Signal Issues! 4G, 1 Bar, no calls, texts or internet?

[Anonymous]

I'm having an issue with my phone and found some interesting stuff which i would like to know if anyone else has the same problems. I have raised this with o2 but fobbed off many times so hopefully a group of people reporting it might give them a kick.

I have a Sony Z3 and it keeps locking onto 4G despite there being no 4G in my area and no plans for it this year. I have found that a bug in the Sony firmware has left thousands of Z3 phones locking onto poor 4G signal rather than using the much stronger and fast 3G signal.

I have recent found that Blackberry 8520 phone are now having issues in my area with the internet. 8520's are non-3G phones and use the old frequencies (GSM) to receive internet services. It has been suggested that a o2 are testing the old frequencies, preping them for 4G and at the same time broadcasting this which then causes issues for Sony Z3 handsets.

I have reported this to o2 multiple times but they feel its not there problem as its a bug in the Sony firmware. I feel it is partly there problem as the sell Sony Z3's as compatible devices for there services.

Has anyone else had these issues? would love to hear about them and hopefully make o2 listen.

[MI5]

@viridis is a z3 user.

I have a Z1 and haven't seen this issue - mine easily switches between 3g/4g depending on signal.

[viridis]

Nope, mine switches fine, I know In my house I get 0-1 bar 4g but it switches to H+ as soon as I'm inside.

Where you get the phone?

carphone warehouse or O2 direct (there is a good reason for asking this)

[MI5]

I should add that mine is on non o2 firmware.

[Anonymous]

Carphone Warehouse

[viridis]

I found the non O2 Z3 firmware terrible for signal, it's one of the reasons I went back to the O2 one.

[viridis]

Yeah, as I suspected.

[viridis]

It's hard to explain but on the UK generic firmware, the phone almost struggles to maintain a signal, I couldn't stand it.
First time I ever "rebranded" a handset.

[MI5]

Could be that it's not optimised for the O2 network.....?
But the O2 apn should help rather than a generic one?

[viridis]

And unfortunately, there is not a damn thing O2 can do about the firmware you have, they can only deal with theirs.