iPhone 3G Reception Problems? You're Not Alone - Continued
This thread is a continuation of
iPhone 3G Reception Problems? You're Not Alone, which has been locked. The thread was too long and some browsers were timing out. The above link goes back to the original thread.
KBeat, I only know becuase I had a Rogers technician come to my house to check my phone, and he told me "Oh that's weird, you live two blocks from the cell site". He also told me it's a full 2G and 3G site. My reception can go as low as -100db. When I walk a block and a half towards the cell site, suddenly it goes up to -60 ish.
I have terrible (no) service in my house. I gave my wife my old iPhone, she has 5 bars, I have 0. She drops 2/10 calls, I drop 10/10. AT&T called me back and said that Haddon Township (8 minutes from Philadelphia, PA) is due for an 850 expansion by the end of the year. A talked to a manager about a credit or reduced bill, but they wouldn't budge.
I am in Cherry Hill, near Cooper River Park and I get great reception. I am going to take the pike down to Berlin on Thursday and see what I get while driving through Haddon Township.
I know I will probably sound very unpopular but the only way to change the situation is to give a strong sign.
Return your iPhone (you get full refund and off the contract) if you are within 30 days.
You can always repurchase it later on, in case the network works.
justfred wrote:
Apple - choosing ATT over Verizon was a BIG mistake.
Actually, Verizon rejected Apple before they went with AT&T - they didn't go for Job's revenue sharing plan. Although AT&T's 3G is far more limited than Verizon's, it does allow for simultaneous voice/data which can't be done on Verizon (even though it's technically easier to add to a CDMA system like Verizon's).
It's still not clear how much the iPhone itself is contributing to the 3G reception problems. Other 3G phones on the AT&T network don't seem to be having as much difficulty - though they don't get as much publicity as the iPhone. From what I see, there is a definite problem with handoff between 3G and Edge/GSM. This could be a bug in iPhone firmware or poor interaction of the network with the phone that requires tuning from both ends.
There is the issue of the iPhone's antenna location causing reduced signal when the phone is held in the typical manor. Another factor is the frequency. Virtually all Edge/GSM is at 850 gHz, but a good deal of 3G is at 1900 or higher and this penetrates buildings less well than the lower frequency.
Digg this article, submit to slashdot.. comment on it at Cnet.. Finally some reputable press. Now, if there could just be some formal recognition from Apple.. one way or the other...
I also recommend to view the cnet video (daily debrief). It's on that page.
especially interesting is the end where they put this into the business strategy context of apple, saying that the iPhone 3G reception disaster could actually be much more harmful to apple in the long run than the mobileme bugs.
The site at
http://www.atttowers.com/towers/welcome.do is NOT a complete list of all the AT&T towers. I think it shows towers which AT&T is willing to negotiate co-location with other providers. It does NOT list ANY of the 3G towers I have identified.
If you have one of the bad phones, you can use it to locate the 3G towers. I have gone to several 3G towers. I look for cell tower clusters and then use my iPhone signal strength (reading the -dbm, not bars) to identify the specific tower. The signal will fall off very rapidly as you move away from the tower (-66 dbm at the tower to the neighborhood of -100 dbm or worse 3/4 of a mile away).
I live and work in NYC and have been using the Edge network, which I don't mind. I have been getting poor reception over the 3G network too. What I do mind is paying the $30 for a service that is not that good.
I would like to ask if others have the same issue I will explain below. I have not had time to read all the posts, there are a lot of them, but from what I have read it sounds like many people are having at least similar issues. I apologize if I have repeated something already pointed out.
The issue is that if I am in a area where there is poor coverage (GPRS/EDGE/3G) and the phone sometimes switches from edge (E shown) to "No Service" and to GPRS (solid little square shown) and back and forth, and then I go to where there is 3G coverage (I have had 3G on all this time on the phone) the phone will not, or will take minutes to get any signal. If, however, when I am in the 3G coverage area and the phone says "No Service" I shut off 3G, the phone will within seconds get a edge (E displayed) and then I turn 3G back on and within seconds I get a 3G (3G shown) signal.
From what I have seen and read, the problem lies in the software in the phone, not with the AT&T 3G (or other) network. It seems to me that the phone is having a problem with switching between E, G, and 3G. I have read several posts where other phones in the same exact location work fine whereas the IPhone has a problem. That, it would seem to me, eliminates the AT&T network, at least as being the sole root cause of the problem. It would seem the other phones in this case would also have an issue switching between towers. Also supporting this theory is that it seems to have gotten worse since I upgraded to 2.0.1. This would be good news in a way in that it should be able to be fixed with an upgrade to the software. This assumes, however, that this is not some sort of issue with the hardware of the radios switching circuit inside the phone. I think that it is more likely to be the software.
I wouldn't say that people are not having problems but I have had absolutely none with mine. I live in a fairly rural part of Mass. and almost always get 3G. I am also able to get many bars in areas where friends of mine can't use their Verizon phones and I have had no dropped calls.
I really
want to like this phone. Unfortunately, somebody is not telling the truth. Apple vs. AT&T.
Does it matter where the problem lies?
Technically, if AT&T has a contract to provide 3G service for your Iphone 3g and your Iphone 3G does pick up the 3g where you are supposed to be able to receive it then that is a *breach of contract*.
We ALL signed an agreement to pay $30 per month for 3G in the advertised areas. PERIOD.
Failure to receive 3G in the advertised areas is a breach of contract and forfeits the contract. PERIOD.
Now if you want to get technical and play the blame game...fine the iphone may have a wimpy antennae compared to other phones. However, AT&T is responsible for compensating for a wimpy antennae by having a better 3G network.
In the end both Apple and AT&T will lose. Basically, I call AT&T everyday to remind them that this is a breach of contract and that whenever I want I can LEGALLY walk away..
Apple will lose me as a customer and you since we understand how quality control has taken a back seat to the profit machine that wall street demands.
I suppose some solutions to remedy this problem:
1) Drop Data plan down to $20 with free Texting
2) Recall all 3 million Iphone 3Gs.
3) Give us all back $199 or $299 like last year.
4) Fix the software thats is buggier than VISTA! (See what happens when you poke fun at Microsoft!)
