I just read in another thread that the 4.4 update for the Note 3 is out. You may as well give it a shot. Can't make things worse. 
I wanted to keep my unlimited data alive so I just purchased a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 at full price at the Harrisburg Verizon store today.
I had to stop in at the lab where I work on the way home to check on some samples I left running Friday afternoon. I looked at my phone and saw I only had 1 bar of 4G LTE service inside the building. I checked the signal strength and the N3 reported -118 dbm. I tried a speed test with the speedtest.net app and received a network connection error part way through. I'm sure this was due to the extremely low signal strength. The phone then switched to 3G with 1 bar signal strength.
My Motorola Droid Bionic, which I just replaced, used to get 2 to 3 bars 4G LTE at -105 to -89 dbm in the same areas of the building.
I then drove home and checked my signal there as well. It's not the good at all! My Bionic used to get a much better signal. I live in a suburb of Harrisburg PA where the Verizon signal isn't the strongest, but my Motorola Bionic did very well keeping a 4G LTE signal.
I'm very upset that a phone that lists for $799 would have such a poor antenna or radio with such poor sensitivity like this.
I'll try the N3 again tomorrow when I return to work and see what happens. If the reception remains this bad, I'll have to return the phone and get something else - possibly the LG G2. If anyone owns a G2 and would be kind enough to reply with their reception quality in low signal areas I would greatly appreciate it.
I would also be interested to know how the reception quality is in low signal areas from other Samsung GN3 owners.
Thanks!
I truthfully don't remember as I didn't look and they sent a pre-paid return box that had the new phone in it and I just put the old phone in and sent back.
Verazon replace my Galaxy note 3 but I don't know if this is brand new
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
Absolutely horrible call quality and dropped calls
Mine had a small label in the battery compartment. And my replacement was not new but reconditioned. It worked great with the original software but I upgraded it to the MJE version. Phone still works better than my old one but the reception was affected somewhat for worse. Hope Kit-Kat update resolves that issue. Now at least I know it is not the phone. But in September I will go back ti the Iphone. Hopefully it will have bigger screen and remain stable as the older versions.
My Note 3 has the worst reception I have ever had on any Verizon phone. As a benchmark in my house, where we have always had great reception, the Note 3 gets a consistent 107 dBm. In contrast, my old Droid X2 at the exact same location gets 86 dBm. This is big difference on the decibel scale. Another indicator of poor signal strength is the battery drain, which seems to get to a warning level in 10 hours going through my usual home and work daily cycle.
The phone was bought Dec 26 at Best Buy, any chance it is one of the defective phones discussed in this forum?
Does anyone know the model/build numbers of the defectives?
Thanks.
My Note 3 is unusable in areas where every other phone I, my family and my customers have service. I was sent a refurb by Verizon but it's pretty much useless. Thinking about paying the difference and getting another Maxx.
I know this is an odler thread, but this question is for @blaide how have things been since the newer device? I too was an early Note 3 adopter and sold mine back in Jan ... looking to get another one, but really don't want to go through the same nonsense again.
TIA
i have the same signal problems with my note 3 . heres my story ... i had an htc one for att .. traded it for an iphone 5 and got better and more consistent signal with the iphone in the same exact spot in my house and just all around. then i switched to verizon and got a brand new iphone 5s and had pretty good reception. about a month ago i traded the 5s for a note 3 and boom, unreliable reception again, once again in the same area of my house. i dont know what the hell apple does to their antennas but the signal is so much better and consistent . my note 3 will in the exact same spot without moving and the bars go up and down without me touching the phone.
Well I rolled the dice and had my job order me a new Note 3 ... hopefully round 2 is better. If not I will NOT let the 14 day return policy slip away and return it for a Note 2. Currently Verizon only shows CPO Note 2 (in white, yuck!) on their site, but I loved my N2 and never had an issue with it.
I am a new owner of the Galaxy note 3 and still own my iPhone 5. Here is my situation, I have the VZ network extender in my house and have tied both the iPhone and Note 3 to it. For reasons I can't explain, the cell coverage on the Note 3 is DISMAL! I researched on line, did all the suggested steps to correct but unfortunately, I still on a good day, receive one bar. Conversely, my iPhone 5, same spot in house receive 5 bars! What is even more frustrating, I drop calls on the Note in my house, but not the iPhone. I spent 30 minutes on the phone with VZ Tech Support and giving VZ benefit of doubt will say, call was dropped. I would have appreciated a call back but never received.
Anyway, I am we'll in my return window at BB in terms of phone and was wondering if a newer model existed. I am on software version N900/ Android 4.3. To test wi fi connection I sent a text to myself that included an image. The iPhone sent as it should over my wifi in my house, The Galaxy, did not. I turned on mobile data at this point and message sent.
Love the phone, but need to figure this out. Any suggestions? Thank you
Since you're within the return window, I'd suggest getting a different phone. Not a replacement Note 3. Different model. I was excited about the Note 3 but I was in the sticks when it was released. By the time I got back to civilization, there were many reports of garbled voice calls and poor reception. I still wanted to take a look at it so I went hunting for one to try in several Verizon stores in February and March. Not one store had a display model. That set off enough alarm bells that I decided to wait for another phone.
When you go to the store, check the actual signal strength of the phones. Not the number of bars. Go to Settings, About phone, Status. Look at the signal strength. Keep in mind it's a negative number so -77 dBm is better than -85 dBm.
Under no circumstance let your return window pass. Get another phone. You wont find another Note 3 but you will at least have something that works. I swapped mine at 6 months in for a Galaxy 5.
Guess what? No more signal issues.
Do not wait on some mysterious upgrade to fix it. The problem lies with the Note 3 Antenna Power Management code and Samsung is not going to admit a problem, much less fix it.
Go now. Get out of it while you can. Good luck
"MyNote3Problems" -
I've done everything as well with phone replacement, factory re sets, etc. sooo with this said I've read a lot of your posts..
I've had my note 3 for about 6 months as well.. How were you able to swap for the galaxy s5?
If your on Edge you would need to pay the difference of half the phone. If your under contract, you may need to wait. Although they may let you out of contract and move to the edge program early.
Like cgage823 said. I was on the Edge plan. I ended up paying $174.00 to swap.
I really tried to make myself get anything other than Samsung just for spite. The Galaxy S5 has been perfect. No reception problems. I miss the stylus from time to time but it's a relief to be able to talk on the phone. The screen size is not that much of an issue.
My frustrations are fading. I know the Note 3 has a problem. I believe it to be a problem with the power management for the antenna. It is a major problem for outliers. Was a major problem for me.
Good luck to all of you still suffering the Note 3.
Thanks for the reply. My signal strength from note 3 today is all over the map. At one point, it reads -68dBM and as I type this, now reads -117dBM. Conversely, my iPhone has full bars/strength. Getting frustrated with this and am hopeful a pending update or a fix will correct. IDK, I have tried rebooting router, VZ Network extender, phone also removed SIM Card and reset it. Still no solid, consistent signal coming from note3. TY
I just read in another thread that the 4.4 update for the Note 3 is out. You may as well give it a shot. Can't make things worse.
I looked around online and don't see anything. Checked my phone and it says no update avail. Maybe later?
Sometimes it takes multiple attempts. I used to have to to "the update dance" on my Galaxy Nexus. Stop the update service, clear cache and data, check software update (which would say last checked in 1969 at this point), rinse, repeat until it finally detected the update and let me install it.
Start a new topic or ask questions in the open forum.