Need A Suggestion For Cdma Phone With Best Signal Strength Reception

[Anupe 14]

This is an enquiry to all my fellow RIMwebians. My close friend is on the look out for a CDMA phone but here's the catch... Its got to have absolutely superb signal strength reception. In most of the phone categories we look at features like camera, mp3, pda requirements etc, but like my friend pointed out to me, first and foremost signal stength has got to be absolutely great. I know what hes talking about. At any given point in time, when I'm at this guy's office (its deep inside a building) my HTC Touch, Nokia 6265, etc have virtually no range. In such a scenario, which phone in the CDMA class has the best signal reception?

I dont mind if it s fully featured high end CDMA phone,or an extremely basic one, but like I said, its main advantage should be in signal reception quality.. even if such a phone is not available in the basic models, please suggest which CDMA phone, according to you guys, has the best signal strength.

Please keep in mind, I am trusting you guys on this one. Only if you are absolutely sure about quality of signal and have done comparitive analysis between atleast 2-3 models please suggest. I'm saying this because, I had told this friend of mine that I would get the best advice from our forum. Dont make this out to be a brand loyalty war

[kshah 452]

This is an enquiry to all my fellow RIMwebians. My close friend is on the look out for a CDMA phone but here's the catch... Its got to have absolutely superb signal strength reception. In most of the phone categories we look at features like camera, mp3, pda requirements etc, but like my friend pointed out to me, first and foremost signal stength has got to be absolutely great. I know what hes talking about. At any given point in time, when I'm at this guy's office (its deep inside a building) my HTC Touch, Nokia 6265, etc have virtually no range. In such a scenario, which phone in the CDMA class has the best signal reception?

I dont mind if it s fully featured high end CDMA phone,or an extremely basic one, but like I said, its main advantage should be in signal reception quality.. even if such a phone is not available in the basic models, please suggest which CDMA phone, according to you guys, has the best signal strength.

Please keep in mind, I am trusting you guys on this one. Only if you are absolutely sure about quality of signal and have done comparitive analysis between atleast 2-3 models please suggest. I'm saying this because, I had told this friend of mine that I would get the best advice from our forum. Dont make this out to be a brand loyalty war

My office too have same problem with reliance (Network is always less than 3 bars and dancing all the time, this applies to reliance, airtel and almost all operators). I have used SAmsung, LG, Motorola, PPC, Palm, Kyocera in CDMA

I rank them as under (Mentioning CDMA models I Have used, based on call drops)

1. Palm Treo 700P (Best handset I have used so far, even better than my current Nokia E 71, poor browser)

2. Motorola K1m (Very slick and robust ahndset, my partner use it)

3. Nokia 3125 (Basic and robust handset)

4. Samsung 191 (Best modem performance)

5. LG 2030 and 7230 (Best battery performance than any other handset, except palm treo)

6. Nokia 6155 (Very delicate handset)

7. PPC 6700 (No need to say any thing as good handset with poor battery life and typical WM sluggishness)

8. Kyocera 7135 (I laugh at my self that I took decision to buy this phone )

Edited September 1, 2008 by kshah

[ani_meher 42]

My nokia 2865 has the best reception among the RM phones I have used in past, but I think it would be same as 6265. If 6265 couldn't get range, I think it will be difficult for any other handset to get range as well. You may consider taking a GSM connection, or using call forwarding.

[Anupe 14]

Thanks guys.

@kshah: I presume the ranking you've shown is based primarily on signal reception quality??

@ani: already have GSM connections with Airtel, BSNL,and Idea and all of them have weak signals too. Specifically need new CDMA phone to use with present R eliance connection. He too is using a 6265 and its virtually useless inside his office.

[KumaarShah 143]

^^^

Ask the mobile operator to strengthen the signals. Or install a patch antenna (it works for FWP/Ts, no idea about mobiles) or whatever it is called. Email to CMO for more solutions....

[Honest 836]

^^^

But my dear Kumaar I don't think that PPA (Patch Panel Antenna) works with Mobiles. As they have to directly connnected with the FWP.

Regards.

[kshah 452]

Thanks guys.

@kshah: I presume the ranking you've shown is based primarily on signal reception quality??

@ani: already have GSM connections with Airtel, BSNL,and Idea and all of them have weak signals too. Specifically need new CDMA phone to use with present R eliance connection. He too is using a 6265 and its virtually useless inside his office.

My ranking is based on number of call drops. But if GSM signals are not caught, I am sure CDMA signals will not be there. CDMA has lower penetration than GSM.

[Puneet 0]

If Nokia 6265 is not getting any signals I would say it would be the same situation with others. Maybe palm Treo is a little better it would be a disappointment in regular use.

Your friend's best bet is a repeater (which he cannot install on his own) or maybe a patch antenna. Reliance had installed a patch antenna at my cousin's place in Khar about 4 years ago. It was a compromise between mobility and network connection, but at least the phone worked. Those were the days of Mukesh, I don't know if Reliance does that any more but you can sure inquire.

[kshah 452]

There could be difference to phone to phone, but there will surely no remarkable difference.

Best way could be to contact reliance as punit said. or try installing external antena.

[raccoon 53]

Thanks guys.

@kshah: I presume the ranking you've shown is based primarily on signal reception quality??

@ani: already have GSM connections with Airtel, BSNL,and Idea and all of them have weak signals too. Specifically need new CDMA phone to use with present R eliance connection. He too is using a 6265 and its virtually useless inside his office.

My ranking is based on number of call drops. But if GSM signals are not caught, I am sure CDMA signals will not be there. CDMA has lower penetration than GSM.

I think not? Its more or less the same, in the real world. As for Reliance, it operates in 800 MHz band... so in fact penetration should be marginally better (at least theoretically... real life experience will of course depend on many other factors).

[dkaile 1,051]

@Anupe

Treo 755p has just blown me away in all respects as a phone, even Signal Strength - Fantastic. Though in terms of signal strength Mogul is 95% of Treo.

[raccoon 53]

How exactly are you guys comparing and commenting about comparative signal strength between diffrent handsets??

[dkaile 1,051]

I think nobody can give exact specific signal strength UNLESS he has the Phone hooked onto some professional grade setup to test the signal (which I presume none of us have got) because the signal meters inside the phone are all calibrated as per the manufacturers specifications/convenience. Best thing to check signal strength can only be done by a comparitive and long researched study based on the actual usage of the phone under different/trying circumstances.

I would suggest Anupe to actually test the phones physically at that particular location where his friend needs to use the phone and check call droppage and voice clarity. But then getting all the phones models beforehand is the Big Question... he he

And for that matter there's no beating our basic LG3000 also in signal strength...

Edited September 1, 2008 by dkaile

[raccoon 53]

Exactly what I wanted to say Dkaile!! Its very difficult for the average user to comment accurately on something like signal strength! So please be careful before you comment and make recommendation guys!

Best way to make a crude comparision is to ignore the signal strength meter and just concentrate on the voice clarity, call drops, etc...

[kshah 452]

@Anupe

Treo 755p has just blown me away in all respects as a phone, even Signal Strength - Fantastic. Though in terms of signal strength Mogul is 95% of Treo.

I have been shouting this on rimweb. but no one listen to me.

BTW those who are interested in doing research we too can measure signal strength by using QXDM and phones compatible with QXDM (Most except nokia)

Edited September 1, 2008 by kshah

[Anupe 14]

I guess its a bit of a quandry when it comes to deciding on a phone's reception quality based on a particular location. Paramaters of signal quality will vary from place to place and that alone is good enough to throw your decision haywire. I guess, I'll have to ask him to take a blind leap of faith with Treo. Not sure if that would be good though. He's not a "techie" and I dont know how impressed he would be with having a feature rich handset on which he would be using purely the "phone" component. lol

Anyways, thanks guys... maybe I should look at an additional CDMA connection (Tata this time) ... and a Treo

[raccoon 53]

Hmmm... why not consider the good old warhorse RD2030... it would score with flying colours in this department...

Whats more, if you can get one, you will be able to get it MUCH cheaper.

[innersky 0]

Kshah : in- building penetration has nothing to do with CDMA or GSM. It is based on the frequency on which the network operates. Reliance and Tata operate on 800 Mhz and this is the reason that their in-building penetration is better that the GSM networks which operate on 900 or 1800 Mhz. Ofcourse, in a given place, a GSM network may show signal where a CDMA network does not show any signal, the cause being the distance from the tower. If the distance is the same and the power of the transmission is the same, then 800 mhz has max in-building penetration.

The advantage of higher frequencies is that they offer hinger capacities. That is why 3G is generally on higher frequencies.

Nayan

Thanks guys.

@kshah: I presume the ranking you've shown is based primarily on signal reception quality??

@ani: already have GSM connections with Airtel, BSNL,and Idea and all of them have weak signals too. Specifically need new CDMA phone to use with present R eliance connection. He too is using a 6265 and its virtually useless inside his office.

My ranking is based on number of call drops. But if GSM signals are not caught, I am sure CDMA signals will not be there. CDMA has lower penetration than GSM.