[Q] Cell reception - What's your experience? - HTC One S

Hello One-S users!
I recently got myself an unbranded One-S here in the Netherlands. I came from the LG 2x that I've had since the day it was available. Been experimenting a lot with different ROM's and BB, with different results across the board. Overall though the 2x has been a very nice phone to have and use, albeit not with the stock ROM's. Reception has been very good, probably the best of all the phones I've owned.
And now there's the new One-s... I've been using it for a few days so I won't go into details on battery life, user experience and all that stuff that needs a few days before making any useful conclusion. Except for reception!
I live in a particular area where there's very bad signal and only two towers in the whole area. The One-S seems to really struggle to get AND keep connection to the network. Actually, when used indoors (at home) it is impossible to get any signal at all, whereas the 2x and my girlfriends iPhone4 have no problems at all. Not great reception, with breakups during calls, but at least the work. The One-S doesn't. I've been seeing this behavior outdoors at other locations as well, around where I work I have had no reception issue's with the 2x, the One-S shows really spotty reception.
I'm on the latest OTA which is 1.78.401.2
What's your take on this, do you have any reception issue's?

involver said:
Hello One-S users!
I recently got myself an unbranded One-S here in the Netherlands. I came from the LG 2x that I've had since the day it was available. Been experimenting a lot with different ROM's and BB, with different results across the board. Overall though the 2x has been a very nice phone to have and use, albeit not with the stock ROM's. Reception has been very good, probably the best of all the phones I've owned.
And now there's the new One-s... I've been using it for a few days so I won't go into details on battery life, user experience and all that stuff that needs a few days before making any useful conclusion. Except for reception!
I live in a particular area where there's very bad signal and only two towers in the whole area. The One-S seems to really struggle to get AND keep connection to the network. Actually, when used indoors (at home) it is impossible to get any signal at all, whereas the 2x and my girlfriends iPhone4 have no problems at all. Not great reception, with breakups during calls, but at least the work. The One-S doesn't. I've been seeing this behavior outdoors at other locations as well, around where I work I have had no reception issue's with the 2x, the One-S shows really spotty reception.
I'm on the latest OTA which is 1.78.401.2
What's your take on this, do you have any reception issue's?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a T-mobile branded One S (Gradient Blue) and the reception was horrible, so glad I got myself another GS2 (t989)

I'm experiencing same issues of reception on an unbranded EU phone with 1.78. 1.53 was worst!
I tend to have signal but no data, I tend to have signal in the notification bar but no actual signal.
I have many issues which weren't here in my old desire!
MicroSIM was replaced twice with no real help - It's the phone to blame...

Poor reception
I also have same problem. I am in pakistan using Telenor and phone is Tmobile UK unlocked.

It may work to disallow some energy-saving settings(of the ril) in the build.prop, however it brings risk to do so:
You have to know how to tweak the file, and get ready to re-flash the ROM/RUU in case of half-brick caused by bad tweaks.
involver said:
Hello One-S users!
I recently got myself an unbranded One-S here in the Netherlands. I came from the LG 2x that I've had since the day it was available. Been experimenting a lot with different ROM's and BB, with different results across the board. Overall though the 2x has been a very nice phone to have and use, albeit not with the stock ROM's. Reception has been very good, probably the best of all the phones I've owned.
And now there's the new One-s... I've been using it for a few days so I won't go into details on battery life, user experience and all that stuff that needs a few days before making any useful conclusion. Except for reception!
I live in a particular area where there's very bad signal and only two towers in the whole area. The One-S seems to really struggle to get AND keep connection to the network. Actually, when used indoors (at home) it is impossible to get any signal at all, whereas the 2x and my girlfriends iPhone4 have no problems at all. Not great reception, with breakups during calls, but at least the work. The One-S doesn't. I've been seeing this behavior outdoors at other locations as well, around where I work I have had no reception issue's with the 2x, the One-S shows really spotty reception.
I'm on the latest OTA which is 1.78.401.2
What's your take on this, do you have any reception issue's?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

That sucks! It is a great phone. Reception has been flawless for me. I have a TMOUSA-branded One S.

the worst reception ever...
well I lied a bit - as most of the time I'm getting no reception at all;/
sometimes around 60-70% of the time with no signal (when I click the cell stats in battery meter) and often when picked out of the pocket the phone is showing NO SIGNAL warning for one second...
Unlocked HTC One S, UK version, ceramic black, bought beginning of April
I had this problem from the start, but was hard to prove to get a new phone replacement, as when it does have good reception when signal coverage is great - with 10MBit/s download 3G speed which was amazing compared to my Desire Z (max 4MBit on 3G). The problem is, signal reception fluctuates a lot to a point of loosing it...
Wifi is affected as well, for example after a fresh reboot the Wi-Fi is at full speed, but give it an hour of mobile usage and it is at half of its performance. Wi-Fi isn't that critical (although I do not have signal in my garden where my Desire Z or iPad doesnt have any problem with my home wifi!) but the weak radio is!
I wasn't scared so much as I thought an update will come, and it did, so I have updated radio to 0.16 (1.78 RUU) from 0.15 (1.53 RUU) in a hope things will improve, and they did for 1 day - then I realized it was a placebo effect what I'm seeing.
In network stats I am mostly on -97 to -107 db in signal strength with 0-5 ASU, and when I have -93db I can celebrate! (which is considered pretty weak on my other android phones)
Researching this problem led me to believe it might be a software bug as well, as it varies - when you're doing a phone call, signal strength is simply stronger, you're out of a sudden see more ASUs and are say on -92db. As long as you hang the call, you're at -101 db again, soon after you can loose the signal when you're in placed with weaker coverage (park, too many in London).
Then I have places where I am absolutely unable to make a call, and the other day I do have 2 bars there and I am able to call without a problem.
Then the other day I can try 10 times and no chance - no signal, immediately rejected from a call app, can't even call voicemail.
The top icon notification is 'mad' most of the time - showing full strength from time to time only to fall to 1 bar (or no bar) on 80% of the time.
I would welcome some idea how to prove this thing to a seller to get a replacement, but as I said, if One S sees 20+ more ASUs (city coverage is great), you don't notice this thing and it can work flawlessly.
My conclusion is that HTC One S has only problem when the signal coverage becomes weak and it can't properly get hold of it like other phones do (Samsung Galaxy S Plus, for example, is ten times zillion million better than this - having much stronger signal when covered with pillows closed in a stainless steel box ;-)
Should we start writing the serial numbers here so we can see which batch of HTC One S phones is bad?
P.S. The USA T-Mobile update 1.83 is promising some fix to signal fluctuation - I don't know it this would help european version, even if it would not fluctuate, it would still be weak.
P.P.S. Switching ON the 'best wifi performance' haven't made a single difference for me, neither for radio strength nor in wifi. The only difference was big hit on battery life.

I know exactly what you mean - had it the same!!!
Apparently there is a solution which is not hardware related:
There are network providers that doesn't support the signal fast dormancy as this phone tries to use. As a result, the phone disconnects from the service provider and tries to reconnect which takes several minutes.
In order to solve that until HTC will do it (if at all), you need to root your phone, get into build.prop file and then change the line ro.ril.fast.dormancy.rule=... to be ro.ril.fast.dormancy.rule=#.
This is thanks to jh787!
It seems to help me.

I'm in the Netherlands too, with an unbranded device and facing same troubles. Got my device lately with 1.78.401.2 preinstalled.
The reception is compared to my HTC Incredible S really bad.
I becomes irritated too by the FM Tuner recepetion. If you're moving on bccycle, car, train or bus the volume is getting up and down, up and down. And lot of areas I can't listen at all to the radio stations I could with the Incredible S

don't want to root just yet...
orenfl said:
I know exactly what you mean - had it the same!!!
Apparently there is a solution which is not hardware related:
There are network providers that doesn't support the signal fast dormancy as this phone tries to use. As a result, the phone disconnects from the service provider and tries to reconnect which takes several minutes.
In order to solve that until HTC will do it (if at all), you need to root your phone, get into build.prop file and then change the line ro.ril.fast.dormancy.rule=... to be ro.ril.fast.dormancy.rule=#.
This is thanks to jh787!
It seems to help me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, you probably mean the thread mentioned by jh787 at the bottom here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=26923454
- it might fix the issue, the problem is I've tried 2 different mobile providers with same results and today I bought O2 PAYG microSIM to try the best (signal wise) London mobile provider to see if the fast dormancy is the problem. I don't want to root the phone yet as if it won't help the warranty is void. I'll report later.
- there's another tip in that thread
jh787 said:
also changing the following line to look as shown solved my no network issues when i was in areas of weak reception
ro.ril.disable.power.collapse = 1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have root yet, but just checked /system/build.prop file using Solid Explorer and I have this value already properly set as others have mentioned (1.78) but the phone still has weaker signal when idle and stronger when having a phone call.
Code:
# For HSDPA low throughput
ro.ril.disable.power.collapse = 1
As I understand this should be '#' instead of 1
Code:
ro.ril.fast.dormancy.rule=1
comparing to jh787 build.prop I am no wiser, as he's still at older 1.53 OTA and seems like T-Mobile branded phone.

I'm already on 1.78, checked his 2 comments and also found that the power collapse is 1 already. The fast dormancy I did change to # and believe me, after 6 weeks of screaming on the phone to be a phone, other than a great looking mobile computer, I'm using it flawlessly as a phone too!
Root is reversible via RUU and for me needed until HTC will provide an update which will either disable the fast dormancy or enable a switch to control it...

Ive had 2 One S's since launch and both of them have had appalling signal issues, Im on Vodafone UK and believe its their network at fault.
But i see here a range of providers and still crappy signal. I was thinking of cancelling my Vodafone contract and taking out a new one with another provider, As i really like HTC..... But after reading this thread im having doubts !
Im beginning to think the safe option would be to leave HTC and Go back to Samsung, And try to get the S3 !

azzledazzle said:
Ive had 2 One S's since launch and both of them have had appalling signal issues, Im on Vodafone UK and believe its their network at fault.
But i see here a range of providers and still crappy signal. I was thinking of cancelling my Vodafone contract and taking out a new one with another provider, As i really like HTC..... But after reading this thread im having doubts !
Im beginning to think the safe option would be to leave HTC and Go back to Samsung, And try to get the S3 !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you rooted already?
If so, try the build.prop change I mentioned before...

Im rooted, Ive ran every custom ROM, Ive flashed every radio, Ive done everything possible, Nothing works.
Ill give the build.prop edit a try later. not expecting much tho.

azzledazzle said:
Im rooted, Ive ran every custom ROM, Ive flashed every radio, Ive done everything possible, Nothing works.
Ill give the build.prop edit a try later. not expecting much tho.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Give it a try - it worth it!
For me it solved 6 weeks of frustration w/o one shrink visit

change the line ro.ril.fast.dormancy.rule=... to be ro.ril.fast.dormancy.rule=#.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So at the end i have .rule=1 do i change that 1 to a # or put the # after the 1 ?

azzledazzle said:
So at the end i have .rule=1 do i change that 1 to a # or put the # after the 1 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Replace the 1 by #

azzledazzle said:
So at the end i have .rule=1 do i change that 1 to a # or put the # after the 1 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any news?
Sent from my HTC One S using XDA

Hasnt made any difference

azzledazzle said:
Hasnt made any difference
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? disappointing!!!
Then you probably got something else then - is the same carrier different phone have better than you on same locations?

Related

[Q] HTC Sensation rubbish reception

Is anyone else having reception issues with the HTC sensation I had previous HTC and have all suffered from this problem I thought by now they would have sorted this issue out.
Also I have used the camera a few times and the phone just turns off.
My signal is full. Someone mentioned in another threat he replaced sim card and problem solved.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using XDA App
Sounds like a faulty unit to me.
I have same problem - in my room it tends to go from 1 bar to full all the time - downstairs its goes from on to off all the time, rather annoying !
Got a brand new sim card so cant being that, but so many people
have complained about it cant be one fault handset - its just
faulty design maybe??
This is my second unit and I have tried 3 different sim cards no change. This is what made me take back the original HTC Desire. Looks like this is going back all previous phones I would get 3G in my home and work now I am getting gprs or Edge in the same locations.
I have missed a few calls tonight because of the handset reception goes to none.
just popped my t-mobile sim in it and it seems fine -
it bounces up and down but by 1 bar maximum!
Got my brothers sony play on vodafone - hes getting 4 bars when im getting 0-3 bars.
So maybe it some kind of interaction between vodafone signal and this phone???
said it before will add again i get poor reception (gprs) with vodafone sim but great/better with t-mobile sim. Gonna request new sim. put sim in my desire and get the same response. must be the sim. i also think a new radio update would fix the reception problems. if HTC unlocked the bootloader we'd know for sure.
Mines been playing up signal wise, ive just taken the sim out and put it back in and its working alot better. Weird.
Interesting. I'm a new Voda customer and I have appauling reception now where I had a good one with O2. However signal goes on and off all the time.
My phone also reboots if I take more than a couple of photos.
All sounds like software to me but I'm going to try a new handset and if that fails maybe change to Samsung, not happy with HTC pushing out such poor software on a cutting edge phone, who tested it???
Yeap, rubbish reception. Keeps coming and going even in the same location!
Awful!!!!!
Just to throw in my experience with it;
I'm getting identical performance to what I got on my Nexus One (also on Vodafone obviously, you can't compare signal on one carrier against another and blame it on the phone...)
1-2 bars of HSPA in my home in Bristol
3-4 bars of HSPA in my home in Cardiff
3-4 bars of Edge in my friend's house in Cardiff
Signal on the train journey Bristol-Cardiff also the same. HSPA through Newport, Edge/GPRS through a lot of the fields and nothingness. I do the journey a lot so I know the sections where I can load up a new article or webpage
So far it is identical to what I've been getting for the last year and a half with the N1. I know there were signal issues with the N1 when it was released but those were solved with updates from Google and more stuff in custom roms. I honestly don't have any experience of any issue affecting the Sensation's signal.
I was with T-Mobile when I had my Desire, and now I've moved to Vodafone for my Sensation. Reception with Vodafone is better everwhere that I've been so far, and I see the "H" connection symbol more frequently. However, I do get the "rising and falling signal bars for no particular reason" problem that others are seeing, but it's no worse than I experienced for the 14 months that I had my Desire.
I called Vodafone earlier about the numerous issues with the Sensation, this being one of them. Apparently there have been some reception issues in and around London in the last few days (they tracked my calling location when I called them, stalkers) but should now be resolved. I seriously doubt this is the issue as I had no reception while the phone was sat next to an unmentionable other device on Vodafone which had full signal.
They told me to take it into a store to discuss the issues before returning it within the 7 day period, which I will do at lunch time, but I have zero expectations for this!
mine has been fine tbh, more or less always 3 or 4 bar. does drop for no reason sometimes... but not often at all. only problem i have had so far is the wifi not working properly sometimes
Yet another phone that can do everything except phone calls?
Average/mediocre signal would be a huge drawback. I will wait for some more feedback, otherwise I will opt for another device, even though I have never had any doubts until this issue arose.
ok - been testing at work as we are a vodafone buisness company and have about
200 htc trophy sitting in our cupboard.
got one out with my sim card, a old vodafone one and brand new vodafone one.
Walked round the whole building phone to phone and the
htc sensation was actually stable reception, better then the htc trophy. (though only a bar difference)
There i have conclude my issue are where i live the reception.
(Though im going to do more testing at home tonight with my pro sony play)
I was curious, vodafone do a signal boost, but its £50 for those under £40 month contract.
Has anyone had any success with getting the price down on these?
I would happily pay £20 for one if i knew it would give me full signal around my house.
Im so happy with the phone i dont want to return it !
I'll post later about my tests
I politely said to the nice lady in the Vodafone shop I didn't want to buy a sure signal as a new customer and that I was on a high contract. I paid £20 but its taken off my 1st payment so got it for free. If it supposed to get perfect signal in your home and they check before you sign up then its only fair.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA Premium App
Ps I get perfect signal with the thing. Using it now to post. Pity it I can't use it at work.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA Premium App
Phone is now in the process of being returned to Vodafone. Great phone let down by poor reception :-( The lady on the phone said they have had a few returns of late for the same reason so I know im not the only one. Looks like it will be back to my old phone till I find something that takes me fancy.
From other reports (lots) the phone signal is unreliable and I dont think its just a network issue. I can watch mine go from full to nothing and back up again without moving or touching it. I have the camera->reboot issue on mine too that others are reporting so I think there's a bad batch. I'm replacing my handset today with little hope of it being different. I also know someone with a Sure Signal (£20 in store) who has had no problems at all. I'm on a 40/pcm deal so going to push for one for free for the hassle of going back to the shop but I get the same signal issue pretty much everywhere, including central London earlier this week.
Very disappointing start with Vodafone and with my 7th or 8th HTC phone. I really wish I'd kept my Desire now until this model had been out for a few months, lesson learned.

Signal issues

Hi guys. I'll give a brief history of my phone.
Bought it locked and branded to Orange UK.
Debranded it to a stock euro rom
Unlocked it
Used it for 1 day and the signal was quite poor
Rooted it
Installed revalutionHD rom and recommended radio
used it and signal was quite poor and battery life awful
Installed stock sensation XE rom HTC_Europe_1.73.401.4_Radio_10.58.9035.00U_10.15.9035.02_2
The battery life is ok again but the signal is still poor
So to my question. Is it realisticly possible to sort out the signal or is it just that the sensation has notoriously bad reception and I either live with it or sell it?
mark_hopley said:
Hi guys. I'll give a brief history of my phone.
Bought it locked and branded to Orange UK.
Debranded it to a stock euro rom
Unlocked it
Used it for 1 day and the signal was quite poor
Rooted it
Installed revalutionHD rom and recommended radio
used it and signal was quite poor and battery life awful
Installed stock sensation XE rom HTC_Europe_1.73.401.4_Radio_10.58.9035.00U_10.15.9035.02_2
The battery life is ok again but the signal is still poor
So to my question. Is it realisticly possible to sort out the signal or is it just that the sensation has notoriously bad reception and I either live with it or sell it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Is there any chance you can borrow another sim card from a different carrier.
I'm on o2 and although it varies from time to time,and from area to area,it is generally good.
So , I would say that it is not the phone at fault here.
I use o2 too m8. It generally has lower signal in all areas than any other phone I have used (a good few )
So whenever I am in an area which is quite low signal it becomes impossible to make a phone call on this sensation. Looking around the forum and google it appeared I dont seem to be alone.
mark_hopley said:
I use o2 too m8. It generally has lower signal in all areas than any other phone I have used (a good few )
So whenever I am in an area which is quite low signal it becomes impossible to make a phone call on this sensation. Looking around the forum and google it appeared I dont seem to be alone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
If you are on ARHD with recommended radio ,you must be on 10.15
Some people have had better reception,when they reverted to 10.14
Radios can be found HERE
Some people have also had success by sticking some silver foil on their contacts under the back cover.
I know the top one above the camera is for wifi.
Try the other two.
I appear to also be in a poorish signal area and I use O2 PAYG. My XE and 3 previous Incredible S phones, all dropped signal in certain areas of my house. I've replaced the sim card with the latest and it hasn't helped.
Personally, I think it may be due to the antenna design but I'm no expert. I can have 3 bars showing and then it can drop away to nothing. I'm learning to live with it.
UKseagull said:
I appear to also be in a poorish signal area and I use O2 PAYG. My XE and 3 previous Incredible S phones, all dropped signal in certain areas of my house. I've replaced the sim card with the latest and it hasn't helped.
Personally, I think it may be due to the antenna design but I'm no expert. I can have 3 bars showing and then it can drop away to nothing. I'm learning to live with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pretty much same as me. Although my incredible s signal was always spot on
malybru said:
Hi,
If you are on ARHD with recommended radio ,you must be on 10.15
Some people have had better reception,when they reverted to 10.14
Radios can be found HERE
Some people have also had success by sticking some silver foil on their contacts under the back cover.
I know the top one above the camera is for wifi.
Try the other two.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am on stock xe rom now. Will try them tho as I ideally would like to keep the phone as I really like it. No good with signal as it is tho

[Q] Three 3 UK users please read

Are you having issues where the phone's internet cutting out? I'm trying to work out if its an issue with the phone or the signal in Manchester.
The phone will be working fine for texts and phone calls then when I go to use Internet radio, Marketplace or Internet browser quite often the internet will drop out.
Hi no .
My phone is behaving but does have the 3g to H problem where it flies between the 2 . Although this does seem not as bad as other users are experiencing
Sent from my HTC One S using xda premium
Its literally driving me insane. Its about 6/10 times I go to use the internet it wont work! But if I do get it to stream it seems to be ok.
I'm considering going for the ONE X instead getting sick of the problems with the S.. Shame really as I love the size!
Hard reset and see how it acts after that .
Most of the niggles I had went after I did that.
The S for me is a keeper for a while , screen is great , battery life is amazing . Have you called 3 to see if there's an issue
Got mine today from three. Will report back if I notice anything. Three can slow data down I believe depending on usage on a network. Being in a city might have something to do with it.
Sent from my HTC One S using XDA
Be grateful you get signal. I get jack sh*t in manchester with vodafone haha, always have.
Well I unlocked my bootloader last night, didn't end up putting any ROMs on it but had to start again with my Apps everything was working perfectly when I went to download everything (This is in Sale, about 5 miles from where I work). I even managed some Battle Field 3 online gaming via personal hotspot on my PC.
It was only late on last night I starting having an issue.. was it an app I installed I wonder? I will experiment further.
Shame its networked locked, was going to led it to my friend to try with his Vodfone sim to see how he gets on with it.
Its not the PHONE WOooh! Three have just called, problem with the mast in my area, fixed by the 27th. I can deal with that. And there I was deleting apps etc.
mardon85 said:
Its not the PHONE WOooh! Three have just called, problem with the mast in my area, fixed by the 27th. I can deal with that. And there I was deleting apps etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to deflate your balloon but I have same prob. I have a fairly good Three signal where I live NE of York. Put the sim out of my One S into Defy+ and I get good signal. Put sim back into One S and back to 1 or 2 bars. I took it back to Three in York but with full signal in York had a hard time explaining my prob. So the assistant typed on the computer ..... guess what she said ....
" problem with the mast in my area, fixed by the end of the week"
Now that is one coincidence is it not? That said even if there was an issue with the 'mast' doesn't explain why the Defy+ has the normal good signal with no signal loss as per One S
Micro sim will work in Defy+ if you place it correctly over the connecting pins!
There are others on here with similar problem
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1588345
There is definitely an issue with the current radio firmware as I still have the jumping 3G to H sign but even so at home on the Wirral or in Sale Manchester the internet is spot on, even if it only has 3/4 bars where as in work its full signal but the internet drops out all over the show.
I think it could well be a coincidence that there is an issue with the mast you're on, does the Desire support the faster HSDP+ internet? Maybe its that?
Not sure about the Desire.
I think it's probably the a firmware issue as you say. I know I have a good Three signal where I live as I've tried their PAYG service. Put either the payg or the monthly contract sim, both from Three, in the Defy+ and get a good signal readout. The signal seems to bounce all over. One minute I'm on full bars and the next lost connection. In York where signal is stronger than mine in the sticks there is no issue. Tried with little success to explain the problem to the assitant in Three shop but with full bars on phone she thought I was some sort of fool Mind you when she played the mast card asked why then the Moto Defy+ had no issues with signal
I'm hoping there will be a patch from HTC at some point though they maybe need to be made aware of the issue. I would like to try a T-Mobile sim in the One S but suspect it's locked to Three. I'm sure it's a network provider issue.

What's the reported signal strength of the One S compared to other phones?

There have been a few reports that the One series has poor reception.
For example my HTC Desire constantly has about 7-9dB** lower signal than my old Nokia N79 - I was hoping that the new One S would have better reception, but the forums are complaining about fewer "bars" of signal strength. Unfortunately the latter is meaningless because "bars" are uncalibrated and signal level is highly dependent on exact position and whether the unit is held in the hand or not.
Rather than hearsay, I would like to know if One S owners could do a comparison with their old phone to see if it is much worse.
Using the *#*#4636#*#* code if you could report the signal level (dBm) and the connection mode (3G, 2G, GSM whatever) between your One S and old phone when lying in the same position on the desk*
*holding it in your hand, or putting it somewhere else in the room or changing the connection type or changing the carrier will all invalidate any meaningful comparison.
**
+3dB is a doubling in received power and +10dB is a 10x increase in received power, likewise -3dB and -10dB are halving and one tenth the power, so it's a significant difference.
OK, here's some evidence for you. HTC One S with Three UK monthly contract sim inserted and Motorola Defy+ with Three UK PAYG sim in. Both phones laid on desk in similar position with nothing to interfere with them.
HTC One S -105dBm (4ASU)
Motorola Defy+ -89dBm (12ASU)
This is pretty much what I've been getting with Network Signal app.
Incidentally, if I put the sim out the One S into the Defy+ then I still get -89dBm as you would expect as both sims use Three UK network. I can't put the PAYG sim into the One S as it's not a micro sim.
Pretty much damning evidence. Does mean the One S loses signal a lot faster when signal is marginal. Doesn't seem to be a great difference when signal is strong between the 2 which is a PITA when trying to show the problem in the Three shop If I go to York later I'll re run the test's and report back. I'm not sure where to go from here. I'll contact HTC support and see if they show any interest. Not overly hopeful of getting any where with Three customer support?
Richy101 said:
Pretty much damning evidence. Does mean the One S loses signal a lot faster when signal is marginal. Doesn't seem to be a great difference when signal is strong between the 2 which is a PITA when trying to show the problem in the Three shop If I go to York later I'll re run the test's and report back. I'm not sure where to go from here. I'll contact HTC support and see if they show any interest. Not overly hopeful of getting any where with Three customer support?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the data point. I'd say it's valid to take them to the Three shop, put them side by side and say look, there's a 16dB difference. (strictly speaking the noise figure of the receiver should also be known, but this is set in the GSM/UMTS specs and should be less than a dB or two difference).
It's been my belief that Nokia and Motorola have the best antenna engineers - all the Nokias I've owned have had great signal reception, despite the fact that the number of base stations was much lower in the late 90s early 2000s.
I cannot compare to old one, I got micro sim and dont have adapter yet (comming from ebay).
I found that I got alot lower signal, thought as I mvoed to micro sim I changed carrier...
Question - how much signal is needed for "OK", and at which point its to weak?
Stiflerlv said:
Question - how much signal is needed for "OK", and at which point its to weak?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to OFCOM the mimum signal level is -110dBm (including some fading margin).
At that level you will get very slow data speeds - I consider anything less than -90dBm as pretty low.
I was in the Vodaphone store and they had SIMs in a One X, One S and Wildfire S - all of these were within a few dB of eachother - unfortunately my (roaming) HTC Desire would not connect to Vodaphone.de, so I couldn't get a 4th reference point.
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/3g_rollout/statement/statement.pdf
Currently I'm mostly interested in 3G reception - if this is poor then the phone will spend a lot of time (and battery) looking for signal, loosing contact, toggling back and forth between 2G and 3G etc. However, need to consider that 3G can exist on both 900 and 1800MHz in Europe. If poor antenna design is the culprit then this may only effect one of the bands, meaning that certain users have great signal, whereas others report poor reception.
aza314 said:
According to OFCOM the mimum signal level is -110dBm (including some fading margin).
At that level you will get very slow data speeds - I consider anything less than -90dBm as pretty low.
I was in the Vodaphone store and they had SIMs in a One X, One S and Wildfire S - all of these were within a few dB of eachother - unfortunately my (roaming) HTC Desire would not connect to Vodaphone.de, so I couldn't get a 4th reference point.
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/3g_rollout/statement/statement.pdf
Currently I'm mostly interested in 3G reception - if this is poor then the phone will spend a lot of time (and battery) looking for signal, loosing contact, toggling back and forth between 2G and 3G etc. However, need to consider that 3G can exist on both 900 and 1800MHz in Europe. If poor antenna design is the culprit then this may only effect one of the bands, meaning that certain users have great signal, whereas others report poor reception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mainly need this for calls (not so much data) so till 110 Im still ok?
I often get 100+ :/ Lowest I have seen is 90. Returning the phone hoping its glitch
Stiflerlv said:
I mainly need this for calls (not so much data) so till 110 Im still ok?
I often get 100+ :/ Lowest I have seen is 90. Returning the phone hoping its glitch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At -110dBm you have very little margin. As long as you aren't walking around the house it should be ok.
But it really depends on the coverage in your area.
NB: the numbers are dBm and negative i.e. a -90dBm signal has a hundred times more power than a -110dBm signal:
10^((-90dBm-(-110dBm))/10) = 100
aza314 said:
At -110dBm you have very little margin. As long as you aren't walking around the house it should be ok.
But it really depends on the coverage in your area.
NB: the numbers are dBm and negative i.e. a -90dBm signal has a hundred times more power than a -110dBm signal:
10^((-90dBm-(-110dBm))/10) = 100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nice, comparing to my old HTC Tattoo and test simcard I got from carrier, Its around 15-20 dBm better signal for Tattoo...
Im gonna go for warranty I guess
Bump. Like to hear how it compares with other phones on the T-Mobile USA network.
Thanks in advance.
I was just going to create a new thread on this topic until I found this. I would have to say the reception on the one s is considerably worse than other tmobile phones. Today I traveled to an area with generally poor reception and my wife's blackberry bold 9900 had 1 bar of 4g while my one s had an "x" for not signal at all.
When I used my galaxy s2 in the same exact area i used to get at least 2 bars of 4g. It actually worries me that i get zero reception while our other phones were still on 4g, not even edge.
Can this be fixed with a radio software fix or is this a hardware issue? Im pretty pissed because I want to like this phone so much.
What are the experiences of others?
On tmo us, I'd have to say that my signal is the same as it was on my g2x. I'm either in an area with awesome signal (work), or an area with practically no signal (my 100 year old house).
I wouldn't call either situation dramatically different than the last few phones I've had.
Mike,
On one hand, I did some testing with a galaxy s2 and found ours to be comparable usually, but on the other, there are signal drops issues and the days switching so there still is something odd here.
I also hope to have it fixed by a radio update than a hardware one...
I also like this phone much except for its network issues.
Sent from my HTC One S using XDA
Well, HTC wanted my phone back in for investigation. Duly sent it back and it was pretty much turned round within the day. All they have done is load the latest software version which in truth if I'd not packaged it up on Monday could have done myself. I believe Three UK released the update on Monday anyway?
Network connection seems to be slightly better but not by a great deal. I'm not sure what I expected from HTC. If it's hardware there seems to be little knowledge of a problem with them and firmware/software they'll only have the latest versions and hope for the best. I'll just have to see how it goes for the time being. I always have the option to sell it and look for something else.
Not right impressed with HTC's packaging back of phone. I stupidly wrapped it in bubble wrap and put it in a box to dispatch. They simply found a box and chucked it in it so it was free to rattle about all the way home. As a result it has picked up a chip of the coating on it's top edge - unless it was done on the work bench. Certainly wasn't like that when it went as use a Case-Mate Tough cover. Not overly upset about that but should I mention this to HTC? Seems a bit of a poor do
I finally get my HTC One S TODAY! As soon as I do, I will do a comparison. I work for T-Mobile (until my call center closes), so I have a bunch of phones to compare with and test against.
I don't have another (working) phone to compare, but my circumstances make that moot anyway. I have the international One S on AT&T, and since the phone lacks the UMTS 1900 I expected to get lower than usual signal compared to my Desire (A8182, RIP), but hoped that most areas have been upgraded to 850 by now.
Anyway, at work (inside concrete block building with metal structure roof) I am getting between -107 and -88db, (with 10 asu?) depending on where in the building I am. In a larger city I usually get between -30 to -18db, But I do not live or work in a large city.
Even so, so far battery life is way over expectations. currently on 53 hours on a single charge, with 23% battery remaining.
I always get 3/4 bars like my Amaze.
mmceorange said:
I don't have another (working) phone to compare, but my circumstances make that moot anyway. I have the international One S on AT&T, and since the phone lacks the UMTS 1900 I expected to get lower than usual signal compared to my Desire (A8182, RIP), but hoped that most areas have been upgraded to 850 by now.
Anyway, at work (inside concrete block building with metal structure roof) I am getting between -107 and -88db, (with 10 asu?) depending on where in the building I am. In a larger city I usually get between -30 to -18db, But I do not live or work in a large city.
Even so, so far battery life is way over expectations. currently on 53 hours on a single charge, with 23% battery remaining.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In another thread the box of the tmobile version says it has the 1900 UMTS band. You may be better of with an unlocked tmobile version.
Just tried at a TmoUS store. My HD2 had about -63dB, HOS on display had only -75~-79dB. Disappointed.
motionUS said:
In another thread the box of the tmobile version says it has the 1900 UMTS band. You may be better of with an unlocked tmobile version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sure you're right, but I like the look and feel of the "MAO" much much more than the gray/blue. If T-mobile (or better yet, Telus) gets the black version I will likely switch.
jjmai said:
Just tried at a TmoUS store. My HD2 had about -63dB, HOS on display had only -75~-79dB. Disappointed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That means absolutely nothing. You don't even know if they are connecting to the same cell site.
Sent from my HTC One S using XDA

Poor signal strength

Just received my Xperia 5 II. I'm enjoying it so far but unfortunately one of the most basic requirements is letting it down, 4G signal strength. I'm on Vodafone and using the SIM in my Mate20 Pro I can gain full bars. However using the same SIM in this phone I barely get one bar with the status showing around 105 - 115 dBm. Out of curiousity I switched to GSM using the test menu and it dropped to 85 dBm. Anyone experiencing similar?
Thanks.
Bugsy46 said:
Just received my Xperia 5 II. I'm enjoying it so far but unfortunately one of the most basic requirements is letting it down, 4G signal strength. I'm on Vodafone and using the SIM in my Mate20 Pro I can gain full bars. However using the same SIM in this phone I barely get one bar with the status showing around 105 - 115 dBm. Out of curiousity I switched to GSM using the test menu and it dropped to 85 dBm. Anyone experiencing similar?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi!! I have the terminal for about 1 week. I have the same problem. I have Vodafone Spain. I think it is a software problem because I have compared with a Realme x2Pro and the indicator is very good, the values ​​are similar in Xperia. So I think it is an OS problem. Without any coverage bars, the phone makes calls without problems. They are not cut or similar.
That's good to hear thanks! Hopefully Sony can be made aware of this and provide a software update! As I type this it's sat between 0 and 1 bar
Do you have Vodafone ROM? Flashing an original Sony ROM may fix the problem. Can be?
It's pretty much out of the box and updated to the latest software. Interestingly my H+ speed is twice as fast as my 4G speed!
I've just logged in to create a thread about this problem, and I see that I'm not the only one experiencing it. It's really frustrating, my previous device (essential) in the same spot with the same sim card, can achieve 3(!) times faster download speed
Sent from my XQ-AS52 using Tapatalk
Same problem here with wifi and 3g (h).
Waiting fix for this issue..
I want to think that it is a software problem. Seeing that there are many people with the same problem, I do not think that all the devices are bad.
Unless the issue is due to hardware by design. They might've opted for a cheaper antenna system that doesn't get enough signal. In that case we're screwed.
I read quite a few posts regarding the X1ii having the same issue, that doesn't give me much hope! Thankfully I'm in the 14 day return period so I will keep an eye on this thread and also the signal when I'm in the car etc.
I am experiencing the exact same issues on 4G LTE here in canada. And I don't understand what's going on because apart from my home going outside and using data exclusively I'm getting full speeds 4G plus no problem. However certain times of the day primarily during the evening I do have hiccups where I have dropped connection and it takes a while for the phone to just do its thing and then get to have the internet back. With regard to the low signal yeah I'm getting full service my phone calls are working properly text messages are sending but I'm only getting one to two or even zero bars on 4G LTE.
This is all on my brand new Sony Xperia 5 mark ii. I'm hoping the update to Android 11 or a couple of security patches down the line or lifespan of this device will fix this issue. But I'm going to try not to concern myself with it as of yet because again the one place I thought I wouldn't be able to get anything which is my use of the phone outside in public I was able to get full if not better service than anything I did at home. And at home it's not that bad either it's just one point in time the signal will cut off and drop.
thepersona said:
I am experiencing the exact same issues on 4G LTE here in canada. And I don't understand what's going on because apart from my home going outside and using data exclusively I'm getting full speeds 4G plus no problem. However certain times of the day primarily during the evening I do have hiccups where I have dropped connection and it takes a while for the phone to just do its thing and then get to have the internet back. With regard to the low signal yeah I'm getting full service my phone calls are working properly text messages are sending but I'm only getting one to two or even zero bars on 4G LTE.
This is all on my brand new Sony Xperia 5 mark ii. I'm hoping the update to Android 11 or a couple of security patches down the line or lifespan of this device will fix this issue. But I'm going to try not to concern myself with it as of yet because again the one place I thought I wouldn't be able to get anything which is my use of the phone outside in public I was able to get full if not better service than anything I did at home. And at home it's not that bad either it's just one point in time the signal will cut off and drop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have said it. He receives calls correctly and works perfectly. So I think it is a software bug. It does not mark the coverage well. The values ​​are similar on other devices. At least in my case.
The speeds I tested personally have huge differences, so at least for me, there is a significant difference
Sent from my XQ-AS52 using Tapatalk
Befree197 said:
You have said it. He receives calls correctly and works perfectly. So I think it is a software bug. It does not mark the coverage well. The values ​​are similar on other devices. At least in my case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am really hoping that it's a software bug and nothing more. Hopefully it will get addressed. it was interesting going into my local Telus having neither of the representatives in store know what VOLTE was. I was baffled I figured people that work there would have an idea of the services involved or bundled with what they're offering LOL but I think I'm better off dealing with tech support hahaha
I was browsing the XP 5 M2 forums here with the intend to import this phone to India as it seemed an excellent buy. Now after seeing the poor signal issue, I have my concerns. However, you can try doing the following and report back
1. Check "mobile network standby" usage under the battery settings. If the signal actually is too low, this value should be in high percentages -maybe above 10% of the overall battery consumption.
2. Download and install GSAM/BBS battery monitor app and check the standby drain per hour on 4G/LTE, keeping the phone idle overnight or not use it for an hour during day time. Ideally it should be less than 1-1.5%/hr during the day on idle and overnight should be less than 1.0%/hr on LTE. If this is the case, its only the signal bars and a software issue. Avoid measuring on WIFI as the drain is usually much less on wifi anyways.
3. Download and install 'Network Cell Info" (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wilysis.cellinfolite) and check the actual strength with different phones at the same spot and same time. Cellphones do switch towers frequently even at the same spot. This app will give detailed info on the signal strength and towers (if your telco provides). It will also show where the towers are located approximately and you can compare phones on how they stack up in a similar setting.
4. Force 4g/LTE mode only under network preferences (if available). Check the dBm and ASU levels in this mode and see if it's any different from 5G/4G mode.
If the standby drain is low and the phone lasts a day or more on normal usage, then no need of worry, its the signal bars that are showing wrong. I'd like to hear back from you all as my purchase decision will be based on your feedback on standby drain.
Ah, finally the same issues as I am experiencing. I also have only one or sometimes zero bars. The people I call also tell me connection is bad. Sounds drop, we can't talk simultaneously and so on. Sometimes I can't even internet with wifi. I also hear people on the phone that sounds drop.
I don't feel comfortable about all the suggestions to enable or disable stuff in the default settings, set preferred network to only 4g or disables 5g;
1- I tried this but doesn't make a difference
2- This should work out of the box. I have several phones (samsung, Iphone, Oneplus) and none of these have these problems.
Sometimes I do have full bars, and the internet is very good. I noticed this yesterday. And once on the other side told me the quality was allright, but almost all the time the strength is zero to one bar and quality is really bad.
I also tried a new simcard, no difference. Vodafone also sent it to repaird and I got a complete boardswap, but no difference.
linom said:
I was browsing the XP 5 M2 forums here with the intend to import this phone to India as it seemed an excellent buy. Now after seeing the poor signal issue, I have my concerns. However, you can try doing the following and report back
1. Check "mobile network standby" usage under the battery settings. If the signal actually is too low, this value should be in high percentages -maybe above 10% of the overall battery consumption.
2. Download and install GSAM/BBS battery monitor app and check the standby drain per hour on 4G/LTE, keeping the phone idle overnight or not use it for an hour during day time. Ideally it should be less than 1-1.5%/hr during the day on idle and overnight should be less than 1.0%/hr on LTE. If this is the case, its only the signal bars and a software issue. Avoid measuring on WIFI as the drain is usually much less on wifi anyways.
3. Download and install 'Network Cell Info" (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wilysis.cellinfolite) and check the actual strength with different phones at the same spot and same time. Cellphones do switch towers frequently even at the same spot. This app will give detailed info on the signal strength and towers (if your telco provides). It will also show where the towers are located approximately and you can compare phones on how they stack up in a similar setting.
4. Force 4g/LTE mode only under network preferences (if available). Check the dBm and ASU levels in this mode and see if it's any different from 5G/4G mode.
If the standby drain is low and the phone lasts a day or more on normal usage, then no need of worry, its the signal bars that are showing wrong. I'd like to hear back from you all as my purchase decision will be based on your feedback on standby drain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here are some stats
https://i.ibb.co/2SwYRRg/mobile-network-standby.png
https://i.ibb.co/5jmytx3/standby-drain.png
https://i.ibb.co/WpztLJN/signal-strength.png
https://i.ibb.co/hdDg6nL/network-cell-info-xperia.png
https://i.ibb.co/RSQwn3Z/network-cell-info-pocophone.jpg
It's really disappointing for a phone that costs around 900 euros to suck at the most important task that it has to do. Yesterday I was sitting with a friend of mine that has an OnePlus 6T. He had full bars and I was between 1 and 2 bars. I haven't seen full bars ANYWHERE. I don't know what is wrong, I hope it's a software bug or something, but I'm not optimistic about that
Sent from my XQ-AS52 using Tapatalk
to compare signal quality you have to download netmonster, bars are not good to make a comparison, however compared to my old mate 20 pro the signal quality is good despite sometimes i have 1 bar if you open netmonster you can see good value, no complain at all , btw i live in Rome.
But I experience also bad quality. WiFi and cellular. My Samsung, iPhone and OnePlus didn't have problems with my WiFi also it's was weak upstairs, but my Sony has sometimes no WiFi at all.
And when calling, not over WiFi, sounds is bad, is dropping a lot.
Looks like Sony can't handle a weak signal as good as other phones?

Categories

Resources