I have had the new phone since the day after launch, and once a day I get a dropped call that starts with "garbled" almost robotic like voices....it similar to if you were take a radio dial and spin it as fast as you could and just hear a second of every channel.
Hard to explain. I never had this problem with the 3G, and wondering if it is an apple or an AT&T issue?
I have this issue myself. Actually, we have this issue on 2 brand new iPhone 4's. It only started with them. We are also using a Microcell from AT&T. We used our 3GS's on the Microcell and never had an issue. However, the iPhone 4's are the exact opposite. Garbled phone calls. It's like every other word and you only here a fraction of the word. Impossible to hear and have a conversation.
Occasionally I have the same problem; but only when I'm connected to the MicroCell in our house. In my case, the distortion seems to be only on my side - the other person seems to be able to hear me just fine because, A. they never complain about it, and B. when I say can you hear me OK they say yes - if I can hear them. The distortion itself seems more like, well if a normal conversation could be likened to the sound of a car driving down a smooth road, the distortion is like driving over a washboard road. Does that make sense?
I've had plenty of calls through the MicroCell where the problem does not show itself so it's hard to pin down what the cause might be.
I can't be sure, but it
seems to show itself if I inadvertently hold it with my right hand and put a finger or two over the black strip on the lower left of the phone.
The first time it happened, I realized that my fingers were bridging both sides of the black strip, so I ended the call and started over making sure to only touch the side - that call was fine.
Yesterday afternoon, I got a call when it started I
may have had my hand on the same area (but I can't remember for sure) but the distortion came and I repositioned my fingers and it the distortion went away - thankfully the other person was long winded - but again, I can't be sure this had anything to do with it. I say that because the distortion came back again and I my fingers were nowhere near the strip or the bottom.
What I'm afraid is that this problem is related to the MicroCell - why, I have no idea. But it never happens for me when I'm not connected to it.
This is being reported on the AT&T forums as well. I also had this only on my end on a received Microcell call. I never hold the lower left corner so it is not that. I will be returning the microcell because of this and other problems if they are not fixed in the next few weeks.
The interesting thing is that this problem does not exist for the iPhone 3GS. So, it's either the iPhone 4 or the way the MicroCell handles the iPhone 4.
This stuff is all very complicated and this has to be a unintended consequence somehow. Think about all of the different systems and technologies trying to work together to make this happen.
Either way, I hope the problem does get solved one way or another.
mikuk wrote:
The interesting thing is that this problem does not exist for the iPhone 3GS. So, it's either the iPhone 4 or the way the MicroCell handles the iPhone 4.
This stuff is all very complicated and this has to be a unintended consequence somehow. Think about all of the different systems and technologies trying to work together to make this happen.
Either way, I hope the problem does get solved one way or another.
I agree. This problem was non existent on our 3GS when we got our Microcell. It only started after we got our iPhone 4's. So it's the phone or the way the Microcell handles the phone or vice versa. Something is up.
Another poster up top mentioned people driving on a washboard. That's exactly how it sounds. Very hard to hear them but they seem to hear me just fine.
Based on the descriptions in this thread I believe I have had exactly the same thing on my previous (3G) iPhone very occasionally for several months. It certainly predates iOS4. The problem doesn't seem to occur when I have poor reception - in fact sometimes it occurs when I have a very good signal. It never happens mid-call - it's either like it from the beginning, or doesn't happen at all. It sounds to me almost as if the volume has been cranked so high that it's causing the amp (not the speaker) to distort and clip the sound. "Alien" is an excellent description - the first time I heard it I actually found it quite unnerving! 🙂
It's so infrequent that I've never really thought much of it up until I read this thread. Resolving the issue has always been a matter of simply hanging up and redialling.
I'm having the same issue. I upgraded my 3Gs hardware to the iOS4 software and now having issues with the microcell. It is bad enough I have to spend money to get cell coverage in my house, but to add insult it does not work anymore. Before the upgrade my hardware worked fine with the microcell. The issue I'm having is calls sound to be garbled on my side. The people on the other end of the calls report that it sounds fine. It does not happen every time. It does not matter if I place the call or receive the call. BTW I called AT&T and the say that they have "no reports of this issue".
"I called AT&T and the say that they have "no reports of this issue" What a surprise!?! Just kidding.
I suppose we should all get on the horn to both Apple and AT&T since it's not clear where the problem is, whether it's the MicroCell or iOS 4. If we don't call, likely nothing will happen. Not to be too sarcastic, but nothing may happen anyway...
Really, everyone in this thread, please call in and report the problem. I'm also going to do some research and see if I can get the problem repeatable - that's usually the best way to get resolution. (Problems that are sporadic and unrepeatable are a nightmare for the service guys. Put yourself in their shoes - how would you solve a problem if you can't even find a way to experience it?)
I'm in the UK on O2's network, so if it's the carrier it's not just AT&T. I have definitely had this prior to installing iOS4 so if it's a software problem it's one that was introduced in a 3.x release.
I live in San Diego. 3G Microcell worked fine with iPhone 3GS, but with iPhone 4 nearly every call is garbled on my end, then call fails. I can hear like every third word.
I called AT&T and they said no other reports of this issue. They would have a senior tech call me. Senior trch calls and sounds like a teenage girl. She apologizes and then says the solution is to return the iPhone 4 and go back to the iPhone 3GS!
I have unplugged the 3G Microcell and at least I can now hear the person on the other end of the line -- when I can get a signal.
I too have had this problem on iphone 4 but not with any of my other 3g capable phones. I did a complete restore of the iphone 4 (for other reasons) and set up completely as a new phone. Problem hasn't occurred since.
I may be wrong, but I think it MAY have to do with the noise cancellation circuitry that works with the iP4's second microphone. I made a call in my garage to my home phone and put it on mute. I went from the Bluetooth connection to the actual handset. The only time I got a garbled or muffled sound was on the Bluetooth connection, but when I clicked over and back, it cleared up.
It's definitely an issue, I'm just not totally sure what is to blame, the second microphone, the Bluetooth, the circuitry or the firmware. Or a combo.
I think this is more of an iPhone 4 issue more than anything. We had 2, 3GS phones that did not have the problem when connected and they had iOS4 loaded. The problem only started with the iPhone 4's.
Well, I just called AppleCare and reported this. Of course, the technician couldn't be sure but he suggested two things that might help alleviate the problem. One is to reset the network settings +while connected to the MicroCell+. The other was to toggle the 3G off and then on when connected to the MicroCell.
He couldn't be sure if that would help, but I'm going to try. In any case, it's got to be a temporary fix, because resetting the network settings wipe your wifi network and passwords saved too.
Next call, AT&T. Ugh. Sometimes they are good, sometimes they are really, really bad. I'll report back.
