Can the manufacturer / make a difference in picking up a 3g signal?

[klaus09]

Hi Hope someone could give their thoughts on etc..

I am a customer of Vodafone UK and considering the iphone 3gs, as this is coming out (hopefully) in january 2010, and the contract ending at the same time too. I will then have the choice of 3 networks, Voda, 02 and Orange.

With Voda I do like the talk coverage and excellent customer service, however I am mainly a voice user, not got a smart phone before like the iphone so have little experience in the data usage.

The main issue is choosing a carrier that gives me good coverage on 3g so I thought I'd do some testing between voda and orange, using home and work locations.

I know I can get a 3g signal on my Sony Ericsson K800i using Voda however the phone doesn't tell me how strong the signal is, it is just a logo.

However if i swap to my orange pay-as-you go sim card I dont get the 3g logo at either locations. I haven't tried it out with an 02 sim card yet. The respective companies website states that I should get a "very strong" signal for 3g.

I rang Orange regarding this and he said that the Sony's have a bad reputation for picking up 3g signal and keeping it, and that the iphone is much better.

Then I rang 02 and asked them can the phone make any difference in picking up a 3g signal - they said no, its the signal strength and your location etc.

So whats the truth then? Can the manufacturer / model of your phone make any difference in picking up a 3g signal?

I know the k800i is an old phone and technology has improved leaps and bounds, I'd hate to lock myself into a contract and get poor coverage when out and about. So wondering what other peoples views are on this question?

thanks in advance

 

[trainguy77]

Yes, different phones will get different levels of signal. The carrier also is a factor.

 

[Nermal]

If you're going for a subsidy then my suggestion is to buy a phone from an operator with a 2-week right of return (or whatever the norm is in the UK), then try different SIMs in it to find which is best. If you find that the coverage you get isn't good enough, then you can return the phone within the window and buy from a "better" operator.