iPhone OS 2.0.2 Released; Fails to Fix 3G Reception Issues; App Problems

Posted by climbbike1
18 August 2008 @ 6pm

After installing this update I can no longer use 3G mode AT ALL. When in 3G mode, the singnal strength jumps all over and I just found out I haven’t been receiving texts, voicemails, or calls, since the update. 5 out of 5 calls, I’ve tried to make have all resulted in “call failed” within seconds of connecting. Before, at least I could use 3G most of the time. I switched back to Edge and now everything is fine. Pretty said considering the main selling point of this phone was “3G”. Come on Apple, this is pretty sad.

Posted by macjeff
18 August 2008 @ 6pm

The problem with Apps crashing within 2-3 seconds is probably because of the DRM bug in itunes 7.7.1. It corrupts the DRM (Digital Rights Management) on the iphone. If you have the bug you will see two problems…apps quit in 2-3 seconds and all music seems to have “disappeared” off your iphone.

The fix is to downgrade to itunes 7.7. Apple approved a link to be put on the discussions forum. I have posted the link to the forum below. Read the posts from oldest to newest and it tells you exactly how to downgrade. I have been on 7.7 for 2 weeks now with no app crashing issues and hundreds of other people have seen it fix the problem. I would not go back to 7.7.1 until 7.7.2 comes out.

So I dont think 2.02 caused the problem. The problem happens when itunes 7.7.1 syncs with your phone. It corrupts the DRM. Therefore, when you updated it corrupted the DRM.

Sorry to tell you but to fully fix it you have to restore your phone and reload everything AFTER going back to 7.7 itunes.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=7902106#7902106

Jeff

Posted by frederic.dran
18 August 2008 @ 6pm

I have just updated my iphone and so far web browsing, contact access, in particular from the phone and sms apps are much more responsive. Absolutely no problem to report with any of my applications including NetShare. Reception seems to have also improved somewhat as I am getting full bars where I used to get 4…

Posted by SUGilbert
18 August 2008 @ 7pm

I cannot comment regarding 3G as I have an original iPhone. However, with this update, I have far more bars than I had before. I also noticed that Contacts is far faster to load and scroll than before. I have no problems with any apps “crashing” that I occasionally had with 2.0.1. All-in-all, this is a good update.

Posted by greghughes
18 August 2008 @ 7pm

My experience so far has been that where I’m located this evening the iPhone is choosing networks better. Where I used to be connected to an unusable/weak 3G connection that would jump will-nilly to the EDGE network and back, it is now on a solid, strong EDGE connection. Whether or not they changed anything, it’s improved in my experience. Native and 3rd party apps are less laggy and I have seen no app hangs so far.

Posted by gr8tfly
18 August 2008 @ 8pm

Post 2.0.2

56/56 launched without problem (including the Apple Remote). So I’m a happy camper, at the moment. Prior to this, I would have placed odds against being able to go through all of those apps without any crashes. That’s not to say the success is because of 2.0.2, but at least I haven’t gone backwards.

Whether this matters, or not, I had done a recovery 3 days ago.

Posted by jameskatt
18 August 2008 @ 8pm

This is an AT&T Network problem.

The iPhone 3G has nearly as good 3G reception as Nokia’s models and better than Samsung or Motorola’s models.

One problem is that there are now millions of 3G phone users (driven by iPhone sales), trying to access data simultaneously. Many are getting bumped off since the 3G network does not have the bandwidth to accommodate everyone.

This is similar to the EDGE network’s problem along some highways. The network shows 5 bars of signal strength. But on some highways, I can’t get a phone call through. The 2G network along that highway stretch is too saturated with other calls. The problem is much worse for 3G networks since they have to simultaneously handle voice and data from the same phone. The iPhone is a very aggressive network data user - even without user intervention.

Another problem is that the 3G signal simply is too weak and easily blocked by walls and other objects. Outside my AT&T store, I get a signal. But 100 feet away in a restaurant, the signal is lost.

AT&T, to me, is largely to blame for the iPhone problems.

AT&T has to more aggressively build up its 3G network - both in bandwidth and signal strength - in order to allow millions of new users who are accessing the network. This is, of course, courtesy of the iPhone.

AT&T got what it wished: more high end, high paying customers. But it has to get the customers the service they paid for.

On my iPhone today, I turned on 3G in an area covered by 3G and my phone calls were routinely failing to go through. Turning off 3G and running on EDGE 2.5G, I got my phone calls easily through.

This is a network problem.

AT&T is mum about this since this means potentially billions of dollars in equipment upgrades.

Interestingly, when I initially got my iPhone, I was able to use 3G fine. It was great. I surfed the web twice as fast. I got phone calls through.

But as more iPhones were sold - and there is still a line at the Apple store and AT&T store - the 3G experience started deteriorating.

I was shocked that I couldn’t get a phone call through today on 3G.

I don’t blame Apple. I blame AT&T. It is an AT&T Network Problem - big time!

Verizon has a more established data network than AT&T.

AT&T could take a few lessons from Verizon.

This is an AT&T Network problem.

Posted by chembob
18 August 2008 @ 8pm

Climbbike1, follow the advice in the story below (Erratic Battery Meter Behavior on iPhone 3G) to reboot the iPhone and see if that helps. Be sure to hold both buttons until the slider is gone, the screen goes briefly black and the Apple logo reappears. It will take a while for the phone to come back up.

Posted by Dolt--2008
18 August 2008 @ 8pm

I noticed that it took a little time for my 3G to turn on, first giving me a “No Service” sign. When it did switch on it was 3 bars in my house, up from 1 bar before the update. No problems with the apps. 3G surfing also seems to be faster. Contact lag is gone!

Posted by daniel4510_dotmac
18 August 2008 @ 10pm

Completed the update and so far I do notice quicker response with Contacts. But that’s about it. Reception is no better, and I still cannot connect to wifi. Whatever it takes, Apple and AT&T need to get their acts together. And now. Someone posted elsewhere that he thought it strange that people are only now starting to register their complaints about poor AT&T service. That’s because we are Apple users and we want to believe that the Emperor’s clothes are really there. But we are losing faith and losing it quickly.

Oh, and here’s something interesting. I was talking to a guy tonight who INSISTED that there is a way to jailbreak the iPhone to work with Verizon. I told him he was nuts, but he was willing to buy me a 3G in exchange for giving me my first gen iPhone so that he could have it jail-breaked to work with Verizon. I said Verizon is a totally different network and he said it doesn’t matter, that Apple was so ticked off with AT&T’s requirements that they built something in to work with CDMA . Apparently, after jailbreaking the phone, there is an animation of some police officers chasing after some bank robbers, after which the phone will work with Verizon.

No, I don’t even believe it myself, but he seemed convinced and his brother, who used to work for Apple, verified it. Take it with a grain of salt. Or an entire salt cake.

Posted by atzicecream
18 August 2008 @ 11pm

Hey jameskatt,

You have got to be kidding…you have no clue what the hell you are talking about. I own a Z9 and iPhone from at&t and the one thing the iPhone wasn’t doing well two weeks ago in Chicago was pulling 3G, while my Z9 didn’t let go of the signal. First of all, you are allowed to hate companies such as at&t and Verizon because they are so huge, but to say what you just said shows how blind and stupid that you are. No one at at&t is going to be dumb enough right now to completely throw Apple under the bus, they are the meal ticket, whether or not the phone always pulls a fast data signal. at&t has to know that it has to shut up due to the fact that without the iPhone, they’d probably be already in second to Verizon, not waiting for Verizon to swallow up Alltel to truly become the largest carrier in the US. No, at&t will continue to roll out 3G and know that Apple has a fix in the works for the iPhone, the two companies are now married to each other and your complete hate for one won’t be able to divorce them.
Anyway, where do you get your logic? Anyone with a brain will never, never say that an iPhone ever pulled a better signal than a Blackberry, Nokia or Motorola phones…go ask your at&t reps, see exactly what they say. As far as beating Samsung, had one of their phones with two different carriers and one thing remained the same from one carrier to the next, they sucked pulling a signal. Nice screen, terrible signal. What the hell piece of junk phone by either Motorola or Nokia did you have and by chance? Did you have it with Verizon? Have you ever noticed how bad Motorola or Nokia’s worked with CDMA? Do you do your homework? Do you get high while doing your homework? That would make sense, because anyone that has ever used both a CDMA and GSM carrier can figure this one out: LG and sometimes Samsung work well with CDMA. Motorola and Nokia work really well with GSM. Blackberry’s appear to work well with everyone. Next time, please think before writing.

Mike Mike

Posted by Mark Of Aus
18 August 2008 @ 11pm

To jameskatt,

I got to admit Americans have a character that is so self involved that you forget the rest of the world.

How can this be an AT&T problem when ALL carriers around the world are reporting the same issue with the same handset. Illustrates how self absorbed you are in your own opinion.

Regards,

Mark

P.S. Apple are now worse than Microsoft. Release notes - Bug Fix and no communication with clients about issues is appalling. If this was Microsoft imagine the backlash. At least there releases come with some form of meaningful information.

Posted by climbbike1
19 August 2008 @ 6pm

I live literally 200 yards from an AT&T 3G tower. My Samsung Blackjack gets full bars with the same exact SIM. My iPhone 3G gets 1 or 2 bars and drops almost all my calls. I’m sorry Jameskatt but it is NOT THE NETWORK.

Posted by hdg_dotmac
19 August 2008 @ 7pm

I am having a lot of problem after upgrading to 2.0.2. On the initial install it did not synch with some of the items like photos and none of the Apps would work they crashed every one of them and I have quite a few Apps on my iPhone. I had to restore to factory setting and reinstall the firmware and synch from scratch, it worked for half a day after that it started act strange first it would not show my music in my iPod although I knew I had more than 1000 songs and later I lost my contacts but they came back after a while and later it started crashing the Apps none of them works now I have restarted the iPhone several times no use my Apps don’t work. I don’t want to go through another 3-4 hours of restoring from scratch even after that there is no guarantee that it will be stable.

All I know 2.0.2 is not stable, I want to go back to 2.0.1 anyone knows how and where I can get 2.0.1 firmware?

2.0.2 when and if it works is a little faster than before but it still has issues……

Posted by mark-hesketh
20 August 2008 @ 12am

The latest update has left me with a brilliant phone. The apps don’t crash anymore, 3G seems fine. It works and is a world apart from my previous phone. Mark

Posted by hfm
20 August 2008 @ 7pm

Update went smoothly here. MUCH better scrolling and text entry, back to 1.x excellent performance. This is on an original iPhone, so no comment about 3G. Apps all running great.