iPhone 3G Update

[Airb330]

Hey all. I wanted to stop in and say hi, and to also strongly discourage anyone from buying the iPhone 3G. As some of the vets here know, I was pretty darn happy with Cingular during my college years. After a rough year with Verizon in 2003, Cingular was heaven. I probably dropped 3-4 calls in a few years. I know the network is solid in Delaware and Philadelphia. The iPhone 3G drops about 20-30% of my calls. If my phone call is longer than 15 minutes, the drop rate increases to about 75%. AT&T has actually been pretty good about it all, and may waive ETF fees. So far they've issued $50 in credits without me even asking.

The 3G network and the iPhone do not get along. I will not place the blame solely on the iPhone. AT&T's 3G network simply stinks, running on PCS in most spots while some towers run 850 and it confuses the heck out of the phone. My signal at work will vary from 1 bar (-105) to 5 (-70) for instance. The phone, however, simply cannot handle it. When it goes from 3G to Edge, it drops calls often, or I can hear them and they cannot hear me. Overall, a very disappointing experience. Apple, of course, blames AT&T completely. Their software updates are a joke and now the signal indicators 'lie' to show better signal. A -113 signal is not 1 bar, that cannot complete a call or send a text. They took the simple way out and inflated the signal bars.

The iPhone 3G is an amazing piece of technology. It simply cannot make phone calls well. Whoever says they do not have dropped call issues either lives in a GSM only environment or is fooling themselves. The phone has not worked well everywhere I have been with it. AT&T's 3G network is nothing great, but it is not the sole blame here. I strongly urge anyone to wait (possibly until the next iPhone revision) unless they can live with 10x more dropped calls than the network average. I only use 200-400 minutes a month, so imagine how heavy users must feel.

[spleck]

That sucks! I hope they can do something for you. Have they offered to swap out phones or set you up with a new SIM? Some others have said that helped. I'm one of the guys stuck in a GSM only area, and I only make about 100-200 minutes of calls per month, so I haven't had any issues other than not getting signal in a few buildings that VZW covers better.

[bobolito]

I'm willing to bet that much of the issues with the iPhone will disappear once UMTS 850 is everywhere. By then, not only you'll have stronger 3G signal, you'll also have an iPhone that has no need to switch to EDGE, plus new firmware versions will likely improve signal handling.

The new 2.1 firmware has changed signal measuring to behave much in the way it behaves on Motorola's V9, where rather than measuring signal strength, it now measures signal quality. That's why sometimes you can have 5 bars even though signal strength is weak. You can have excellent signal quality even though it is weak. Previously, even under those conditions the iPhone would unnecessarily switch to EDGE just because signal was weak. But now it shouldn't do that unless signal quality actually deteriorates. That's one thing different between GSM and WCDMA. Signal strength is more important in GSM than it is in WCDMA.

[YourDream84]

As an over the road truck driver I travel all over the US, and I can honestly say that I have never had a problem with dropped calls...

Maybe I'm just one of the lucky ones, I don't know, but I honestly can't complain about my phone, or my coverage.

~*Ash*~

[viewfly]

Originally Posted by Airb330

Hey all.
The iPhone 3G is an amazing piece of technology. It simply cannot make phone calls well. Whoever says they do not have dropped call issues either lives in a GSM only environment or is fooling themselves. The phone has not worked well everywhere I have been with it. AT&T's 3G network is nothing great, but it is not the sole blame here. I strongly urge anyone to wait (possibly until the next iPhone revision) unless they can live with 10x

Not sure how why this is in the NE section, but I couldn't disagree more with you, and I am not in a GSM area only. I have 2 iphones and they are working very. Others have about 8 million.

Here is my question/suggestion. You seem mainly concerned about making calls and really like the other features of the iPHone. Why not turn off 3G and use it as a GSM phone until the network is better in your area? So you drop a lot of calls when only in GSM? If you do, then you really have a defective phone. Take it back.

If you really need data speeds, just turn 3G on as needed. I only suggest this for you to test the rest of the phone. It is a very good GSM phone, better rf than the BB curve we had before.

You may think the suggestion stupid, but the overwhelming majority of iPhone users are very happy with the hardware, esp since the 2.1 upgrade.

It is true that the 3G network is nowhere near as good as the ATT 2G one. One just has to accept that until it built out better, as Bobolito says. ATT is really in the middle/end of the situation when they moved from TMDA to GSM.

I'm in Japan today where the 3G network is 2100Mhz (a long way from 850Mhz). But this is the main Japan network and it works...everywhere...with almost no attenuation indoors. It is just built out well.

Try 2G only for a bit (ie turn off 3G) and see if the phone is working fine. Also go to the Apple store (even if you purchased at ATT, that is where service is done). They can check your drop call rate and if it is really too high, they have given others new phones. Clearly there have been some defective phones and 1% of millions are a lot of phones. You do have a one year warranty. Like I said the majority of users, and not just the ones I know, are doing quite well, esp. after the 2.1 update.

But all means, if the other features of the iPhone don't interest you, and you really need voice on 3G and the current network/iPhone is not working in your area yet...get some other 3G phone.

But the rest of us are not fooling ourselves.

Good luck

EDIT: Moved from NE Forum.

[bobolito]

If my memory serves correctly I remember Airb330 complaining about dropped calls for ages using other phones on the AT&T and Verizon networks. Is this correct, airb330? If that's the case, I'm not entirely sure we should just single out the iPhone on this one.

[Airb330]

Originally Posted by bobolito

If my memory serves correctly I remember Airb330 complaining about dropped calls for ages using other phones on the AT&T and Verizon networks. Is this correct, airb330? If that's the case, I'm not entirely sure we should just single out the iPhone on this one.

Never had any major problems with Cingular and at&t using any phone besides the iPhone. Network is the strongest in the region by far. Verizon was a disaster in 2003, but I have a VZ work phone (the Q) and it's OK, but still drops more calls than say AT&T (non iPhone) or Sprint.

Viewfly,

I don't think the suggestion is stupid. I have not met one person who is happy with the iPhone in Philadelphia. Not ONE person. Every single one of my friends have an iPhone (no, really, gay people are obsessed clearly haha). They all complain about multiple dropped calls per day. It simply cannot hold onto a call. A phone call on I-95 at 10pm at night should not drop 3 times between Newark, DE and Philly. The signal was never worse than -75. Is this at&t's problem? I guess, but if I throw my sim into a cheap Nokia, I am fine. Regarding GSM only mode. I refuse to do that, it's ridiculously slow. I am not mode changing my phone when I want it to be reliable. It's not worth it. Even in GSM only mode, the phone still drops about 10% of calls I'd estimate, still too many. 2.1 made the dropped calls better for about 2 days then it got worse. So yes, the phone simply stinks as a phone, and the inadequate 3G network only escalates the problem. I am not wasting any more time mode changing a phone, wasting hours of time at apple stores (several exchanges), or wasting hours on the phone with at&t (who have been wonderful). I have a Sprint blackberry and of course, have not dropped any calls. I don't care how advanced an iPhone becomes, I will never use one again. I've been burned twice, but at least I made a profit off of it both times!

[YourDream84]

I'm just flabbergasted by this... Like I said before I travel ALL over the Continental US (In the past 2 weeks alone I've gone into Michigan, Ohio, New York, Maryland, Georgia, and Tennessee *Just to name a few, that's nowhere near a complete list*), My phone is generally my only connection to home, and I can't make a single complaint about my iPhone.

I've had mine for about 2 months now, and I have never had a single dropped call... not ONE, and there are times I spend a good 2-3 hours on the phone with my mom, traveling from state to state. Call me one of the lucky ones, call me a satisfied customer, call me a liar if you choose, I really don't care, but I can honestly say I have no complaints...

I guess no matter what you do though, there will ALWAYS be someone out there you can't please...

~*Ash*~

[Jay2TheRescue]

Yeah. I've heard that there's people out there that don't want to like the iPhone...

-Jay

PS - Maryland was the best, wasn't it?

[viewfly]

Originally Posted by Airb330

Regarding GSM only mode. I refuse to do that, it's ridiculously slow. I am not mode changing my phone when I want it to be reliable. It's not worth it. Even in GSM only mode, the phone still drops about 10% of calls I'd estimate, still too many. 2.1 made the dropped calls better for about 2 days then it got worse. So yes, the phone simply stinks as a phone, and the inadequate 3G network only escalates the problem.

I have to admit that I am baffled by some of these individual stories. Unfortunately there is no way to systematically figure this out via WA forums postings. There is a guy on HoFo(I admit it, I've been there) who has terrible service in Austin (and all his friends), but in other TX cities it is great. So I guess that the ATT 3G data network is working well enough that you don't want to give it up 24/7. Fair enough. It depends upon how much time you need the fast data rate for browsing the web vs voice. For Emails, EDGE is fast enough.

I spent some time in Newark, MD (UDEL) about 2 years ago, and I remember the Cingular GSM signal was weak, RF-dBm wise around campus, but still a usable network. Sometimes calls were garbled. Just not as good as other places. I had agreed with Bobolito, I thought you were complaining about Newark and Dover with Cingular in the past, but I guess I was wrong.

From what I think I read, you have already swapped out the phone twice and have been to the apple store for help. I suspect that since ATT has given you some $$ credits easily, they probably know that a problem exists. When you say a cheap nokia works better, you mean a 3g phone? I ask because nobody has complained about the GSM iPhone mode. It has been about 3/2G switching and lack of 3G RF signal. And I've never understood how an update works for a few days and then expires (re 2.1).

Well, it's not working for you clearly, so get a new phone (which working ATT 3G non-iPhone are you going to get then?). Or do you plan to switch networks? We all would be curious how a different ATT 3G phones works out in your area(s) over an extended period of time. BTW, is your problem with dropped calls isolated mainly to driving in a car, or also while stationary? Just curious.

Good luck. Like YourDream84, I'm happy that I'm one of the lucky ones(I guess that is what it is). It is one of the best and most fun phones that I've ever owned! And all of my friends say the same thing too.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I just happened to have a picture of an iPhone in a fantastic greasy diner in Maryland...

-Jay

[spleck]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

I just happened to have a picture of an iPhone in a fantastic greasy diner in Maryland...

Interesting color choice there! Looks like a Fluke DMM.

[Jay2TheRescue]

No, its Ashley's iPhone in an orange silicone skin, and 2 slices of cake.

-Jay

[bobolito]

Airb330, what about your problems with AMR-HR codec? Didn't that cause you to drop calls on AT&T/Cingular?

Anyway, I know someone in Philly that has an iPhone 3G and I have asked him about his service and he said he can't complain. But then again, he doesn't travel to MD or DE.

[YourDream84]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

Yeah. I've heard that there's people out there that don't want to like the iPhone...

-Jay

PS - Maryland was the best, wasn't it?

Yes there are... Jay refused to even touch mine for fear he might end up liking it... LOL

And yes, Maryland was awesome... I want cake...

~*Ash*~

[skystartrade.com]

iphone was updated to 2.1

it was update by itune 8.0

[Kesem]

I've been living with the 3G iphone since July 11th. I live in Los Angeles and drive around the Beverly Hills/ West Hollywood area a lot. Truthfully the coverage here is terrible. Rarely do I complete a call before ATT does it for me. I've tries everything: 2.1, a new phone, a new sim card, and turning off 3G altogether. Nothing has helped.

I've always wondered about the people who write in forums about the great experiences they've been having... until last weekend.

Last weekend I spent some time in Pittsburgh. It was like I had a new phone. NO DROPPED CALLS!! In addition all my calls were clear. I never left full bar 3G coverage.

My conclusion now that I'm back to terrible coverage in Los Angeles is that it is not the phone. ATT clearly can't keep up with the number of people who want to use their network. They better fix it or very soon I my vote with my fingers and go back to Sprint.

[viewfly]

Originally Posted by Kesem

I've been living with the 3G iphone since July 11th. I live in Los Angeles and drive around the Beverly Hills/ West Hollywood area a lot. Truthfully the coverage here is terrible. Rarely do I complete a call before ATT does it for me. I've tries everything: 2.1, a new phone, a new sim card, and turning off 3G altogether. Nothing has helped.

I've always wondered about the people who write in forums about the great experiences they've been having... until last weekend.

Last weekend I spent some time in Pittsburgh. It was like I had a new phone. NO DROPPED CALLS!! In addition all my calls were clear. I never left full bar 3G coverage.

My conclusion now that I'm back to terrible coverage in Los Angeles is that it is not the phone. ATT clearly can't keep up with the number of people who want to use their network. They better fix it or very soon I my vote with my fingers and go back to Sprint.

That is one of the more interesting and useful posts I've seen in a while. Thanks and welcome to WA forums.
It always does seem that LA users have had the roughest time with Cingular and now ATT in regard to coverage, even in 2G. One would think it would be solved by this time... years have gone by.

[bobolito]

That's right. Los Angeles has been the source of the largest number of complaints on Cingular and AT&T. I remember massive complaints dating back to 2001 and still it doesn't seem that they've made much progress.

[Kesem]

Where is the best place to complain about the poor Los Angeles AT&T coverage or would that be a waste of my time?