Less Signal Strength in 822 than iPhone 4 on Verizon, why?

[jridgers]

I got a new Nokia Lumia 822 on Verizon Wireless yesterday and I noticed the signal strength is reading differently (way less) than the signal strength on my old iPhone 4. Why would that be? Should I be concerned?

 

[Mio_Ray]

As I remember it iPhone4 had a pretty optimistic way of displaying the signal strength. Only way to really test it is to run Speedtest on both phones and see if they are comparable.

I would say that the Nokia should get better reception since the antenna is surrounded by plastic and not aluminum.

But try it out. Or if You are in a really low coverage area, try to see which phone drops a call first (just call voicemail etc. to test)

 

[hopmedic]

I also seem to recall reading somewhere a while back that the signal strength displayed on the iPhone was rather "optimistic," so to speak. I'd agree with mio_BB - testing is the only way to know for certain. Is there even a standard for how the signal strength is displayed? If no, then that would lead me to think the phone's maker, or the OS maker, could show you whatever they wanted to show you.

Yes, I'm a cynic. :wink:

 

[kg93678]

The 822 is also an LTE phone while the iPhone isn't. Sometimes you might have a weaker connection to LTE instead of a stronger 3g displayed.

 

[Ruined]

The number of signal bars basically mean nothing because Apple uses a different method to calculate how many bars to display than Nokia.

In fact, due to the "antennagate" issue with iPhone4, in response Apple after launch increased the number of bars displayed visually even though it did not necessarily correspond to a signal quality increase. It was a way of addressing customer fears over poor reception with iPhone4 due to the antennagate issue, even if the original method of calculation may have been more acccurate.

In other words, the only real way to tell signal strength is to use both phones at the same time and see which does better in call quality and retaining calls, especially in fringe coverage areas.

 

[scottcraft]

My wife had a Verizon iphone 4 and I have the 822 and I can say the two don't compare for reception. My wife's iphone was horrible where we live, but my Lumia gets 3G inside our house most of the time. Without wifi the iphone couldn't stream video while my Lumia can and I don't have the issues making calls she had. Like others have said, don't go by the bars, make calls and use data and see how they do.

 

[racerjim]

I usually have only one or two bars on my 822 at home, but no issues connecting at 3G (LTE is iffy) and phone quality is very good.

 

[tk-093]

Displayed bars do not = actual signal strength.
To actually see the real signal strength on an iPhone you have to do this: See the Actual Signal Strength on Your iPhone or Android

Not sure how to do it on the 822.

 

[aztec12]

I think it depends where you live and also the carrier. I have the 822 and has great signal better than any other phone I had including an old iphone 3g