Firm Tests iPhone 3G Antenna, Says It's OK

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Swedish website Götesborgs-Posten (http://www.gp.se/gp/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=444&a=440573) is reporting that tests of the iPhone's antenna are "completely normal," which may go to counteract suspicions (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10012420-37.html) that ongoing connectivity issues are due to the iPhone's antenna.

The test was conducted by Bluetest (http://www.bluetest.se/), a small company that sells test chambers for wireless devices with small antennas, and the results were compared to a Sony Ericsson P1 and a Nokia N73. The bottom line of the tests were that the iPhone was on-par with the other phones.

Testing was only done with one iPhone so it does not eliminate the possibility of a manufacturing defect, however the author notes that before the test the iPhone had been registering lower 3G bars than the Nokia model and would be more apt to switch to the EDGE network; symptoms common amongst users with the connectivity issue.

BusinessWeek (and later a memo from Steve Jobs) has previously reported (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/08/18/iphone-3g-connectivity-affecting-2-of-customers-software-fix-soon/) that the issue was to be fixed via a software update. Since then, iPhone Software 2.0.2 has been released (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/08/18/iphone-firmware-2-0-2-released/) claiming to fix the problem, though users have still reported the issue (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/08/22/iphone-3g-issues-persist-despite-latest-firmware/).

Article Link (http://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2008/08/25/firm-tests-iphone-3g-antenna-says-its-ok/)

[MacTheSpoon]

This is very good news. Sounds like there is no hardware design flaw. A bad batch of iPhones or a software bug is much less painful to deal with.

I was getting a little leery about pulling the trigger on a 3G iPhone but I feel reassured now.

[Hodapp]

It's going to be hard to argue against independent testing like this.

[wizard]

My impression is that overall behaviour of my iphone got worst after the update to 2.0.2. The phone might actually be better but Safari and networking actually seem worst. Further I thought the random crashes in Mail where gone but that is still a mystery.

In anyevent back to the heart of this thread. I have to wonder how they tested the antenna or for that matter why people think it is a problem. Much of the behavioural problems I see have software written all over them.

Dave

[bigmc6000]

I think what we need to focus on isn't that some people are still having problems but that some people no longer have problems. There's this addiction to negative media that's propogated since, well, before I was born (82) and we continue to do it. I'm not saying people should be happy Apple is trying but they should realize that with each revision the number of people affected by this bug gets smaller. In the world of mass production you're never going to be bug free - it's the correction of those bugs that separate one company from the next and 2.0.2 was a step in the right direction.

Personally I have problems here and there with Safari crashing but putting it in the context of a computer I find just as stable as my XP Pro box here at work (running only company approved software so the fact that it still crashes is kinda messed up in my opinion...)

[naroola]

I believe that 2.0.2 was released only to add support for the 20 or so countries where the iPhone launched this past friday. I don't think it did addressed any bugs or did anything else for that matter.

[aristotle]

I hate to say "I told you so" but I told you so Vandozza. :D

[bradl]

Just to play devil's advocate here, it would have been more feasible to perform this test with a number of phones made from various week's batches (say, one or two from weeks 27 through 34) to get better idea of if the antenna is the problem.

Yes, it could still be a chipset issue, but at least this could put the hardware outside of the chipset in the clear. Also, when was the 3G iPhone released in Sweden?

BL.

[Small White Car]

Just to play devil's advocate here, it would have been more feasible to perform this test with a number of phones made from various week's batches (say, one or two from weeks 27 through 34) to get better idea of if the antenna is the problem.

That would be nice, yes, but the main news here is that there's not a design flaw with the phone.

There may be bad batches. There may be bad software. There may lots of bad things that require an update or a partial-recall. But a message from Apple saying "oops, they're all bad! We did it wrong!" is looking less likely because of this news.

[longofest]

I believe that 2.0.2 was released only to add support for the 20 or so countries where the iPhone launched this past friday. I don't think it did addressed any bugs or did anything else for that matter.

Apple said 2.0.2 "improves communication with 3G networks".

http://www.macrumors.com/2008/08/22/iphone-3g-issues-persist-despite-latest-firmware/

[Ori]

So we still stand with it could be software, but it could also be the chipset. All we have eliminated is the Antenna. Don't get me wrong, thats a start! ;-)

[DN7335]

So far I've seen no difference with the 2.0.2 update, my 3G still sucks balls...

[manhattanboy]

Well I for one am still having problems and if I could ever get out of work I would waste 10 hours at the Apple store to have it replaced.
I do not care what the issue is, there is NO EXCUSABLE REASON why >20% of my calls are "failed" calls. PERIOD.:mad::mad:

[manhattanboy]

So far I've seen no difference with the 2.0.2 update, my 3G still sucks balls...

so does mine. My 3G also sucks balls:(

[ARK]

Well I for one am still having problems and if I could ever get out of work I would waste 10 hours at the Apple store to have it replaced.
I do not care what the issue is, there is NO EXCUSABLE REASON why >20% of my calls are "failed" calls. PERIOD.:mad::mad:

Well your location says your underground. What do you expect being underground? HA! All kidding aside my 3G is great in Indianapolis. It must be your location.

[rlmccormick]

The antenna is an important but not the only piece of hardware in the RF signal chain. Just because the antenna has no issue does not mean that there is something going on with the rest of the hardware. I'd have to say that the antenna may have been the least likely piece of hardware to have the issue. We may still have a chipset issue on our hands ( pun intended :) )

[wizard]

Really that is I suspect that my experience could be worst if I made use of IPhone as a cell phone alot. But that is not where my negative impressions come from as I use it as much as an internet appliance as anything else. There is does probably better than most things in the market but frankly does not meet my expectations of Apple. The random crashes in Mail are truly depressing as that really shouldn't be happening in what is a simple Mail app.

I suspect though that the big fix is coming in 2.1. I also suspect that that will mean developers having to generate new apps because of the suspicion that the problems are deep in libraries and other parts of the system. In other words I fear an API rework to correct some of the problems. I still revert tot he idea that the iPhone 2.0 was simply rushed to market to meet a management deadline with the traditional screwing the customers get in such situations.

Dave

[wizard]

The antenna is an important but not the only piece of hardware in the RF signal chain. Just because the antenna has no issue does not mean that there is something going on with the rest of the hardware. I'd have to say that the antenna may have been the least likely piece of hardware to have the issue. We may still have a chipset issue on our hands ( pun intended :) )
This is very much the case. The only thing here is that I believe the issue to be software and not hardware. A lot of that comes from the over all fell of IPhone 2.0 software. If one has as many software problems as 2.0 has in as many places there is good reason to believe it is also an issue in the baseband processing.



dave

[emccus01]

My 3g performance went down after the update. I have run the diagnostic test ( type in *3001#12345#* ) and then dial and my numbers are decent in areas with 3g. My beef exists in the fact that I lose calls when traveling from an area with no 3g to an area with edge. The darn phone can't transfer my call. I drop to many calls on 3g and thus leave my phone on EDGE all the time. I am not happy with this. Hopefully they will provide a BETTER software update.

[aristotle]

Come on guys, the rest of the world is using the iphone use fine. Just accept the fact that AT&T currently sucks balls and put pressure on them to fix their issues.

It's not the chipset either.

[bradl]

Come on guys, the rest of the world is using the iphone use fine. Just accept the fact that AT&T currently sucks balls and put pressure on them to fix their issues.

It's not the chipset either.

Yet Vodafone, Telstra, Optus, O2, T-Mobile, and others are complaining of the same thing? It's more than just ATT's issue here. There is definitely something not right with the phone, regardless of the network it is on.

BL.

[Oskee2001]

my iphone 3G is working fine, both before and after the update. However, the first gen iphone was more stable, so i'm hoping 2.1 will do the trick.

[manhattanboy]

Yet Vodafone, Telstra, Optus, O2, T-Mobile, and others are complaining of the same thing? It's more than just ATT's issue here. There is definitely something not right with the phone, regardless of the network it is on.

BL.

*3001#12345#*

just did the field test and noted that my Db's are around 100
which basically means that is probably the reason all my calls are dropping.
Jesus, this sucks balls.
I am going to the ATT store tomorrow to get a new SIM.

[AlphaBob]

I am on the fringe area I suspect. My receive signal level is around negative 93 dBm, which is pretty close to the noise floor (at around -105).

If I allow it to stay 3G Enabled, then it keeps switching between edge and 3G. For whatever reason that switch takes a long time in my case, and seems to crash Safari every time it happens.

The latest 2.0.2 update made NO difference to me with respect to 3G.

I'd say I am am between "3G Sucks Balls" and "3G isn't worth the money"

[overcast]

2.0.2 update made my 3G almost unusable. Most of the time, I get page timeouts and unable to connect. I'll be heading back to 2.0.1 tomorrow to see if it alleviates the issue, as I had zero problems when I was on that one.

[happydude]

My impression is that overall behaviour of my iphone got worst after the update to 2.0.2. The phone might actually be better but Safari and networking actually seem worst. Further I thought the random crashes in Mail where gone but that is still a mystery.

In anyevent back to the heart of this thread. I have to wonder how they tested the antenna or for that matter why people think it is a problem. Much of the behavioural problems I see have software written all over them.

Dave

yeah, the crashing and freezing issues would definitely be software issues, but 3G coverage would make sense to suspect the antenna. hard to not believe independent testing, so that would point to software problems as well maybe? what else accounts for 3G connection issues?

[macwall]

AT&T just plain sucks where I'm at. Now my calls constantly fail when dialing, it does thing where it searches for towers because 3G network is so rare that when I look up something on the internet it will just hang there and then fail go to 0 bars of reception then 2 bars of EDGE. It's aggravating considering they won't do anything about it and I'm paying more money for this.

[michael31986]

i did that test, but idk what to click on to look for the info and numbers u guys are finding

[Hawkeye411]

Glad to hear that it's likely not a hardware issue. However, version 3 of the software will likely be out before Rogers gives my 3G access in my home town .. lol

[Griffter]

I was travelling around the states this summer, using my HTC TyTn II for work calls, and I have to say that I was consistently appalled by the ATT network. In New York, I was forced to simply turn off 3g as I was unable to make calls, let alone download my emails. Back in the UK, I have yet to have a single problem with my network, apart from the signal blackspots.

It is clear to me that this is a geographical problem, I havn't heard any problems from UK users (correct me if there are any uk users having these problems).

My belief is that Apple were over optimistic when it came to ATTs ability to provide a stable network country wide in the UK, which in all fairness is no mean feet.

[Ori]

I was travelling around the states this summer, using my HTC TyTn II for work calls, and I have to say that I was consistently appalled by the ATT network. In New York, I was forced to simply turn off 3g as I was unable to make calls, let alone download my emails. Back in the UK, I have yet to have a single problem with my network, apart from the signal blackspots.

It is clear to me that this is a geographical problem, I havn't heard any problems from UK users (correct me if there are any uk users having these problems).

My belief is that Apple were over optimistic when it came to ATTs ability to provide a stable network country wide in the UK, which in all fairness is no mean feet.

Corrected...;-)

Have problems here in the UK too!

[bdorpetzl]

I found an interesting article over at Appleinsider (Link (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/08/26/new_blackberry_suffering_same_3g_connection_drops_as_iphone.html)). Seems that the Bold is having the same problems with a different chipset on AT&T's network. So at least here in the US, AT&T may actually be part of the problem.

[aristotle]

Well I for one am still having problems and if I could ever get out of work I would waste 10 hours at the Apple store to have it replaced.
I do not care what the issue is, there is NO EXCUSABLE REASON why >20% of my calls are "failed" calls. PERIOD.:mad::mad:
Well there's your problem. You are wasting your time at the Apple store instead of complaining to AT&T for lying about their coverage. If enough of you complain, that might get them off their collective arse to fix their network that they just recently rolled out, it will be better for everyone.

Now before someone says "but might blackberry worked fine here", there were no 3G GSM blackberry devices until recently.

@bdorpetz: I'm glad to see some confirmation that it seems to be an issue independent of devices and chipsets.

[Rybold]

I agree with the Sweden study. I've had zero dropped calls on my iPhone3G, and my phone has never frozen. I conducted my own study on 3G signal strenth myself, while driving around in my car, and I found that the signal can vary significantly based on your immediate surroundings (buildings, telephone poles, trucks, houses, flat ground versus being on an street that slopes downhill) ... read my test results here http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=548847

[bigandy]

I think seeing as the most problems seem to be occurring in the US, it's more likely to be the carrier.

...or people looking for problems. :rolleyes:

[Griffter]

Corrected...;-)

Have problems here in the UK too!

Seriously? Are you having dropped calls/unable to make calls, or is your internet connection just slow?

[Butthead]

I found an interesting article over at Appleinsider (Link (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/08/26/new_blackberry_suffering_same_3g_connection_drops_as_iphone.html)). Seems that the Bold is having the same problems with a different chipset on AT&T's network. So at least here in the US, AT&T may actually be part of the problem.

And in the article today on AI it is telling that Edge iPhone d/l's were timed as *faster* than a 3G Sony Erricson showing full bars. Looks like a 3G network issue in many countries.

Repeat tests show iPhone 3G doesn't suffer from faulty hardware
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/08/27/repeat_tests_show_iphone_3g_doesnt_suffer_from_faulty_hardware.html

Outside of the Bluetest lab, Wieselgren reported that at one location where a Sony Ericsson phone displayed full bars, one iPhone 3G showed low 3G reception while the other indicated it was on EDGE. When attempting to download a web page however, Wieselgren wrote that "the Sony Ericsson with all the 3G bars makes it in 46 seconds. For my iPhone with Edge it takes 32."

3G bands

The radio frequencies Bluetest examined fall in the 1900MHz band used for mobile transmit (above in blue) and the 2100MHz band used for base station transmit (above in yellow), the two primary 3G UMTS bands used in Europe. The testing did not also include the 850MHz band used by AT&T in the US and Telstra in Australia.

The longer wavelength, lower frequency 850MHz band is growing in popularity among mobile providers because it provides greater coverage area using fewer towers and better penetration through walls. AT&T uses both 850MHz and 1900MHz bands for 3G UMTS in the US.

In June, Kris Rinne, AT&T's Senior Vice President of Architecture and Planning, was cited in an industry press release as saying, "AT&T has delivered HSPA service at 850MHz wherever possible, with more on the way this year as we redeploy additional 850 spectrum previously used for our TDMA network," indicating a continuation of the company's often repeated strategy of deploying additional 850MHz coverage to strengthen its 3G service in the US.

So are people in Australia having problems on the 850Mhz network, iPhones & others, or just iPhones...same scenario as^^^???

[supmango]

This simply provides more evidence that the problem most likely lies with AT&T's network. Firmware updates may fix the problem, but until we get some better evidence that definitively proves that it is NOT AT&T (i.e. something NOT from an AT&T representative), but rather Apple firmware (exclusively), I am much more inclined to believe the bulk of the problem is with the provider. It is amazing to me that so many people are ready to jump all over Apple about this problem. I know several people with 3G devices from other manufacturers who report EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM. They just don't complain as much; and it is such a small group of customers that they don't even register on AT&T's radar.

[iRonn]

My wife has a 1st gen iPhone and i have the 2nd gen (3g) iPhone.
i compare the signal strength all the time, at home, in the car, in downtown, etc. and i can tell you there is no comparison. her phone gets much better signal strength than mine does. i am very disappointed with my iPhone. more like an iPhony!!!!!!!!!

call me stupid, but i was led to believe by at&t that the coverage(phone call signal strength)
would be the same whether you are on 3g or edge. they are not trained well or they are lying, i've compared the two in portland and in san diego and the surrounding areas and 3g sucks. these are in the top 25 major cities with supposed 3g coverage and it sucks.

[Hands0n]

Well I for one am still having problems and if I could ever get out of work I would waste 10 hours at the Apple store to have it replaced.
I do not care what the issue is, there is NO EXCUSABLE REASON why >20% of my calls are "failed" calls. PERIOD.:mad::mad:

10 hours? No way. I took my iPhone 3G back because of a stuttering Del key and although I and the Genius could not make the fault happen they replaced the handset. Total time in the store was not more than 10 minutes from walking in the door to a pre-booked appointment.

Go in, be nice, be reasonable, tell them what you want, and you'll more than likely get it.

[SoSII]

It also seems that they went back and tested two phones where the owners had complained of poor 3G performance - one with 2.0 and one with 2.02. These arent out-of-the-box devices, but real-world use phones. Turns out they both work fine in this test. Its not SW/FW or hardware apparently.
Go figure..


I also saw somewhere that there seems to be the possiblilty that non-2.02 phones may be sucking more juice from the antennae and screwing everyone else over. That is why AT&T (Apple??) sent the fabled sms asking people to update the FW..

ps. dont shoot/flame the messenger - just reporting what I have read.