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[Q] Differences in "Sentation 4G" and "Sensation XE w/Beats" back covers?

[Q] Differences in "Sentation 4G" and "Sensation XE w/Beats" back covers?
A month or so ago, I dropped my Sensation 4G and scuffed up the case (the fact that the battery cover is the case is why I love this phone!) So a couple weeks ago I ordered a rear cover for the Sensation XE with Beats by Dre (because it looks cool). After the purchase, I noticed the auction said "Not compatible with T-Mobile Sensation 4G". Damn, so I looked at the photo, and the XE case is missing a contact point to the left of the speaker grille. I figured I'd wait it out, worst-case I could disassemble and re-glue the top plastic pad from the 4G.
So I got the case today and put it on. To my surprise, everything seems to work. I get the normal 4G HSDPA signal and data speeds for my area, and Bluetooth, GPS and WiFi work just fine with identical levels to the 4G case.
So my question is: What antenna does that contact point contain? all other contact points are identical, and I can't see any immediate difference. Has anyone a clue? I thought it might be the AWS band, but I've no way to readily test for UMTS signal (my home area is all HSDPA). Below is a comparison photo, the XE case on the left, the 4G case on the right. Note the missing contact point to the left of the speaker grille (the only functional difference).
Edit: Apparently the Sensation XE does have AWS. Curiouser and curiouser...

Very cool, if everything is working fine I'm going to buy one myself.
How much are they?
Sent ent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using XDA App

Jerald2 said:
Very cool, if everything is working fine I'm going to buy one myself.
How much are they?
Sent ent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still can't post a link, but if you go to eBay and search "ORIGINAL OEM HTC SENSATION XE BEATS AUDIO BLACK REAR BACK DOOR BATTERY COVER" you'll find it. It's AU$39.99, ships from Singapore (mine actually came Registered Mail).

According to the FCC filing for the Sensation 4G, thats the GPS receive antenna contact (see attachment).
Very interesting indeed since you say GPS is working the same. I'm only hypothesizing here, but you could try turning off your network(s) and getting a GPS fix with a GPS test application. If the phone is only running A-GPS with no antenna, I would assume it won't be able to. With a true GPS antenna you should still be able to get a lock without the network(s). I might try with mine just because Im curious now (battery cover on versus off).
~T.J.

Ok, so here is what I found out. I put my phone in airplane mode so it would have no assistance from the mobile networks and walked outside. I opened GPS Test and I was still able to get a GPS signal quite easily. I let it narrow down to 15 feet after a few seconds then I closed the app, removed the battery cover, and re-opened the app. I still had zero satellites showing after 3 minutes. I suspect you would see similar results without the GPS antenna in the battery cover.
I suppose this means the Sensation XE only has A-GPS seeing as it has no GPS antenna built into its back cover?
~T.J.

02CWRX said:
Ok, so here is what I found out. I put my phone in airplane mode so it would have no assistance from the mobile networks and walked outside. I opened GPS Test and I was still able to get a GPS signal quite easily. I let it narrow down to 15 feet after a few seconds then I closed the app, removed the battery cover, and re-opened the app. I still had zero satellites showing after 3 minutes. I suspect you would see similar results without the GPS antenna in the battery cover.
I suppose this means the Sensation XE only has A-GPS seeing as it has no GPS antenna built into its back cover?
~T.J.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds completely legit, and I expected to be disappointed by getting your results. But something strange happened... and as soon as I get to 8 posts, I'll tell you.

Curious yet? I really hate having to do this, but I have to get to that 8 post minimum to link to pictures.

Okay, so here we go. First, I tested the GPS just onside by window at my desk, averaging an accuracy of 12-18 feet. (for the record, I'm running CyanogenMOD 7.1.0 alpha 9)
IMG_0750 by dirtyblueshirt, on Flickr
And was able to get a good signal:
IMG_0751 by dirtyblueshirt, on Flickr
So I went into the settings as you described and turned on Airplane Mode:
IMG_0752 by dirtyblueshirt, on Flickr
And to my surprise, I got a solid GPS lock:
IMG_0753 by dirtyblueshirt, on Flickr
So then I took off the cover... and as expected, lost the GPS signal:
IMG_0754 by dirtyblueshirt, on Flickr
To make sure it wasn't a fluke, I re-attached the cover, and was able to regain a GPS signal lock:
IMG_0755 by dirtyblueshirt, on Flickr
My only assumption is that the Sensation may also use one of the other antennas for GPS signal (what is that "Diversity Antenna"??)

So it appears the Diversity Antenna is an RX-only antenna meant to compensate for reception issues, but I can't find if it applies for the cellular radio only, or if it can supplement reception for the other antennas (GPS, WLAN, Bluetooth). My thought is that is can compensate for that missing GPS antenna which may be why the standalone GPS antenna was deleted in the Sensation XE. The HTC Sensation XE product page does in fact list the XE as having an "Internal GPS Antenna", which is identical wording to the Sensation's product page.

Interesting indeed...
~T.J.
EDIT: Is that GPS signal inside even? Thats better than I get even outside if so. I get like 6 or 8 usually with about that same amount of signal strength. Im not 10
00% happy with it, but it works...
EDIT: In the picture of the "lost" GPS signal, it says it still sees 10 satellites, did you not exit and come back into it? In fact, it says in use is 10 as well. Strange.

02CWRX said:
Interesting indeed...
~T.J.
EDIT: Is that GPS signal inside even? Thats better than I get even outside if so. I get like 6 or 8 usually with about that same amount of signal strength. Im not 10
00% happy with it, but it works...
EDIT: In the picture of the "lost" GPS signal, it says it still sees 10 satellites, did you not exit and come back into it? In fact, it says in use is 10 as well. Strange.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the signal is inside, but not by much, about two feet from the window. I didn't exit the app, but with the accuracy at zero and greyed out (with a yellow gps indicator) I assume no signal and the ten sats you see are just residual data. I'll do a second test later today.
---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=32.585074,-117.117705
-Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.

If you dont mind me asking since you are the only one I know who has gotten that Beats cover... is the quality just as good as original ? Want to buy one for my Sensation too and since it works ok with T-Mobile I want to make sure i get my money's worth and/or if its possible can you load up a picture of your new Beats back cover so i can better see how it looks? rather than what ebay sellers are showing

Kiyoshii said:
If you dont mind me asking since you are the only one I know who has gotten that Beats cover... is the quality just as good as original ? Want to buy one for my Sensation too and since it works ok with T-Mobile I want to make sure i get my money's worth and/or if its possible can you load up a picture of your new Beats back cover so i can better see how it looks? rather than what ebay sellers are showing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's a few quick shots. The quality is just as good as the original, as it should; it's still OEM:
IMG_0773 by dirtyblueshirt, on Flickr
IMG_0772 by dirtyblueshirt, on Flickr
IMG_0774 by dirtyblueshirt, on Flickr

[SOLVED] Did anyone try Hardware MOD of Sensation to Boost Signals..

I am tired of low network signals in my home @ basement with Sensation ...
My wife with x10 mini gets enough signals on her mobile to send/receive calls without voice interruption and I can't even dial from it...
My friends tell me that my mobile mostly remains off but i know it's due to low reception...
How can such a small x10 mini perform better that Sensation?
Last option for me is to boost reception by Aluminum foils... Anyone tried such a Hardware Mod?

jjdoctor said:
I am tired of low network signals in my home @ basement with Sensation ...
My wife with x10 mini gets enough signals on her mobile to send/receive calls without voice interruption and I can't even dial from it...
My friends tell me that my mobile mostly remains off but i know it's due to low reception...
How can such a small x10 mini perform better that Sensation?
Last option for me is to boost reception by Aluminum foils... Anyone tried such a Hardware Mod?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alas, I can't say I've tried this but now that you've mentioned this option I'm tempted to experiment with it.
What i do have a lot of experience with is flashing and testing different (software) radios. You should read up on the topic of "radio" and "RIL" since you've assessed that location is not the problem.
Then again you might have reasons for not wanting to flash ...
If you really want to enhance your reception with hardware, this guy makes sense http://www.metacafe.com/watch/750707/how_to_make_a_cell_phone_antenna_under_5_minutes/.
best regards,

Lol... The initial part of video is exactly what i do when i get calls....... But that's really not the mod i would want... I want some extra foil inside casing that should not look bad from outside...
I once connected aluminum foil with the terminals with back cover off and its signals went from 3 bars to full 5 bars... But when i placed aluminum foil inside and packed back cover on it, signals dropped again...
I have tried ALL radios and RILs in the thread... With 10.56 i used to get 2-3 bars but with those i couldn't even send or receive a message... When it's 4 bars, it was working
With latest radio 10.58 and ics radio 11.59, It simply puts 'no network' when signals are low enough that are not ready to make calls...
So flashing radios is just playing with bar indicators. No gain ...

hardware antenna booster.
jjdoctor said:
Lol... The initial part of video is exactly what i do when i get calls....... But that's really not the mod i would want... I want some extra foil inside casing that should not look bad from outside...
I once connected aluminum foil with the terminals with back cover off and its signals went from 3 bars to full 5 bars... But when i placed aluminum foil inside and packed back cover on it, signals dropped again...
I have tried ALL radios and RILs in the thread... With 10.56 i used to get 2-3 bars but with those i couldn't even send or receive a message... When it's 4 bars, it was working
With latest radio 10.58 and ics radio 11.59, It simply puts 'no network' when signals are low enough that are not ready to make calls...
So flashing radios is just playing with bar indicators. No gain ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand.
It's weird that the mini performs so much better at the exact same location. Have you excluded the possibility that you have faulty hardware?
Amazon sells an antenna booster for HTC that basically enhances the antenna in the way you describe. Just search for "htc antenna booster". Even though they only cost a dollar or two, it might be more fun to copy their design and make them yourself.
I look forward to your findings.
Good luck!

Yeeeeeeesssss....
I made it... Today i tried myself to get a network boost and it worked!!
I called my friend today from basement and walked every corner of the Room to test the mod and he said my voice was crystal clear without interruption...
Then i asked him to call me and i placed my mobile in a place where i used to get absolutely no signals and he told me my number got through to him on first attempt....
it never worked in my room and now its working everywhere in the Room...
I am sooooo happy...
The only problem is, when i grip the phone then its the same situation as previously ... For that i have to ensure i hold my phone on thumb and index finger and keeping the palm away from the back...
But this much is also enough for now... In basement i won't hold it tight...

I seem to remember seeing this mod being done, but that it had a negative effect on battery life. Please report back after a couple of days use, I'd like to hear how you get on.

UKseagull said:
I seem to remember seeing this mod being done, but that it had a negative effect on battery life. Please report back after a couple of days use, I'd like to hear how you get on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't use signal booster, just used aluminum foil to increase reception strength...
I don't think it drains battery but even if it does, it's better than no signals..

jjdoctor said:
I didn't use signal booster, just used aluminum foil to increase reception strength...
I don't think it drains battery but even if it does, it's better than no signals..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pics and how-to in case some others need this as well?

jjdoctor said:
I didn't use signal booster, just used aluminum foil to increase reception strength...
I don't think it drains battery but even if it does, it's better than no signals..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you explain it?
Thank you!

Apologies, I was referring to the foil and not some other signal booster. There are videos on YouTube showing the foil fix btw.
Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio Z715e using xda premium

Maybe I'm wrong but did You try to change network mode setting in Mobile network section to GSM only.
It works for me in places with poor reception.
It will give you crappy internet, but you can switch it back to GSM/WCDMA Auto when you leave the house.
With GSM only you should get signal anywhere in the house or basement or any other place where any other phone can have any signal.
Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio using XDA App

kpjimmy said:
Pics and how-to in case some others need this as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
gonx_me said:
Can you explain it?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm...ok.. i will upload a quick video, it doesn't take more than 3 mins...
mskilja said:
Maybe I'm wrong but did You try to change network mode setting in Mobile network section to GSM only.
It works for me in places with poor reception.
It will give you crappy internet, but you can switch it back to GSM/WCDMA Auto when you leave the house.
With GSM only you should get signal anywhere in the house or basement or any other place where any other phone can have any signal.
Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
don't consider me so low.... It's the first thing i do after flashing ROM i.e setting it to GSM only, there is no WCDMA network in my country...it's all GSM...

Congrats.
I'm happy you've found a solution.

Haha looking forward to your vid to see where you placed the fool. I tried foil once, but didn't notice much difference. I read somewhere that aluminum isn't the best conductor, so I was going to try gold foil instead. Just never got around to it.

anyone ever figure out how he did it? lol

anyone?

signal fix
That's what I just did, from no signal at all-0 to 2-3 bars and I bet it can be done better and get more.

Can you tell me what is the result with and without your antenna in "asu" or "db". An example how much did it improve your metal foil. And anyway why did you choose one side longer than the other?

DesuDeluxe said:
That's what I just did, from no signal at all-0 to 2-3 bars and I bet it can be done better and get more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You bet it can you have made a half wave dipole the length of each element is critical depending on frequency used there are simple formulas to work out the exact length of the antenna
Still great work around if it actually works one problem is the case acting as a shield to your two tinfoil elements

Worked well for me.
Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio Z715e using xda premium

Improve Nexus S WiFi antenna

Hi everyone!
Is it possible to improve the wifi antenna of my nexus s? With my last nokia it was possibile by salding an extra copper wire, is there any similar mod that I can do on it?
Thankyou..

not 100% sure but the antennas are in the back cover along with the nfc chip.

If you remove the back cover, you can see the connector.

The connectors are for the nfc chip
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium

Improve Nexus S WiFi antennaArrow
I have just bought my Nexus S and am experiencing a weak wifi signal. I normally get 3 bars on all other hardware in my bedroom but am only getting 1 bar which occasionally goes up and down to 2 bars. When I am 3 meters away from the Wifi access point i only get 3 bars out of 4. All my other hardware gets full bars. When i am 6 meters away from the access point I have only 2 bars showing for wifi.
The wifi signal icon seems to fluctuate alot. Does anyone else have a similar problem?
-----------------

Always wonderd
ourtut said:
The connectors are for the nfc chip
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I always thought that these connectors were for a power mat to recharge the battery...wow I'll go to bed smarter tonight !!

First and foremost bars don't mean anything really. The signal strength typically is better but what matters is the SNR (signal to noise ratio). This can by typically improved by allowing your router to switch channels automatically (from the default 6) to find the most open one. Adding your own antenna is a bad idea and it likely will make the problem worse. Those antennas are precisely designed (exact configuration) for that ranges of frequencies, adding wire will ruin those characteristics.

With GB the wifi signal was completely awful...but now with ics wifi isn't that bad....I'm not having a lot of issues now...
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA

I haven't seen any difference in wifi signal between GB and ICS: in both of them I get 1-2 bars while my ipod gets full signal. BTW it isn't a good idea to mess up with your phone's antenna.

Most probably it is not.
WiFi antennas on theese devices can even be SMD only (trying to improve is waste of time), or "copper plate sticker" type, ussualy stickered on the internal back cover.
I've been messing around with the second type on crappy chineese WiFi phone - I've added a tiny connector used in mobilephones and connected simply a piece of coax wire to make a dipole. After few changes signal finally got a bit better, but also because in original it was really poor.
If there is a sticker-type antenna, it is theoretically possible to change antenna quite easy. In practise, you will hardly get it better because you can't just put some wire in and done (well, you can, but it will be like wining a main prize in lotery if it gets better). The wire should have right size, right shape and must be on right place. And milimeters makes a difference there, so have fun
Most likely it can get better only with some kind of external antenna, but you could hardly use your phone as mobile then
Easiest way to tune-it-up could be disconnecting the original sticker and connecting a flexible internal notebook type of antenna, but even that will probably be too big to fit inside - it must not overlap another antenna. And that's not the only rule.
Even if it does not overlap anything, it can interfere with other circuitry or Tx-devices. Bluetooth works on almost the same frequencies as 2.4GHz Wifi, for example. It's a piece of science theese frequencies, actually
I'm absolutely NOT thinking of trying to tune it up on my LG O2x, coz I know it won't be better

So my phone is useless for controlling my RC AR Drone then?
Wifi signal is crap, I'm pretty handy with electronics but I've read that even the chipset they've used in the NS is rubbish... Does anyone know which reasonably new handsets have good wifi range? My old N1 was pretty good but it's just too old.

if someone can confirm that it's the antenna and not just a sh*t wireless card then i'll have an attempt at replacing it with laptop antennas.

A little question, it won't be easier to improve the antenna of the WiFi router, instead of the mobilephone's one?? You can do that simply, by putting a can on that antenna (Search on google for the tutorial, it really worked for me).
Regards

Hmm.. I think you can.
lollo64 said:
Hi everyone!
Is it possible to improve the wifi antenna of my nexus s? With my last nokia it was possibile by salding an extra copper wire, is there any similar mod that I can do on it?
Thankyou..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check the Battery Cover, and you will find that. But it's not sure

Wooooow Nexus S have WiMax

There's definitely something wrong with the Nexus S 4G's wifi. I have to be next to the router to be able to use the wifi. No other device, phones, tablet, notebooks, etc has an issue. Odd that others are having the same issue.
Did they forget to connect the wifi antenna?

just upgrade your phone maybe? and your antenna is somewhere in the back.

I found that the WiFi on my NS went to **** after upgrading to JB.
Sent from my Crespo using xda premium

Antena WIFI extend signal

Hi guys I have a usb wifi reciever, and I want ti extend the range, I have a flat near my house with wifi and its about 400metres away, I wanted to know if some how I can extend the signal reception to pick up this wifi, the usb reciever has a small antena that can be taken of, could I attach coaxial or other kind of cable and attach it to my tv antenna or a satelite dish I have to pick up sky? Please aswer me, I think this is the right section, for me this question is a big thing because ive been without internet for 9 years know, I only have my phone! Thanks!
Sent from my Neo V using Xda Premium

An antenna is made for a specific wavelength, there is some physics behind it so you can't just put a big antenna and expect it to work. What you can do is extend the range of the emitter. You can do that either by getting a high gain antenna or a directional one.
I've also seen people receiving wifi from a distant router with a directional receiving antenna, but it has to be especially made for wifi, you can't use a tv one.
Also take in consideration interference. If there are lots of objects and other devices operating in the wifi signal range between you and the wifi router that signal is going to lose its quality so even if you'd get 100% signal, it might get jammed by all the interference.

wststreet said:
An antenna is made for a specific wavelength, there is some physics behind it so you can't just put a big antenna and expect it to work. What you can do is extend the range of the emitter. You can do that either by getting a high gain antenna or a directional one.
I've also seen people receiving wifi from a distant router with a directional receiving antenna, but it has to be especially made for wifi, you can't use a tv one.
Also take in consideration interference. If there are lots of objects and other devices operating in the wifi signal range between you and the wifi router that signal is going to lose its quality so even if you'd get 100% signal, it might get jammed by all the interference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thnks for the clarifications, ive seen this antena on ebay but dont know what the range is! Any idea?, what u said about directional recieving antenna, whats that? Could u please upload some pics? Thanks, I dont think interference will be a big problem because I live in a rural area! Thanks for your aswer!
Press thanks if I helped!
Sent from my Neo V using Xda Premium

That looks like a cheap antenna. I don't think anyone can tell for sure what you need to receive a signal from that far away. There are so many unknown things you need if you want to make the calculations.
The gain of the antenna is used to calculate how weak the signal can be and still be received.
Think of it as hearing a guy scream at a distance.. you can have an amplifier next to your ear, you might hear him if it's a directional amplifier but you will also hear everything that's between you and him. Although sound waves are different than electromagnetic waves, you can think of it like this to understand why the long distance is such a big problem.

wststreet said:
That looks like a cheap antenna. I don't think anyone can tell for sure what you need to receive a signal from that far away. There are so many unknown things you need if you want to make the calculations.
The gain of the antenna is used to calculate how weak the signal can be and still be received.
Think of it as hearing a guy scream at a distance.. you can have an amplifier next to your ear, you might hear him if it's a directional amplifier but you will also hear everything that's between you and him. Although sound waves are different than electromagnetic waves, you can think of it like this to understand why the long distance is such a big problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for taking time to aswer, the distance I was hoping to pick up is about 450 m no more! Will interference still be an issue?
Press thanks if I helped!
Sent from my Neo V using Xda Premium

mitchellreece said:
Thanks for taking time to aswer, the distance I was hoping to pick up is about 450 m no more! Will interference still be an issue?
Press thanks if I helped!
Sent from my Neo V using Xda Premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try this: http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/template2/index.html but I don't think this will work at that range.
If your usb wifi reciever have an external port for antenna, try to connect an axternel antenna to increase the range. This may work. Or you can buy a cheap wifi router to bridge with the one existing in the flat.
And YES, interference may be a problem!

No GSM signal, 3G/LTE works

Hello guys and girls,
after experiencing some GPS problems (loss of signal on the road and/or late fix) I did the fix found on youtube (Where you place a bit of paper/tape under the GPS antenna contacts). It worked just fine, my GPS fix is now happening faster and I did not lose the signal ever since. But I am now facing some (weird?) problem: My GSM connection (GRPS, EDGE) is really really bad. In my room I don't get any signal at all, outside I get like 1 out of 4 bars of signal strength, but I lose it after a few seconds. I normally have 4 out of 4 bars in my room. BUT: My 3G connection works fine, 3G, LTE, same connectivity as before.
My friends phone (same carrier) does get the full GRPS/EDGE connection in my room, so it's not the carrier having problems. I didn't do any updates or anything in the last weeks. It would be a huge coincidence, if a software bug happened while I fixed the GPS problem, so I assume it's a hardware related thing?
How might I fix that, what possible solutions are there?
Tried the following so far:
Restarting multiple times, with our without airplane mode
Re-inserting the sim-car
Switching between LTE only, GSM/LTE, GSM only
Flashing new/other modem
Replacing the speaker/antenna-module
-> nothing changed

out of sheer curiousity, and after reading your post, im stuck wondering.. why do you want or need your gprs and edge connection when your 3G/LTE is fine? data speeds are very slow, and drain lots of battery using anything internet or download related..

Yeah, sure, 3G/LTE is better and coverage is really good where I live, that's why it's not an emergency for me, but it's very important to get it back to work properly.
I know at least 2 situations where I really need GSM (GPRS,EDGE):
1) At work (huge metal building, no 3G/LTE, only GSM) -> I can't call, text or do anything with my phone (don't worry, I am allowed to do so and no, there is no WiFi)
2) On the road, especially the german autobahn has large areas where there is no 3G/LTE coverage, so I can't use my navigation-software properly and can't respond to calls or whatsoever
So all in all: GSM in really important for me. Please help me. :crying:

ahh.. I see.
and your GPRS/edge was fine before the GPS "fix"? maybe something got loosened?

Before I did the fix it worked perfectly fine. Directly after I did it, the gsm was gone so I figured that I somehow damaged the antenna. But since I replaced it and nothing changed I am not sure what to do now. Are there other antennas, are there other modules that influence gsm, that I might have damaged or loosened?

That's what can happen when you tinker with guts of your phone. You risk damaging or messing it up. Sorry, I don't mean to sound like a jerk.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Yes, dave2metz, I know. I was fully aware of that when I opened my phone for the first time to fix the GPS thing. But I am not here for moral advice.
Any ideas how I could fix my problem are highly appreciated!
Edit:
Just checked: The sim-card is not the cause of the problem either. I would really appreciate some good ideas guys..

No idea what I might try?
My best guess is that this is a hardware related problem. But how does one fix it? I replaced the antenna (the bottom thing), nothing changed. So that specific antenna was not the cause of the problem.
Are there other antennas?
Are there antenna-connections that I could check?
Any other hardware things that I might check?
Anything that might have lost the physcical contact inside the phone because of that GPS fix?
Could it, against all odds, be a software problem?
Please, I am really in need of a working phone. If I can't fix it I need to replace it sooner or later because GSM is essential.
If anyone can provide me with an idea or something that leads me to a fix, I will reward you (amazon gift-card or whatsoever).
Cheers,
.yasu

Did you figure it out?
.yasu said:
No idea what I might try?
My best guess is that this is a hardware related problem. But how does one fix it? I replaced the antenna (the bottom thing), nothing changed. So that specific antenna was not the cause of the problem.
Are there other antennas?
Are there antenna-connections that I could check?
Any other hardware things that I might check?
Anything that might have lost the physcical contact inside the phone because of that GPS fix?
Could it, against all odds, be a software problem?
Please, I am really in need of a working phone. If I can't fix it I need to replace it sooner or later because GSM is essential.
If anyone can provide me with an idea or something that leads me to a fix, I will reward you (amazon gift-card or whatsoever).
Cheers,
.yasu
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you end up figuring anything out for this? I have something along the same lines. I dropped my phone and smashed the screen. I was able to get a guy to replace the screen portion of the unit, but immediately after I got it back it had no cell reception. Rebooted came, back thought everything was cool.
After a couple weeks I notice my phone has lost reception occasionally. It's now gotten worse, I used to be able to reboot it about 5 or 6 times and then it would randomly come back. I've even had it come back without performing a reboot on its own.
I ended up taking the whole thing apart, reseating everything after having a day and half span where I have been unable to get it back and boom reception came back. Thought it was his repair job at that point, but it has since dropped the signal again and I can't get it back. Yesterday even I was showing LTE signal changing from low to strong etc, but my network was still down as I couldn't perform a search, maps, or anything.
I have my phone apart again. I've checked all the connections over and over and wondering what else to look for or try to replace. True my impact could have damaged a component on the mainboard, but my phone works fine in all other areas. I could replace the antenna wires and the antenna/speaker module, but I'm not sure it just a reception problem.
My phone also boots into airplane mode when it has no signal, but turning it off does not restore the connection or anything. Rebooting it puts it back into airplane mode. *#*#4636#*# shows my radio is off. Thinking it's a short or something somewhere, but I doubt I'll be able to fix it in that case - at least without a mainboard?
That's my other question, what part need to be replaced for experiencing no network and its not the antenna or antenna wires? Is the mainboard? Sister board? Currently researching teardown as this phone is modular and I'm sure I could source the part off ebay or something.

Hi,
There's one antenna for 2G/3G/4G so I think if this problem was caused by hardware, it would affect overall connection to mobile network.
I think that this might me software-related problem but actually can't figure out which. Only thing I'm currently thinking of it that your phone has problems with connecting to certain GSM band. For example in Europe are 900 MHz and 1800 MHz standard for GSM.
Lower frequencies bring you better coverage. Your phone might have trouble with connecting to them and automatically selects 1800 MHz layer.
If you are able to get another phone with SIM of the same network provider, I recommend you to download any networking app and compare data about cells. Mainly CID number. It's unique identifier of each cell in an area.
If both phones are connected to same cell (CIDs are equal), you have to compare RSSI values. Lower means better signal. RSSI is defined as a negative number in an interval of <-51; -113>. So -75 dBm is better than -89 dBm. In one place should be difference about +/- 5 dBm.
Reaching slightly different RSSI numbers while connected to same cell in same place might mean that your phone really have problems with radio.

hey mate,
My wife phon is having the same issue 4G works, 3G sort of works, 2G nothing.
[Did the GPS fix on my wife's Nexus 5 (and mine) also]
swapped sim, used another telco same issue.
when into service menu did *#*#4635#*#* , click the 3 dots, select radio band - only see USA band.
While my phone had automatic, usa bad , usa band, japan band.
she is running stock rom with unlocked boot loader, I am on CM11 but doubt that should make any difference.
if I work out what is going on will report back.

nexus 5 3g 4g damaged
hello guys?.. my htc nexus 5 got wet and i notice the signal strength got lost. when i open it up i notice the lines on the antenna got damage. how do i repair it? or should i replace it with new one? Pls help !! 

Is issue still remaining?

Hi. I am having the same problem. Could anyone find a fix for this?
My GPS was and is fine. I didn't do the gps fix, but I have replaced my battery and I think it happened after the replace...