Verizon Wireless’ LTE version of the U.S. Samsung Galaxy Nexus launched last week after much anticipation, and in a short amount of time, reports have begun piling on of users experiencing subpar signal strength in comparison to other LTE devices. However, Verizon has officially confirmed the problem, and has promised a future fix.
Over the weekend, users claimed inconsistent signals which flashed varying 4G LTE service bars in neighborhoods. Verizon officially responded to those complaints this week, confirming the signal problem on the Verizon support Twitter account. Verizon assured users that the issue was being investigated and a software update was being developed, though the company couldn’t give a definite ETA on the fix.
On Wednesday, Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney clarified the company’s position on the new Android 4.0 smartphone’s problems
“There is no issue with the performance of the device. There is a difference in the way the signal is translated into bars on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus compared to other smart phones. A future software update will adjust the signal strength indicator to more closely match other Verizon Wireless devices.”
So, to reiterate, Verizon is saying that it’s a translation problem, not a strength problem. They are saying strength is just dandy. The Verizon spokeswoman did not give a concrete date for when the updated would arrive, though Computer World points out that a few Verizon service reps have been pointing towards an arrival in January.
Prior to last week’s launch, great anticipation had been built up over the Google’s Galaxy Nexus as Verizon kept the launch date for the U.S. close to its chest. Worse, consumers were subject to the Galaxy Nexus being paraded around in other countries such as Canada and the UK.