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Carrier Only getting 2 or 3 bars with Verizon on the iPhone 6s?
- Thread starter davelanger
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Are you saying that the cell tower is adjusting power output just for me? I think the cell tower power output is fixed, although the phone's power output is variable. Perhaps what's happening is that my phone is employing a preamp when the received signal strength is low. This would increase the numer of bars shown. A preamp would probably use more battery power, so it's only used when necessary.
Actually no that's not it, at least as far as Verizon is concerned.
On Verizon, when you start a call, the cell radio drops to 1x for the audio call. That is why your bars will go up, because you are no longer on 3G or LTE, you are on 1x.
When the call ends, it goes back to LTE for the main connection.
Of course Verizon is not adjusting the output power of the cell towers on the fly. I was trying to explain what the RSSI indicator on the phone is showing. I may have done a poor job of explaining it but I was trying to explain that those bars indicate received signal strength, not transmitted power level.
If there is a preamp, the RSSI level would be taken before the preamp section.
Actually you are only part correct. This Is how it always used to be. Now with XLTE, we stay on LTE for voice calls and data simultaneously. I never see 1x anymore.
On a side note back on the original topic, my iPhone 6 always has 2 bars on my apartment at all times. After updating to 9.1 beta 3, I'm showing full bars. Strange.
The funny thing is, I went with the verizon store yesterday because my mother wanted an iPhone 6s, so I went with her since she has no clue about that stuff, and i got 5 bars in the verizon store of course.
Its just add there is a cell tower right up the street from me, and I only get 2 or 3 bars but I get 5 in the mall at the verizon store.
At least its not an issue yet.
They are definitely using a DAS within the store. Check the ceiling next time you are there. Towards the middle of the store there will most likely be a little white box that looks a little like a wifi router. Most grocery stores, shopping malls, and other large buildings that you get good service in will have these systems.
Actually, no once again.
XLTE has nothing to do with it. XLTE is just a fancy word for adding an additional frequency on a tower to add bandwidth. When the 700 mhz is getting clogged it will switch and use the other frequency.
On to the other incorrect, or partly incorrect on your part. On Verizon, you are referring to the Advanced calling. IF, and a big IF, you and the other person are both on LTE, both using Verizon, both have AC activated on your account, and turned on in your phone, then you will be on an HD call and be able to do voice and data at the same time and not use 1x.
But most people don't have AC even turned on within their account, and even if they did, the odds of you getting an HD call is small. Unless everyone you talk to is on Verizon and has AC activated.
So to end, I would say that more than 90% of people are still using 1x for voice because they never had AC activated to begin with. And yes I talk from work experience.
I know that the bars/dots are poorly defined. How accurate are the numbers that are displayed when the phone is placed in test mode?
Actually, no once again.
XLTE has nothing to do with it. XLTE is just a fancy word for adding an additional frequency on a tower to add bandwidth. When the 700 mhz is getting clogged it will switch and use the other frequency.
On to the other incorrect, or partly incorrect on your part. On Verizon, you are referring to the Advanced calling. IF, and a big IF, you and the other person are both on LTE, both using Verizon, both have AC activated on your account, and turned on in your phone, then you will be on an HD call and be able to do voice and data at the same time and not use 1x.
But most people don't have AC even turned on within their account, and even if they did, the odds of you getting an HD call is small. Unless everyone you talk to is on Verizon and has AC activated.
So to end, I would say that more than 90% of people are still using 1x for voice because they never had AC activated to begin with. And yes I talk from work experience.
I can be on a phone call to a person using whatever cell provider on whatever technology. If I'm in an XLTE area, regardless of what they're on, I can still browse the net on LTE and still be on the phone call. If they are not on XLTE, sure it won't be an HD call. But for me, one sided, can still now browse the web while on a call just like any old GSM network.
VoLTE works on the 700MHz network, too. (outside of XLTE markets where VZW has AWS spectrum)
Only your device and the network need to support VoLTE to use simultaneous voice and data as you noted.
Hi I ported my phone number from T-Mobile to Verizon plus BYOD(iPhone 6s+) and I typically only saw 2/3 bars when on T-Mobile I'd see 5 bars. Hence after two days on Verizon I ported my number back to the Uncarrier.