No matter how much you pay for your cell phone plan, some carriers just don't have good enough reception. If you find yourself in a place that doesn't get the cell service you need, fear not. In this article, I'll tell you about the best cell phones for poor reception areas.
Why Does My Cell Phone Have Bad Service?
One of the main reasons a cell phone might not have the best cellular connection is that your carrier doesn't have good coverage in your area. Across the United States, different companies have varying amounts of coverage in different areas. If you think your carrier's mobile networks aren't up to par, you might want to consider switching. Check out our coverage maps to see which carriers provide the best service in your area!
If you don't want to switch carriers, another solution to your reception problems could be Wi-Fi calling. Wi-Fi calling is a feature that uses your internet connection, rather than your cellular reception, to make phone calls. Take a look at our Wi-Fi calling tutorial, if this sounds like a good alternative for you.
You might also want to consider getting a cell phone signal booster. These devices help amplify your cell signal so you have better service in areas where your carrier's coverage isn't as strong.
Do I Need A Cell Phone With A Better Antenna?
If you're encountering issues with signal strength, your first instinct might be that your phone needs a better antenna to connect to cellular networks. While this might be true, it usually isn't the case. There aren't many different types of antennas being manufactured today, and regardless of the hardware, most phones have pretty similar levels of reception. Generally, cell phone reception is determined by your carrier rather than your phone's components.
Which Cell Phones Get The Best Reception?
LG V40 ThinQ
If you're in search of an Android phone with a decent storage capacity at a reasonable price, the LG V40 ThinQ is a reliable option. With a 6.3 inch display, it's on the larger side of the size spectrum. The V40 ThinQ comes equipped with double rear and forward facing camera lenses, giving you plenty of options to take the perfect shot.
Complete with water resistance, fast charging, HD video recording, and up to 22 hours of active battery life, this is a reliable smart phone option, whether it has access to good signal or not.
iPhone 11
For cell phone users who prefer Apple, we recommend the iPhone 11 if you're dealing with poor reception. As far as recent iPhone models go, you'd be hard pressed to find one this up to date for a better price. The 64 GB model starts at about $700, with marginal increases in price if you opt for the larger storage options.
Operating on the latest version of iOS, the iPhone 11's capable of taking 4K video through its double, rear-facing camera lenses. It's slightly more compact that some of its contemporaries, with a 5.9 inch display. If you're concerned about battery life, the iPhone 11 lasts about 26 hours per charge.
If you'd rather opt for Wi-Fi calling than seeking out better cellular coverage, then you're in luck. Like most iPhones, the iPhone 11 does include excellent Wi-Fi calling capabilities, making it a great option for you.
Samsung Galaxy S20
If you're a fan of Samsung devices, we recommend the Samsung Galaxy S20. It's certainly a higher budget option, prices circling around the $1000 mark depending on where you look, but it comes with some undeniably premium features.
With 128 GB of storage, and the option of over 1 TB of storage expansion, you'll be able to hold on to plenty of the 8K videos you take with the back camera. You'll also be able to fully enjoy those videos on the Galaxy S20's 6.2 inch display. If you want a top-of-the-line Android phone with up to 28 hours battery life, the S20 might be the cell phone for you.
Google Pixel 3a
The Google Pixel 3a is compact in virtually every sense. From its 5.6 inch display to its more than reasonable price point, you'll get a solid user experience out of this Android phone for up to 32 hours at a time. Though it only has 64 GB of onboard storage, the seamless access to Google Drive provides much more manageable data storage. Unless you plan on saving lots of HD videos to this phone, the Pixel 3a could be a reliable tool, even without access to the best cellular reception.
iPhone SE 2
If you're sure you want an iPhone, but don't want to pay too much, the iPhone SE 2 is beyond budget friendly. Don't let the 4.7 inch display fool you, it comes stock with the same A13 processor as all of the recent iPhone models, making it as powerful as any cell phone on the market today.
The SE 2 comes with a single 12 MP rear facing camera capable of 4K and slow motion video recording. While you're only looking at about 14 hours of battery life with this iPhone, so long as you have access to a charger every day, you'll be able to get a reliable user experience from this iOS-powered device.
Samsung Galaxy Note10 Plus
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 Plus is an affordable option that has a great antenna for optimal service. Smartphones Reveal ranked the Samsung Galaxy Note10 Plus as #1 for the best antenna criteria.
Other features of this phone that make it optimal are the battery life, storage capacity, and camera. The Samsung Galaxy Note10 Plus has up to 38 hours of talk-time, and comes with 256 GB of storage. It also comes with either 8 GB or 12 GB of RAM, whichever suits your needs best. Finally, the triple rear camera with three different lenses is great for capturing moments.
iPhone 12
The iPhone 12 comes with the latest processor available in a smartphone, the A14 chip! It'll make your phone operate as smooth as possible to keep up with your usage. Another ideal feature is the customizable storage amount! The iPhone 12 can come with 64, 128, or 256 GB for whatever you need to store on your phone.
One major selling point for the iPhone 12 is the camera. This phone has a dual rear camera with a wide and ultrawide lenses. It captures video in 4K footage at 60 fps and 1080p footage at 240 fps. Even the front facing camera is impressive, with its 12 MP wide lens.
As an added bonus, the iPhone 12 has dual-sim card capability and can hold two phone numbers simultaneously. This is great if you have a work number as well as a personal number and don't want to carry around two phones. Overall, though the iPhone 12 may be more pricey than other options, the additional features could make it worthwhile for any user.
Pixel 4a 5G
The Pixel 4a 5G is another great option for those in areas with poor reception. It comes with 128 GB of storage space for you to use, and a solid battery life with the 3140 mAh battery. This phone is great for casual usage, and is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.
The camera is great too! The Pixel 4a 5G has an 8 MP selfie camera and two rear cameras: one 12.2 dual-pixel lens and one 16 MP ultra-wide lens.
Wrapping It Up
As big of a drag as poor cellular reception can be, there are many steps you can take to accommodate this issue. Whether you're looking into a new carrier or not, the best cell phones for areas with poor reception can save you some serious headaches. Regardless of where you are, all you need to stay in tune with the real world is a reliable device and a decent Wi-Fi connection.
Thanks for reading! If you know someone looking for a phone with better coverage, please share this article. If you have any more questions or suggestions, leave them in the comments below.
i actually travel with my wife and always my samsung phone gets no signal and my wife iphone keeps working/ Been happening for past 10 years as we run thro many models of the samsung and iphone. Samsung antenna just suck regardless how you change the sim cards or providers or resets.
Is there a network with more bands and phones? Would more bands have better reception in hard areas like basements?
We live in an area that not a single carrier has a tower within 10 miles of us. They come down our road from both directions from the small towns and stop 10 miles away with fiber optics and a cell towers. Now why can’t they put a cell tower out where everyone lives. Not everyone wants to live near a highway! Plus, how do all these children out here get any school work done without internet? No internet! No Cell Tower! No Wi-Fi! There are plenty of people out here off the beaten path!
Hi, could you do an update on this topic in late 2021 or early 2022? I’ll share that recurring crisis, with flare-ups of dropped signals, or breaking up of voice or inability of other party to hear me when I can clearly hear her, or the reverse of that situation — with worst conditions circa 2018-2019 (with a newly upgraded phone). But the situation is still problematic in late 2021 on totally-unpredictable occasions. All these problems are at my home — not a rural setting. Terrain is flat, but the beach is adjacent. Thus, this request. Also spurring this request:… Read more »
I had hopped the section “Do I Need A Cell Phone With A Better Antenna?” would answer my question and found it lacking. I have tested 4 different phones in an area and 2 out of the 4 work. So clearly the issue is either the Antenna or the casing. Unless you have a better explanation. Our LG Q7 and iPhone XR had excellent service in an rural area where as the iPhone 6s and Essential PH-1 wouldn’t receive anything.
Where does the moto Stylo fit for reception? I get 1 sometimes 2 bars on a moto Z3. Good enough to text,
Personally I’d say most phones have great reception. The main variable is your carrier. Check out our coverage map to check and see if your area is covered by your carrier.
Wrong my Google pixel 5 is shocking. I was out with a group of friends all of them could great signal and I had none
Completely disagree on the I phone 11. I have one and so does a friend of mine and they both have absolutely dismal cell performance! Samsung and Blackberry have far better cell performance! Not everyone lives 2 blocks from a cell tower.
What carrier are you on? It might be due to your location. You can check our coverage map to see if your carrier has coverage in your area. Another thing you can try to troubleshoot this problem is to check out our iPhone 11 not connecting to cellular article.