TheForce627

I've had the S5 now for about a week or so and I can say that the dBms are worse than the S4, BUT I get very usable connection when on LTE even with -117 or lower. I only drop to 3G in locations my S4 had 3G and no LTE. So all in all, I think the dBm conversation is true that it's weaker but it still works about the same.

 

Otherwise, what bugs me about this phone is the same old Samsung laziness in updating apps for new phones or hold over bugs in software. For example, the "blocking mode", which I use every night, no longer turns off the notification led when it disables the notifications. This is a ridiculous omission on their part and now I stare at a blinking led all night on my night stand. Why does it not work as it did on the S4?

 

Second, the Bluetooth car kit pairing on CDMA versions of S5 still doesn't work with Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep Uconnect stereos appropriately. It's a specific issue with Samsung phones and CDMA networks. It's perpetuated itself in every Samsung software version since 4.1.2, despite Samsung and Sprint knowing about it.

 

Third, they moved the voice control of camera BACK into the ridiculous S-Voice application. They moved this in and out from S-Voice in earlier updates for S3 and S4. Point being I can't stand S-Voice and would love to disable it, but can't any longer if I want to use the "cheese" command in the camera. This is a useful feature, S-Voice is not.

 

Fourth, the rear camera is spectacular. Love the low light, HDR stuff. Why is the front facing camera such garbage??!?! Seriously, can't pack more than 2mp in there? Can't have it have proper white balance? Can't have it take a picture without it being super grainy if you're not in direct sunlight? This camera sensor hasn't changed since the S3.

 

Fifth, the USB door is annoying and I know we all feel like we're going to snap it off. I know why it's necessary and that's fine because I love that it's waterproof. Why not just put a wireless charging back on this by default??? Because the they can get $30 out of users that care, that's why. It's greedy and lazy. You covet Apple so much, just crush them with every feature they don't have. Wireless charging should be a standard.

 

These things are annoying and lazy by Samsung. But I'm a slave to it because of removable battery. So I'm just going to piss and moan about it but there's nothing I can do. Don't get me wrong, the phone is great and incredibly fast but seriously, fix these things.

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

are you on the ND2 baseband?

Very disappointed with the rf performance of this device. Considering returning this and going back to my n5

I just don't see it.... You can't compete with the big two if you don't compete on coverage. T-Mobile doesn't help that except for their much better site placement and density in cities. Sprint with the cca partnership looks to be the best option to compete but if vzw goes on a buying spree of these cca members then that's an issue as well. All I see is just more debt, larger subscriber base, on a network smaller than the duopoly

Wider carriers have better edge of cell performance.

Might be a little of topic but that alone should settle the debate of whether sprint should do 1 10x10 carrier vs 2 5x5 carriers.

No but why would the CCA members want to be bought out when they can operate and compete effectively as individual entities under the umbrella of CCA / NetAmerica with the full financial / material support of Sprint / Softbank?

I was thinking the same thing. I just hope they aren't looking for a quick payday with a buyout.

Sprint is doing the opposite by getting an alliance of interdependent small carriers via CCA and NetAmerica.

my concern with that is anything stopping vzw or Att from buying one of these CCA members effectively shutting Sprint out?

It's not like Sprint can't do the same at this point so I don't really get the complaining. I feel like S should try to do the same and acquire smaller regionals. But anyway Vzw is just actively expanding their network through acquisitions.

Maybe I missed it but can anybody explain why we're able to use band 41 at such low dBm levels? I was surfing the web between -122 and -127. It was slow but still worked. Does it have something to do with it being TD-LTE?

I really hope this phone gets a radio update or something because it's too weak. I'm coming from the n5 but still it shouldn't be this bad. Even band 26 still struggles on this phone. If no update comes i'm going to have to switch to something else because I spend way too much time on 3g even with band 26 almost all around me

Think I might have figured something out. With the connections optimizer disabled it has trouble going back to lte from 3g. But when it's on it will do it without trouble. Maybe give that a try and see how that works.

My home tower is now broadcasting b26 LTE!

Got my s5

I'm spoiled by the rf performance on my n5 but I think I'll move to the s5 since I'm hearing good things

Found some band 26 in capitol heights MD off old central ave

 

Edit: it's a very seamless switch between bands

i Hope this update fixes the constant data drop of 3g. When on lte its fine. I will have -50dbm and looses 3g comes back in seconds. Google blames it on sim card. I got it swapped

could it be it's scanning for lte and drops the connection since there's only one radio path?

I really don't think the network is moving people to other bands like it's supposed to so I have my bands set up how I like. In DC now and I was barely holding on to a b26 signal but a quick radio cycle and I'm on b41 at -106dbm. Either sprint has to turn the network control on our optimize it.

Look what I found at the national harbor in MD

https://www.dropbox.com/s/b56emiy6hi88bx2/Screenshot_2014-04-04-22-47-05.png

https://www.dropbox.com/s/72gwhs8mcupd6lm/Screenshot_2014-04-04-22-47-25.png

whaaaat...

 

my old school stomping grounds!

 

 

i'm sitting in an office right now west of meridian hill park near euclid & 16th.. in a basement floor no windows..

 

nexus 5 showing lte @ -116 strength..

 

 

yesterday i tested the speeds near columbia heights metro, got under 1MB thrice ..

 

what's this **.15 radio** you type of..?

 

a baseband modem flash?

hey my aunt lives around there. Honestly more b25 sites need to come on around there. One warning with the .15 baseband. If the lte site you connect to isn't eCSFB ready your phone won't drop to 1x to take a call. The majority of sites in this area are ready but there are some that haven't had the eCSFB upgrade

is.. that.. a nexus 5 screenshot??!

 

what part of dc??

 

i live in largo, but work in upper n.w. ...

yes it's the .15 radio. And it was nnear Howard. B41 is popping up everywhere in DC

Back when adjusting announced NV I recall there was a map with a lot of roaming coverage for LTE. I think it was something like that

Lol it wouldn't penetrate a piece of paper. But seriously I guess this would be good for outdoor use in cities

Just pulled this down in DC

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5w7ygfe7xnxbswo/Screenshot_2014-03-18-09-47-07.png

I like it. New blood, although Saw is a Clearwire leftover!

if he had anything to do with clearwires site spacing in my area then he's a welcomed clearwire leftover lol

20 years here and I hate how we go from one extreme to the next. Snowmageddon then a brutal summer

Tested radio .15, failed to connect to Band 41 in the same area that radio.23 did. Radio .15 did attempt to connect to Band 41 but picked up a Band 25 signal and went back to it, In the drive test the reason Band 41 never gets searched for is because Band 25 continues to handshake very well, the phone only switches to Band 41 when Band 25 is completely unreachable. Someone mentioned this is tower controlled but I highly doubt that based on the driving tests, If Band 25 is gone Band 41 will come into play. What needs to be figured out is a way to disable the Band so the phone can focus on 41 and handshake properly, I am sure an update is down the road but correcting this seems to be on sprints last concern page.

what were your band priorities?