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TERRIBLE 4G reception.

My first Evo actually had a faulty 4G antenna and wouldn't require a signal at all. I took it back and got a replacement which works but to my surprise it rarely gets a signal here in Houston which is supposedly blanketed in 4G coverage.

This wouldn't be a huge issue to me if the 3G speeds weren't so horrendous. I'm talking 200 to 300kbps most times, sometimes not even that. Coupled with the lack of cellular reception (especially indoors) and I'm wondering if the Evo has serious radio problems in general. Pretty disappointing.
 
rushmore said:
The technology being used is the issue and the constraint.
Click to expand...

As I've said several times - not in my case. Technology works just fine with my Clear usb modem - GREAT in fact. Just doesn't work well with the phone.

I use it every day at work, 10 hours a day, for 4 months now without a hiccup. Phone doesn't even detect the 4G network there.
 
These devices all use different 4G wifi chips:

1. EVO - Sequans SQN210
2. Overdrive - Beceem BCSM250
3. Clear - Different Beceem chips.

My guess is that the Sequans chip is just garbage compared to the Beceem chip and there can be no software update to help if the hardware is sub-par. This may be the best reason to return this thing. I'd rather wait for the EVO2 with better 4G than be stuck with this 4G lemon.
 
Personally i think its an antennae issue with the phone. It could be better but im gonna die because of it. Until another 4G phone comes out we dont have much to compare to. I'm used to being an early adopter so this doesnt bother me.
 
This sounds like more of an issue for HTC to deal with. I can't see Sprint being able to do much but to look to HTC fixing reception on the EVO.
 
The map say I get 4G coverage at home, I don't. But travel a mile or two on any direction, and you'll get a 4G signal. Thank god, for my cable internet. I have a faster connection using my wifi... :D
 
apocalypse_later said:
These devices all use different 4G wifi chips:

1. EVO - Sequans SQN210
2. Overdrive - Beceem BCSM250
3. Clear - Different Beceem chips.

My guess is that the Sequans chip is just garbage compared to the Beceem chip and there can be no software update to help if the hardware is sub-par. This may be the best reason to return this thing. I'd rather wait for the EVO2 with better 4G than be stuck with this 4G lemon.
Click to expand...

Makes good sense but, my gosh how did this thing make it through testing?

I just can't get past the fact that the whole push was 4G, the phone has 4G in the name for goodness sake - and the 4G isn't working (not to the level I expected based on my experience using Clear).
 
I really feel there is a serious defect in the EVO hardware.

Awful, terrible WiFi reception. I can stand outside my house, 15 feet from where the transmitter is inside and get 1 bar and only moderate speeds on the EVO. EVERY other wireless device gets full speed and shows max signal.

I sit at work each night and watch the stupid phone switch back and forth between 4G and 3G while I tether. When I connect to 4G this is the ONLY place i get 2-3 bars. I get 3/1 speeds when its connected consistently. Then for no reason at all the damn thing drops the 4g, reverts to 4g and shows "Scanning" like 4G doesn't exist.

I wouldn't understand this but I can sit in Dennys and get 0 bars and it will stay connected for an hour and get moderately good speeds. How do you go from max signal to NO signal all the time? Phone doesn't even move!

I don't even want to talk about how AWFUL the Bluetooth reception is.
 
Actually since they sent out the prl update and the software patch I have seen greater speeds and much better reception..

Hopefully a few more updates and the phone will be rock solid, along with the continued network build out..
 
Caloy said:
The map say I get 4G coverage at home, I don't. But travel a mile or two on any direction, and you'll get a 4G signal. Thank god, for my cable internet. I have a faster connection using my wifi... :D
Click to expand...

Same here. Corner of I-10 and Hwy6. Map shows excellent 4G coverage and I've never gotten a signal there, even standing outside.

Of course, I also get 0 to 1 bar of CDMA signal as well, and Sprint told me weeks ago that there was an issue with the towers in my area but apparently aren't planning to fix them.
 
first off your clear modems are going to have more than on antenna in it. i have the clear series m and it has multiple antennas in it so its not directional. im 150ft from a tower and i get 5 bars on my home modem and i get anywhere from 4-25mb down. on my evo i get 1-3 bars and i get anywhere from 2-8 down. so im really not complaining. your home modem is made to be able to pickup the signal better than your evo. and agreed that wimax is higher freq and doesnt penetrate buildings that good. thats why they recommend your clear modem in a window. which is where mine is.
 
I've had varied 4G coverage. Virtually no coverage at work (inside a building), but 2 bars at home and two to three bars of 4G in most parts of the ATL.
 
jcthorne said:
Same here in Houston. Downtown, Westchase, Bellaire. No 4G connection. Only place my Evo has connected at 4G AT ALL was in a sprint store on Westheimer and even then the data rates were slow.

I love the phone. Best 3G phone to date. I'll keep it, wait and watch. Either it will get fixed or Sprint will come out with a new phone in a year or so. If this one never gets fixed and a replacement becomes available, I'll get sprint to replace the EVO for the next one at that time. In the mean time, I'll use the best that there is.
Click to expand...

I drive around Dallas and Houston all day for work, Dallas 4G is almost non existent. Houston (inside the loop) gets much better 4g. It is just awful here in Dallas, so disappointing.
 
Since the last patch, I've been getting 4G in a lot more places and with better reception. Not sure if it was the patch or if Clear/Sprint have done some work on the backend, but Chicago 4G is much better than on launch week.
 
in the NW Chicago burbs. seems like 4g is an iffy prop when traveling. seems to work best when you are sitting still.

at home i can pull 4+ megs when tethered to the pc. surfing the net tethered is nearly as fast as my cable internet.

i was comfortable enough with the performance of the EVO as a 4g modem, that i've shut off the cable internet.
 
It's amazing how quick the Sprint apologists come out of the woodwork if someone has a problem with Sprint and/or HTC.
 
I've connected to 4g once and that was just by one bar. my city is covered with 4th but the Evo can't connect. I know people don't like to hear complaints about the upcharge of 10.00 but I'm starting to think the Evo is overrated and doesn't seem to be giving me anything to warrent the charge. my YouTube is not any better than the hero and the browser is not that great on a snapdragon chip. I am gonna give the epic a shot and if that is more of the same then I will go back to the entry level offerings and wait for something better.
 
I live under 4g according to the map, can't get it in the house, or in the yard, granted my neighborhood is the edge of the map.

Was a few miles south watching the fireworks, got full signal at the mall, did a couple of speedtests, didn't break 2Mbps.

The drive downtown for work everyday, 4G is so up & down that I can't surf on it, and it won't penetrate the building.

Love the phone, got screwed on the 4G.
 
Post-update and my situation hasn't changed - at work I'm in range of a tower and my Clear usb modem gets 30-50% signal strength yet my Evo can't pick up the 4g signal.

Even sprint says it should work better and suggested I return the phone. Three weeks later and I'm still waiting for stock to come in to swap the phone out. Now I'm past the 30 days with BB and will have to deal with Sprint from here.

FYI - I've stood 15 feet from the hot spot in the BB and only had 0-1 bar. The BB associates confirmed it should be 2-3 bars that close. This is not an issue of the capabilities of 4g, it's some kind of reception/antenna issue with the phone.
 
I live 25 miles south of Atlanta, and work on the north side. I work on the top floor of a building, on the top of a hill. I can get 4G with no bars at my desk, and one bar if I hold it up in the air.
Standing outside on the Atlanta side of the building, I can get 1 or 2 bars of 4G.
I have had speed test reporting 3.5Mbps on the 4G.
At home, I can also get 1 bar on 4G. This is not exactly a built-up city area either.
While on the road, I have had peaks of 3 bars that I have seen through the center of the city, but only peaking for a moment.
I have found that 4G does not like moving reception... I am unable to get a good IP stream while driving at 70MPH.
For the most part the 4G is there when I need it for the extra boost, but 3G suits my needs at the moment. ( unless I want to surf the web and talk )

I have mapped out my area, or at least drive from home to work, for both 3G/CDMA and 4G using Sensorly Map Viewer. (I see that most people that use this don't keep it running to get a good map). As I venture into new unexplored areas in my region, it will update for y'all.
I do see some of the strange decisions of 4G antenna placement on the map, like I75 north of I285 is not covered, but a road that runs parallel seems to have full coverage.
As the Evo is the only 4G phone at the moment, we should be able to see where you should and should not get a signal.
Lets get the coverage mapped out then suggest to Clear/Sprint where they should increase coverage.

I might be one of the lucky owners, my Wifi seems to pick up like crazy.. granted my car PC picks up an order of magnitude more Hotspots, but that receiver is designed around that sole purpose, where the Evo is more of a hybrid that has to balance voice and data networks while ensuring the voice is the priority.

I saw on a forum or article about the Evo that the extra $10 is to remove the data cap as the phone will be used as a hotspot or for direct tethering. This is another way Sprint is gaining ground, since the other providers are placing the cap with no option to remove it.
For me I don't have to watch the downloads to make sure I don't get hit with overages.

with all that said, YMMV.
 
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