iPhone 3G signal still lame for many; Apple: “go closer to a window”

Posted by jfmsam
4 September 2008 @ 10am

Those comments about comparing signal strength are misleading.

3G frequency is often different, and some times much higher thus more susceptible to interference, than 2G. If comparing, the user must make sure both devices are operating in the same frequency at the moment the call is made.

I also have a Moto Q9h and the signal and throughput is way better on my iPhone 3G while using ATT in a well deployed urban location, than with the Moto Q9h.

True fact that the iPhone required the baseband update 02.08.01 to address many issues, but have all users upgraded to 2.0.2? Since the upgrade I went from great service to phenomenal service.

3G on GSM networks is new to the USA, as well as many other countries. So I believe this lack of understanding of how they work and the limited deployment and coverage is leading to speculations and prejudices that confuse the end user. Add to that confusion the different SLA carriers have for their devices plus local traffic/congestion and the blame goes all over.

Until 3G matures at the carrier level and the chipsets improve, many locations and users will continue to suffer at the expense of blaming the device or the mobile operator.

This is the price for being at the cutting edge of technology.

BTW: I’m an iPhone developer, owner of a telecom company and served several years on the board of an international mobile operator…. There are so many factors to consider so I prefer not to point my finger; is it the device or the mobile operator? A little of both? Time will tell and the issues will be addressed.

Posted by Matthew Culmore
4 September 2008 @ 12pm

This has been advice anyone ever using a handheld Garmin GPS or any other has had to deal with since day one. It goes with the technology, as it is now. But, it does work, especially in a southern facing window. It is said that iPhone software 2.1 will address this which will make a lot of navigation apps much more accurate, maybe even well enough to leave the Garmin at home.

Posted by MichaelAlderete
4 September 2008 @ 12pm

I think that the Roughly Drafted article on this topic:

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2008/08/28/the-inside-deets-on-iphone-202-and-dropped-calls/

Pretty adequately explains the problem. AT&T’s network is a bit (a lot?) overloaded, and a software defect on the iPhone is exacerbating the problem. If everyone updates to firmware 2.0.2, everyone’s reception will improve. And hopefully the next firmware revision will bring additional improvements.

Posted by ajalili
4 September 2008 @ 12pm

Not only my 3G is sooo poor in NYC, but also, i’ve lost tremendous coverage for my phone reception as well. In places such as my work, home, and my drive home, i am experiencing ZERO bars, and I KNOW for a fact, i used to have coverage in these places! Anyone have a fix for this?

Posted by golf11
4 September 2008 @ 3pm

I was walking around midtown today…funny enough on the way to the Apple store on 5th avenue. Was at Madison and 58th and call was dropped. I did have “consistent” 3G symbol; but signal strength was gyrating between full and two bars.

Posted by white rasta
4 September 2008 @ 3pm

my iPhone worked fine until updating to 2.0.2. have just had a terrible few days away in France and am now back in the UK. not only does the phone ’stick’ to weak 3G signals causing calls to drop, it also can’t latch onto free wifi at UK rail stations. resetting by switching off then back on helps to unstick the phone, but the problem starts again as soon as a switch between wifi 3g or 2g is required. keeping data roaming on seems to help, but means getting hammered for roaming charges when abroad! Would much rather be bale to revert to previous software / firmware please.

Posted by templetonrl
4 September 2008 @ 7pm

I returned my IPhone 3g. The first iPhone always had 5 bars at my house. The 3g was lucky to get 2 bars. 4 visits to Apple Store Genius bar and still no email. THE IPHONE IS A TURD!!!

Posted by peterpayne
4 September 2008 @ 8pm

Living in Japan, it seems to be great. I get 3G in my small city of 200,000, and going up to the mountains I can still use the thing, except in the most remote areas. In Tokyo, it just sings.

Posted by daniel4510_dotmac
4 September 2008 @ 11pm

I carry a window around with me where ever I go. No. Wait. I take that back. I went with Verizon and I’m using my “iPhone” as an iPod Touch. I tried. I really did. But this sucks, period.

Posted by daniel4510_dotmac
5 September 2008 @ 1am

Let me clarify:

I finally gave up. My iPhone is now an iPod Touch. I went with Verizon so that I could actually HEAR the people I was talking to, and so that they could hear me. No more dropped calls, thank goodness. I gave it my best shot. My iPhone worked reasonably well (after spending $250 on a zBoost signal extender) for the past year, but after upgrading to 2.0+ things just went down hill. Lost the ability to connect to wifi (except between the hours of 8:30 and 10:30 am, for whatever reason. Lost Edge completely. Dropped calls, the whole works. I’ve been a Mac fan since the Apple IIe, but I lost my patience with the iPhone. It has a long way to go. Don’t buy into it, people. Give it another year at least.

But you know what really sucks? My Samsung Glide has a user manual that is at least what? Over 100 pages long? While the iPhone’s manual was four or five pages? If only the others could make life so simple. But Apple…you screwed up here. Really bad. REALLY bad. I know you were pressured to get it out as quickly as possible because everyone was expecting it, but it was too little too soon.

Posted by avidgreg
5 September 2008 @ 7am

I had virtually no bars in my apartment, where I have always had good reception since switching to ATT/Cingular 4 years ago. Calls were being dropped, not going out etc. I shut off the 3G, and whammo! Full bars! While the 3G phone as a 2G is great for other things, the 3G is virtually worthless right now. Makes me wish I had waited….

Posted by lrreynolds
5 September 2008 @ 8am

I WANT MY OLD IPHONE BACK !!! I’ve been a big Apple customer for a while now and was one of those who bought the original Iphone when it first became available. I was thrilled because even though sometimes the browsing speed was painful and there was no voice activated dialing it was no worse as a phone but so much more at the same time. I was actually quite surprised at how good the coverage was having dumped AT&T about 6 years ago and went with Verizon because I spent a good deal of time in the CO mountain or northern Scottsdale areas. Anyway, when the new Iphone was released I was torn between whether to upgrade or not. Apple’s claims of 2x the speed at 1/2 the price plus the potential of GPS location accuracy pushed me over the edge (pardon the pun).

Even after watching the released weekend debacle, I waited in line the following week to shell out another $300-400 sign a new contract and jack up my monthly fees just to get what I already had. The first thing I noticed is that browsing speed was indeed better and I loved the little blue dot in the maps app (I’m a big google maps user, in fact I think that is one of the most useful parts of the Iphone experience. But I also noticed that my battery died in about 1/2 the amount of time compared to the old Iphone.

3G coverage seemed fairly good at first although I read about other areas experiencing 3G problems my home area in Kirkland WA gave me no real problems. I did have a few dropped calls but chalked that up to typical AT&T service. (It’s amazing how you can adjust your expectations when dealing with the likes of any Telco or Cable provider - they all suck!) Nevertheless, I immediately upgraded to the new firmware version trying to make sure 3G would remain decent if not improve.

Well, over the last few weeks it has gone from OK to almost non-existent. I have no idea exactly WHY, nor do I care WHO is at fault. All I know is that I have a product that does not work as advertised except rarely when the stars, moon and 3G towers all align - OR SOMETHING! I can’t believe that I now can’t send and receive calls in my home area using 3G whereas a month ago it was basically acceptable. I now have a phone that is really no better (except for GPS) and in many cases worse and more expensive then the original Iphone. It has shorter battery life, doesn’t browse faster (with 3G off) and or forces me to switch back and forth to browse or make calls reliably. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!!

Apple and AT&T got married to give birth the this baby, many lamented this when the original Iphone was released but many of us bit the bullet and switched because of our desire to be at the cutting edge (pardon that pun again) and our faith in Apple to make it right somehow. Well this new baby is very sick and neither parent seems to be able to agree on what to do about it. In fact they seem to be in denial and perhaps are even blaming each other (although not very publicly,yet). All I have to say is that Apple should really be worried because we’ll all be dumping AT&T someday when we can escape their monopoly - but Apple do you want us to start feeling the same about you?

Hey I love my Apple products for the most part, IMAC’s, MacBook Pro’s, Ipod’s, Airport’s, Timecapsule’s and of course Apple’s software products. Hey I even forgive them for the Mobile Me fiasco since I don’t use it for email thankfully. But if I were a betting man I would be shorting Apple stock right about now since if you carry around a branded product in your pocket all day that does not work as advertised then eventually all the products with that brand will be tainted and rather than have an iphone halo effect the whole brand will suffer. THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM - MR. JOB’s. I hope you fix it soon… Google must be laughing their butt’s off now that an open platform where only the telco’s have themselves to blame for messing up the user experience is looking like it might not be that bad after all… Hey the first Iphone worked even if it had a few things that could be better - the 3G IPhone oversells and under delivers not a good combo in what will be a very hotly contested market and certainly not something that Apple wants to have impact the whole Apple brand !!!

Posted by t13c
5 September 2008 @ 6pm

I purchased my phone a week ago,3G is average compaired to my last phone the Blackjack,I live in a great 3G coverage area suburban Hartford,CT.Will have more info in future.LOVE THE PHONE SO FAR!!!!!

Posted by efuudd
6 September 2008 @ 3pm

I had an iPhone on order. It didn’t arrive in ten days, so I had to cancel since I wasn’t going to be around to pick it up within the time limit. After hearing about all the reception problems, I don’t know if I will now.

I suspect that part of the problem is a quality control issue. I have two friends at the airport in Monterey who bought new 3g iphones. I took the two (identical -software and apps) phones, and a borrowed motorola v9, out onto the ramp. One iphone had no 3g (yes 3g was enabled) and one had some signal. The V9 had a strong signal.

I desperately want an iphone. It certainly is the most compelling handheld internet device. But it has to work. Right now, I am afraid that I will have to settle for a Z9 or a V9- at least until this gets sorted out.

Posted by jjboston75
9 September 2008 @ 10am

I have upgrade to the 2.0.2 and have seen a deterioration if anything and not an improvement. I have used three other cell phones on the at&t network in my area prior to downgrading to the iPhone 3G and beg to differ. While yes I agree the network is not as mature it just doesn’t add up.

I have a iPhone that drops 3G service like watching sand fall in a hour glass. Also it never transitions to edge correctly and will have zero coverage and still be connected to 3G network. My prior phones may not have always had full bars but they were steady and transitioned properly. I always seem to forget to bring my window before leaving the house so my solution is turn off 3G. I am in the boat with the others, thank you Apple and AT&T for selling me a falsely advertised phone, charging me more and downgrading my service.