Verizon GS3 signal reception thread

[dmanindfw]

Looking at the polling on Android Central, unfortunately it seems that 71% are saying the reception on their G3 is either substantially worse or the same as their previous LTE phone (I discounted the #s for the category 'coming from a 3G phone').

Of course the poll would have been more useful if we knew what LTE phone they were coming from.

I think a better statistic would be to understand which are substantially worse but exclude "the same" statistic as the same could be good or could be bad. Again without knowing what phone they came from, it's hard to draw any conclusions from that poll.

 

[rushmore]

Rushmore, I agree as you know, my tolerance for connectivity issues will be low on the G3. I know full well when I have issues at the beginning, they never get better. I'll no longer be 'fooled' into thinking software updates will fix things. If it doesn't work from the beginning, it goes back.

So the issue becomes how much tolerance will I have for signal issues that the Razr Max did not have? My guess is I'll like the G3 overall design, display etc. better than the Razr HD. With that said, I simply won't go through what I've gone through with the GNex & Charge on the connectivity side (never had issues with calls on either phone, just data).

Interestingly most G3 reviews never mention signal reception at all and the one that did said it was better than the GNex and not quite as good as the Max. So here we are and I'm not sure where that is.

I read your post about the dim display and that really threw me for a loop. I haven't heard of others complaining about that, but to be honest I've been concentrating on signal threads only. So it's possible this other issue has eluded me. Is this an issue others are seeing? That would be a real shocker since the one thing you can generally bank on as NOT being an issue with the Sammys, is the display.

At least for the VZW 16gb white version I tested, the display is without doubt dimmer at 100% than the Razr at 60%. The reason it stands out is I was not even comparing the display, but it when side to side, figured the autobright was set low on the G3. It was set to 100% and autobright off.

 

[jazztalker]

Just activated mine about an hour ago, haven't played around with it at all, but just spent about 45 minutes on the phone testing it out. I wrote down a bunch of signal numbers and whatnot today, and I'll compare at the same times tomorrow, but the sound quality on the call was great. It sounded clear and crisp, and I had no issues walking to different rooms or levels of my place. I was on the phone with my parents, and it took my mom awhile to come up with a way to describe how it sounded differently from my old phone, she could tell there was a difference, but couldn't quite describe it. After a few minutes, finally she said it sounded like I was talking on a regular (non-mobile) phone. They could hear me loud and clear, the speakerphone worked a lot better than other phones I've had, and while it's only 1 trial, I'd say so far so good!

Just an update on my personal experience so far. I ran a speed test yesterday at work with my old phone on wifi & 3G and then today at the same time, from the same spots on my desk, from the same servers. The wifi download is twice the speed of my old phone (DInc) which probably says something about that phone as well as the GS3, and the upload speed is considerably faster as well. I never got a very good 3G signal at my desk, and the GS3 could only pull 3G again today - the speeds were just slightly faster, but from an experiential standpoint, I'd call it a wash. I don't know if this matters or not, but I ran a number of tests and eliminated the outliers to try and get more realistic results. The 3G thing at work is fine for me since I always have it on wifi here anyway. I'll post a couple more updates throughout the day with what I'm seeing. Hopefully this helps people.

 

[SamMax]

When I had the Razr Maxx I compared it to my neighbors Galaxy S2 It was obvious that the Maxx was far brighter & the whites were more white I'm sure this is what rush is speaking of, but unless your holding them side by side it would never really be an issue. As you know the Galaxy S3's screen is a pretty big improvement over the S2 even though it's pentile.

It's just like when buying a new TV and you can't help but notice that TV that's $2000 more than the one your getting...but once you get home and start enjoying that boob tube you'll forget all about that other TV in no time.

 

[dmanindfw]

Now that I can post screenshots from my SGS3, here are the stats I posted yesterday:

I reported my 3G findings somewhere above because I couldn't pull in 4G. At lunch I was 1/2 mile away from where I took original findings and had 4G.

I was pulling in 87% signal according to Open Signal app although my phone was only showing 2 out of 5 bars.

3 results ran back to back (4G ONLY):

-69dBm 22asu
-57dBm 28asu
-55dBm 29asu

When I got home last night I ran some more 4G tests. This was a location approx 5 miles from the results above, again using Open Signal app:

-115dBm -1asu
-87dBm 13asu
-81dBm 16asu
-85dBm 14asu

For the most part, these results were repeatable with similar results with the exception of the -115dBm one. That one I was not able to repeat and was the only one outside of the ordinary. All in all these are very positive results if you ask me...consider me impressed.


Screen shots. I covered up some of the data as I'm not sure that information should necessarily be posted on a public forum. Also note that the location shown in the maps, was not where I ran the test...don't want people to know where I live or work

 

[dmanindfw]

Also, here are some of the results of my speed tests while on 4G using both speedtest.net and Open Signal apps:

Down (kbps) / Up (kbps)

25673 / 7102
8108 / 469
33684 / 3318
22123 / 4732
16894 / 3235
21451 / 6703
22173 / 13277

Throwing out the high and low, here's the averages:
21663 / 5018

 

[rushmore]

When I had the Razr Maxx I compared it to my neighbors Galaxy S2 It was obvious that the Maxx was far brighter & the whites were more white I'm sure this is what rush is speaking of, but unless your holding them side by side it would never really be an issue. As you know the Galaxy S3's screen is a pretty big improvement over the S2 even though it's pentile.

It's just like when buying a new TV and you can't help but notice that TV that's $2000 more than the one your getting...but once you get home and start enjoying that boob tube you'll forget all about that other TV in no time.

True and ignorance is bliss, since I would probably not be dwelling it if did not have them side by side.

Getting back on topic (and staying), the signal reports (good or bad) are appreciated

 

[Ken7]

My Wife just got her Galaxy S3 and I took some comparison readings against my Razr Maxx from my home. I took readings from the best reception area (kitchen) and the worst reception area (basement).

Tested both phone in same location on Wi-Fi and on 4G and 3G. Both phones on ICS. For signal strength I used Open Signal App. For speedtest I used speedtest.net app. The 4G reading was in the kitchen where I get the best cell signal. The 3G is in the basement where the cell signal is weaker and both phones automatically switched over to 3G. For all tests I tested the Razr Maxx first and then immediately after the test was done I did the Galaxy S3 test.

Great post thelber. What I'd like to see is if you have any connectivity issues with the G3 where the Razr doesn't. It seems from your data that as you got into a weaker signal area, the Razr did better. That seems to be almost a given with any Mot vs Samsung comparison, even with the apparently improved reception of the G3. But since the G3 'appears' to be better than the GNex or Charge, I'd still like to see in practical use how close it is to the Max.

The MaxHD is what I'd go to if the G3 doesn't work. It continues to boggle my mind that Samsung can't put out radios of the quality of Motorola...to say nothing of HTC.

Just for fun, I ventured over to the HTC One X thread and I couldn't even find a thread on 'reception issues'. Yet with Sammy, it's always one of the top threads. Unreal.

 

[Ken7]

When I had the Razr Maxx I compared it to my neighbors Galaxy S2 It was obvious that the Maxx was far brighter & the whites were more white I'm sure this is what rush is speaking of, but unless your holding them side by side it would never really be an issue. As you know the Galaxy S3's screen is a pretty big improvement over the S2 even though it's pentile.

It's just like when buying a new TV and you can't help but notice that TV that's $2000 more than the one your getting...but once you get home and start enjoying that boob tube you'll forget all about that other TV in no time.

So maybe the question is how the S3 compares to the GNex. I've always been happy with the GNex screen.

 

[gnexowner]

Cause of ppl like you thats why. i have great signal with nexus/ S3 and other samsung phones.

Great post thelber. What I'd like to see is if you have any connectivity issues with the G3 where the Razr doesn't. It seems from your data that as you got into a weaker signal area, the Razr did better. That seems to be almost a given with any Mot vs Samsung comparison, even with the apparently improved reception of the G3. But since the G3 'appears' to be better than the GNex or Charge, I'd still like to see in practical use how close it is to the Max.

The MaxHD is what I'd go to if the G3 doesn't work. It continues to boggle my mind that Samsung can't put out radios of the quality of Motorola...to say nothing of HTC.

Just for fun, I ventured over to the HTC One X thread and I couldn't even find a thread on 'reception issues'. Yet with Sammy, it's always one of the top threads. Unreal.

 

[SamMax]

So maybe the question is how the S3 compares to the GNex. I've always been happy with the GNex screen.

According to a semi-professional review of a mod on another android forum, the S3's screen even though they are identical spec wise looked better. More vibrant less washed out.

All of my reception concerns are laid to rest for now...

 

[rushmore]

Cause of ppl like you thats why. i have great signal with nexus/ S3 and other samsung phones.

Good for you, but Ken7 does not, nor many others to the point VZW staff where I live even bailed from the Gnex. The Gnex is better suited for medium to strong coverage areas.

 

[yorklab]

I took my phone to work and compared to a co-worker’s Moto Razr and got the same results as my wife’s Razr; the Razr was consistently better (10 to 20%). But here was something I was not expecting, the S3 got a better 4G signal! I walked around the plant with both phones, and I would consistently get 4G in places where his was still stuck at 3G; in fact, there was one point where I had two bars on 4G (can’t remember what Open Signal read) and his was still stuck at 3G.

Has anybody else run into to this?

 

[dmanindfw]

2 Bars.............1 Bar..........4G Bar Reading on Phone
-73 dBm..........-77 dBm......4G Signal Strength
85%...............83%...........4G Signal Strength Reading (Open Signal App)
108 ms...........161 ms........4G Ping
2189 kbps.......1536 kbps....4G Download Speed
151 kbps.........170 kbps.....4G Upload Speed

I'm actually a little surprised at your 4G speeds, especially since I am seeing similar signal strength readings. I haven't been able to do a whole lot of testing in different locations since I live only 5-6 miles from where I work, but I am seeing substantially faster speeds (avg over 21,000 kbps down and 5000 up) in the 2 areas I have tested (using both Speedtest and Open Signal). Your speeds look more like 3G. Try running the speed tests using Open Signal as it will report whether you truly had 3G or 4G signal and please report your findings.

 

[rushmore]

I took my phone to work and compared to a co-worker’s Moto Razr and got the same results as my wife’s Razr; the Razr was consistently better (10 to 20%). But here was something I was not expecting, the S3 got a better 4G signal! I walked around the plant with both phones, and I would consistently get 4G in places where his was still stuck at 3G; in fact, there was one point where I had two bars on 4G (can’t remember what Open Signal read) and his was still stuck at 3G.

Has anybody else run into to this?

Plants are good stress testing areas due to the typical building design and all the equipment usually in them.

 

[jbdan]

So far the GN vs sgs3 4G signals at my house (and around it) are eerily similar. Drops to 3G the same. Will continue observing through the week

 

[Sandroidfan]

Just for fun, I ventured over to the HTC One X thread and I couldn't even find a thread on 'reception issues'. Yet with Sammy, it's always one of the top threads. Unreal.

Actually I saw signal issue threads when One X launched on at&t a few months ago. Most of them were complaining on the low dbm not real connection issues. It also had WiFi bug threads, probably fixed by now. Those threads seem to be far back now and no longer hotly discussed. I guess it will be the same way for GS3 here once dust settles down.

 

[SamMax]

Actually I saw signal issue threads when One X launched on at&t a few months ago. Most of them were complaining on the low dbm not real connection issues. It also had WiFi bug threads, probably fixed by now. Those threads seem to be far back now and no longer hotly discussed. I guess it will be the same way for GS3 here once dust settles down.

HTC had a terrible track record with reception not to long ago the have come a long way since the Rezound.IMHO

 

[Sandroidfan]

I think a better statistic would be to understand which are substantially worse but exclude "the same" statistic as the same could be good or could be bad. Again without knowing what phone they came from, it's hard to draw any conclusions from that poll.

Also their fourth poll option (coming from 3G phones) with largest number doesn't tell anything where GS3 stands on the signal reception relative to other ICS 4G phones. So I don't think we can draw any conclusion from their stats on AC.

No forum is perfect. But I trust Phandroid forum than any other android forums in terms of details, intelligence and objectiveness.

 

[Ken7]

Cause of ppl like you thats why. i have great signal with nexus/ S3 and other samsung phones.

Um, OK. Many others do have issues with reception. This is not exactly a well kept secret.

 

[ajdroidx]

The signal issue is all over the place (no pun intended (okay, maybe a little bit)) for the s3. I mentioned this before, I am starting to wonder if there is just something between the CDMA tower and the radios that samsung uses. Does the GSM s3 have these constant up down issues as outlined in this thread? I think I am going to make a thread for that. I realize one cannot directly compare AT&T to VZW but what I am most interested in is stability of the signal. I suspect if fewer users are having trouble with their GSM device, then it must be how the CDMA network handles the data from the radio samsung uses.

 

[Ken7]

The signal issue is all over the place (no pun intended (okay, maybe a little bit)) for the s3. I mentioned this before, I am starting to wonder if there is just something between the CDMA tower and the radios that samsung uses. Does the GSM s3 have these constant up down issues as outlined in this thread? I think I am going to make a thread for that. I realize one cannot directly compare AT&T to VZW but what I am most interested in is stability of the signal. I suspect if fewer users are having trouble with their GSM device, then it must be how the CDMA network handles the data from the radio samsung uses.

If the Samsung has more problems with rejecting multipath interference then say a Razr, that could explain some of the very varied results we've seen.

It could explain why someone who says they're in a fringe area might actually get better results on a G3, when the same signal strength in another area might result in a G3 lagging the results of a Razr. In the latter example there may be more mutipath interference that the G3 has issues with.

This is all conjecture on my part, but I'm looking for some explanation as to why results are all over the place.

 

[smoothoper]

In my living room in a 4g fringe area wife's Maxx is -89dbm S3 is -91dbm. Both running ICS. Strangely enough the S3 seems to keep a 4g signal while the Maxx is in and out of 4g a lot more often. I am quite happy with signal so far. Tbolt would run on average around -100dbm on 4g running GB. I do miss the FM radio though, my only complaint so far.

 

[yorklab]

In my living room in a 4g fringe area wife's Maxx is -89dbm S3 is -91dbm. Both running ICS. Strangely enough the S3 seems to keep a 4g signal while the Maxx is in and out of 4g a lot more often. I am quite happy with signal so far. Tbolt would run on average around -100dbm on 4g running GB. I do miss the FM radio though, my only complaint so far.

Ah, so other S3 owners are getting as good, or better 4g signal than the Razr. I noticed the same thing where the S3 would maintain a signal while the Maxx would go off and on. I wonder if that leaves hope for a software patch to correct the 3g signal? (I know, wishful thinking).

 

[rushmore]

If the Samsung has more problems with rejecting multipath interference then say a Razr, that could explain some of the very varied results we've seen.

It could explain why someone who says they're in a fringe area might actually get better results on a G3, when the same signal strength in another area might result in a G3 lagging the results of a Razr. In the latter example there may be more mutipath interference that the G3 has issues with.

This is all conjecture on my part, but I'm looking for some explanation as to why results are all over the place.

The only absolute is there is not one