail for $99, you can get a pair of Kipsch Image S3's for $30 that sound better.

The moral of the story is that the included headphones are much better than the standard ones that come with other phones, but they aren't better than ones that cost less than half of their retail price.

I have some S4s and I'll say that I think the iBeats are better matched to the Beats EQ setting on the phone than the S4s when I turn on the Beats EQ for both earphones. Granted, when I plug the iBeats into any other MP3 player, the S4s sound better. I even went so far as to offer someone that claimed they were buying a Rezound to swap a brand new set of S4s (new unopened in the box) for their iBeats (unused) and $40, since they did mention that the Klipsch were superior to the iBeats. I figure $40 plus new iBeats should be worth a new set of S4s.....

 

[ac29593]

I hate earbuds, and will never use them. Sold them for $40 the first week I had the phone.

 

[lowlyworm]

I bought the Rezound because I think it's VZW's best 4G smartphone. The Beats audio stuff was irrelevant to me and I probably still wouldn't have used the Beats earbuds if I hadn't gotten on an airplane 8 hours after I activated the phone.

It still amazes me that the word MP3 and audiophile can show up within a hundred paragraphs of each other. Spending a bunch of coin on expensive buds, headphones, or speakers to listen to smooshed, compressed music seems foolish to me.

Maybe when 1TB sdcards come out, their will be a way to listen clean, unsquish SA-CD quality audio on our phones. :O