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hey guys, first post around here and I have a question for the masses. Currently I'm on AT&T with the Captivate but we are going to have to switch off Ma Bell due to coverage issues at our house (we are going cell-only). My decision to get the Captivate earlier was easy: I had to stay with AT&T and it easily the best phone they had. And I actually like the phone now that I've gotten a Froyo build and the GPS works. But now that we are out of contract I'm unsure where to go and what phone to get (or to wait).
I know that T-Mobile and Verizon get the best coverage at our house and those are the two carriers I'm considering. As far as Android phones are concerned, if I'm coming from the Captivate, which phone do you think I would be most satisfied with? Droid 2? G2? MyTouch 4G?
Or should I wait for this Nexus S to come out? Having quick updates is huge and as a former iPhone owner, its nice to not have the carriers put their grubby mitts on them.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
nexus one, droid 2 or vibrant if you like the galaxy s series, but thats my opinion
T-Mobile has WiFi calling as well and that's a great asset to have. If you're 100% positive that T-Mobile has the coverage you need you should go with them and get a G2 or myTouch 4G.. the DEFY is nice but it's more mid-range. I would wait for FroYo before getting the Vibrant. Then you have Windows Phone 7 if you're looking at one of those.
See if T-Mobile is offering "4G" speeds in your area. If they are, you might want to grab the myTouch 4G or the G2. The G2 looks awesome IMO.
BTW, I used the GPS on a G2 and it was flawless
G2
motorola droidx
HTC EVO
Agraceffa said:
hey guys, first post around here and I have a question for the masses. Currently I'm on AT&T with the Captivate but we are going to have to switch off Ma Bell due to coverage issues at our house (we are going cell-only). My decision to get the Captivate earlier was easy: I had to stay with AT&T and it easily the best phone they had. And I actually like the phone now that I've gotten a Froyo build and the GPS works. But now that we are out of contract I'm unsure where to go and what phone to get (or to wait).
I know that T-Mobile and Verizon get the best coverage at our house and those are the two carriers I'm considering. As far as Android phones are concerned, if I'm coming from the Captivate, which phone do you think I would be most satisfied with? Droid 2? G2? MyTouch 4G?
Or should I wait for this Nexus S to come out? Having quick updates is huge and as a former iPhone owner, its nice to not have the carriers put their grubby mitts on them.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I vote for waiting on the Nexus S and at least see what it's about. If you get a phone and discover the Nexus S is a much better phone, you'll be kicking yourself for the next two years.
T-Mobile -G2
Verizon - Droid 2/ Droid X (depending upon the keyboard want/need. I'd go D2)
Sprint - Evo
I personally love Android, and at this point in time, can't imagine using another smartphone OS.
Get a Microcell
If it is just a coverage issue, get an AT&T Microcell. No contract required, just uses your existing minutes and internet connection. I have one at work due to zero signal...works like a champ!
second the microcell.
call ATT and politely tell them that you plan on leaving because the coverage inside your house is not up to par. when they send you to retention services, tell them that you'd stay if the coverage was better IN YOUR HOUSE and most likely they'll offer you a microcell for free
Sprint ---> EVO
Verizon ---> Droid X or 2 depending on your stance on QWERTY
T-Mobile ---> G2 or HD7 depending on your stance on WP7
AT&T ---> Cry
I like this option to start, I never thought of complaining to AT&T as a first step. Since I have other options, whats the worst that could happen, right? That broadband pipe is going to get some serious traffic . . .
For the other phone, I was thinking Droid X or G2. I love the design of the Cappy and in my opinion, the myTouch 4G and the Vibrant/Fascinate seem to be a step down. Most likely it will be the Droid X or waiting until the Nexus S "issue" is resolved. I'm a little skeptical of the G2 hinge after seeing it in store.
If you go with t mobile you can use your captivate until you figure out what phone you want. (if you unlock it)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
sblees said:
If you go with t mobile you can use your captivate until you figure out what phone you want. (if you unlock it)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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true but no 3g service, right?
Agraceffa said:
true but no 3g service, right?
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Click to collapse
Well that I'm not sure about.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
T-Mobile exclusively uses the AWS 1700/2100 MHz frequency-band. Not compatible with other 3g services in the U.S.
mikegy2002 said:
T-Mobile exclusively uses the AWS 1700/2100 MHz frequency-band. Not compatible with other 3g services in the U.S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's what I thought. Same as using an iPhone on T-mobile. It'll work but you'll just be stuck on Edge like speeds.
Longtime GSM user, both AT&T and T-Mobile. I have a terminal aversion to CDMA but LTE looks intriguing. I use, roughly, between 13-20GB per month. Voice usage is almost nonexistent. I do text frequently.
I've been eyeballing a fellow coworkers Thunderbolt. (I'm also enititled to a 20% discount through work.) My questions:
Are you guys happy with your Thunderbolts? Like the screen? Does the LTE SIM work like GSM, just find another LTE phone pop and go? (I phone hop like mad!) LTE coverage in Ohio is actually pretty good. Your ETF is $350? (Once the AT&T&T mereger is done 12-16 months down the road I may switch back. Any general thoughts to add?
I'm happy to listen to anyone!!
I was a longtime ATT user (and Cingular before that, THOSE were the days) before switching for the TBolt. I enjoy the screen, better than my old Blackberry and since I mainly use texting/email on it instead of video, I actually prefer the screen to a SAMOLED. In theory, LTE SIM switching should work, but there hasn't been another LTE VZW device to test that with (another week and we'll know). And yes, ETF is $350 now, just like ATT.
Out of curiosity, why would you switch back soon down the road? ATT's (even if they acquire T-Mobile) "4G" technology is so far behind LTE that it's laughable. That's why I switched, ATT spent too long dawdling around not really improving their network infrastructure, at least where I live.
I use about 120 to 80 Gb monthly now that this is my only net connection. The best thing about it is the price monthly. I'm paying for a data only plan which is 50 a month unlimited before my 25 percent discount. For texting I use Google voice app and I have GV forwarded to a sipgate #, running SIPdroid on the tbolt to get my calls. Result is unlimited calls text and internet tethering for 37 bucks a month. Ya the phone ain't cheap upfront but it really is like having a cable modem in your pocket. I love it
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
I just got the T-bolt and I am impressed. Although I have not tasted any 4G yet, it is a very solid phone. The battery life is not great, but that is to be expected of such a device. Getting a bigger battery seems to be the only option. I love the screen and cannot wait to watch movies on it! Waiting for a netflix app
bmstrong said:
Longtime GSM user, both AT&T and T-Mobile. I have a terminal aversion to CDMA but LTE looks intriguing. I use, roughly, between 13-20GB per month. Voice usage is almost nonexistent. I do text frequently.
I've been eyeballing a fellow coworkers Thunderbolt. (I'm also enititled to a 20% discount through work.) My questions:
Are you guys happy with your Thunderbolts? Like the screen? Does the LTE SIM work like GSM, just find another LTE phone pop and go? (I phone hop like mad!) LTE coverage in Ohio is actually pretty good. Your ETF is $350? (Once the AT&T&T mereger is done 12-16 months down the road I may switch back. Any general thoughts to add?
I'm happy to listen to anyone!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The LTE SIM does not work like GSM just yet. Verizon has it on a white list. They have to approve the device it will be in. They say that they are adding approved devices all the time but not sure which devices have been added. I think they are pushing more for the LTE SIM to be taken out of your phone and you put it in a camcorder, DSLR camera and make the devices shoot live feeds. I had read this on howard forums. I would love for HTC have it where you could custom build your phone and just pop in the LTE sim card. Just think pick your own screen, ram, internal memory, speaker, etc.
howardforums.com/showthread.php/1703825-Thunderbolt-and-ALL-future-4G-VZW-devices-require-a-UICC-SIM-card.
warning wall of text
I remember hating verizon for crippling the bluetooth on my v710? swearing never to go back. I've been GSM since cingular dropped tdma and I switched my 3360 and got a 6620. Then winmo starting with an htc wizard up until an HD2 that I converted to android. Wife has gone from thinking I'm nuts to giving up on my smartphone crack habit. Been mostly cingular/AT&T with a few bad romances with Tmo where I think "this time the reception will be better" (last time cause I really wanted the HD2). Then I walk out of the lumber yard and get 4 voicemails all saying generally wtf are you??
Then along comes the thunderbolt. I'm currently carrying an tmo HD2 running android and cause it's better than my fuze... a hacked beyond belief iphone on att. A friend hands me his verizon phone and I walk through my 7 story concrete/glass office building with the verizon, at&t, and tmo phone all showing signal strength. Tmo fades early as expected. There's a few times where verizon gets beat but most of the time it's got a 5 db advantage.
So a saleslady at the verizon store loans her thunderbolt and I try it in a fringe area (my house). Coverage is better with the thunderbolt and while at&t speedtests better and seems to load faster initially, verizon never hiccups and pauses like at&t and loads every single webpage before at&t completes.
So then the pro's cons.
I have 7 gsm phones all unlocked that I can bring up either att or tmo on but my att contract is up and my tmo is just a $5/mo family line that I just use text on.
unlimited data. I dont have 4g here but it's a chance to grandfather in on unlimited high speed data. Previous calls to at&t complaining about having 4 iphone non-tech unlimited users on my plan where I'm the geek yet I'm the only one without unlim data fall on deaf ears. I may not use the 5 gig I've got but it's a pain having to worry.
Verizon? Really? After laughing at people who were forced to use get it now to get their pictures off their phone? After swearing never to return when they crippled the firmware on the v710? And CDMA?
But the lure of unlimited data gets me to try a thunderbolt. I get in on a 1 year contract and I too get a healthy discount.
Fast forward 3 weeks. Rooted & flashed a non vzw rom after 4 days. 14 day return day came in went without a thought. The iphone is in my desk and the tmo hd2 will probably get turned into a winmo phone when I get time just to see if it's more than an xbox facebook extension. I find there are many times I havent even bothered to turn on wifi since web pages load without pauses, hiccups or waiting. Was going to hold out for a dual core but I've got no complaints. The screen colors seem much more vibrant than my hd2. I got the extended battery but even with not being able to put the phone down be it texting or internet I still last all day on the regular battery. Besides, by now I've got a usb charger about every 5 feet at home.
very tough call and it took a lot to get past going back to verizon and cdma but I'm glad I did. Sorry if I stepped on any toes windows phone, iphone, tmo fanboys, and grammar nazi's. Just MHO. Got a microcell to help not drop calls and still do on att. Verizon goes without extra help and doesnt drop calls. Texts are quick but break at 160chars. I use the phone to monitor several production unix machines so quick sms was imperative.
Drop me a line if you have other q's. I'm generally a lurker but always up for helping. Feel your pain in deciding..
Well this is my first smartphone so I don't have any comparison. But I love it. Love the screen and it's 4.3" of manlyness. I really never understood why people have such animosity for CDMA vs GSM. Yes I get the whole SIM card thing, but is that the only reason?
For me, it was the problem of no data while on a call. Never again AT&T, never again.
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
Longtime GSM user, both AT&T and T-Mobile. I have a terminal aversion to CDMA but LTE looks intriguing. I use, roughly, between 13-20GB per month. Voice usage is almost nonexistent. I do text frequently.
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Click to collapse
Just curious, but what do you have against CDMA other than you cant port to other carriers as easy as GSM? I found CDMA voice is generally better than GSM. The ThunderBolt still uses voice for CDMA so other than it being fast for data over what is considered GSM, it's still pretty much a CDMA phone in the sense it's locked to verizon (probably more so since you cant take it to other CMDA carriers either).
ATT will be going to LTE sometime next year as well though, so eventually when phones are using LTE for voice and data, you would be able to switch between carriers (assuming they both support the same frequency of LTE, there's 2 of them) and different phones on the same carrier
I love my tbolt. I went from a D1 to the TB, and was a little scared of leaving all the great ROMs, kernels and support on my D1 (was running CM7 nightlies with the deprimed kernel on droidforums and that thing ran more amazing than it ever did) but made the jump to get in on 4G before a rumored switch to tiered plans. And I couldn't be happier, I do miss CM and prime's kernels, but the devs have been putting out some great things on the TB. Adrynalyne and thatdudebutch have an amazing ROM with das BAMF 1.5 remix and I'm running imoseyon's lean xtreme kernel. And since development is young on this phone, I can only see it getting better
I wish I could recomend this phone over my Droid x but the battery life is so pitiful in comparison. Don't get me wrong I love the thunderbolt and having 4g is nice (Seattle) but having to be tethered to the wall on charger almost constantly is just annoying. My Droid x would go all day and had better outdoor visibility. The auto brightness on the tbolt is wack. The new blur on gingerbread also puts sense to shame. Onevgreat thing about the tbolt is the camera is really good and very fast. While the Droid x takes great shots it slow to snap them.
In short I'd recomend the Droid x over the thunderbolt.
My upgrade is in 4 days, and im thinking of the thunderbolt, i have no 4g in my area, they say by the holidays maybe.
That being said i love my incredible but want a bigger screen, is this work upgrading or should i wait until the next 4g phones come out. I only want an HTC phone.
yareally said:
ATT will be going to LTE sometime next year as well though, so eventually when phones are using LTE for voice and data, you would be able to switch between carriers (assuming they both support the same frequency of LTE, there's 2 of them) and different phones on the same carrier
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Click to collapse
I have heard that AT&T will *not* use the same bands as Verizon. Here is an article stating something less general, but indicative of this discrepancy:
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story...ice-wont-roam-verizons-lte-network/2010-10-26
jakaro said:
My upgrade is in 4 days, and im thinking of the thunderbolt, i have no 4g in my area, they say by the holidays maybe.
That being said i love my incredible but want a bigger screen, is this work upgrading or should i wait until the next 4g phones come out. I only want an HTC phone.
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Click to collapse
Personally, I think it's worth it. The thing's fast, smooth, and powerful (insert joke here). It works well on 3g, and when 4g comes to you (or you travel to a 4g market), you will DEFINITELY not regret it!
I would consider waiting on galaxy 2. That thing looks like a complete beast.
Not you fat Jesus
Legacystar said:
I wish I could recomend this phone over my Droid x but the battery life is so pitiful in comparison. Don't get me wrong I love the thunderbolt and having 4g is nice (Seattle) but having to be tethered to the wall on charger almost constantly is just annoying. My Droid x would go all day and had better outdoor visibility. The auto brightness on the tbolt is wack. The new blur on gingerbread also puts sense to shame. Onevgreat thing about the tbolt is the camera is really good and very fast. While the Droid x takes great shots it slow to snap them.
In short I'd recomend the Droid x over the thunderbolt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get the extended battery my phone now lasts 30+ hours when my Droid X would be luck to last 15 even with liberty installed.
Sent from my Gingerbreaded Thunderbolt.
Im just curious to what dual core phones will be coming out by HTC. I am also worried about these random reboots.
One other thing, but how is the developer community on this phone, im sure its huge being the only 4gphone.
Edit: make that second on vzw
Since it's verizon a dual core htc is a year away lol
And samsung is samsung...
Thunderbolt «» das BAMF Remix
jakaro said:
One other thing, but how is the developer community on this phone, im sure its huge being the only 4gphone.
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Click to collapse
The dev community here is freaking awesome. They've been busting ass to get stuff working, tweaked, and corrected. Great group of guys.
Alrighty then, anybody have the extended battery, how does it feel, i love mine on my incredible.
Well, my Incredible is up on Craigslist, if i sell it ill be on the thunderbolt!
A lot of troubles with Triumph? Motorola not fixing software? There is an alternative now.
People have choice to switch to Samsung Exhibit II 4G on T-Mobile. It is 194.98 in Walmart and has monthly no contract Monthly4G plan - 100 min talk + unlimited text + unlimited web - USD 30/Month
Walmart.com: T-Mobile Samsung T679 Exhibit II 4G Prepaid Android Smartphone: Cell Phones
Monthly4G Plan details:
Walmart.com: (Email Delivery) New T-Mobile Monthly4G $30 Unlimited Web & Text with 100 min of talk: Cell Phones
Specs and review:
Android 2.3
3.7 Inch AMOLED screen
1 GHz Processor
512 MB RAM
4 GB ROM
Front Camera VGA
3 MP Rear Camera
wi-fi calling
DLNA
VPN
GSM Quadband - Can be used all over the world if unlocked
HSDPA, 14.4 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
More detail specs at:
Features and Specifications - Samsung Exhibit
Review at:
Samsung Exhibit II 4G Review - Watch CNET's Video Review
I compared features of Triumph and Exhibit II 4G and found that HDMI port is missing in Exhibit II 4G. However, it has FM Radio hardware, 3.0 Bluetooth, and wi-fi Hotspot (T-Mobile official).
Compare Mobile Phones, Cell phone Comparisons - Compare Specifications, Prices, Pictures, Videos
EducateAndInnovate said:
I compared features of Triumph and Exhibit II 4G and found that HDMI port is missing in Exhibit II 4G. However, it has FM Radio hardware, 3.0 Bluetooth, and wi-fi Hotspot (T-Mobile official).
Compare Mobile Phones, Cell phone Comparisons - Compare Specifications, Prices, Pictures, Videos
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going to play pessimistic jerk (not hard for me) because I loved my Triumph. So here's my "Triumph over Exhibit" list:
The Triumph pretends to be a Motorola, but the Exhibit pretends to be a Galaxy SII. Why either company is trying for the honor of "worst phone with our high-end label on it" I will not know, but this SII isn't.
The screen is smaller. Than a Galaxy S.
The camera has fewer pixels. Two million. That's pixel genocide.
I strongly doubt T-Mobile included a hotspot feature unless they really got sloppy. A lot of websites list specs that aren't there, or list arbitrary specs. I won't believe they did that one until I see evidence.
I honestly would go buy one if I could somehow get my triumph sold, but it seems like once a phone is activated on VM you're pretty much screwed. You can call them up and transfer it to another VM number... but nobody in the market for a phone will want to deal with all that.
The 100 minutes is a killer, but if you're a voip user its not really an issue. The only thing that REALLY makes me want to switch is the 4g. I guess ill just hold out and hope that VM eventually upgrades their mobile network.
Sent from my Triumph using XDA App
eShrooms said:
I honestly would go buy one if I could somehow get my triumph sold, but it seems like once a phone is activated on VM you're pretty much screwed. You can call them up and transfer it to another VM number... but nobody in the market for a phone will want to deal with all that.
The 100 minutes is a killer, but if you're a voip user its not really an issue. The only thing that REALLY makes me want to switch is the 4g. I guess ill just hold out and hope that VM eventually upgrades their mobile network.
Sent from my Triumph using XDA App
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Click to collapse
Oh bah. After destroying my last Triumph I would be happy to buy a used one as long as it worked. Maybe you should hook me up once I get $200 to spend on it.
Sent from my LG-VM701 using Tapatalk
primetechv2 said:
Oh bah. After destroying my last Triumph I would be happy to buy a used one as long as it worked. Maybe you should hook me up once I get $200 to spend on it.
Sent from my LG-VM701 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Out of curiosity, how did you "destroy" your last Triumph? What happened to it?
primetechv2 said:
Oh bah. After destroying my last Triumph I would be happy to buy a used one as long as it worked. Maybe you should hook me up once I get $200 to spend on it.
Sent from my LG-VM701 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously, call Virgin Mobile, tell them the truth, they'll probably replace it.
After using the 4.1" screen of the Triumph, I wouldn't be able to go down to 3.7".
After using the 4.1" screen of the Triumph, I wouldn't be able to go down to 3.7".[/QUOTE]
That's my killer. After having a large screen I don't think I could go smaller. Besides now running MIUI it's a really nice phone.
All I can say is the op must be a salesman, he/she has this same exact thread posted on just about every android forum I read.
IMHO it (samsung exhibit II) is a downgrade to the triumph, however, the one thing it has that I wish the triumph (virgin mobile/sprint) had was GSM.
I think the triumph kicks @ss with CM7, hopefully CM9 works just as well
tannerzion said:
Seriously, call Virgin Mobile, tell them the truth, they'll probably replace it.
After using the 4.1" screen of the Triumph, I wouldn't be able to go down to 3.7".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, Mister Rep, my friend was using the phone and got extremely angry at it. And seems to have smashed the screen. And poked it. And attempted to snap it in half, crosswise. Am I still eligible for phone insurance?
No, Mister Rep, he's not my friend anymore.
FM Radio
Hello OP,
You wrote -
I compared features of Triumph and Exhibit II 4G and found that HDMI port is missing in Exhibit II 4G. However, it has FM Radio hardware, 3.0 Bluetooth, and wi-fi Hotspot (T-Mobile official).
What will it take to activate the FM Radio in Exhibit II?
Thanks.
Exhibit II 4G discussion areas
Exhibit II 4G discussion areas
Since we don't have a forum we've centralized at the links below:
Exhibit II 4g discussion HERE
Exhibit II 4g dev thread HERE
Exhibit II 4g Wiki HERE
All thought the exhibit out-specs the triumph in some departments the triumph has ALOT more custom ROMS.We have MIUI based on android 2.3 and cm7 and th devs are working on MIUI v4 and cm9 in the works,not to mention alot other smaller ROMS
MotoTriu said:
All thought the exhibit out-specs the triumph in some departments the triumph has ALOT more custom ROMS.We have MIUI based on android 2.3 and cm7 and th devs are working on MIUI v4 and cm9 in the works,not to mention alot other smaller ROMS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually it under specs the MT in most departments. The only thing that it has over the MT is 4g and maybe less hardware bugs. If you want an alternate get any post paid T-mobile phone and get a prepaid activation kit activate it online and choose the $30 plan. There are plenty of dual core 4g phone's that you can get for fairly cheap used or new on ebay, amazon, or craigslist.
good deal as a backup plan, but I'm still at grandfathered prices so still happy and comfy with my triumph and service
I would rather get a Galaxy S 4G in good condition for that much $$...
Triumph is probably the best bang for buck as far as the spec/features you get. Only thing is they skimped on the hardware quality, so it's a crap shoot whether it'll be a lemon or not.
I may be the only one, but I'm going to stick with Virgin because of their awesome customer service. Yes, you may have to speak to several thickly accented indians before you are speaking to the right person, but once you are, they are really helpful usually. My old triumph broke (think it was overheating, but not sure; bought it used), and after telling them it wouldn't turn on, they agreed to send me a refurb. After waiting 5 days to get the refurb (they told me they would overnight it), I got a month of service for free. Not sure how good T-Mobile is.
Also, the plan is much MUCH better on Virgin. I can go over 300 minutes a month without being forced to permanently change plans. The $30/month gives you 100 minutes and unless you change plans to a much more expensive plan, you cannot get more. And if you change to the more expensive plan, you are not allowed to revert to the $30/month plan unless you buy a new SIM card. Pretty ridiculous.
I'm kinda confuse too. I have my triumph since September, paying $25 a month and can't really complain. But Most of the time when I'm home, people keep saying that they can't call me even my phone is on.
I also having a TM samsung vibrant right now that is not in use. I am thinking about going for that $30 plan and have better services. ( If it announced before I bought my triumph I may not be here lol )
gary93 said:
I'm kinda confuse too. I have my triumph since September, paying $25 a month and can't really complain. But Most of the time when I'm home, people keep saying that they can't call me even my phone is on.
I also having a TM samsung vibrant right now that is not in use. I am thinking about going for that $30 plan and have better services. ( If it announced before I bought my triumph I may not be here lol )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just so you're aware, being on Tmobile will not give you better service (necessarily). Your signal depends on where you live. For example, where I currently am, Tmobile has no signal, but Sprint/VM has an awesome signal. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe Sprint has a larger network than Tmobile. Can anyone else verify?
xxBrun0xx said:
Just so you're aware, being on Tmobile will not give you better service (necessarily). Your signal depends on where you live. For example, where I currently am, Tmobile has no signal, but Sprint/VM has an awesome signal. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe Sprint has a larger network than Tmobile. Can anyone else verify?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well T-MO is the smallest of the 4 networks so I would assume that would mean they have a smaller network. Although where I am I get a almost perfect signal with T-MO and got hardly any signal with VM. The best thing that you could do would be to check coverage maps... (although the VM map for my area says I'm in a good signal area...)
Just a thought but does anyone else really feel that in this day and age with TuneIn and numerous other internet radio apps that having an fm tuner in your phone is a major plus selling point. With modern technology almost seems to be a solution to a non-existent problem, Oh well just my thought for the day, Clint
For the last 12 years, I have been a Sprint customer. I haven't had any serious issues with them until they started rolling out the tower updates to LTE. Since then, I have not been about to get satellite locks or use their web network without becoming absolutely frustrated. After a bit of web searching, I decided it was time to make the move to Verizon, since I need the web, on the road, for work. I made the choice of the Galaxy S III. It's a great looking phone and the specs speak for themselves. But, I got terrible service in and around my home. Every phone call in my house was breaking up and dropping. I figured it must be Verizon because this phone was a step up from my Sprint Epic 4G touch and even from the same manufacturer. I made calls to customer service and they wrote up a ticket to check service in my area. My nextdoor neighbor came home with his new iPhone (I will never buy an iPhone or any mac product) and showed me that he had almost full bars. I asked him to come to my house and see if he still had great service. No change in or around my home. This caused me to think there was something faulty with my device. I immediately went to the Verizon store with my device for troubleshooting. I told the service rep what had happened and that I wanted to get my phone tested and possibly get a replacement. She told me that the problems I was experiencing were common with Samsung phones because they have weak antennas. She mentioned that the best phones for reception are going to be the iPhones and the Motorolas. I believe this to be true because in my pre-smartphone days, I had a sanyo flip phone and my work partner had the latest samsung doohicky that looked sweet but, where he would have little to no service, I would have full bars. Until I got my first smartphone, I stuck with sanyo phones from Sprint and never had any issues.
Now the lineup of Verizon phones is pretty much last year's model for the top of the liners. So, I've gone back to Sprint until the Razor Maxx HD arrives. It looks to be a beast of a phone that surpasses the galaxy S III and is sure to have a good antenna/radio to go along with it. I just hope it doesn't take very long.
And you made this thread why? Are you asking something of the community? If not, this thread should be deleted
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
hopesrequiem said:
And you made this thread why? Are you asking something of the community? If not, this thread should be deleted
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
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I don't think the thread should be deleted (but that's just me). I didn't know Samsung phones had this issue and its always good to know general info. Thanks to the OP for it. Next time an issue like this happens with me or any of my friends and if they have a Samsung phone, I would know at least one more variable to take into consideration.
I agree 100%, my service is terrible. My og Droid always had great reception, this phone (although no calls dropped) Fluctuates a lot. I love this phone though, and have no intentions of changing. I just wish it was a bit better is all
I don't see how the RARZ Maxx surpasses the S3. It is a nice phone but doesn't bring anything new to the table that the S3 doesn't already have except the large battery but, battery is not an issue with the S3 anyway.
I'm on Sprint and thinking about switching to Verizon so this is helpful to think about. I might not have considered a Motorola but now I think I'll at least give them a closer look.
Sent from my PC36100 using xda app-developers app
Not sure of the issues or rumors about their radio or antenna, but at least my Galaxy S III has been connecting as well as my old feature phones - by which I mean, solidly.
4G is sometimes less available than I want - e.g., there's a space of 3 blocks nearby where it's dead (odd) - but that's the only issue.
- ooofest
motorola phones are well known for getting exceptional reception.
if you live in an area where the signal strength is poor, i can understand when people end up hating certain phones.
in my case, i have never had any issues with the gs3 when it comes to reception.
BEFORE PEOPLE START BASHING TO OP, HE/SHE ISN'T SAYING THE GS3 IS A BAD PHONE FOR ITS HARDWARE (except the antenna). Yes, it is a beast of a phone.
But at the end of the day, it's still a phone and if you can't send/receive phone calls.. well, it should be replaced.
A relationship without trust is like a cell phone without service ... all you do is play games
I am a diehard Motorola guy but I went ahead and tried the SGS3. What the OP is stating is true, the Samsung radio sucks in comparison to Motorola. I am now fortunate enough to have strong enough Verizon signal at my house so I was able to keep my SGS3. Now I get 3 bars at home when with my Motorola DroidX was always full. I looked at the Droid RAZR MAXX hard and heavy, kept trying to talk myself into it, but ... it just didn't feel right in my hand. I am satisfied with my SGS3 but I still hope Motorola comes out with something good for my next upgrade.
I agree, I think this post is fine for the Verizon Galaxy S III General section of the forum!
Future modem updates will surely remedy the issue. It was the same way with the Fascinate, crappy until the radio got a couple updates.
Sent from my Galaxy S III using Xda Premium
I get good reception at my house with the S3, but my territory at work is 920ish square miles of rural area. I've noticed areas where I had 3G before switching to Sprint 3 years ago when I had a Motorola phone I do not now that I'm back with Verizon. If anything, I would have thought in the 3 years it would have improved. Like the OP, I believe it to be the phone, not the service as other guys at work don't have that problem and don't have skips when streaming music like I do on the same roads.
I'm also waiting for the Razr HD Maxx to release. Our local retail agent has their demo already so they suspect it to be within a month or so. I'm eBaying this S3 as soon as it is released since I'm outside my window to return it.
In the meantime, hopefully the latest OTA helps reception.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Future modem updates will surely remedy the issue. It was the same way with the Fascinate, crappy until the radio got a couple updates.<br />
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Sent from my Galaxy S III using Xda Premium
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Hope you're right. Sometimes I wanna go back to my rezound.
Gs3
I have the same problem. Switched from Sprint to Verizon. GSIII. Unless the signal is nearly full strength, calls are unusable and data is inconsistent, and texts won't send. It's definitely the phone's fault, not the network.
Might be good for some folks here to call Verizon and submit a complaint, etc. When I called about a networking issue a couple months back, they told me a wi-fi and other reception/signal related issues were planned for an October update (which they called the second update from Samsung, so that seems to mesh with our getting the current OTA in September), but maybe those plans or the update contents have changed.
And, since the OTA, they can more easily diagnose issues with your phone remotely .
- ooofest
Am I the only one that's satisfied with the GS3's signal strength? I came from a droid incredible and now I seem to have better signal across the board.
I've noticed that the phone manages signal poorly rather than the radios themselves being poor.
Example: If I use phone info and manually set my phone to 4g only or LTE w/ CDMA I will lock onto 4g and have a solid signal. If I rely on the default setting (LTE/EVDO/CDMA) to manage networks automatically I will end up with a weak 3g signal (with full data drops) despite medium/strong 4g being available.
Hopefully the future OTAs will take care of the network selection logic.
Div033 said:
Am I the only one that's satisfied with the GS3's signal strength? I came from a droid incredible and now I seem to have better signal across the board.
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One more fully satisfied customer here.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
When I compare this phone to a Razr Maxx or my old Droid X2, the difference in dbm is about -5. I live in an area with good coverage so I really haven't had any issues. What this phone SUCKS at is sticking with 4g and the hand off from 4g to 3g. It switches to 3g too quickly...should hold on to 4g. When it switches there's a pretty good lag during the switch so you lose data briefly.
The modem update gave me an additional 1-2 bars in my house at times (Still fluctuations, but it would anyhow here). I can't say it's any worse than my Droid Inc.
As for Verizon having a "poor phone choice"... Meh. It goes in cycles. Sometimes they have all the good phones, sometimes AT&T does. It's all variant as to when you are looking to buy.
lets be honest here. No company is 100% stable in all areas. Theres always a tradeoff, and as our lives change, as well as our residences, places of work, and hangouts, our choice of company may change to meet our new needs. In my area Verizon meets my needs best, but my neighbor might have a different story.
I think its unfair to judge a carrier in absolutes unless you're talking about a very densely populated area like a major city. If you set foot in the middle of manhattan and have 1 bar, I think that's an appropriate time to speak in absolutes.
And on the topic of smartphones, I think its an exercise in futility. My S3 is the best phone I've ever owned, despite the small glitches and imperfections. Did I buy it because it was the best phone out there? Absolutely. Did I know at the time of purchase it could be obsolete by the time I reached my car? I counted on it. Am I boring you all by answering my own rhetorical questions? Undoubtedly.
As long as you're happy with your phone and it meets your needs, good for you. If you're unhappy do something about it. But be warned, if you spend time comparing your phone to another one already out or soon to come out, you'll almost never feel good with the results.
Just wanted to say hello to all of you here and thank you for giving me a library of info to sift through so I could play with my phone.
I currently have an HTC EVO Shift with the proposed 4G. rocking out with the infamous 2.0 rom and it is S-OFF, android 2.3.5, and rooted.
Don't really have any stoopid noob questions other than the reason I said it has the proposed 4G is that I was told that sprint has basically abandoned the 4G thing and is going in another direction by a supervisor in there tech. dept. Anybody else heard this? I mean it's not like SPRINT has never done this before. Does anybody remember the samsung instinct? It was marketed as the iphone killer then 6 months later (if that), it was abandoned. So really, thank you all you great and mighty gods of cell phones without all of you I'd still have a crap stock phone.
I 'think' you are refering to the fact that sprint has abandoned their wimax plans(a while back) and are now pushing forward with LTE. Both are different types of 4g technologies, wimax being what our phone supports, and LTE being the tech most of the industry has adopted/is adopting.
If you get wimax where you are you will still be able to for a while, sprint is just no longer expanding it.
BigSplit said:
I 'think' you are refering to the fact that sprint has abandoned their wimax plans(a while back) and are now pushing forward with LTE. Both are different types of 4g technologies, wimax being what our phone supports, and LTE being the tech most of the industry has adopted/is adopting.
If you get wimax where you are you will still be able to for a while, sprint is just no longer expanding it.
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Actually it never really meant anything to me. I could switch my phone to 4G, this one and my now retired nexus s, and I'd actually get worse signal strength. Like to the point of NO signal. So the only good it did for me was assist in draining my battery.
vamp8267 said:
Actually it never really meant anything to me. I could switch my phone to 4G, this one and my now retired nexus s, and I'd actually get worse signal strength. Like to the point of NO signal. So the only good it did for me was assist in draining my battery.
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One of the reasons Wimax was abandoned lol, they still have it in my city, but it's only like a 5 mile radius that you can get it in.
All My Work-http://d-h.st/users/bilgerryan/?fld_id=0#files