Google Nexus 5 by LG Users Thread!

[HTCandroid]

I really think that AJ actually nailed the issue in his post here -- the lack of SVLTE support is likely the reason for this. The CDMA radio is being turned off while connected to LTE, but when it is needed, it switches LTE off and CDMA back on. If the radio is off, SignalCheck and your app aren't wrong -- it's not connected to a 1X site.

 

For what it's worth, afazel (thanks!) has been helping me out with some testing.. I can confirm that none of the built-in Android routines are returning any CDMA info while the Nexus 5 is connected to LTE. The old-school routines that SignalCheck uses and the newer Android API functions only report LTE data while connected to LTE on the Nexus 5. No CDMA information at all.

 

-Mike

 

What other devices lack SVLTE support?

[WiWavelength]

As far as the SignalCheck issues go, as far as I can tell so far the system doesn't actually report any 1X data at all while connected to LTE. Throwing the phone into 1X or 3G mode will report CDMA info. Every app is likely to have this issue unless the Android framework itself is fixed to report the data being collected by the radio that's visible in the debug app (disassembling the APK might give some clue as to where to get this info from, like it did for getting the GCI on HTC devices).

Just FYI, for those wondering about the Nexus 5 CDMA1X engineering screen signal metrics, here is what I posted this afternoon in the SignalCheck thread:

 

We have a number of recent posts on this phenomenon -- both in this thread and in the Nexus 5 thread.  I am not sure where to respond.  But I will at least run down the basics here.

 

Since the Nexus 5 is a non SVDO, non SVLTE handset, it is connected to only one airlink at a time.  This may seem foreign now, since we grew accustomed to first SVDO, then SVLTE over the past few years.  But some of you should recall the years prior to SVDO handsets.  You could have an active EV-DO data session yet still receive an incoming call -- even though EV-DO did not support circuit switched voice.  The data session was paused, as the handset dropped back to CDMA1X to take the call.

 

Something similar is happening in this case.  Support is baked into the 3GPP protocol.  Since SVDO and SVLTE are out of the equation, the handset camps on LTE.  Meanwhile, the CDMA1X radio is off because there is only one radio path.  When a call comes in, LTE signals the handset to drop back to CDMA1X for circuit switched voice.  Then, the CDMA1X radio comes alive.

 

This may sound complicated, but it is almost exactly what happens to those high and mighty W-CDMA users.  I have posted this numerous times, but many people fail to realize that almost no W-CDMA handsets support SVLTE.  They idle on LTE, but LTE signals them to drop back to W-CDMA or even GSM for circuit switched voice -- much as described above with LTE and CDMA1X.

 

Oh, to add one more thing, I would have to double check, but I expect the VZW variant G2 supports SVLTE.  So, it may behave differently from the Sprint variant, which does not support SVLTE.

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/3060-signalcheck-android-app-to-monitor-your-2g3g4g-lte-signal-strengths/?p=234125

 

Ah, I see now that Mike already linked my post, but the quote above provides the full transcript.

 

AJ

[UnbornApple]

I really hope SVLTE is pronounced "svelte"

[Dkoellerwx]

What other devices lack SVLTE support?

 

Any Tri-band phone. 

[modplan]

It will be interesting to see tomorrow if any of the people who purchased theirs from Sprint have the same LTE problems in the same areas the rest of us are. Approaching 1 week of having this phone and haven't seen any LTE yet. 

 

As we get closer to the end of the return window (14 days after order I think) it's going to be hard to decide whether or not to return it or just put a TMo SIM or something in it, the phone is great otherwise. 

[enyce9]

It's supposed to live here in NYC so i'll see if I can enable band 41 and see what SignalCheck tells me.

I can't be the first person in NY to get there hands on a Nexus 5

your not, but LTE isn't working properly on my device as it is, I'm tempted to enable the other bands but trying not to

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

 

[digiblur]

Amps != Volts.

 

But Amps x Volts = Watts. Therefore, the higher the current, the more 'power' thus more heat dissipation. Unless the phone / charging system as a current limiter to match the battery, I would just use the charger that came with the manufacturer.

Supposedly it's the word out there that the slower the battery charges, the longer the battery life expectancy, especially if it's non removable.

Except none of that applies with lithium battery charger circuits.

[cornelious2]

im getting LTE in places my Evo LTE and HTC one or buddys S3 never go on my 32gb white nexus 5 if you get it in, its a fantastic radio

[mikejeep]

I just bit the bullet and ordered a 32GB black N5, shows the shipping date as 12/3 at the moment. Now I understand how my wife feels when she sees a pair of shoes and claims that she just HAS to have them...

 

-Mike

[enyce9]

Do you have any issues with other towers/areas with connecting to LTE? The strange thing is that I can connect to LTE at home and multiple other towers while driving around. It's only the one by my work which is where I have always used it the most with my Note 2

Two days in a row I drove the same way home. The nexus will connect to LTE at my starting point. I know which site it is connected to. But while driving to my destination it will not hand off to the next site, Which happens to be the site closest to my home. It has never connected to this site, even when I try to force the connection. How Could it be that it will connect to some sites but not others? Could it be possible that something is not enabled or installed at these sites preventing triband devices to connect. I ask this because I noticed the same behavior when I had the Lg G2 for a short time. Both devices seem to be connecting and refusing to connect to the same LTE sites....

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

 

[QWIKSTRIKE]

Damn, I need to go to the Sprint store and try to get a UICC simm card now that my phone has arrived. I ordered mine through international chat, and it was back ordered Tuesday night. The order said it would be 2-3 weeks so I said ok....2 days later and the 32g whit is here.....software down load is almost done cya!

[Ascertion]

I just bit the bullet and ordered a 32GB black N5, shows the shipping date as 12/3 at the moment. Now I understand how my wife feels when she sees a pair of shoes and claims that she just HAS to have them...

 

-Mike

Any idea what needs to be added to the APN list to get at least Band 41 working?  I'm thinking it's impossible to figure it out unless there's some way to extract that information from a triband hotspot device.

[mikejeep]

Does anyone know if Sprint will give you a UICC card without the phone being present? Would love to get the ball rolling on that while I wait for mine to ship..

 

-Mike

[rgcrockett]

Damn, I need to go to the Sprint store and try to get a UICC simm card now that my phone has arrived. I ordered mine through international chat, and it was back ordered Tuesday night. The order said it would be 2-3 weeks so I said ok....2 days later and the 32g whit is here.....software down load is almost done cya!

I will be in the same boat. My Nexus 5 is arriving on Monday, and my SIM card won't arrive for potentially another 2 weeks according to Sprint. Let me know if you have any success at the store. The two stores in my area told me they cannot help me get a SIM.

[Xlegendxero]

So after a large headache and much time spent on the phone with various sprint reps on Monday the 5th on trying to get a UICC/SIM card, I was able to get my phone activated yesterday (Nov. 6). so far I really like the phone.

 

I wonder how people are doing now with getting the SIM.

 

 

Damn, I need to go to the Sprint store and try to get a UICC simm card now that my phone has arrived. I ordered mine through international chat, and it was back ordered Tuesday night. The order said it would be 2-3 weeks so I said ok....2 days later and the 32g whit is here.....software down load is almost done cya!

 

 

I will be in the same boat. My Nexus 5 is arriving on Monday, and my SIM card won't arrive for potentially another 2 weeks according to Sprint. Let me know if you have any success at the store. The two stores in my area told me they cannot help me get a SIM.

 

 

Do what I did, go to a Best Buy and first see if they have Sprint SIM Cards. They wont' be free, mine cost 29.99. Before I made the purchase, I contacted customer care to see if they would be willing to credit me the amount. after explaining the full situation and difficulty in obtaining the card to activate my new phone, they were willing to credit the amount. It may or may not work for you. I might have been that lucky person.

 

(I hope this doesn't violate the rules, if it does, then I have no problem with the post being edited)

Edited November 7, 2013 by S4GRU
Approved by Robert

[lordsutch]

Just FYI, for those wondering about the Nexus 5 CDMA1X engineering screen signal metrics, here is what I posted this afternoon in the SignalCheck thread:

 

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/3060-signalcheck-android-app-to-monitor-your-2g3g4g-lte-signal-strengths/?p=234125

 

Ah, I see now that Mike already linked my post, but the quote above provides the full transcript.

 

AJ

 

That all makes sense based on my observations. Interestingly, the behavior on WCDMA is different; the handset does at least seem to track the WCDMA base station information in LTE mode, although there's no valid signal strength indication, probably due to the differences between 3GPP and 3GPP2's handoff solutions.

[HTCandroid]

I just bit the bullet and ordered a 32GB black N5, shows the shipping date as 12/3 at the moment. Now I understand how my wife feels when she sees a pair of shoes and claims that she just HAS to have them...

 

-Mike

Damn. Ordered Tuesday and still says 2-3 weeks...

[rgcrockett]

So after a large headache and much time spent on the phone with various sprint reps on Monday the 5th on trying to get a UICC/SIM card, I was able to get my phone activated yesterday (Nov. 6). so far I really like the phone.

 

I wonder how people are doing now with getting the SIM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do what I did, go to a Best Buy and first see if they have Sprint SIM Cards. They wont' be free, mine cost 29.99. Before I made the purchase, I contacted customer care to see if they would be willing to credit me the amount. after explaining the full situation and difficulty in obtaining the card to activate my new phone, they were willing to credit the amount. It may or may not work for you. I might have been that lucky person.

 

(I hope this doesn't violate the rules, if it does, then I have no problem with the post being edited)

Ugh. Sounds like too much work. There is nothing I like less than spending time haggling with a CSR. You have to get through rounds and rounds of scripted talk before they will finally be real. And the last time I spent time with Sprint CSRs, I was hung up on three times in a row as they tried to transfer me.

 

But thanks for the suggestion.

[HTCandroid]

Any Tri-band phone.

 

Is that caused because so many bands are supported? How does that affect gsm with nexus 5?

[imt3rrified]

How Could it be that it will connect to some sites but not others? Could it be possible that something is not enabled or installed at these sites preventing triband devices to connect.

This is exactly what I've wondered. Sprint chat basically thinks I'm crazy and tells me to go to a repair center, but I'll wait and see if Sprint updates their profile and PRL for this phone after it's officially available. The way others have no issues makes me want to just return it to Google and try another one

[weknsmith]

What other devices lack SVLTE support?

Sorry, I'm new to the site and am not familiar enough with which users are very knowledgeable. Anyway, I have seen some posts that state that tri-band phones will not be capable of simultaneous voice & data. Is this a known fact that is a side effect of the way that tri-band works? Or was it a design decision where you have engineering limitations that result in having to give up SVDO and/or SVLTE.

 

I've got an S3 and I'm pretty sure it supports SVDO. I've just been reading up and it sounds as if the S4 dropped SVDO and instead supports SVLTE. Of course who knows what the re-released S4 will support. In my case, simultaneous voice & data is a make or break feature.

[gr8nuguy]

Earlier Google had it saying my device wouldn't leave warehouse until December.. now says Nov 22nd...hope it keeps moving up

 

Sent from my HTC ONE from Tapatalk 2

 

 

[S4GRU]

Is that caused because so many bands are supported? How does that affect gsm with nexus 5?

 

The Nexus 5 doesn't support SVLTE at all.  Not on GSM/WCDMA carriers either.  Actually, GSM/WCDMA carriers largely do not have any SVLTE devices.  Based on a source, TDD-LTE makes it cost prohibitive to make a SVLTE smartphone.  So Sprint is omitting that support.  It also seems OEM's are avoiding trying to do SVLTE altogether.  Seems like no one wants to spend the extra money for that support.  You can still do simultaneous voice with WiFi, though.

 

Robert

[WiWavelength]

I've got an S3 and I'm pretty sure it supports SVDO. I've just been reading up and it sounds as if the S4 dropped SVDO and instead supports SVLTE. Of course who knows what the re-released S4 will support. In my case, simultaneous voice & data is a make or break feature.

 

If you need simultaneous voice and data while off of Wi-Fi, then you have a few options:  stick to handsets from the HTC EVO LTE through Samsung Galaxy Note 2 generation, find an acceptable VoIP solution, or switch to another wireless provider.

 

AJ

[enyce9]

This is exactly what I've wondered. Sprint chat basically thinks I'm crazy and tells me to go to a repair center, but I'll wait and see if Sprint updates their profile and PRL for this phone after it's officially available. The way others have no issues makes me want to just return it to Google and try another one

I don't think its the device.... Its got to be something else. Two different triband devices acting the same way when I had them. Both devices can't be bad...

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk