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Smartphone with best signal capability

pwfb

Apr 28, 2011, 10:37 AM
After 13+ years with Verizon it appears as though I have to select another carrier.

They made changes to the cell site near my house at the end of March and I am now unable to reliably use my phone in my house, even with using one of their femtocell wireless extender devices.

VZW informed me yesterday that my house is now considered in a fringe/poor coverage area which is kinda funny as I am line of sight to the cell tower, but I digress.

Before I make this unwelcome and unwanted move, is there a smartphone that may do a better job of obtaining and holding a signal than my current HTC Incredible? The only device I will not consider is a Blackberry.

VZW is graciously waiving any ETF fees so I can pick something up on Craigslist or...
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Azeron

Apr 28, 2011, 11:25 AM
Just leave. Trust me, if they are waiving the ETF they know that they are not providing the coverage at your address. Even if there is a tower within sight of your house they probably have pointed it in a different direction to cover more subscribers. When the Network Repair Bureau returns Known Trouble Area or Marginal Coverage and go so far as to note on the ticket to allow the customer to cancel with no ETF that is all she wrote. Don't waste your time or money shopping for a new phone. Get out while the getting is good. And you already have a Network Extender too? I hate to be the voice of reality, but don't act like the wife who has found her husband in bed with another woman but still wants to make the marriage work.
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pwfb

Apr 28, 2011, 12:01 PM
Your advice is solid and makes sense. That said, when I enter in my address to other carriers coverage tool, I am not finding any overwhelming replacements, and no, I don't live in Podunk but it does feel that way some times.
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epik

Apr 28, 2011, 6:29 PM
Remember, everyone sees a tower in their area, and most don't know what the tower is for, but they're sure it's so-and-so. Even my ham radio antennas at home get mistaken for cell towers from time to time.
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Jayshmay

Apr 29, 2011, 12:29 AM
Question: With reguards to pointing the tower in another direction to cover more subscribers. Aren't there antennas on all sides of a cell tower?
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hrmles1

Apr 28, 2011, 1:03 PM
Ironically, the one device that you will not consider (BlackBerry) is probably one of the best devices at grabbing signal. My Curve and Tour used to pull -80 dBm to -70 dBm consistently.
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pwfb

Apr 28, 2011, 1:23 PM
Actually I used Blackberry's for about 12 years (I miss my RIM 950!) before I switched to Android. I was actually planning to move to an iPhone soon.

Once I went to Android I was hooked on the speed of the Browser and the apps. I actually have an FRU Blackberry Bold sitting in my desk and it has OS 6.x on it. Even with 6, web speed is painfully slow compared to the Android device.
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nextel18

Apr 28, 2011, 6:09 PM
"I was actually planning to move to an iPhone soon."

you said you wanted signal right? iphone isnt good for that.
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Azeron

Apr 28, 2011, 10:17 PM
Damn. Low blow.
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nextel18

Apr 29, 2011, 5:50 AM
had ta be honest
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Jayshmay

Apr 29, 2011, 9:55 AM
A lot of people in this world can't handle the truth.
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nextel18

Apr 29, 2011, 8:54 PM
yes
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nextel18

Apr 28, 2011, 6:08 PM
blackberries will perform much better than other phone out there. if you dont want the blackberry and they dont have any other option then move to another carrier 🙂 i think thats your best option
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Azeron

Apr 28, 2011, 10:18 PM
I guess the other carrier is AT&T. I wonder where he lives...
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nextel18

Apr 29, 2011, 5:50 AM
not sure 🙂
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CellStudent

Apr 30, 2011, 12:10 AM
If the femtocell doesn't work, nothing will.
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Azeron

Apr 30, 2011, 8:54 PM
It is really hard for some customers to leave Verizon. When I was in tech, I would give them the good news (that we would allow them to cancel without an ETF and a few would be downright upset. "That's it? You're just giving up? What about building a tower on my property. I'm willing to donate the land."

Me: (Thinking) Uh-huh. You say that now. Don't act like a jilted lover. Just do like the man says in the song, "Let's Just Kiss and Say Goodbye"
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CellStudent

May 1, 2011, 12:48 AM
Yeah, I've had that one, too.
On at least two occasions, I actually taught a customer how to lock their phone to the roaming SID and force it into home-only so that they could reject the VZW tower 20 miles away and accept service off the US Cellular or Alltel site only 5 miles away. Both those guys new they had to toggle back to Automatic B every time they left for work in the morning and switch it back every night when they came home, but they were willing to do it just to avoid cancelling their accounts!

Another guy I worked with lived some place in Montana and wanted to do the same thing, but he had a Blackberry and RIM excludes the System Select option from their software for some reason. He was almost crying when I told him the on...
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Azeron

May 1, 2011, 8:30 AM
We did that all the time when I worked in retail. On the gulf coast Verizon used 4160 which was old Prime Co. ('Nuff said really) and Alltel used 120. PCS v/s Cellular? No contest. Unless we wanted to lose all of our customers...it had to be done. Proof? As soon a they took over Alltel...4160? Poof!
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jewelk0221

May 6, 2011, 4:44 PM
I live in a very poor signal area. I have had every phone. Blackberry, HTC Andriod, Moto Android, Palm Treo and Palm Pre. The best reception I have had is with the Verizon Iphone. Believe it or not. 😳
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tipdrill

May 6, 2011, 9:00 PM
I get better service with my iPhone 4 than I did with my HTC Incredible.
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Azeron

May 6, 2011, 9:55 PM
Don't tempt me. Maybe I can just wait for the next ipod touch and tether it to my Incredible.
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tipdrill

May 7, 2011, 6:24 PM
Call quality is better too, Azeron. I thought it was just me until someone else used my phone who has an incredible and made a comment about it. Still miss the weather/clock widget though... Can't have it all!
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