Signal strength?

I've got the similar problem which is even worse than yours. I didn't even get any signal problem before upgrading to 3.0 But now when I insert my sim card, the signal gets lost after 3 seconds or so. The stupid iPhone is searching the signal again and again that causes my battery run out in 1 day! Now I drop my iPhone in my drawer, and use another cheap one that will not have any signal problems. So actually we just spend a lot of money to buy a iPod touch!

Same for me, bought mine thursday when to college today, edge or no bars at all. My sidekick(Edge) on the other hand and friends g1(3g) were full bar in all the buildings.

I have a similar problem here in Sydney Oz. Bought iPhone 3Gs 16gb in July and love it. Working perfectly, good phone signal and 3G. Then, yesterday morning, nothing. Vodafone signal "no service" and no 3G either. WiFi works fine. Then it all kicks in randomly for a minute or two and then no signal again. The sim works perfectly well in my old phone, so it must be an iPhone problem. (I tried the tape on the sim card as well - no joy.)

I'm wondering if I should just reset everything back to factory settings in case there is a conflict with some app or another. Don't want to have to reload all my songs, though. 😟

To add to the sweet mystery of iPhone life: if I turn 3G off, I get my excellent phone signal back, but have to use edge for data - and it's way slower than 3G. But it's better than nothing. But why all of a sudden doesn't the phone work with 3G turned on?

Could the sim card play havoc in signal strength?

Yesterday I've buyed a new 3Gs 16Gb, I own a white 3G 16Gb from one year. The new 3Gs have almost 2-3 bar lower signal than the old 3G with 3G switched off, wi-fi on, bt off, 3.1 firmware on both on the same operator (Vodafone Italy) and same place side by side. In most place of the house I can phone with the old without problem and at the same time the new 3Gs are in search or no service status. I love Apple products, I own imac, ipod,atv,macbook but this time I waste my money. I continue to test the new phone for one day more then I return it to Vodafone.

I have the exact same problem, (phone only works in high signal areas) I have tried everything, Just got a replacement phone from Apple because i thought the other one was faulty. Obviously not same problem still with the new phone. Currently have my 3GS diverted to an old SE phone on the same O2 network just so i dont mis calls!
Not much good when i have to carry 2 phones!

Any idea when there will be a fix for this???

running 3.1.2 latest update

I am also running with OS 3.1.2 on O2 Ireland. I bought my phone on 3 November, and am constantly watching it cycle through middling bars to low bars to no signal at all -- while sitting stationary on my desk!

What can I do? I suppose at least next week I could take it in for replacement.

Most discussion on this thread was in June, but the 3.1 software doesn't seem to be a fix.

O2 Ireland tells me to try first upgrading to a 64-bit SIM card since I have the older 32-bit one.

I have the same problem, i.e. 3GS has 2 bars when lying down, but whenever I pick it up, it goes to 1 to 'no service'!
Already had the phone replaced by Apple. Made no difference.

I have the same problem. Just "upgraded" to a 3GS from a 3G, and whenever I pick it up, after a few seconds the bars start receding to nothing, and often I end up with "No Service".

I've posted a complaint to Apple, but heard nothing. In any case, I see others have had replacement phones but with the same problem.

What can I do?

Further to my above post. I've sent feedback to Apple, but heard nothing. Is there any point in posting on here? Does Apple read these posts, or are we supposed to just stumble on solutions by accident?

This new iPhone 3GS is still exhibiting the same behaviour. The signal strength bars reduce to a flat line or even "No Service" a few seconds after I pick it up. When I put it down on the table again, the signal strength returns to at least four bars (which my old 3G had most of the time, even when I was holding it).

What is the point of a phone that loses the signal when you pick it up?

I notice that others who had this problem have been given replacement iPhones, but that these replacement phones show the same problem, so there's little point in me hassling for a replacement as well.

Maybe not everyone is affected by this problem, but looking at this forum and others, I can see that a great many are, and have exactly this same problem.

It's frankly scandalous that Apple knows about this (as they surely must by now) yet does nothing, not even to acknowledge the fact!

has anyone tried the tape trick (adding a small piece of scotch tape to the att/logo side of the sim card) that seemed to do the trick for me

PRK...

Would you mind posting some detailed
instruction using the "scotch tape" method? My wife is having the same problem with her new 3Gs.


Thanks in advance.