HTC One (M7) Reception

[jethrodesign]

I've had a new HTC One (M7) from Best Buy for a few months now. But I've noticed that this phone gets worse data reception than any phone I've had on Verizon. I've stuck with Verizon for many, many years now SPECIFICALLY to get consistent reception in as many places as possible, but now I'm constantly getting poor reception. IS THIS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL???

I live in Los Angeles, and spend most of my time around the Westside or Hollywood. But I'm constantly getting 3G or even 1x when I'm in restaurants, houses, etc. Even last week at the VERIZON Amphitheater in Irvine - ironic. So internet will be very slow or completely unresponsive. Or maps won't really load well, etc.

- Is this a known issue?? I didn't see it mentioned much in reading reviews before I bought the phone.

NOTES:
- The phone was updated to Kit Kat when I first got it. Have done any updates since.

- Recently updated to Sense 6.0.

- Have tried clearing cache. Have enabled 'CDMA Only' mode.

- Have tried switching to airplane mode & back.

- Try removing case when issue happens, no difference.

Before this, I had a Droid Eris, Droid Incredible, and Droid Incredible 4G. But I don't recall having such poor reception with any of those.

If this is just an issue with the phone and it's antenna, I'm wondering if the new upcoming HTC One Mini 2 or possibly HTC One (plastic version of M8) would be any better? I imagine it must be an antenna/case material issue.

Thanks!

[vzw_customer_support]

Hi jethrodesign - Let's make sure you are receiving the reliable service that you deserve! Many factors can affect reception while indoors. Are your voice services working well in these same areas? May I have zip code to reference the general coverage in the area. Does the signal improve when restarting the device?

Thank you,

YaleK_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWsupport

[jethrodesign]

Thanks for the response. You can use the zip code of 90066 to get a general idea of area.

Unfortunately, I don't make a lot of phone calls, so I'm not sure about the voice call service when I notice a slow-down. Maybe I'll try making a call when I notice it. And I can try restarting as well, though I haven't noticed any long-term affects by doing this.

As a reference, I checked my signal strength when at work (single-story basic storefront office). It measures about -113dBm. I tried removing the cover with no real difference. And at home (90035), in the top-level of a 2-story apartment, I am at -90dBm. When I put my ancient Droid Incredible right next to the One, it measures -70dBm. I know it may not be apples-to-apples comparison, but that's a huge difference.

Thanks for any help.

[vzw_customer_support]

Thank you for your reply, Jethrodesign! Does the device get consistent 4G connection when outdoors? Please also remove the SIM card and reinsert it to ensure it is seated properly.

Thank you,

YaleK_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWsupport

[jethrodesign]

Hello,

OK, here's the latest update. I removed and reseated my SIM card, then restarted. This didn't seem to make much difference.

I watched my signal today when driving to work. Outside, it is always connecting on LTE and averages between -70dBm and -100dBm, but usually on the lower side. Once I got to work and went inside, it dropped to -110 to -113dBm.

Went to a venue in Beverly HIlls tonight. Signal actually dropped to 3G for first time in a while and was over -110dBm. In a speed test it barely hit 1Mbps.

On Sunday when in Santa Monica, near 3rd St Promenade, I was inside a food place with all glass windows and doors open. I was only about 10-15 ft. inside the doors. But I couldn't even get a webpage to load or my Flixter app to pull up any info. I put my phone on a table next to a friend's Verizon Galaxy S4: I was hovering around -110 to -115 dBm, while his S4 was at -90 to -95dBm. When I walked a few feet to just outside the doors, mine dropped to about -95dBm.

I've seen a couple other threads about poor LTE reception on the One, so honestly if this is the case, I would rather just be told so I don't spend countless hours trying to track down an issue that can't really be fixed. I just need a phone that can connect when in very average, popular places.

Thanks.

[vzw_customer_support]

@jethrodesign,

Thanks for keeping us posted! I definitely understand the importance of having a reliable connection. The next step would be to replace your sim card. You can visit a VZW store http://bit.ly/3SdsA and pick one up for free, or we can ship one out to you. If you would like us to send one out, follow me and send me a direct message.

JohnB_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[jethrodesign]

HI,

I went in to a store and got a new SIM card yesterday. Unfortunately it didn't help as I'd hoped. If anything, it may even be a hair worse. Definitely not better.

Today I was just in an area of Culver City (90232) with a bunch of stores & restaurants, no tall buildings or hills, etc. Even in the parking lot here I was at worse than -114dBm and a Speed Test wouldn't even complete. When I went in to a popular restaurant, it dropped to up to -119dBm.

I'm wondering if I got a one-off unit with a bad radio or antenna, or if the design of this phone (being all metal) just makes it prone to poor reception. Even though I really like the phone and don't see any others right now (at least on Verizon) that I would prefer, I can't have a phone that can't connect and therefore can't function properly when just around the city and in popular places.

Let me know what options I have here.

Thank you.

Kenny

[jethrodesign]

OK, yesterday I was up in Van Nuys (91406) inside a Rite Aid store. Couldn't get any connection (web, maps, anything). Was at -116dBm. This is completely unreasonable.

Let me know what my options are. I purchased the phone from Best Buy. And I really don't want to swap for another one if there's a strong possibility it will be the same issues (phone design flaw).

I noticed that this phone was not listed for your extended frequencies (XLTE - AWS). Would it be better for me in a heavily congested area like Los Angeles to get a phone that supported that, like LG G2?

Thanks.

Kenny

[vzw_customer_support]

I appreciate you trying a new SIM card, jethrodesign. I definitely understand having a phone you can rely on to function properly. When was the device purchased? The HTC One (M7) is a supported device under our XLTE network. While your phone will not say XLTE, if you are in a supported area, you should be able to benefit from those speeds. Do you have a protective casing around the phone that may be blocking the signal?

AndreaS_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[mlcooke258]

Where does it state that the M7 is an XLTE supported device?  That is contray to everything I have read.