Cell phones should be purchased (particularly in cases like these, where 4G LTE speed is a priority) based upon performance at a particular location, not on a package/plan's details or price, or what carrier it happens to be. Signals varying like this are literally all over the map. Where we live (central IL), the only place you're going to get 4GLTE is in very close proximity to a city and SOME towns.....everything else is 3G, whatever name Verizon chooses to give it.
We knew the score, but went with Verizon anyway, because they're the best thing going around here. Also, we spend a lot of time at home and have a great wireless ISP, so most of our non-phone activity is on wi-fi, and cellular network speed just isn't that much of an issue.
Don't base expectations of a phone system on some hot chick riding a motorcycle.
As someone who has spent 2 months troubleshooting this frustrating experience with VZW LTE & iPhone 5, I will give you the summary.
1. If you never get LTE when you should, I would start by swapping your Micro SIM.
2. If you get LTE, but it's sporadic, low strength, low performing, and you see a lot of 3G and "o" (1X), it's the **NETWORK**, not the phone.
How do I know it's the network? I have now spent time with Verizon's other flagship Android phones next to an iPhone 5 and while the iPhone 5 was the worst in marginal coverage areas, the others frankly aren't much better. Lots of 3G when there should be LTE coverage. There are a *lot* of marginal VZW coverage areas in NYC and Metro Boston which result in either 3G, 1X ("o"), or very slow LTE.
If you are within the 14 day period and you don't feel like putting up with this, I suggest you deal with it now as VZW will be unwilling to help you in the same manner after your 14 days expire.
I really hate to send people to another provider as I have spent the past 15 years of my life sending people to VZW, but the "Best LTE network / gold standard" (VZW) is letting me down tremendously here in Metro Boston. I am not sure how they let their network slip like this compared to you know who.
I've had problem #2 since I got the phone at Thanksgiving. I have the latest updates, and have a pretty tight config (Location services and Notifications are off for most things other than a handful I use daily). Passbook, iAds, Genius apps are off/stay off. I've reset the network and sometimes find a 3rd bar briefly. It alternates between 1 & 2 bars. My speeds have been what really vary...in the last hour I got these two wild results. The phone was in the same state each time - no apps running in background.
*in Mbps
9:34a CT *download 9.87 - *upload 1.32 - ping 52 ms
10:06a CT download 0.30 - upload 0.46 - ping 52 ms
11:21a CT download 12.56 - upload 2.75 - ping 48 ms
The 10:06 was odd in that things got worse after a network reset and turning the phone physically off, before doing the speed test. I'm sandwiched between 3 Verizon towers in NE Houston...it's not that I don't find the 1st or especially the last test acceptable. It's the inconsistency I'm experiencing over time. I did this test again at 10:09a, just 3 minutes later and got danged near the same result. I was relieved to get the result at 11:21a.
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