root metrics

Five things you didn't know about data testing (Smartphones Unlocked)

At 10:30 in the morning a few weeks ago I hopped into a plain white van, a mysterious briefcase carefully laid out on the passenger's seat abuzz with phones.

Into the afternoon, the driver answered my probing questions about long hours on the road, awkward run-ins with the cops, and flashed guns. This was no police surveillance ride along; my driver was merely sharing a day in the life of an independent cell phone network tester.

Meet RootMetrics A few miles away from Microsoft, a small company called RootMetrics (formerly Root Wireless) sends out a tiny squadron of … Read more

RootMetrics: T-Mobile 4G is faster than you think

NEW ORLEANS--Theoretical speeds are one thing, but the majority of smartphone owners will agree that real-life data speeds are what count.

Comprehensively charting each carriers' data network is the subject of RootMetric's quarterly report.

So far, the company scouts have systematically combed 42 urban and suburban markets to compare 3G and 4G data speeds.

Their methodology includes test calls, data downloads, and texting. Scouts record how easily they could get onto the network and perform tasks, and then run diagnostic speed tests through RootMetrics' automated software. They never use jailbroken devices.

On the LTE front, RootMetrics found that AT&… Read more

Crowdsourced RootMetrics for Android tests carrier coverage

Today RootMetrics brings its free Cell Phone Coverage Map app to Android. Like Speedtest.net, the RootMetrics mobile app tests your phone's signal strength and upload and download speeds at any given time. It also goes a step further to compile the voice and data strength of other RootMetrics users across carriers into a single coverage map of major urban centers in the U.S.

CNET Senior Editor Kent German and I used the iPhone version of the RootMetrics app to pit the Verizon and AT&T iPhone 4 against one another in a data speed showdown around … Read more

Study: Verizon fastest among 4G networks

Verizon's 4G network proved the fastest and most consistent among those of the four major U.S. carriers, according to a study (PDF) out today by mobile testing company RootMetrics.

With the four (but soon to be three, what with yesterday's surprise announcement that AT&T plans to buy T-Mobile USA for $39 billion) major carriers all trumpeting the respective performance of their own high-speed mobile networks, RootMetrics set out to determine which was truly the speediest by testing 4G-capable phones from each one.

Included in the study were the HTC Thunderbolt running on Verizon's LTE network, … Read more

Which carrier had the best data network at CES?

Anyone who's attended CES knows that getting a cell phone signal during the show's peak hours is never a sure bet. With 140,000 phone-wielding people crammed into a square half mile, you can go several hours without making a call, accessing your e-mail, or even sending a tweet.

Since it's rather ironic that you can't use your cell phone at a gadget show, we made a point this year of seeing just how bad the conditions were. So we brought along RootMetrics, a company that powers our cell phone coverage maps, to test the average … Read more

Finding the best carrier coverage on the go

Editor's note: This app is available only in the United States.

Though CNET's always been here to rate the latest cell phones, your handset is only half the story in the search for a great wireless experience. Strong coverage from your carrier is equally important, but finding that reception, and keeping it, isn't easy.

That's why we've partnered with Root Metrics to create a unique tool that can help you check reception strength and make a carrier decision. You might have already discovered the tool when browsing any CNET cell phone review (look for the &… Read more