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

This thread is a continuation of [iPhone 3G Reception Problems? You're Not Alone|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1602608] and [iPhone 3G Reception Problems? You're Not Alone - Continued|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1632695], which have been locked. The threads were too long and some browsers were timing out. The above links go back to the original threads.

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Posted on Aug 13, 2008 12:33 PM

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499 replies

Aug 13, 2008 12:44 PM in response to Brett L

In response to tom_cazzo from the previous, locked thread

Tom,

Here in Switzerland we have very mature 3G networks with excellent coverage, yet side by side in the same office on the same network the iPhone 3G has no 3G service while all other 3G phones have maximum signal and happily place and receive call and don't drop any.

When I take brand new SIM card from an iPhone that has no network or barely a bar and calls to it go directly to VM and pop it into any other 3G handset, I immediately have full bars and above all, can receive and place calls.

This I have tried on both networks that the IPhone 3G is offered on here with several iPhones, several other 3G handsets and several different SIM cards.

The results were invariably the same: Flawless service on 3G with all handsets except the iPhones.

Aug 13, 2008 2:52 PM in response to Brett L

I live and work in Berkeley CA. Everywhere I go for work/home/shopping/church/school is well within the "best" 3G coverage according to the map.

I have exchanged my phone twice at Apple Emeryville store over this issue so I have now owned 3 3G phones with new sims that behave just the same. I've been through all the AT&T tech support escalation and endless resets and restores.

July 11- week 28 build
July 25 week 28 build
Aug 12th week 31 build

I have awful voice quality, tons of dropped calls, and many periods of "no service". Sitting in one place, the screens dance from no bars to 3 to 5 to 1 and jump between networks (remember, I've had 3 now just like this!) and then when I attempt to dial out, it takes 2-4 attempts. Because of the poor connectivity, it only succeeds in fetching my emails once a day, if that, and outbound emails usually fail.

Aug 13, 2008 3:08 PM in response to Brett L

I have had my iPhone since this past Sunday. The reception issues began immediately with 3G flip-flopping between "No Signal" and up to four bars--but usually hovering between none and two. This is regardless of location and/or stationary or mobile. The real issue for me is that I work from home. I have my iPhone in front of me know and it is set to the Edge network and bounces between two and four bars--I don't recall seeing five bars at all. I cannot get a signal, 3G or Edge, most of the time in my basement office. My crappy old Nokia always had max signal (four bars) even in the basement. I had that phone for two years (yes, on the AT&T network) and maybe had a handful of dropped calls and those all occurred in known dead zones. When I spoke with Apple Support yesterday, we had an AT&T tech on the line with for a bit (did all the cookie-cutter "fix" routines to no avail). The Apple Tech even commented that the AT&T guy sounded surprised by what I was getting for reception given my location (We swapped the iPhone card into the Nokia and immediately got solid max bars).
I have been a solid Mac owner and supporter now for over 15 years. I love what Apple promised with the iPhone, but I am simply not getting what I am paying for at this point.
FYI, my iPhone manufacture week was 27 which I am guessing was early July?
Version 2.0.1 (5B108)
Modem Firmware 01.48.02

Aug 13, 2008 3:57 PM in response to Brett L

Well, I posted yesterday about my problem, and said I was going to Apple to swap my phone. That's exactly what I did today.
My problem was that smack dab in the middle of a 3g area, the phone would drop my call, and when I looked at the phone post-drop, it would be on Edge. Then it would revert to 2-3 bars of 3g in about 2-3 seconds. So I was caught in an endless cycle of dropping calls. It turns out that today the Genius at the Apple store ran my phone through "diagnostics", and it failed. I suggest doing what I did: go to an Apple store and tell them that the phone "appears" to switch to edge, when in fact it is the radio failing to hold a signal at all. The first signal it captures after it drops the call is Edge, and then it captures 3G.
It is most definitely the radio. That was a week 29 build. My new phone I got today is week 31. I get approximately 10 MILES further in 3G than I did with the other phone.
Be courteous and professional when you talk to them, and I'm sure they will help you out. The Apple store in The Westchester, White Plains NY is who helped me today.
The kicker for me was my brother-in-law has the same phone, but his is week 30. He also has the 3022 SIM. The phones varied greatly in reception in the same room in his house. His kept calls perfectly with great reception, mine didn't. That is what drove me to 1st call AppleCare and tell them, and then go into Apple to replace.

Aug 13, 2008 4:20 PM in response to Brett L

I've been having the same reception issues as everyone (based in SF).
Do you guys also get "No Service" from time to time? Just today I was at a restaurant for lunch and my wife had 2 bars on her 3G, and I had no service for a good 5 minutes. Should I go to Apple and get a new device? I'm already on my second one and to be honest I'm worried that I could actually end worse off with the replacement...

Aug 13, 2008 5:07 PM in response to Brett L

User: original iPhone/upgraded to iPhone 3G in July
Location: Orlando, FL; Naples, FL

I just want to add that I am also having a significant increase in reception issues which includes dropped calls, calls going right to vmail, 3G down-stepping to EDGE. This increase occurred when it seems AT&T lit up their 3G network in advance of the second-gen iPhone. I was an original iPhone user and began to notice reception issues in June, but upon upgrading to the iPhone 3G the problems were ten-fold.

Just my experience but wonder if others have had the same issue.

Aug 13, 2008 5:36 PM in response to EdTEdT

Hi EdTEdT

I wanted to reply to your post below in the old thread but it is locked:

The silence happens in MID-sentence while the person is talking. They don't >notice anything but just keep talking as if I can hear them. It's VERY >frustrating and dumb for such an expensive phone to not have good call >quality! It's totally the phone, not the service!


I've had similar voice problems. Sometimes the callers voices breaks up, specifically I will hear only parts of some words. When this happens the call does not drop. This happens with both 3G off or on. It is very annoying.
I did try my SIM card in my friend's Nokia phone and I experienced the same voice break ups. Another time, I was on a call(with 3G on) and I could hear the caller but the caller could not hear me then the call dropped after a minute. I never had AT&T before, did you or anyone ever experience this type of call quality on AT&T before the iPhone 3G? Kindly understand, I don't know where the problem is I am just sharing my experience. Thank You.

Aug 13, 2008 5:58 PM in response to Brett L

Third iPhone now.

Same bad 3G coverage, a few more dropped service times, etc.

I'm tempted to post all three results but at this point I was a little too frustrated from arguing how cell towers worked to the Genius Bar guy who 'swore' a microcell antenna giving 5 bars at the front of the store shouldn't at least give a few at the back, 100 feet away...

Aug 13, 2008 6:15 PM in response to chrisageorge

The issue concerning the poor reception of the iPhone 3G needs to be addressed by Apple, and soon. We all know that they're interested in damage control while they are in the initial phase of putting the iPhone 3G into the market, but everyone seems to be getting the same unresponsive response from the Apple Store, as well as AT&T. I had the first generation iPhone and gave it to another immediate family member. Their reception on that iPhone in the same exact location, as my 3G, is perfect while mine is dropping calls, and generally going to a black screen for no specific reason. Please Apple fix this problem. It was very hard getting the 3G and you owe it to us to respond to us first.

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

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