Working on the road.

This will be my last post on signal strength..The Samsung S-10 plus has some signal issues that can only be fixed by a software update as reported by android police..Every phone can have that issue and they will fix it sooner or later with that update..This is why updates are so important on every phone..

Google(Android) gives there updates to Samsung/Verizon/LG etc then those companies go through the original update and modify it to there own specs..Sometimes it is good and other times like this post,it turns out bad for Samsung.

The Galaxy S10+ may be one of the best phones you can buy right now, but based on recent reports and our own testing, there's at least one metric where it falls behind: signal strength. It turns out that a combination of your carrier, the frequency you're connected to, and even going caseless can have a huge impact on the quality of its cellular connection, resulting in measurably lower signal strength compared to other recent phones in our testing.


The issue manifests simply: The reported signal strength on Samsung's Galaxy S10+ is reduced compared to other devices, with devices on some carriers such as Sprint being affected more than others. Even customers of AT&T and T-Mobile, however, are occasionally reporting reduced signal strength. Furthermore, in our own tests, merely holding the phone "wrong" while it isn't in a case can make a big dent in signal strength.

I did mention coverage and why I have a Yagi antenna and two Wilson boosters..You seem to not know how an operating system can change reception also and why I chose to go with Google and get OS updates monthly which can help reception or make it worse..

PC Mag wrote:
As for the users who are having signal issues with their iPhone on iOS 12, PCMag’s testing shows that it’s all tied to the software. As you can see in the chart below, iPhone X units running iOS 12 seems to suffer from some sort of software-released issue when signal strength is weak.

Google/Samsung/Motorola/LG They all have issues sometimes with there OS and updates..Some like Google send a fix immediately and others do not and you have to live with the thing until they fix it..Samsung has been some of the worst in updating there phones to the currant Android system which now is Android 10 with 11 coming out in July probably on the Pixel 4a..

If your running Android which Samsung uses,your at the mercy of Samsung for updates which could include radio adjustments..It could be a good one or a bad one..Your phone could be working perfectly now but download a new system update,and it could be terrible..Samsung has in the past not updated very quickly while Googe who is Android,does it every month for any issues reported..

Jail breaking has nothing to do with radio reception. It seems you neglected to mention coverage in remote areas which is really the issue. Everyone has good enough reception in major metropolitan areas.

I’ll stick with my comment which is really important. You need to support as many channels as possible. It doesn’t do you a bit of good to have good reception on channel x if x channel isn’t available. On the other hand, if the antenna supports y, and you have a radio that supports y, you are good to go.

Bottom line, newer better radios support more channels and when new antennas/towers are added you have more likelihood to have reception.

To make it easy, here’s a link of a search.

https://www.google.com/search?q=smartphones+with+best+antenna&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS771US771&oq=smartphones+with+best+antenna&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60.8576j0j4&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

Fwiw, I don’t hate iphones. My wife likes them. I’m using an iPad Pro at the moment. There was a time when her iphone was better, but now she has an iPhone 11 Plus and it has no signal where my Note 10 does over the pass along I90 for instance.. Take it for what it’s worth. But from what I’ve seen as well, there’s defintely a diffference in the phone you have. Of course, if you are locked into Apple Ecosystem feel free to buy one.

jimh425 wrote:

jaycocreek wrote:
There's not much difference in the new phones and reception...

You are wrong. Just go look at a real tech site instead of going on how things used to be. ;)

From XDA developers,a real high tech cell phone place..They can jail break about every phone out there,and do..Sometimes for a bounty..They provide updated cameras/cell radios/operating systems etc..Some of the best minds out there..

Virtually the same....
Mobile customers planning to do a cell comparison of phone reception strength are pretty much wasting their time.
The majority of cell phones today are so well designed and competitive that they virtually all deliver the same level of service. Users may notice a difference between carriers due to cell site positioning compared to their homes or offices. The closer the cell site is, the better your phone reception is going to be regardless of which cell phone you utilize. Doing a cell comparison phone reception strength of carriers can be a good idea...

PC Magazine wrote:
The LG V40 Has the Best Cellular Reception of Any Phone

You need to go to XDA forums and check out what they have to say about reception..There are only two chips there using now in cell phones..Qualcom and Intel..Qualcom is by far the better chip IMHO.although some like Apple are making the Intel chip better than it has been..

Even at that,the pixel 2 and Note 9 still win out and are older phones.

Our tests used a 20MHz channel of Band 4, which is used by AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and the major Canadian wireless carriers, and attenuated an LTE signal from a strong -85dBm until the modems showed no performance.

The tests pitted the iPhone XS Max against last year’s iPhone X with an Intel modem, as well as the Qualcomm-powered Galaxy Note 9 and Google Pixel 2.

In comparison to the iPhone X, the iPhone XS Max offers much faster performance thanks to its antennas, which now support 4×4 MIMO. In PCMag’s testing, the iPhone X averaged right around 200Mbps download speeds, while the iPhone XS Max averaged just under 400Mbps – both under good signal conditions. That’s a dramatic iPhone XS LTE performance bump compared to last year’s model.
As signal conditions worsen, the iPhone XS Max is still able to hold its ground, though it is very, very slightly outdone by the Qualcomm-powered Pixel 2 and Note 9. This, PCMag explains, shows that the iPhone XS Max is very “well tuned” for low-signal situations.

jaycocreek wrote:
There's not much difference in the new phones and reception...

You are wrong. Just go look at a real tech site instead of going on how things used to be. ;)

The number of channels is remarkably different depending on the cell phone. That impacts whether you can receive signals from all antennas or only some. It’s not just about “distance” because the channels supports is remarkably different depending on the phone.

If you find different documented difference than what I’m pointing out, please do post the links. I’m in an area that has limited towers. Other than carrying both Verizon and AT&T, carrying a newer phone is a dramatic improvement.

Use a signal applifier like a Wilson and make sure you have a very new cellphone with highly rated cell phone radios and can use it as a hotspot. Samsung Note 10s or S10s are some of the best. I’m sure the S20s and Note 20s will also be good.

There's not much difference in the new phones and reception..Actually the LG-40 has one of the best radios around for reception..It used to be Motorola phones were far superior,Noticeably..Samsungs were terrible and Iphones not to bad..

I used to root cell phones and put an operating system of my choice on them including the radio..Now,with the new phones,there is no need to root anymore..I went with Google Pixel phones without all the pre-installed malware others like Samesung and Verizon phones come with you can't delete..Google made it where there is no bloatware with there phones...Stock Android..Period..

I used to be really into cell phones and reception being way back in these Idaho mountains..I have a Yagi directional cell antenna and a high db rooftop antenna..A good high db external antenna is very important for reception as is something like my 2 Wilson 45 DB amps that can be piggy backed to work together for a higher db..

Cell phone reception isn't determined by the bars on the top,some are very inaccurate..The real reception is in setting under about phone, where it list the correct reception in db.. The lower the number the better reception you are receiving.. -70 db is pretty good while -100 is getting pretty weak and anything past -110 to -120 or so, is no reception at all..

If I was wanting to work out of an RV and needed cell reception I would get:
1-A high gain external antenna
2-A booster like a Wilson booster/there cradle works okay but not near as well as there larger 45 DB types..A cradle is about 1/2 that.
3-A Yagi antenna or a directional high gain antenna for when your in place for a while is better than the smaller antennas..
4-A MiFi so everyone can use there phones at the same time..I use my phone(plugged in as it drains the battery pretty quick on hotspot) as a Hotspot when I use my Ipad
5-And last but most important..A cell carrier that does not discriminate against hotspot usage..Verizon prepaid has no cap I am aware of for hotspot use and I have used alot..A Mifi has it's own data allowance but I prefer not to use my Mifi and just use the hotspot feature on my phone..

Use a signal applifier like a Wilson and make sure you have a very new cellphone with highly rated cell phone radios and can use it as a hotspot. Samsung Note 10s or S10s are some of the best. I’m sure the S20s and Note 20s will also be good.

I’m with Geo*Boy though. If you have a 1172 on a Toyota T100, you have other issues to fix first. ;)

I use a Vetizon hotspot with directional antenna as my only internet connection. It works well as my hobby and work connection.

There’s no way you have a Lance 1172 on a Toyota T100.