[Tsepz_GP]

Hi everyone,

I'm seeing a lot of talk of the KEYOne having weaker signal than vs. Phones like DTEK60, PRIV and other Android Flagships, this got me very curious as to how a 2017 Phone could perform poorer in this area.

I then remembered that the KEYOne uses a mid end Snapdragon 625 SoC, and through digging around I found out that it's SoC actually comes with a weaker and older Modem than what is found for example in the PRIVs Snapdragon 808.

The KEYOne has a X9 LTE modem instead of the more robust X10 found in the Snapdragon 808 in the PRIV. In actual fact, both these pale in comparison to the X12 found in the Snapdragon 820 in the DTEK60.

Check this out:

Snapdragon 800 series


Check 808 here


See the 625 here


https://www.qualcomm.com/products/sn...ors/comparison

It seems one trade-off of the more power efficient SoC is a weaker modem, so if you are in an area with poor signal you may want to just ensure the KEYOne can handle it within the return period your network or retailer allows or maybe keep the phone in 3G as that still have greater coverage in many places.

Hope this helps.

[thurask]

The Snapdragon 626 (i.e. what the KEYone should have launched with in 2017) still has the X9 modem, but it does add some antenna tweaks. The 630 has a X12 modem just like the Snapdragon 820/821, but to wait for it would have delayed the KEYone even further.

[Tsepz_GP]

The Snapdragon 626 (i.e. what the KEYone should have launched with in 2017) still has the X9 modem, but it does add some antenna tweaks. The 630 has a X12 modem just like the Snapdragon 820/821, but to wait for it would have delayed the KEYone even further.

Considering this is meant to be a business device with Communication and staying always connected being priority I don't understand why BlackBerry didn't just either put in the further improved 626 or the 820 at a lower peak frequency to save battery.

[krazyatom]

Thanks OP. This make sense now. I never bothered to check the actual antenna they used. I was curious why my S7 had better signal.

[kbz1960]

My moto z play droid has the same chip. I get the same signal as my last phone which also wasn't a flagship. It's just good enough in my house not to be an issue. Outside I do get in the - 80's dbm

[thurask]

Considering this is meant to be a business device with Communication and staying always connected being priority I don't understand why BlackBerry didn't just either put in the further improved 626 or the 820 at a lower peak frequency to save battery.

Maybe they took the advice of the Communicators (TM) on this forum and deliberately shied away from anything too new/powerful.

[anon(4297019)]

Maybe they took the advice of the Communicators (TM) on this forum and deliberately shied away from anything too new/powerful.

What's up Thurask? You're being a little bit cheeky lately :-)

[thurask]

What's up Thurask? You're being a little bit cheeky lately :-)

Lately?

[SunDevilBB]

Awesome explanation! Thank you for your additions to this debate. With everything, it is a tradeoff. If the KeyOne fits your needs, it's right for you. If it doesn't, there are plenty of options out there.

[anon(5364777)]

With that sized battery' i assume the majority would have been ok with losing 6h of 48h claimed charge for a better component list.

[SunDevilBB]

Not me, I live and work in the city and cell service isn't a problem (especially with WiFi everywhere), battery longevity is a serious must though. It's all a balance. For me they struck it right, but I wouldn't rely on the KeyOne during a camping trip.

[qwerty4ever]

For many people 3G provides ample communication for their data usages. If their main activities are email, text messaging, and instant messaging, 3G is more than sufficient and EDGE might be an even better option.

[tickerguy]

Sorry, it's a non-issue. Here's a link to objective results. What you're running into is capacitive de-tuning of parts of the antenna system (parts of the metal body) when you hold the phone; this is common with metal-cased devices.

Put a case on it and the problem should disappear.

https://forums.crackberry.com/showth...1#post12927852