14 DAY TRIAL // A large battery, top-notch cameras, and sufficient storage space are surely important factors when buying a new phone, but signal strength should definitely be the main criteria. A Danish study conducted on 26 most popular phones in Nordic countries has some quite surprising results.
First of all, the study was carried out by the Danish Energy Agency and the Nordic telecommunications administrations in Nordic mobile networks, and it included data services. The main network that was used is GSM900, which is the most prevalent in Nordic countries.
HTC Desire 626 ranked first in the Voice service right-hand test, followed closely by Samsung Galaxy S5 mini, the Galaxy J1, and Microsoft Lumia 640. The Galaxy S7 edge ranked 9, followed by the Lumia 650, while Apple's iPhone 6S Plus only managed to rank 12.
Signal strength in iPhones has been getting gradually worst
The phone with the worst GSM900 signal among all tested was Huawei P9, but Apple's iPhone 6S and iPhone SE ranked at the bottom end of the index as well. The study focuses on the transmitter performance for voice services and the receiver for data mode. The two depend on the phone's antenna, as well as the way users hold phones in their hands during calls or online browsing.
Therefore, results for the Voice service left-hand test are somewhat different compared to the first test. In this second test, DORO PhoneEasy 530X ranks first, followed by the Lumia 640, Lumia 650, and Xperia Z3 Compact. The Galaxy S7 edge ranks 7, while the four Apple phones included in the test have the worst signal, with iPhone 6S Plus ranking last.
The study reveals that some phones require a signal that could be even 100 times stronger than others. It also mentions that Apple's device signal hasn't improved with the latest models that the company has released, but it has actually gotten worst, as results show. The study stresses the need for antenna performance to be labeled so that customers would get an idea of which phones would be more reliable when it comes to signal strength.
