iPhone 3G Reception "Completely Normal!"

[mbaharvard]

I have NO issues with AT&T in Florida. I have full reception everywhere except some locations in the Ocala National Forest where NOBODY gets reception everywhere. I drive from Central Florida to Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville. All along the way, nearly full bars, no missed calls, all voicemail delivered immediately if I don't answer a call. This is MY experience where I live and, here, AT&T gets better reception than Sprint or Verizon (the only networks I can compare because they are what my travelling companions have).

[lillewis51]

But the phone isn't cheap. Just highly subsidized.

good point. but the chipset is. apple even admitted to it.

[mcmeechan84]

I decided to do a little test on my iPhone 3g reception today with some very interesting results!!! I'm on o2 in scotland and get between 1 + 2 bars at work just outside my city!!! I done a speed test which averaged around 500kbs over 5 tests!!! Then I drove into the city where I get easily 5 bars!!! Done the same tests and averaged 480kbs!!! I know it could be due too more ppl using the network but it's a very small city which has slot of o2 masts all around the place!!! I would think the reception problems for me is that the iPhone I trying to hold a stronger signal strength than it really requires!!!

[domenicp]

Haven't had any reception problems on 3G (Rogers network) so far. Lately my 3G has actually been faster than my so called "high speed" internet from Bell.

[izim1]

Agreed.

I counted 4 dropped calls yesterday alone - I actually had one call dropped twice! And it was only a 15 min conversation. I blame AT&T wholeheartedly, because all of the issues I've ever had, including not receiving calls, but having a voicemail pop up out of the blue, consistent dropped calls, always having notably less signal than any of my friends on other networks, receiving voicemail hours, days, and on a couple of occasions, weeks after they are left, and just plain not getting a good portion of my calls, have been just as present on my iPhone, as my razr 3xx, nokia 2125, and the crappy little flip phone phone I originally got for free. And I live within 20 mi. of downtown Dallas, so it's not that I live in an area with 'poor coverage' (tho, to me that's everywhere for AT&T, in comparison to other networks)

Just my two cents - maybe it's totally biased and unbased, but I've seen many others with the same complaints. I still love my iPhone, just not the 'mobilePhone' application in particular

well, if it IS att then i guess they just dont like you.
i also live about 15 minutes of downtown dallas. south. and get full bars when outside and 2 bars inside my house and job. and yesterday was very surprised while i walked to the back of the new target off i-20 and checked my phone only to see 5 full bars of 3g and network tests of 690-748kbps. 190 avge on EDGE. which is surprising since the 3g signal is far more sensative to line of sight than EDGE.

A friend of mine running an iPhone 3G 8GB with AT&T standing next to me while Im on EDGE unlimited TMobile 2G 8GB iPhone here in dallas tx. Was literally equal if not slower downloading the same page as I. This happened on a regualr basis. I had all Bars while he had 2 of 5.

So we decided to lock my phone back up and restore to a factory 2.0.1 and activated it with his gf's sim card via itunes. I then JB it and made sure I had the same apps, settings other than the difference between 3G and 2G phones. Then we went to MMi and I still was able to load faster then his 3G. (6 out of 10 times) I still had one missing bar compared to his 3 but still, Thats a huge difference to both be running AT&T and one network is supposed to be 2X as fast. I really believe it is the hardware/software issue and not AT&T, other than Ive never had good service when I did have them anyway. So with Apple trying to find a solution for its hardware, its pretty obvious now it is a phone issue not service issue.

Quote:
Originally Posted by spam_artist View Post
.......moreover, i used to be on T-mobile, i can assure you that AT&T's EDGE network is still MUCH faster than t-mobile's....which didn't work half of the time.


count your blessings!
Thats relative to where you live. Overall for me TMobile has out-performed AT&T in my past experiences and now currently with above mentioned Test. If im consistenly pulling 185-210 Kbps on EDGE Im happy with that on 19.99 internet 2G iPhone on TMobile.

i guess it's not just relative to where you live. it seems we live in the same city and i ran from t-mo as did my brothers. the amount of dropped calls was ridiculous. literally about 99% of calls over 10 minutes ended up being dropped. for a big metro like DFW that's just unacceptable. my GF still has a 1st gen iphone and her edge is a "crawl" of 120-150kbps. not faster than ATTs EDGE and not even close to the 3g.

i guess my point is, ALOT of people are experiencing problems and ALOT of them point the finger somewhere else, but no one knows for sure. you guys need to stop generalizing your situations to everyone elses. you're sure it's ATT, yet ive had no problems with them (other than their POS CS, which ive only had to use maybe twice in the 4+ years ive been with them , thanks largely to their mostly reliable service). explain that....

[tabaks]

I mostly have all bars at home in St. Paul, MN. When there, I average 1.3 Mbps down, 0.7 Mbps up. Before 2.0.2, while on 2.0, I used to get half that and almost all calls would eventually have gotten dropped, sooner or later. Many times, more than I care to count, I would have been connected to my own self upon calling, echoing into my own ear. I like to think my reliability and speed have gotten a boost. However, I still have to compare this to some other locations around the city. Haven't done that yet.

[Muggz5]

well, if it IS att then i guess they just dont like you.
i also live about 15 minutes of downtown dallas. south. and get full bars when outside and 2 bars inside my house and job. and yesterday was very surprised while i walked to the back of the new target off i-20 and checked my phone only to see 5 full bars of 3g and network tests of 690-748kbps. 190 avge on EDGE. which is surprising since the 3g signal is far more sensative to line of sight than EDGE.



i guess it's not just relative to where you live. it seems we live in the same city and i ran from t-mo as did my brothers. the amount of dropped calls was ridiculous. literally about 99% of calls over 10 minutes ended up being dropped. for a big metro like DFW that's just unacceptable. my GF still has a 1st gen iphone and her edge is a "crawl" of 120-150kbps. not faster than ATTs EDGE and not even close to the 3g.

i guess my point is, ALOT of people are experiencing problems and ALOT of them point the finger somewhere else, but no one knows for sure. you guys need to stop generalizing your situations to everyone elses. you're sure it's ATT, yet ive had no problems with them (other than their POS CS, which ive only had to use maybe twice in the 4+ years ive been with them , thanks largely to their mostly reliable service). explain that....

I actually wasnt pointing the finger at AT&T. I was making the argument that it is actually the phone not the service.... From personal experience I have been really pleased TMobile (5 dropped calls in 3 years!) Ive had AT&T and between terrible customer service, higher service plan costs, poor reception in a lot more places. I also was simply posting results of a test we did with the 1st gen and 3G iphone. This was done in Frisco where I live.

[Treeml]

I live in Australia, and after the so called "reception fix"firmware upgrade, I have noticed no difference at all, the phone still drops calls, and the signal bar goes from full to 1 or no bars erratically all the time. The screen is fricken yellow, and all the apps i used to have for free on the 1st Gen i now have to pay for in the app store!!

I WANT MY 1st gen phone BACK!!!!

Apple did a ****** job with this phone, it has a plastic case and a GPS that doesn't tell you where to go, coupled with a SDK nazi agreement that forbids anyone else telling you where to go......I'M sorry but THAT IS RETARDED!!!!!!!

There i said it.

[~Steve Jobs~]

yea mines like crap, have to run it on edge all the time...

[solarus]

I'm sure AT&T's network is going through implementation pains but from the pics that's not exactly a "real strength of reception test".

In proper strength of reception tests you have to have acoustic materials on the floor, ceilings and on the walls (think foam cones) to absorb radio waves so reflections don't bounce off the walls and hit the antenna. And from the looks of things the walls are either glass or metal both of which provide plenty of "bounce". Besides the FCC don't test for absolute strength of signal - their tests are more tailored to meeting a set standard for the signal. This test will accurately depict the reception capabilities of specific frequencies but it won't accurately tell the user how strong the receiver is or how the antenna will react in normal circumstances where the signal isn't pointed directly at the phone or can bounce off a wall 6 inches away and reflect back.

Hardly a conclusive test IMHO. Still like I said AT&T's 3G network is clearly having some issues, so I blame all parties involved From the software issues in the 3G I think Apple pushed a little too hard to get the phone out and very likely did the same with the hardware.

[jeffthechampion]

cough cough reception normal bullsh*t cough cough i wish they would just tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth and either att or apple would just say whats really going on these people lead us to believe that its all ok and basically just calling us crazy and saying the reception is just normal they need to grow some balls and take responsibility for their faults and fix it and stop beating around the bush.

[taylorireton]

Ya but its not on all the iphones, i updated to 2.0.2 and its even worse signal, I dont think that they tested the iphones in every country.

[theevilone]

Apple can give me money and I will tell you anything you want too hear.

[ThinkTank]

Do I smell a recall? LOL.... my 1st Gen Iphone is crap bcos I have Tmobile which is horrible around ATL subs.

I am just happy... I can afford an Iphone I can't use. AT&T? not in this live time again even if they are the last wireless carrier.

[msb2008]

i think it is the problem with AT/t not the iphone. i am saying this because i live in canada and am with Rogers with iphone 3g 16gb white version. and i have had it for almost a month but experienced no problems what so ever. i even think that apple has done a great job on then new iphone. so i think it is the carrier's problem not the phone. but having said that, i am the only one and i dont know about others.

oh by the way my iphone is slow in running apps and other os based activities i dont know why

[mtwiford]

I have noticed that it is better since the 2.0.2 update. It probably varies depending on the area that you are in.

[hoits2000]

A real geek would have used both good and messed up iphones (like mine) to do the tests on.

Its definitely my iPhone that is screwed up.

3 or 4 dropped calls a day on 3G,
1 or 2 dropped calls a day on Edge,
Freezing email (email wont refresh even manualy) until a hard reset,
Won't switch from Edge when 3G is unavailable, will say "No Service" until 3G is turned off and reset,
GPS takes almost a minute to lock on no matter Edge, 3G, or Wifi
and much more!

Nothing helped, update or anything, the iphone helpline even suggested I leave my 3G off? And turn my wifi off when on calls? And they said it may be my leather case-mate case that is the culprit? Wow, both people I talked to sounded like At&t employees instead of the normal knowledgeable apple phone staff. I wonder if they are outsourcing. I asked the lady to just send me a Nokia 1260 since its reliability blows my iphone away. JK.

Just sent my iphone in today to be replaced (fixed, yeah right), never had a dropped call with my iphone 1st gen, only like 2 in 6 months with my BJ2.

I still love the iphone, just tired of resetting it 3 or 4 times a day.

[Muggz5]

A real geek would have used both good and messed up iphones (like mine) to do the tests on.

Its definitely my iPhone that is screwed up.

3 or 4 dropped calls a day on 3G,
1 or 2 dropped calls a day on Edge,
Freezing email (email wont refresh even manualy) until a hard reset,
Won't switch from Edge when 3G is unavailable, will say "No Service" until 3G is turned off and reset,
GPS takes almost a minute to lock on no matter Edge, 3G, or Wifi
and much more!

Nothing helped, update or anything, the iphone helpline even suggested I leave my 3G off? And turn my wifi off when on calls? And they said it may be my leather case-mate case that is the culprit? Wow, both people I talked to sounded like At&t employees instead of the normal knowledgeable apple phone staff. I wonder if they are outsourcing. I asked the lady to just send me a Nokia 1260 since its reliability blows my iphone away. JK.

Just sent my iphone in today to be replaced (fixed, yeah right), never had a dropped call with my iphone 1st gen, only like 2 in 6 months with my BJ2.

I still love the iphone, just tired of resetting it 3 or 4 times a day.

I wouldnt say im a complete geek but here is what i posted a couple days ago.

A friend of mine running an iPhone 3G 8GB with AT&T standing next to me while Im on EDGE unlimited TMobile 2G 8GB iPhone here in dallas tx. Was literally equal if not slower downloading the same page as I. This happened on a regualr basis. I had all Bars while he had 2 of 5.

So we decided to lock my phone back up and restore to a factory 2.0.1 and activated it with his gf's sim card via itunes. I then JB it and made sure I had the same apps, settings other than the difference between 3G and 2G phones. Then we went to MMi and I still was able to load faster then his 3G. (6 out of 10 times) I still had one missing bar compared to his 3 but still, Thats a huge difference to both be running AT&T and one network is supposed to be 2X as fast. I really believe it is the hardware/software issue and not AT&T, other than Ive never had good service when I did have them anyway. So with Apple trying to find a solution for its hardware, its pretty obvious now it is a phone issue not service issue.

[InvertedS2c]

Its not at&t... I have a Blackjack 2 and an iPhone side by side right now and get full 3G with the BJ2 and no bars with the iPhone.

[bhz1]

I also think that the number of bars showing for 3G don't always have much to do wiht the actual connectivity. I was away last weekend and continually had 1/2 bar 3G yet had speedy 3G internet. SOmetimes here at home I've got 3-5 bars and it will refuse to load a page. If you think about it as long as there is some signal it "should" connect. My gut says that there is some malfunction wiht how the iPhone switches between edge, 3G and wifi. I have more problems wiht connectivity where wifi is very weak yet 3G or edge wont kick in . SOmetimes the iPhone thinks its still on wifi, sometimes it thinks its still on 3G or Edge. 2.0.2 has helped significantly, but I do find I have to toggle wifi off when the signal is too weak. Upstairs on the opposite side of my house from my wifi router, wifi is only about as fast as edge anyway so I shut the wifi off and use 3G. Even if I have to drop to edge its better than wifi that freezes.