droidStory

See bottom of post for latest video. The Nexus One 3G saga continues. Kevin has a great post over at his jkontherun blog.

So over the span of the last three days, I’ve been testing my handset using the SpeedTest application from Xtreme Labs — available for free in the Android Market — and also watching the data indicator on the phone. Aside from testing in Philadelphia, I’ve also tested in various San Francisco neighborhoods and in Phoenix. Every single testing location used was squarely in a solid T-Mobile 3G coverage area — no fringe areas, for example.

And in every location, I saw either miserable 3G speeds, signals bouncing between 3G and EDGE, or — even worse –both.

He also setup this poll to track how many people still experience this problem, and whether the OTA Update provided a fix for some.

I can’t wait for Verizon to release the Nexus One or any of the other new HTC and Motorola Android phones that are in the pipeline. Having been on Verizon for so many years I started to take their excellent network coverage for granted.

Update: I created this short video clip to better illustrate how the OTA Update has not fixed the 3G problem, and how this problem can be easily reproduced. Just cover the  bottom / backside of the phone – you know the way you might hold your phone when answering a call – and a perfectly fine 3G signal disappears.

CNET compares the Nexus One with the iPhone 3GS. Guess who is winning?!

I installed the firmware update on my Nexus One last night with high hopes that the 3G connectivity problems would be fixed. After some simple tests I have to say that I did not notice any significant improvements. Although the phone seems to try holding onto a 3G connection a bit longer, the result is the same.

No real improvement after the update. 3G Signal strength -97dBm 8asu on Desk — dropping to -111dBM 1asu while holding in hand, barely holding onto 3G. Ooops it just switched to Edge -83dBm 13asu. #FAIL

How come 3bars of 3G just disappear every time you pick up the phone??? I also had a number of crashes when answering calls. Swiping the green answer button just stopped mid way and the phone hung. Perhaps this is related to temporarily losing network connection when switching to Edge after I pick up the phone. This is infuriating to say the least!

Motorola Droid + Verizon: 1
Nexus One + T-Mobile: 0

Google, now what?

Google announced earlier that the first Over-the-Air Update for the Nexus One will begin later today, with most phones expected to receive the update before the end of this week.

Can’t wait for the OTA-Update? Feeling adventurous? Click here for instructions to install the update in minutes via USB.

Many people have been anxiously waiting for this update, hoping that it will fix the 3G connectivity problems widely reported on Google’s support forum and shown here in a previous post.

Here is Google’s statement regarding 3G connectivity:

3G connectivity: we will provide a general fix to help improve 3G connectivity on some Nexus One phones

Google also added these additional features to the update, with pinch-to-zoom multi-touch probably being the most exciting addition:

Google Goggles: this mobile application will now be available directly on your device by launching it from your All Apps menu. Just use your Nexus One camera to start searching the web

Google Maps: the Maps application with be updated to a new version, Google Maps 3.4, which will include:

• Starred items synchronized with maps.google.com – access your favorite places from your phone or computer
• Search suggestions from your personal maps.google.com history – makes it easy to search for places you’ve searched for before
• Night mode in Google Maps Navigation – automatically changes your screen at night for easier viewing and driving

Pinch-to-zoom functionality: devices will now include a new pinch-to-zoom mechanism in the phone’s Browser, Gallery and Maps applications

The Nexus One Desktop Dock is now available in the Google Store. Of course, I’m kidding about the two-year contract option, but forty-five bucks for a dumb piece of plastic with a USB connector.

Google, seriously?!!!

The Droid Dock sells for $25, which is about as much I’d be willing to spend on a phone accessory.

The Nexus Dock does have an audio connector though, which is missing from the Droid Dock. Does this justify $45 – I think not! Let’s see what the aftermarket can come up with…

Update: Apparently the Dock uses Bluetooth for the audio connection, so I stand corrected, the “plastic” has some smarts. Still, silicon is cheap.

After weeks of frustration in waiting and much heated discussion voiced in more than 1,500 posts to Google’s support forums, there is now a glimmer of hope that a fix to the “Spotty 3G” issue is in the works.

As posted previously here, the Nexus One is having some trouble holding onto a steady 3G connection under certain conditions.  Interestingly, similar problems occurred with the first iPhone 3G and were later addressed with a software fix. Following Apple’s playbook, Google has been mum on the issue until now.

Google finally posted the following statement to the forum today:

Hi Folks,

I wanted to post an update to the Nexus One Help Forum to let you know what we’ve been working on to help address the 3G issues some of you have been facing. I also wanted to thank you for being patient as we work to investigate the problem, an effort which has included our hardware partners.

The data from that investigation tells us that the majority of reported cases appear to be the result of being in low 3G coverage areas.  However, our engineers have also uncovered specific cases for which a software fix should improve 3G coverage for some users.  We are testing this fix now, initial results are positive, and if everything progresses as planned, we will provide an over-the-air software update to your phone in the next week or so.

Thanks again for your patience and for your feedback, and we will continue to keep you informed.

Thanks,

Ravi

I’m glad there’s finally an update on this. I’m really enjoying my Nexus One overall, but having weak or no 3G access takes a lot of fun out using it or showing off its great features.

Stay tuned for an actual date on the OTA update.