iphone 4/5 signal bars only. 5/5 after restart

[NovemberWhiskey]

I have an iPhone 6+ on Verizon Wireless in the Los Angeles area.

Normally I have always gotten full bars in my area. However, with the 6+, I noticed I only have 4/5 dots for signal reception.

If I restart my phone, I get 5/5 dots after the restart for 2-3 minutes or so, and then it falls back to 4/5 for the rest of the day. Very rarely do I spontaneously get 5/5.

Is this normal? If I put my sim into an S5, I get full signal on that phone, but I don't know if they measure it differently.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Just relax and enjoy your phone

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

Not helpful at all considering this may be what is causing my battery drain overnight with nothing running and nearly all background services shut down.

Just want to know if it is normal to get higher service reception after a restart only to have it fall later.

 

[willmtaylor]

Not helpful at all considering this may be what is causing my battery drain overnight with nothing running and nearly all background services shut down.

Just want to know if it is normal to get higher service reception after a restart only to have it fall later.

Calm down now. We can't read your mind and didn't know you were having other issues such as battery drain, now did we?

I think the point is, have you noticed any service degradation or issues since switching, or is your only problem one less dot on your screen? Because the former is problematic while the latter is not.

 

[ROLLTIDE1]

bars don't mean anything at all ! You need to look at your -dbm numbers

 

[nateo200]

bars don't mean anything at all ! You need to look at your -dbm numbers

This....also the phone could be handing off to a different cell site. Hand offs don't just occur because of signal strength but can also happen if the current cell is near or reaches capacity....either way 4/5 bars is great...I have 2/5 bars on my iPhone 6 at home and its perfectly fine. If you want real signal strength you need to understand the decibel readings and the field test menu
dial: *3001#12345#*

 

[Newtons Apple]

Not helpful at all considering this may be what is causing my battery drain overnight with nothing running and nearly all background services shut down.

Just want to know if it is normal to get higher service reception after a restart only to have it fall later.

Like I said you DO need to take a deep breath and relax.

I only get 2 bars at my house and it does nothing to my battery.

You are talking about a single dot!

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

Like I said you DO need to take a deep breath and relax.

I only get 2 bars at my house and it does nothing to my battery.

You are talking about a single dot!

Um, no one here is upset except for you. It was just a question.

 

[iososx]

Just relax and enjoy your phone

Sage Advice.

Signal bars are only a rough estimate of strength. Not designed to be an accurate indicator, they're not to be taken seriously. Especially considering current iPhones have very good connectivity if you're with a good carrier that provides coverage in your area.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Um, no one here is upset except for you. It was just a question.

Not upset in the least!