3G issues

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So I just got my Nexus One a couple of days ago. In most ways it's a great device. The screen is amazing and multitasking with IM and apps like Pandora and Rhapsody is a nice change.

However...none of this is all that great if it doesn't work very well as a phone! I live in Brooklyn, in an area marked on the T-mobile map as "Best 3g coverage". I've found that I get almost full signal with T-Mobile 3g if it's sitting on my desk in it's dock (and speed test at about 2mbit). As soon as I hold the phone in my hand (especially if my hand is on the bottom of the phone), the signal drops away by at least two bars, if not completely - dropping the data connection back to edge. If I walk about 15 feet away from the window and into my apartment, I often lose connection altogether.

If I put my T-mobile sim into my unlocked iPhone I get a steady 2-3 bars with EDGE throughout the entire apartment.

HTC are sending me a replacement Nexus and it should get here today or tomorrow.

My question is, should I expect an improvement with the new unit? How many of you are experiencing problems with the device in terms of 3g and general signal stability? Do you notice significant signal drop offs when holding the phone as opposed to having it docked or on a desk?

It's definitely a bit of a dealbreaker for me, and the problem seems way too widespread to just be a problem with my unit. Just wondering what the general experience is here?

Thanks.

By cupping my hands around the phone I can consistently lose one bar and regain it by letting go. This is while it's sitting flat on the table or by standing it up and holding it at the top with one finger.

You arent the only one having this issue, i am as well as many others.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/n...ro/1#c25420883

Originally Posted by gkaugustine

You arent the only one having this issue, i am as well as many others.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/n...ro/1#c25420883

yep. same **** happens to me when i hold my phone normally at the bottom.

Yup, even after the recent OTA update, it's been noted (on engadget as well) about how cupping the unit drops the signal strength.

There's hope this is a software patch fix, but it's looking like a hardware limitation.

Also voice your concerns here...

http://www.google.com/support/forum/...6ad64955&hl=en

The more complaints they get, the more public it gets...the better chance we have of getting the issue fixed.

It's also has been noted over at tmonews...more exposure the better!

http://www.tmonews.com/2010/02/nexus...woes-part-315/

I have the same problem with my phone. It'll have 2-3 bars 3G while the phone is on my desk but drop to Edge whenever I use it to make a phone call or browse the internet. I called HTC about it and they're sending me a new phone, I'm hoping it was just a bad batch because not everone is experience this problem.

3G/UMTS/HSDPA flip to EDGE

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In an area with maximum T-Mobile 3G coverage (as indicated by their map), I get:
* phone on the desk: 4 bars, HSDPA, -79..-81dBm 16..17 asu
* cradling the bottom of the phone: 3 bars, HSDPA, -97..-93 dBm, 8..10 asu
* cradling the top of the phone: 4 bars, HSDPA, -71dBm 21 asu

The phone is running CyanogenMod 5.0.2, which includes Google's OTA update that purportedly fixed the 3G issue.

It could be an issue with the antenna placement. A similar thing happens on my old GPRS 1G Nokia phone (that I have to use currently, my MT3g was stolen, bleh): when I hold it from the top, it drops from a full 7/7 bars to 1/7 bars, and when I hold it from the bottom, it jumps to 7/7 bars again. My guess is that the Nexus One has the antenna on the bottom, which is where it is most commonly held, so it loses 3G signal easily, leading more people to notice a problem.