iPad "misbehaves" when used with a MultiSIM - picks up/rejects phone calls

Thanks Pogo. At least you "get it".
As we both realize, "bugs" affect every user on every device, because something is flawed on the device or in the software.

Someone who is using a device not sold in his country is complaining because the sim that was never intended to be used in his device is "misbehaving".

Wow.

FYI: A "bug" is the common term used to describe an error, flaw, mistake, failure, or fault in a computer program or system that produces an incorrect or unexpected result, or causes it to behave in unintended ways. This bug may be considered non-critical, as it does not affect most users' main experience with the product - but it still is a bug.

I prefer products working according to international specifications instead of devices which only work correct in the market they were intended for... http://www.3gpp.org/specifications

To the OP, you forgot one very important item.
That AT&T 3G is different than T-mobile 3G band frequency.
The iPad's 3G modem supports UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz) and GSM/EDGE (850, 900,1800, 1900 MHz). Germany T-Mobile's 3G runs on 2100 Mhz. T-mobile in the U.S. uses a different 1700 MHz for their 3G.
Which means that you are only using 2G or what they call in the states "Edge" data speeds.

Also: The AT&T 3G network uses HSDPA/UMTS technology (High Speed Downlink Packet Access/Universal Mobile Telephone System), which makes it possible to enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless services. It also gives AT&T the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services. That means you can talk and use the Internet at the same time. How's that for multitasking?
Message was edited by: dblnutcustard

Message was edited by: dblnutcustard

I don't think that really matters, because the 3G frequencies used by T-Mobile in Germany are supported by the iPad: UMTS/HSDPA | Uplink 1969,8 – 1979,7 MHz | Downlink 2159,8 – 2169,7 MHz.

The technology is the same as AT&T uses in the US and it provides simultaneous voice and data capabilities. Works flawless with an iPhone ... and the iPad.

The only annoying thing is that every incoming call is redirected to visual voicemail while the iPads data connection is active. Please note that this doesn't happen with the iPhone. It just rings - even if the data connection is active.

I talked to both T-Mobile in Germany and AppleCare in Germany (who already have an iPad team at work). 1st of all - it is totally legal and part of the deal to use multi-sims (no matter which form factor) for both voice and data devices in any combination. As a data device, the iPad is the 1st known devices that responds to incoming voice calls and even rejects them, i.e. it is killing the whole purpose of multi-sims. T-Mobile says that behavior is a device issue and that they have no means to fix that on their side (other operators allow you to configure each multi-sim card online - t-mobile does not). AppleCare was really thankful for that observation and agreed to my assessment that this may be a QA issue on the 3.2 software part. There are no multi-sim arrangements in the US and the design team may have thought it was a good idea to simply drop incoming voice calls on the iPad. Now, with multi sims in other geographies it obviously is not such a good idea. Applecare then asked me to contact Apple Engineering in the US and describe the issue - which I happily did. They also said that this could be considered a 'bug' as all other known data only devices simply ignore incoming voice calls (via simple AT-command level configuration). Our common hope was that this fix can already make it to OS 3.2.1 prior or soon after the upcoming int'l launches.

@Jomo: I also talked to T-Mo in Germany and they also told me that it's a "bug" or an "error" (or whatever you want to call it) of the IPad.
It logs into the network as a phone device and not as a data device.

But they also told me that apple will release an OS update BEFORE they officially launch the IPad in Germany.
As you already said: There are no MultiSim arrangements in the US... So wait for the german version of the IPad.
It would be a big pain in the a** if we would have to pay for an extra data plan because of this issue.

So lets wait, hope and pray 🙂

It's somewhat funny the people from countries in which Apple has not yet released are surprised that they have problems in the first place.

No suprise here that a 1st-Gen. Apple product has some bugs... 😉

I am pretty sure the german iPad will show the same "misbehaviour" unless hopefully there is an update which adresses this problem. As explained earlier, the problem is not country-specific. Maybe you could compare it to tethering on AT&T in the US. Can be used with many devices including the Blackberry, but not with iPhones...

If I misunderstood your problem, my bad. Good Luck!

Thanks. Should be no big deal. All Apple has to do is to make sure that incoming voice-calls do not get rejected. They simply should change the behaviour of the iPad to the behaviour of almost any other 3G data-device.

Wouldn't that make it a phone to? Maybe the pain meeds are getting to me.

Meds not meeds! LOL

No. Most data devices just ignore incoming calls they can't handle or tell the cellular network that they are data-only so that the call does not reach the device.

The iPad tells the cellular network it is a phone with an active voice-connection, so the caller get a line busy signal...

I just called my iPad and got a message that the person at this number was not accepting calls at this time. Since I wouldn't give the number out for someone to call me I am not sure it's a problem.

It is a problem if you have multiple SIM-cards which respond to the same number. Normally all devices (up to three here in Germany on T-Mobile) ring simultaneously, you can pick up the call on whatever device you prefer.

But if one of the devices is an iPad, this doesn't work. The iPad tries to handle the call or simulates a busy line. Pickup on one of the other devices is no longer possible