Note 10+ - Horrible signal strength

[bawobogo]

I received the Blue Note10+ from the Samsung preorder. (SM-N975U1). I'm using it on T-Mobile.

I'm having serious signal strength issues. My Note 8 is at 3 bars while the Note10+ has 0 or 1 bar while indoors. I usually have full 4 bars with the Note8 when I walk outside, but I rarely hit 3 bars with the Note 10+ wherever I'm at. I've never hit the full 4 bars yet with the Note 10+.

Is anyone having this issue? Any suggestions for a solution?

 

[Guyinlaca]

Bars alone don't tell the whole picture as each phone is calibrated differently. The only way to know for sure is running speed tests and comparing actual signal strength numbers in the settings.

 

[whelmar]

I received the Blue Note10+ from the Samsung preorder. (SM-N975U1). I'm using it on T-Mobile.

I'm having serious signal strength issues. My Note 8 is at 3 bars while the Note10+ has 0 or 1 bar while indoors. I usually have full 4 bars with the Note8 when I walk outside, but I rarely hit 3 bars with the Note 10+ wherever I'm at. I've never hit the full 4 bars yet with the Note 10+.

Is anyone having this issue? Any suggestions for a solution?

Get the actual signal strength on each phone to compare...I have a TMO version of the S10+ and unlocked versions of the Note, the 10+ and a 9... the db strength measures the same on all phones, yet the TMO version shows additional bars... for example, at 99db to 104db, the tmo shows 3-4 bars, the unlocked 2...

Go to About phone, Status, sim card status to get the actual signal strength...

 

[kolyan]

Same. Pixel 3 works, Note 10 has zero bars and doesn't work. I assume it's not connecting to TMobile bands

 

[Steigerelli]

I'm on Sprint, got the Note 10+ around 9:30 yesterday. No issues whatsoever.

 

[jackdforme]

Can you tell us the dbm compared to the pixel? I'm really curious if I should just flash the tmo firmware before I even bother to load it.

 

[zedwards]

Same. Pixel 3 works, Note 10 has zero bars and doesn't work. I assume it's not connecting to TMobile bands

You might need to update the PRL? Assuming it's a new phone. Have you contacted TMO?

EDIT: Seems like TMO is having issues.

 

[kolyan]

Can you tell us the dbm compared to the pixel? I'm really curious if I should just flash the tmo firmware before I even bother to load it.

I am home now. Dbm here is the same and everything works. I was in the area that had signal problems and Pixel was probably using band 12 whereas Note just lost signal for good

---------- Post added at 01:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:39 AM ----------

You might need to update the PRL? Assuming it's a new phone. Have you contacted TMO?

I am on Google Fi

 

[radiohead7778580]

Flash the T-Mobile frimware on it

 

[Charkatak]

I received the Blue Note10+ from the Samsung preorder. (SM-N975U1). I'm using it on T-Mobile.

I'm having serious signal strength issues. My Note 8 is at 3 bars while the Note10+ has 0 or 1 bar while indoors. I usually have full 4 bars with the Note8 when I walk outside, but I rarely hit 3 bars with the Note 10+ wherever I'm at. I've never hit the full 4 bars yet with the Note 10+.

Is anyone having this issue? Any suggestions for a solution?

Did you check for software update when you got your phone? When I received my unlocked Note 10 on the 21st, there was a new software update. Although the update didn't call out signal strength specifically, but you never know... After playing around with the device, I flashed it with T-Mobile firmware. I didn't have enough time to test cell signal, but haven't seen issues yesterday and today. The signal strength is on par with my Pixel 2 and S10e

 

[ggrant3876]

I've run speed test at the same exact spot with my Note 8, OnePlus 6T and Note 10+ and they're all just about the same, between 85-90Mbps DL.

 

[Darkestred]

I have one less bar at home but still managed to get 120mb download speed. Havent looked at the dbm readings. Elsewhere its been just as good as my s8+.

Unlocked N10+.

 

[rosedog]

Did you check for software update when you got your phone? When I received my unlocked Note 10 on the 21st, there was a new software update. Although the update didn't call out signal strength specifically, but you never know... After playing around with the device, I flashed it with T-Mobile firmware. I didn't have enough time to test cell signal, but haven't seen issues yesterday and today. The signal strength is on par with my Pixel 2 and S10e

I am on Tmobile and also bought the unlocked (note+) version and ran the update. If you could be so kind, what does flashing the Tmo firmware do (and how do I do it)? Would this give me everything Tmobile puts on their phones? Is there a benefit to doing that? I am curious if that would help with the signal strength.

 

[luckyfate]

I am on Tmobile and also bought the unlocked (note+) version and ran the update. If you could be so kind, what does flashing the Tmo firmware do (and how do I do it)? Would this give me everything Tmobile puts on their phones? Is there a benefit to doing that? I am curious if that would help with the signal strength.

You just use Odin to flash TMobile firmware for note 10, you will have all TMobile bloatwares and features that built-in T-Mobile firmware. I believe you gain more signal bars. I also think you will be able to do video calling on your U1. I don't have note 10, still hang on with my note 9, N960U1.

 

[Charkatak]

I am on Tmobile and also bought the unlocked (note+) version and ran the update. If you could be so kind, what does flashing the Tmo firmware do (and how do I do it)? Would this give me everything Tmobile puts on their phones? Is there a benefit to doing that? I am curious if that would help with the signal strength.

So if you flash T-Mobile firmware on your Note 10, you will gain few features:

1) Advanced Messaging - be able to see when person read your sms, when it was delivered or when person is typing a message. You can also send images/videos of a larger sizes about ~10MB. This will only work when you text people that have similar software or that use T-Mobile
2) Video calling will be built in to the phone dialer app - works with phones from T-Mobile that use similar software(LG, Samsung, Moto)
3) Will have 4G LTE wording in the status bar instead of just LTE or LTE+
4) T-Mobile logo on boot and sounds
5) Practically no bloatware - after flashing, during phone setup, you will be asked if you want to install 3 T-Mobile apps: Visual Voice mail, T-Mobile account app and Macfee antivirus - just don't check boxes if you don't need them.

The reason I flash my phones with T-Mobile firmware is that, before releasing they test the update so it would work better on their network and that I have T-Mobile

 

[rosedog]

So if you flash T-Mobile firmware on your Note 10, you will gain few features:

1) Advanced Messaging - be able to see when person read your sms, when it was delivered or when person is typing a message. You can also send images/videos of a larger sizes about ~10MB. This will only work when you text people that have similar software or that use T-Mobile
2) Video calling will be built in to the phone dialer app - works with phones from T-Mobile that use similar software(LG, Samsung, Moto)
3) Will have 4G LTE wording in the status bar instead of just LTE or LTE+
4) T-Mobile logo on boot and sounds
5) Practically no bloatware - after flashing, during phone setup, you will be asked if you want to install 3 T-Mobile apps: Visual Voice mail, T-Mobile account app and Macfee antivirus - just don't check boxes if you don't need them.

The reason I flash my phones with T-Mobile firmware is that, before releasing they test the update so it would work better on their network and that I have T-Mobile

AWESOME! Thanks for the reply.

I have noticed something about my signal. It may show one bar but compared to my Note 9, so far, it is blowing it out of the water with internet access. The building I work in has a metal roof and typically that spells trouble for fast browsing. The 10+ seems to be accessing sites faster. However using the GPS this morning I could have sworn it told me it lost signal.

*edit*

Forgot to ask...when flashing the T-Mobile firmware does that trip Knox? Is that still a thing worth worrying about?

 

[jackdforme]

I haave two conflicting opinions on flashing tmo firmware.

Thing One.
The carriers lie to us. That's why the tmo signal is better. Not because it's better, it's probably a marketing directive. Resetting the Calc of bars shown to dbm is not optimizing anything. It's making its customers not see dead zones and drop outs. Even though you still have no access on the device.

Thing Two.
But what if I'm wrong. Is it impacting my battery life having computationally lower bars?

Oh the madness.

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk

 

[kolyan]

I have zero bars now on N10 with T-Mobile band 66. Unfortunately I have no clue how to check bands on Pixel 3 phone, it gives be 4 bars of LTE

 

[flashprash65]

I have the same crap signal strength. My note 4 and 9 no probs. Changed sim card. Changed carrier, took phone To an authorized Samsung service center same problem. I find on Google that and saw how many others are having the exact same problem. The Samsung service center said they've been getting more and more calls on this problem and it's not a software issue it's a hardware issue. They told me there's not a hardware update, meaning there is not an antenna that can be replaced it's Built-in to the phone to where they couldn' change it out

 

[fanfan7110]

flashprash65 : So are you telling us that we will never have a better signal than we currently have?
That we spent $ 1200 for a product that will never work properly?