I mentioned in my recent review of the Verizon Galaxy Nexus some issues with the LTE connectivity on the device. While speed tests in good coverage areas were impressive, I noted the following:
…the upload side was a tad low…around 1Mbps or less. Further, the latency was in the 150ms range, which is higher than what I’m used to with LTE. I also noticed fewer bars, and also less signal strength compared to a DROID Charge, HTC Thunderbolt and a LTE USB stick. This also meant that I was in 3G coverage vs. 4G more when compared to these other devices. Other reviewers have had similar results with the device, and the general consensus is that the device is not as strong RF wise as other devices on the Verizon network.
After digging in this morning with an HTC Thunderbolt and a DROID Charge, I was taken aback by just how big the discrepancy was with signal strength on not one, but two comparison devices. Over 35 dBm difference for both devices. First, the DROID Charge:
Sitting side by side, the Charge shows four bars of service, and -70 dBm in Signal Strength while the Nexus has just one bar, and -107 dBm. Next, the HTC Thunderbolt:
Again, side by side, the Thunderbolt shows four bars and -71 dBm, while the Nexus is at one bar and -107 dBm.
When running speed tests, the Nexus actually performs relatively well, but is still well below what the other devices can pull. First, the Nexus:
Sure, 167ms pings, 8Mbps DL’s and 1.2Mbps UL’s are good, but not that great. When compared to the Charge, everything improves:
So, what’s going 0n here? As most have noted, there are definite RF issues with the Nexus. While it may not impact the general day to day for most people, if you’re in a fringe LTE area, there’s a good chance you’re going to run into issues. No word if this is a Nexus hardware issue, or something related to Ice Cream Sandwich. Hopefully though, it’s something that can be fixed with software.
AnandTech points out something with this, that the dBm reported on the Nexus is for 4G LTE, while the Charge and the Thunderbolt are for 3G data. Switch the Nexus over to 3G, and the dBm reported jumps up to near the reported level of the other devices. Still doesn’t explain the speed and coverage discrepancies I’ve seen, but it’s nice to have some light shed on why the dBm spread was so large.
Verizon Monday acknowledged the issue, saying:
The signal strength issue is currently being investigated. We don’t have an ETA, but a software update is being developed.
Verizon Wireless spokesperson Brenda Raney told Computerworld Wednesday that the update
“…will adjust the signal strength indicator to more closely match other Verizon Wireless devices.”
Source: VZWSupport – Twitter via Droid Life
Mickey Papillon
Joey Koppes
This is not a fair test, actually. The Charge’s dBm are actually showing the 3G CDMA network’s signal strength, not LTE. The Nexus, however, is showing LTE signal strength.
What you need to do to do a true reception test is put both phones in 3G only and then compare dBm. This won’t compare LTE signal, but 3G CDMA signal. In my experience, the Nexus isn’t very good at all at holding onto a CDMA 3G signal.
Agreed. I linked to an AndanTech article at the end of the post to clarify the discrepancy in the dBm level.
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