iPhone 3G Reception Problems? You're Not Alone - Continued

Seems like the media have picked up on it:

http://www.gearlog.com/2008/07/iphone3g_reception_problemsa.php

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2325523,00.asp

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/07/iphone-3g-users.html

Hopefully the providers will fix it soon.

That's correct, both phones came with the "new" model number SIM, as did my replacement at the AT&T store yesterday.

Oddly, prior to my SIM swap yesterday, my AT&T rep said it looked like I was connecting with a very out-of-date SIM. They also had the wrong serial number for me, so I wonder if he was somehow looking at old data from my 1st gen iPhone.

I asked another rep today about re-something my phone on the network (sorry, I don't remember the term but it was from the last thread) but he said that was automatic when the phone was powered off and back on again. I asked if there was any sort of process that sounded similar to what I was talking about, with my phone or my account, that they could do, and he said no. It was time for my Apple Store appointment, so I couldn't explore that too much.

As far as re-activation, I'm assuming that that would have happened with my phone exchange today. Apple rep even asked which SMS plan I had (or wanted) when setting up my account again.

If there's a known good term I can use, I'm happy to call and try again.

I'm in Mountain View, by the 101. I just caught a few other comments from folks around here complaining of bad service, so I'm starting to lean towards this being a bad spot for signal.

I hope to do a little field testing on Monday. That should also give the techs a chance to check out our towers.

Thanks,
Bill

I have a pretty good fix to this problem. After receiving my 3rd iphone replacement. I went and switched the sim with a brand new one from at&t. Then call 611 and spoke to a rep and made sure they have the correct imei number which they didnt because of the new replacement, then I had them send me a update to the new phone. After that my reception is full bars. So what I can figure out is that the sim that comes with the new iphone is screwed up. So make sure you get a new sim then have them send update and make sure imei number matches. This should clear up the reception problems. Just to give you advice my 3g coverage is only 2-3 bars in my house where edge is 5 bars. As soon as I go out side I switch 3g to on and then I receive 5 bars once outside. So it seems that 3g signal isn't as good inside your house than it is when outside with nothing blocking your iphone from the cell towers. Hope this works for everyone, it has work for me. The other 2 replacements I received I didn't go and get a new sim card. So this could have been avoided if I would have thought of it.

Hey Doug,

We did the same and it worked for us! Curious, where do you live?

Also... could you add your SIM card #'s (contact side) to this post?

_Mine are as follows:_
My OLD SIM card # on the contact side is: 71234G3022 (did not work)
*The NEW SIM card # on the contact side is: 71234O ** <Edited by Moderator>(works)*

Thanks,
Doug C

Exactly my thoughts!

Create a new thread to make it look like the problem is less then what it is!
That other thread had over 35,000 views lets try to get that back until Apple comes out an issues a statement or a true fix.

And if you guys really want to help please return you're iPhones and get new ones, please take no for an answer because they will try to convince you it's an AT&T problem.

I'm on my third batch of iPhones just make an appointment and use all the faults the phones have and demand to get a new iPhone.

And it's clear that Doug was harassed for creating this thread, so now Doug has three perfectly working 3G iPhones. Wow what are the odds of that?

I just got back from the Apple Store at the Grove in Los Angeles, and once again I got three more phones replaced so I'm officially on my third batch.

And guess what they all work the same as before!

More in the news. . .

http://news.cnet.com/8301-135793-9997583-37.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-13-0-20

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/07/has-apple-bitte.html

Sorry, I don't have my old sim number.

I live in Chicago's western suburbs and consistently received 4-5 bars with my first 2G iPhone. With my 3G iPhone I receive less than 2 bars. I swapped the SIM from old phone to my new phone several times and experienced the same results--the 2G consistently shows 3 more bars than the 3G iPhone shows. If I turn-off 3G on my new iPhone, I receive 4-5 bars in the 2G mode.

I made two test calls to Jott; one using the 2G mode at 5 bars and one using the 3G mode with less than 2 bars. Both recordings were transcribed perfectly and when I listened to the native records for both messages, the call quality was excellent and both sounded the same. I think part of the issue is that the 'bar' system does not have any standards and a 2 on 3G is as good as a5 on 2G.

Now, if we can just figure out the frequently dropped call issue.

Message was edited by: sahlsmith

Hello,

Someone else wanted to know the throughput speed I was getting.

I use the http://i.dslr.net/tinyspeedtest.html speed test.

*My 3G signal strength reading was -55 with 1143 kbps*

Have a good week-end!

Doug

orbital318 wrote:
Whats annoying is I work in Times Square on the 33rd Floor of a building and the best I can get is edge. Come on ATT its Times Square! Besides that I do find that the service inconsistently switches to Edge. One day I will be at my apartment and Ill get 3g, then the next only edge. Are the cell towers are cars or something?

I work on 25th floor on Park Av near Grand Central and all at&t 3G phones I had (Blackjack, Blackberry) behave similarly as you describe. I think that high 2100 frequency that at&t uses for 3G is worse for building penetration and suffers more from reflecting from buildings and weather conditions than 850 band which is used for GSM/Edge.

More in the news:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9997779-1.html

I just exchanged my black 8GB iPhone for a white 16GB one. It works perfectly. I checked the sim card number that came installed on the iPhone from the factory and it is 7123404022.

My week is a week 30 (July) build. Maybe others can check their serial numbers to see which factory /week build (don't post your entire s/n here).

http://www.chipmunk.nl/klantenservice/applemodel.html

Mine is: factory 87, week 30, (July), production year 8 (2008).

As I stated above, my phone is working perfectly in all aspects.

Doug Clements wrote:
Hey Doug,

We did the same and it worked for us! Curious, where do you live?

Also... could you add your SIM card #'s (contact side) to this post?

_Mine are as follows:_
My OLD SIM card # on the contact side is: 71234G3022 (did not work)
*The NEW SIM card # on the contact side is: 71234O4022 (works)*

Thanks,
Doug C

Peter,

Awesome!

Eventually people will believe that *_our phones really do work!_*

Checked my phone and mine is:

Factory: 88
Production year: 2008
Production week: 25 (June)

Peter, where do you live?

Thanks,
Doug

My 16 GB White iPhone, purchased 7/11 from an AT&T store, has had no 3G reception problems. The only thing I did notice is that when tuning on 3G in an area outside AT&T 3G, but good Edge coverage, it went to "No Service" for several minutes before re-acquiring Edge/GSM.

Entering my S/N to that site:

Factory 86
Production year: 2008
Production week: 27 (July)
Production number: 18554 (within this week)

Message was edited by: modular747

Doug Clements wrote:
Peter,

Awesome!

Eventually people will believe that *_our phones really do work!_*

Checked my phone and mine is:

Factory: 88
Production year: 2008
Production week: 25 (June)

Peter, where do you live?

Thanks,
Doug

Hi Doug,

I'm in Newport Beach, CA.