Fix for spotty iPhone 3G reception on tap?
Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:04AM EDT
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Is your iPhone 3G dropping calls left and right? Join the club. Also: Word is that a faulty chip might be the culprit, and that Apple is prepping a software patch to fix the problem.
Both the Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek are reporting that Apple will release the patch "in the coming weeks," although Apple—per usual—hasn’t made any official comment. An AT&T spokesman declined to tell a Journal reporter whether the new iPhone had more reception issues that other phones in its lineup.
I used my iPhone 3G pretty heavily in the past week during my (already over?!?) vacation in California, and while I suffered a couple of dropped calls, I didn’t notice any serious problems. Actually, let me clarify that: My iPhone 3G call quality and reception has been about as bad as every other cell phone I've ever owned or tested.
That said, other iPhone users have been lighting up Apple's support forums with angry posts, and an informal survey at CNET News.com found that 87 percent of respondents complained of sub-par cell service. And naturally, AT&T and Apple support reps are pointing their fingers at each other.
So, what's the trouble? According to BusinessWeek, the problem lies primarily with the iPhone 3G's custom-made Infineon chip, which is apparently having trouble switching between AT&T's speedy 3G and slower EDGE networks.
Symptoms include failure to get full 3G reception in areas where AT&T's HSDPA network should be readily available, as well as dropped calls when the iPhone 3G attempts to switch between 3G and EDGE, the BusinessWeek story says.
While the iPhone 3G's Infineon chip is, obviously, a hardware feature of the iPhone 3G, insiders are telling the WSJ and BusinessWeek that Apple believes a software patch will do the trick.
But wait—how could a software patch fix a hardware probem? Well, one BusinessWeek tipster claims that the Infineon chip has been programmed to "demand a more powerful 3G signal than the iPhone really requires." That means the chip could theoretically be reprogrammed to stick with a less-powerful, but still adequate 3G signal, thus keeping the 3G-EDGE switching to a minimum. Guess we'll have to wait and see.
So, anyone out there plagued with iPhone 3G reception problems? Sound off below.
Related:
What's Behind the iPhone 3G Glitches [BusinessWeek]
Apple Moves to Fix Problem of Dropped Calls on iPhone [WSJ]
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2 Posted by downwithvivid on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:47PM EDT Report Abuse
I get the drop more while using data (accessing websites - some full versions instead of mobile versions), than while making calls. I can also see it happen when I'm not using the phone: sitting in my office I can see that I have a 2 bar 3G signal and before I know it my computer speakers are buzzing from the change of the phone to Edge - sure enough, it shows 3 or 4 bars of Edge signal when I look... I'm in a single story office building in the LA area so 3G should be plentiful. I can't wait for this fix - I hope it works.
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3 Posted by seraseru on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:12PM EDT Report Abuse
Er... No, it's just the result of AT&T's refusual to build out more areas with 3G coverage. To tell you the truth, I had better reception when Cingular and T-Mobile US had their free-roam agreement. It's been like this, and for whatever reason AT&T is not expanding their 3G coverage that much right now except for in New York City where they're trying to compete with T-Mobile US's 3GSM network. Even though AT&T SAYS they have a large 3G network, you might as well just go to T-Mobile US, even before their 3G, since T-Mobile US's EDGE is faster than AT&T's and neither companies are really built out enough to have 3G in most places.
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4 Posted by monkthehonk@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:25PM EDT Report Abuse
My iphone 3g, i have had since launch, is working great with 3g and edge...maybe i was lucky.
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5 Posted by bbern_53 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:03PM EDT Report Abuse
It's been on the market in the US for what - approx. a month and a half? Already 1 big upgrade was released - for whatever. And they are planning another software upgrade to fix the new problems. Had mine for 2 weeks, but I took it back yesterday before my 30 days is up. Don't want to get stuck with a lemon, especially if it's a hardware issue. The guy at the AT&T store said they are always releasing software upgrades. Yeah, but if it was to add additional functionality and not fix a problem - that would be great. I'll probably wait 6 months and try another one if they ever gets all the bugs worked out.
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1 Posted by mrhz on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:27PM EDT Report Abuse
I just bought an iPhone 3G two days ago, and it is virtually un-usable as a cell phone or web browser. I've had various other AT&T phones (some 3G) over the years with very few reception problems. I switched the 3G network setting to "off" so I'm only using the Edge network. That works ok, but what's the point of having this "phone?" I drank th Apple coolaid, and this is the 1st Apple product I've purchased. Don't understand what the big hype is with all of the Apple junkies out there. Seems like just another run-of-the-mill crappy electronic device to me. Hopefully Apple will fix this soon, or I'm going back to BBerry.