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Last Post
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Aug 18, 2008 3:08 AM
by: Batt322
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Posts:
6
From:
Manchester, UK
Registered:
Jul 12, 2008
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iPhone 3g reception problems.
Posted:
Jul 14, 2008 1:37 AM
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Hi.
I bought my iPhone 3g on the 11th and love it. However, after a few days of ownership, I started noticing a few problems with the reception. Calls were going straight to answer phone and text messages were either delayed in sending / receiving or simply wouldn't send. My previous iPhone didn't have these problems. I searched the internet for information on the problem and found that some other people were experiencing the same issue when on the 3g network. The solution was to disable the 3g on the iphone and revert back to the way the old iPhone connected (excuse my ignorance, I don't know what its called). My iPhone reception has gone for 1 bar or less to 5 bars and my calls are coming through fine. I thought I would post this here in case anybody else is experiencing the same issue.
To switch off 3g simply...
Settings-->General-->Network-->Enable 3G OFF
Hope this is of some help to other iPhone users.
Macbook
Mac OS X (10.5.4)
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Posts:
174
From:
Calfornia
Registered:
Feb 17, 2008
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Re: iPhone 3g reception problems.
Posted:
Jul 14, 2008 2:00 AM
in response to: Chris Rustage
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I can confirm this works. I live in the San Fernando Valley in L.A., and my wife had a call drop while she was talking on her iphone 3G while I was driving her down a busy street. I was surprised, but that particular area had very poor 3G coverage. doing the fix you mentioned bumped us from 1 faint bar to 4 bars.
Obviously, the downside is that you'd probably keep your 3G on by default if you use it for webb and e-mail, and hence I would only disable the 3G if a problem motivated me to (like dropping a call). So I doubt I can really use this method to prevent such a problem from happening, as i wouldn't be motivated to disable 3G until after I'd experienced a drop call.
Al Powerbook G4 1.67 GHz
Mac OS X (10.5.2)
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Posts:
6
From:
Manchester, UK
Registered:
Jul 12, 2008
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Re: iPhone 3g reception problems.
Posted:
Jul 14, 2008 2:46 AM
in response to: dgalvan123
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The problem is that unless I'm playing and want a higher speed connection, the benefit of better signal strength (hence less missed calls and delayed text messages) is far more important to me. The connection speed doesn't seem to effect the syncing with mobile me and the only negative really is slightly slower browsing.
Macbook
Mac OS X (10.5.4)
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Posts:
16
From:
Los Angeles, CA
Registered:
Oct 15, 2007
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Re: iPhone 3g reception problems.
Posted:
Jul 14, 2008 9:01 AM
in response to: Chris Rustage
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But that's not the point though... Why get a 3G iPhone if we have to revert to non-3G just to get calls reliably? I don't think this is so much an Apple issue as it's an issue with the carrier (AT&T in my case).
To the OP, I'm in LA too and my 3G reception has been pretty bad.
Aluminum iMac 24" 2.4GHz
Mac OS X (10.4.10)
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Posts:
6
From:
Manchester, UK
Registered:
Jul 12, 2008
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Re: iPhone 3g reception problems.
Posted:
Jul 14, 2008 9:19 AM
in response to: cornflakesla
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I'm certainly not saying that I don't want the 3G service - Just that I can live without it if its going to be un-reliable. My incoming calls and text messages are more important than faster browsing.
I'm in Manchester, UK with O2 and as such I wonder if it is the carrier or the iPhone itself. It would be interesting to find somebody with a different brand 3g phone to compare signal strength.
Macbook
Mac OS X (10.5.4)
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Posts:
8
From:
Walnut Creek, CA
Registered:
Jul 14, 2008
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Re: iPhone 3g reception problems.
Posted:
Jul 14, 2008 11:25 AM
in response to: Chris Rustage
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In Walnut Creek, CA, I double checked AT&T's 3G coverage map and made sure I was in a 3G area -- I am (and it's primary use will be around the house). Then I bought the phone on July 12.
For the past 24 hours we've had almost no 3G signal. We barely get 1 bar and occassionaly get 2. We've had voice and calls drop. We could not set-up/leave a voice mail greeting all day Sunday (though that could be something else at AT&T). The reception on the Edge network is also poor, my AT&T blackberry is consistently 5 bars at the house, the iPhone 3G is now defaulting to Edge network at 3-4 bars.
I just read an article that reported similar experience, and they replaced their phone to resolve this issue. I will continue reading here and wait out the week perhaps before I take that step.
Sure, I do most of the data on the home Wi-Fi. Voice on Edge seems ok, pretty sure the dropped calls were on 3G (but again, even Edge not as robust as a blackberry on same network).
Took the phone downtown and got up to 3 bars of 3G coverage, but that too faded and resolved to Edge after a few minutes. Toggling 3G on and off does reconnect to faster network, but then as it fades down to one bar, the phone then switches back to Edge.
Sure, Edge works, Wi-Fi works, but again, a field trip out and about also backed up my belief that something is up with Walnut Creek AT&T 3G ... or the reception of my iPhone 3G.
iPhone 3G
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Posts:
38
From:
Boston, MA
Registered:
Nov 9, 2007
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Re: iPhone 3g reception problems.
Posted:
Jul 14, 2008 11:42 AM
in response to: acutetype
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Do you have the article about that issue? I've had a similar experience in Boston. My phone will lose all 3G signal and switch to EDGE. Toggling the 3G control on and off doesn't restore it all the time. But powering down and restarting has.
I was thinking this was a problem with AT&T, I imagined their 3G network was getting a workout around here now. But if its a hardware issue, I'd like to get a new phone within the 14 day return window.
HP 5000
Windows Vista
iPhone 3G
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Posts:
76
From:
Louisville, Ky
Registered:
Feb 17, 2008
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Re: iPhone 3g reception problems.
Posted:
Jul 14, 2008 11:43 AM
in response to: acutetype
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That's funny, I just tried turning 3G off on my new Iphone and the 3 bars I had went to 0 bars. Turned it back on and 3 bars again. I'll have to keep an eye on this. I have not had a problem with calls.
Imac 2.8, Imac 2.4, Macbook 2.0, TB Time Capsule, 80gb Ipod, 16gb iphone 3G
Mac OS X (10.5.2)
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Posts:
8
From:
Walnut Creek, CA
Registered:
Jul 14, 2008
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Posts:
16
From:
UK
Registered:
Apr 17, 2008
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Re: iPhone 3g reception problems.
Posted:
Jul 14, 2008 12:03 PM
in response to: Chris Rustage
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I have a feeling the iphone 3g receiver/antenna might not be very good. I am struggling to get one bar, in an area of London that O2 have told me is saturated with cell-sites and has HSDPA enabled. Internet-loading is really slow, and it feels more like GPRS than 3G.
Just popped my O2 sim into my unlocked Nokia E51 and hey presto, 5-bars and Opera mini loads just as quick as it does on Three or Vodafone (yes I do have a lot of phones/service providers – don’t ask). So I am guessing the issue is with the iPhone – hope it gets sorted soon.
Cheers,
Feddde
Macbook
Mac OS X (10.5.2)
3G iphone
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Posts:
38
From:
Boston, MA
Registered:
Nov 9, 2007
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Re: iPhone 3g reception problems.
Posted:
Jul 14, 2008 12:08 PM
in response to: acutetype
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Thanks.
It's not a constant problem, which led me to think it's a AT&T issue. Right now I'm at full 3G strength in my office. Leaving the train this morning, I had no service on 3G until I rebooted the phone. I think if it was a bad 3G radio, it would always be bad.
HP 5000
Windows Vista
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Posts:
1
From:
WashingtonDC
Registered:
Jul 14, 2008
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Re: iPhone 3g reception problems.
Posted:
Jul 14, 2008 12:47 PM
in response to: Chris Rustage
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Chris et al,
I WAS in the same boat as you. I purchased my iPhone on Sat, and the reception was between NO SERVICE and 1 bar most all of the time. Calls were being dropped, I could not call out from home (as I could with the first gen). After following the boards this weekend, I found that my phone could finally call out if I disabled the 3G. I was very surprised when I got a weak signal that it would not revert back to the EDGE automatically. My phone also had problems with rebooting when calling out (sometimes). I tried restore and re-downloading the firm, nothing worked!
Being really frustrated, I returned to the Apple store today and got in standby to the genius bar. Thankfully, I was able to reproduce these issues that I had been having with the Apple on-site tech. After about 2 1/2 hours in store, I finally got another iPhone. The had to give me a new phone number (because otherwise I would of had to pay $400 for another phone). Unacceptable!
I had to return to the ATT store to get a new sim so I could revert back to my original phone number.
BUT, I now have 2-3 3G bars consistently, no reception probs like I had before, AND it seems to automatically go to EDGE when the 3G is weak. It's like an entirely different phone! I really think that Apple has a bad batch on its hands (and yours).
It seems like it has to be hardware... Just wanted to let you know what my experience was.
DavidinDC
MAC&PC
Mac OS X (10.5.4)
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Posts:
6
From:
Manchester, UK
Registered:
Jul 12, 2008
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Re: iPhone 3g reception problems.
Posted:
Jul 14, 2008 1:06 PM
in response to: DavePinDC
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Thanks David. I think I'll go into the store tomorrow and have a chat with them to see if they can replace the phone. I bought mine via the Car Phone Warehouse here in the uk and I'm not 100% sure how good their customer services are - hope they live up to Apples standards.
If its just a case of a bad batch then I'll be very happy.
Macbook
Mac OS X (10.5.4)
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Posts:
16
From:
Portugal
Registered:
Jul 14, 2008
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Re: iPhone 3g reception problems.
Posted:
Jul 14, 2008 5:04 PM
in response to: Chris Rustage
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I live in Porto/Portugal and purchased my iPhone on Vodafone. I have had low signal strength also, in fact the signal is very unstable ranging 1-4 bars constantly. In the same place, my old E61 shows full signal. As many people said the same thing in other countries, I think these issues with intermittent reception on the SOME new iPhone 3G models has nothing to do with the carriers, it is the phone itself.
I hope Apple figures out that this is a problem and fix it.
[]s,
Marlos.
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Hmm ... I'm still using my original iPhone (in the So. Bay area of L.A. basin) and I'm not highly motivated to upgrade to 3G now. In time coverage will improve, and my old iPhone will need replaced, then I'll consider 3G.
