Performance Counts

4Q11 Smartphone Ratings Report Released Today

Today Metrico released our 4Q11 Smartphone Ratings Report.  The report includes 18 devices, half of which are branded as 4G.  4G devices evaluated in this quarter's report are:

• Apple iPhone 4S (AT&T)
• RIM BlackBerry Torch 9810 (AT&T)
• LG Thrill 4G (AT&T)
• Samsung Galaxy S II (Sprint)
• Samsung Conquer 4G (Sprint)
• HTC Amaze 4G (T-Mobile)
• Samsung Galaxy S II (T-Mobile)
• RIM BlackBerry Bold 9900 (T-Mobile)
• Motorola Droid Bionic (Verizon)

Included in the report is the updated Performance Analytics Top Performers List.  The Top Performers are described as the top performing devices on each carrier.  To see the full list, visit our website and go to "Top Performers" in the bottom left-hand corner.  Here is a sample:

4G Data Performance

• RIM BlackBerry Torch 9810 (AT&T)
• HTC EVO Shift 4G (Sprint)
• HTC Sensation 4G (T-Mobile)
• Samsung Droid Charge (Verizon)

3G Data Performance

• Apple iPhone 4 (AT&T)
• HTC Status (AT&T)
• Apple iPhone 4 (Sprint)
• Samsung Gravity SMART (T-Mobile)
• Samsung Dart (T-Mobile)
• HTC Trophy (Verizon)

Handset Speech

• HTC HD7S (AT&T)
• HTC EVO Shift 4G (Sprint)
• RIM BlackBerry Curve 9360 (T-Mobile)
• HTC Droid Incredible 2 (Verizon)

Metrico Wireless Provides Unprecedented Subscriber-Level View Of 4G LTE Performance

DATA AND WEB PERFORMANCE SHOW FIVEFOLD INCREASE OVER 3G, BUT THE FASTEST DEVICE DOESN’T ALWAYS DELIVER THE BEST VIDEO OR BATTERY EXPERIENCE

Metrico Wireless today announced findings from its report, “LTE: The Subscriber Experience — Year One,” based on the company’s robust, objective and repeatable analysis of mobile device performance from the subscriber point of view. While AT&T’s and Verizon’s LTE networks showed comparable data and web performance — with a fivefold increase over the carriers’ respective 3G networks — there was significant variation in video quality and battery life among devices, underscoring the criticality of measuring performance at the subscriber level.

In December 2010, Verizon Wireless launched its LTE network in the United States, and introduced the first smartphone for that network the following March. AT&T announced availability of its own LTE network and smartphones in the fourth quarter of 2011. With the top two national carriers offering equivalent fourth-generation devices and services, Metrico took advantage of this opportunity to evaluate the subscriber experience in the early stages. The company measured performance of several AT&T and Verizon LTE smartphones on key criteria including:

• data performance (HTTP download, HTTP upload)
• web browsing (page load time, page load reliability)
• video performance (frame delivery rate, freeze, impairment, audio)
• battery life (by application and by user profile).

Devices evaluated included the HTC Vivid™ and Samsung Galaxy™ S II Skyrocket™ from AT&T, and the HTC ThunderBolt™, Motorola DROID BIONIC and Samsung DROID CHARGE from Verizon.

KEY FINDINGS

• Current-generation LTE smartphones have evolved far beyond the basic concept of a communication device, and are in fact complex computing systems designed to deliver the sophisticated multimedia experiences promised by the networks to which they connect. Devices from different manufacturers are increasingly conforming to a uniform set of specifications — including dual-core processor, high-end still and video cameras, large high-resolution displays, in addition to voice, data, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS transceivers. Android was the only mobile operating system on LTE smartphones during the period covered by Metrico’s analysis.
• Data and web performance on the LTE networks show at least a five-time improvement when compared to equivalent performance of smartphones measured on the carriers’ respective 3G networks.
• However, data speed doesn’t necessarily translate to a better user experience. The fastest data device may not provide the best web experience or the best video performance.
• Battery life varies by device and by application used, based on the specific resources — such as the display — required for different applications.
• Video performance showed significant variation by device, without correlation to data performance, indicating that onboard device attributes — including video processor and rendering software — play a key role in the subscriber’s video experience.
• In general, the subscriber experience is not simply driven by the network or the device, but by the combination of the two. Even devices with similar specifications connected to similar network technologies still demonstrate variation in performance, underscoring the criticality of measuring performance at the subscriber level.

 
More information, including getting more detailed information from the report, click here.

Metrico Wireless Announces Fit4Launch Battery Life Testing Service For Mobile Operators and OEMs

Metrico Wireless, the global leader in mobile device performance analytics, today announced the immediate availability of a pre-launch battery life testing service for operators and OEMs. As these companies collaborate to deliver sophisticated new products and services to mobile subscribers, device performance enhancements often create a strain on battery life — and on the user experience. Metrico’s Fit4Launch methodology, which has certified over 600 devices, has now been extended to include battery performance, enabling operators and OEMs to predict impact on subscribers and potentially correct issues, avoiding the high cost of problem resolution after devices are released to the market.

Rapid innovation in mobile devices, networks and services continues unabated. The average device now has a dual-core processor, as many as five radios, a high-resolution display, one or more HD cameras, and multi-tasking apps, providing sophisticated new functions for subscribers — while increasing battery drain. Average smartphone battery capacity has increased from 1,320 mAh to 1,510 mAh or 14 percent in the past 12 months, yet reports of consumer complaints with battery performance are on the rise. In fact, battery life has emerged as a principal cause of subscriber dissatisfaction with 4G LTE devices.

Building on Metrico's industry-leading experience in call, voice, data, video and location testing services, Fit4Launch Battery Life Testing Service provides mobile service providers and device OEMs with robust, objective and repeatable analysis of battery life in various network settings, across a range of use cases and user profiles. The service includes:

• Evaluation of estimated battery life based on stated capacity, and power consumption
• Battery performance assessments for a range of applications, from voice calling to video streaming, and for different user profiles, including voice callers, social networkers, text addicts and power users
• Automated, statistically valid test methodology implemented on the live network, for a fair representation of the subscriber experience
• Capability to test virtually any mobile device on any network technology.

“Metrico has focused on scientifically-derived insights on the mobile subscriber experience, as the most efficient way to predict adoption, satisfaction and customer service requirements,” said Amit Malhotra, Vice President of Marketing, Metrico Wireless. “We have consistently evolved our services to address emerging performance areas affecting subscribers, and battery life is a major area of focus for the industry today.”

December Performance Analytics Engineering Reports Announced

Today Metrico has announed the Performance Analytics Engineering Reports to be released in December 2011.  Engineering reports offer a detailed view of Performance Analytics data on individual devices.

Engineering Reports Being Released in December 2011:

• Apple iPhone 4 (Sprint) - December 2
• HTC Amaze 4G (T-Mobile) - December 2
• HTC Radar 4G (T-Mobile) - December 23
• LG MyTouch Q (T-Mobile) - December 23
• LG DoublePlay (T-Mobile) - December 23

To find the full library of avaliable Performance Analytics Engineering Reports, Click Here.

 

Metrico Wireless Sets The Record Straight On AT&T, Sprint and Verizon iPhone 4S Performance

ROBUST, OBJECTIVE AND REPEATABLE ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT THREE CARRIERS LEAD IN DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE CATEGORIES AFFECTING SUBSCRIBER EXPERIENCE

Metrico Wireless, the global leader in mobile device performance analytics, today announced findings from “iPhone 4S: The Ultimate Performance Report,” based on the company’s patented technologies and methodologies used to evaluate over 700 devices for carriers and OEMs. The three carriers covered in the report — AT&T, Sprint and Verizon Wireless — each led in different performance categories, ranging from call performance to voice quality to data and web, and the iPhone 4S proved to be a capable video device regardless of the network it was on.

Immediately following the launch of the iPhone 4S in October, 2011, Metrico began measuring performance of these devices on key criteria including:

• call performance (making and holding calls)
• voice quality (handset, speaker, Bluetooth, in noise)
• data performance (HTTP download, HTTP upload)
• web browsing (page load time, page load reliability)
• video performance (frame delivery rate, freeze, impairment, audio).

 Metrico performed over 21,000 web page downloads, ran more than 8,000 data download/upload tests while mobile and while stationary, and generated approximately 6,000 voice calls, using the company’s global measurement system platform. Metrico also utilized the ITU-T P.863 speech quality algorithm known as POLQA to compare voice quality across the three carrier’s networks. This approach resulted in robust, objective and repeatable analysis of performance from the subscriber point of view, in laboratory and live network conditions reflective of typical usage.

Key Findings

• Call success rates — the ability to make and hold calls successfully — were slightly better for the Verizon iPhone 4S than for AT&T and Sprint versions.
• Sprint’s iPhone 4S performs better than the other carriers in live network voice quality on the uplink, while AT&T’s iPhone 4S takes the lead in live network voice quality on the downlink. However, the two carriers’ results are comparable. Across the three carriers, when compared to 3G smartphones measured in each carrier’s portfolio, the iPhone 4S is: among the top performers for speech quality in noise; average in speech quality over Bluetooth; and a below average performer in speakerphone speech quality.
• The AT&T iPhone 4S outperforms its Verizon and Sprint counterparts in data download and upload speeds. Moreover, the AT&T iPhone 4S outperforms the iPhone 4 in download speeds by a considerable margin.
• Web browsing is faster on the AT&T iPhone 4S than on the Verizon and Sprint versions. The iPhone 4S outperforms more than 70 percent of competing 3G Smartphone models tested on the three networks.
• The iPhone 4S shows excellent data task reliability — or the success rate of completing tasks — on all three carrier’s networks, with 100 percent or near-100 percent success rates in stationary downloads, stationary uploads and web page loads. The improvement gains in stationary download reliability over the iPhone 4 are dramatic for AT&T and Verizon.
• When on the live network and playing a video clip through the web browser, the iPhone 4S showed comparable, high rates of video frame delivery across all three carriers. However, when playing a video clip through YouTube, video frame delivery rate dropped, although the subscriber is still likely to perceive good quality. In general, the iPhone 4S shows a very low rate of video freezes and impairments, and a very high rate of audio delivery, across the three carriers’ networks.

More information, including more detailed results from the report, click here.

 

LTE: New Services, New Devices - The Subscriber Perspective

With three major carriers offering LTE service today, and a fourth on deck for 2012, the U.S. has taken the lead in 4G network rollouts. With this level of investment — and the world looking on — carriers, infrastructure vendors and device OEMs need to closely monitor the subscriber experience, to ensure sufficient adoption. In the early days, subscribers are struggling with the capacity of devices to handle the supercharged network technology, with a particular focus on battery life. As carriers seek to consolidate networks, Voice over LTE (VoLTE) will replace circuit-switched voice, creating new uncertainty in the subscriber experience. And as the industry seeks ways to differentiate networks and devices beyond voice and data, video performance will be an area of competition.

This webinar explores these topics, including how LTE devices in the market stack up today, trends leading into 2012, and how carriers and vendors can objectively measure and predict the subscriber experience.

Moderator:

 Andrew Berg, Editor, Wireless Week

Panelists:

 Roger Entner, Founder, Recon Analytics

 Peter Rysavy, President, Rysavy Research

 Amit Malhotra, Vice President of Marketing, Metrico

 

FREE REGISTRATION - CLICK HERE

November Performance Analytics Engineering Reports Announced

Today Metrico has announed the Performance Analytics Engineering Reports to be released in November 2011.  Engineering reports offer a detailed view of Performance Analytics data on individual devices.

Engineering Reports Being Released in November 2011:

• Samsung Conquer 4G (Sprint) - November 7
• RIM BlackBerry Torch 9850 (Sprint) - November 7
• RIM BlackBerry Bold 9930 (Sprint) - November 7
• Samsung Galaxy S II, Epic 4G Touch (Sprint)- November 8
• RIM BlackBerry Bold 9900 4G (T-Mobile)- November 11
• RIM BlackBerry Torch 9810 (AT&T) - November 14
• LG Thrill 4G (AT&T) - November 14
• HTC Status (AT&T) - November 14
• RIM BlackBerry Curve 9360 (T-Mobile) - November 14
• Motorola Droid Bionic (Verizon) - November 15
• Apple iPhone 4S (AT&T) - November 18
• Apple iPhone 4S (Sprint) - November 18
• Apple iPhone 4S (Verizon) - November 18

To find the full library of avaliable Performance Analytics Engineering Reports, Click Here.

 

3Q11 Quarterly Smartphone Ratings Report Released Today

Today Metrico announced the release of our Quarterly Smartphone Ratings Report for 3Q11.  This quarter twenty devices were evaluated across the top four US carriers.  Ten of the smartphones measured were branded "4G" by their manufacturers, compared to just five in last quarter's report.

4G devices included this quarter are:

• HP Veer 4G (AT&T)
• Samsung Infuse 4G (AT&T)
• Samsung Exhibit 4G (Sprint)
• HTC Sensation 4G (Sprint)
• HTC EVO 3D 4G (Sprint)
• T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide (T-Mobile)
• Samsung Nexus S 4G (T-Mobile)
• Motorola Photon 4G (T-Mobile)
• Samsung Droid Charge (Verizon)
• LG Revolution (Verizon)

All devices were measured in the areas of voice quality, call performance, and data performance.  For a full list of devices included in this report and metrics used for evaluation, Click Here.

September Performance Analytics Engineering Reports Announced

Today Metrico has announed the Performance Analytics Engineering Reports to be released in September 2011.  Engineering reports offer a detailed view of Performance Analytics data on individual devices.

Engineering Reports Being Released in September 2011:

• T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide (T-Mobile) - September 6
• Motorola Droid 3 (Verizon) - September 9
• HTC Wildfire (T-Mobile) - September 29

 

To find the full library of avaliable Performance Analytics Engineering Reports, Click Here.

U.K. Telecommunications Regulator OFCOM Turns To Metrico For Survey of Mobile Handset Performance

U.K. telecommunications regulator OFCOM has released its findings on the state of mobile network coverage across that country, including a survey of mobile handset call performance conducted by Metrico.  OFCOM prepared its report as part of an initiative included in its 2011/2012 Annual Plan, to help improve mobile coverage in the U.K. as the dependence on these vital communications services continues to increase.  Metrico was commissioned to provide an objective evaluation, from the subscriber perspective, of call performance over a range of smartphones and feature phones, using the company’s industry-leading Fit4Launch Call & Voice Measurement System, Nomad.

Read OFCOM's complete summary as well as the detailed reports here.