So many razr questions...where do I begin?

[NJTPK]

Coming from an HTC Incredible original...this new Razr is a little more advanced to say the least. However, there are some aspects of the phone that are annoying/confusing.

With my HTC, I could be across my back yard (approx 30 yards away) from my wireless router and still have 3 bars of wifi. Now with the droid..if I'm on the other side of the house 10 yards away, I barely have one bar. Once I go outside, I have no wifi connection. Is there a way to increase the wifi receiving strength?

With the Incredible, using the widget was very easy and simple to switch on/off your 3g and wifi. Either one or the other.. Now with the Razr I think they are both under the wifi symbol. Is there a way to keep one on and one off. I wish there was a widget for 4g on and off.

Why is it that when I turn off my GPS, using my widget, and then I go to google maps and navigate...it STILL allows me to navigate??? I'm trying to save the battery by turning off the GPS when not in use, and it still seems to be on, allowing me to use google maps.

How can I have a different alert just for text messaging then for email and all other notifications?? Maybe I can't find it, but I've looked for the sound setting just for text messaging. All notifications fall under then same ringtone, which is kind of annoying. I don't need to hear everytime I get an email, but would like to know every time I get a text.

Why is the refresh rate soo slow compared to my HTC Incredible that is over a year old? I was playing fantasy football and it literally took 20 min when someone scored a touchdown for it to show up on my razr. On the HTC it was within 5 seconds. And its nothing to do with the coverage area since both times I was sitting on my couch connected to wifi.

I have many more questions and concerns...but as not to overwhelm..I'll leave it as this for now.
Thanks in advance for this droid forum website and all those people more tech savy then myself for giving us your time and knowledge!!!

 

[jpcalhoun]

Coming from an HTC Incredible original...this new Razr is a little more advanced to say the least. However, there are some aspects of the phone that are annoying/confusing.

With my HTC, I could be across my back yard (approx 30 yards away) from my wireless router and still have 3 bars of wifi. Now with the droid..if I'm on the other side of the house 10 yards away, I barely have one bar. Once I go outside, I have no wifi connection. Is there a way to increase the wifi receiving strength?
With the Incredible, using the widget was very easy and simple to switch on/off your 3g and wifi. Either one or the other.. Now with the Razr I think they are both under the wifi symbol. Is there a way to keep one on and one off. I wish there was a widget for 4g on and off.

Why is it that when I turn off my GPS, using my widget, and then I go to google maps and navigate...it STILL allows me to navigate??? I'm trying to save the battery by turning off the GPS when not in use, and it still seems to be on, allowing me to use google maps.

How can I have a different alert just for text messaging then for email and all other notifications?? Maybe I can't find it, but I've looked for the sound setting just for text messaging. All notifications fall under then same ringtone, which is kind of annoying. I don't need to hear everytime I get an email, but would like to know every time I get a text.

Why is the refresh rate soo slow compared to my HTC Incredible that is over a year old? I was playing fantasy football and it literally took 20 min when someone scored a touchdown for it to show up on my razr. On the HTC it was within 5 seconds. And its nothing to do with the coverage area since both times I was sitting on my couch connected to wifi.

I have many more questions and concerns...but as not to overwhelm..I'll leave it as this for now.
Thanks in advance for this droid forum website and all those people more tech savy then myself for giving us your time and knowledge!!!

Let me try to answer some of your questions:

 

[BULL27]

Here are some answers:

Coming from an HTC Incredible original...this new Razr is a little more advanced to say the least. However, there are some aspects of the phone that are annoying/confusing.

With my HTC, I could be across my back yard (approx 30 yards away) from my wireless router and still have 3 bars of wifi. Now with the droid..if I'm on the other side of the house 10 yards away, I barely have one bar. Once I go outside, I have no wifi connection. Is there a way to increase the wifi receiving strength? Try unplugging and restarting the router then reconnect. Worth a shot, i have no problems with WIFI connection

With the Incredible, using the widget was very easy and simple to switch on/off your 3g and wifi. Either one or the other.. Now with the Razr I think they are both under the wifi symbol. Is there a way to keep one on and one off. I wish there was a widget for 4g on and off.
There is an app called LTE switch, put the shortcut on one of your home pages. It brings you directly to "Network Mode". Then simply click CDMA/LTE for 4G or CDMA Only for 3G. If you want to have the 3g and 4g radio off while connected to WIFI, there is a program installed on your phone called "Smart Actions". Create one that has a trigger of WiFi ON, and an action that disables cellular data. This way wifi will be on and 3g/4g radios will be off, in turn saving your battery. (highly recommended)

Why is it that when I turn off my GPS, using my widget, and then I go to google maps and navigate...it STILL allows me to navigate??? I'm trying to save the battery by turning off the GPS when not in use, and it still seems to be on, allowing me to use google maps.
I am assuming it is using "Google Location Services". This is not GPS. It is under settings, Location and Security Settings.

How can I have a different alert just for text messaging then for email and all other notifications?? Maybe I can't find it, but I've looked for the sound setting just for text messaging. All notifications fall under then same ringtone, which is kind of annoying. I don't need to hear everytime I get an email, but would like to know every time I get a text.
Go into your email, click the left bottom button, click "notifications, then "Silent". For you text, go to settings-Sound-Notifications.

Why is the refresh rate soo slow compared to my HTC Incredible that is over a year old? I was playing fantasy football and it literally took 20 min when someone scored a touchdown for it to show up on my razr. On the HTC it was within 5 seconds. And its nothing to do with the coverage area since both times I was sitting on my couch connected to wifi.
Its the app and how its playing with the new device. ESPN FFL was terrible with my Droid Charge but fantastic with the Razr. Manually refresh it.

I have many more questions and concerns...but as not to overwhelm..I'll leave it as this for now.
Thanks in advance for this droid forum website and all those people more tech savy then myself for giving us your time and knowledge!!!

 

[NJTPK]

Bull27,

Thanks so much for your quick and thorough reply. Using the smart action to turn 3g/4g off while I'm connected to wifi in my home is huge. I can't believe thats not an automatic setting in the Razr.
I also downloaded LTE Switch App like you said. It looks like a yellow light switch with a toggle. There are only two options with that app. Network Mode and System Select. In network mode, I have the option for CDMA/LTE and CDMA only. Either one I choose...the 3g/4g is still on! I'm just looking for a toggle (similar to the droid incredible) which turns it off completely. Say when I'm sleeping and don't want anything on...Wifi or 3g/4g. How do I turn them all off? Thanks again
Drew

 

[BULL27]

I would do another smart action

Sleep Rule

Trigger:
Timeframe - Night (you set the hours)
Display off

Actions:
Cellular Date disabled
Background Synch disabled
Ringer Volume - silent

If you want to manually turn the radio 3g 4g off, just use the preinstalled airplane mode widget.

 

[vonfink13]

i am using "juice defender" a free app from the mkt and it shuts off 4g when i am using wifi......

 

[helron]

U said that google location services is not GPS? Pls explain because I am confused. How can Google locate if not GPS. Is Google a battery strain, as is GPS? Should I leave Google Loco Serv on ? many thanks!

 

[joshxdroid]

U said that google location services is not GPS? Pls explain because I am confused. How can Google locate if not GPS. Is Google a battery strain, as is GPS? Should I leave Google Loco Serv on ? many thanks!

I believe google location services uses wifi connections and possibly towers to determine your general location. I don't know how much of a battery drain it is, i usually leave it on just because if i search things i don't have to worry about entering the city because it will give me local results first. Of it's off and i search "pizza hut" it will give me the main website or some random city.

 

[Tucstwo]

That's correct, even with gps off, your phone uses wifi and tower locations to triangulate your position. While not as accurate, you could still technically locate yourself in a map with gps turned off. So no, when gps is off, it's off. The only way to truly hide from the man would be to turn off gps, wifi and radios. But who's gonna actually do that?

And... New Jersey Turnpike?

 

[94lt1]

Unless its been revamped, vzw doesn't use actual GPS for its GPS services either.. they use cell tower locations... and Google maps does as well.. afaik..

 

[joshxdroid]

Unless its been revamped, vzw doesn't use actual GPS for its GPS services either.. they use cell tower locations... and Google maps does as well.. afaik..

I thought they used assisted gps (a combination of tower and gps information. But the better phones like the RAZR can use agps, or standalone gps

 

[TisMyDroid]

Bull27,

Thanks so much for your quick and thorough reply. Using the smart action to turn 3g/4g off while I'm connected to wifi in my home is huge. I can't believe thats not an automatic setting in the Razr.
I also downloaded LTE Switch App like you said. It looks like a yellow light switch with a toggle. There are only two options with that app. Network Mode and System Select. In network mode, I have the option for CDMA/LTE and CDMA only. Either one I choose...the 3g/4g is still on! I'm just looking for a toggle (similar to the droid incredible) which turns it off completely. Say when I'm sleeping and don't want anything on...Wifi or 3g/4g. How do I turn them all off? Thanks again
Drew

Follow through with the smart action wifi rules and sleep rules suggested by Bull27 but you can also get a toggle power switch that will turn off your 3g/4g data at other times when you want to keep data off. But that is also just my preference because I like to keep data off unless I am actually using it just to conserve on battery.

Thanks Bull27, he was spot on for absolutely everything!

BTW, NJTPK, welcome to the forums!

 

[TisMyDroid]

I thought they used assisted gps (a combination of tower and gps information. But the better phones like the RAZR can use agps, or standalone gps

Yes, with the Razr, you can actually use Navigation without your data on because it uses standalone GPS. Older phones you needed both data and gps on. GPS only is very convenient and works exceptionally well.

 

[helron]

Thanks for the explanations! Very helpful....