Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

3G "reception in the 2.1 update

WhySoSerious

WhySoSerious

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 30, 2007
1,460
97
Dallas, TX
serisoulsy......is the reception better or is it just the fact that apple tweaked the graphic indicator to show more bars...even though you really don't get more?

tons of MR members are stating things like "i used to get 1-2 bars of 3g, now i get 5!!!"

I'm curious if the reception is really improved or if apple just wanted to shut everyone up and make it look like it improved by pushing up the 3g bar indicator to show more bars.
 
How about that Apple actually FIXED the problem?

Seriously, look at the db range, to do this dial *3001#12345#*

Where the bars is, you will see the db number, if you tap the db number it will switch to back bars and tap again, back to db number. The lower the db number, the better connection is.

Press the home button to go back to your home screen.
 
WhySoSerious said:
serisoulsy......is the reception better or is it just the fact that apple tweaked the graphic indicator to show more bars...even though you really don't get more?

tons of MR members are stating things like "i used to get 1-2 bars of 3g, now i get 5!!!"

I'm curious if the reception is really improved or if apple just wanted to shut everyone up and make it look like it improved by pushing up the 3g bar indicator to show more bars.
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing. I now see 5 bars all the time, but I only get 237 Kb/s download speed which is a 10th of what I had with my old SonyEricsson 3G phone.
 
My guess is that the previous indicator didn't accurately reflect true signal strength and that whatever was processing the signal quality was also registering it in the O.S. as weaker than it should be...this would explain why the device on 3G would get confused even when blanketed with 3G. I'm definitely experiencing full 3G where I could barely muster a single bar before, and my data speeds prove that it is truly 3G.
 
My 3G is just as bad as it was before. I live right outside of Atlanta and according to the maps I should have plenty of 3G signal. Is there a trick I don't understand?
 
pintnight said:
How about that Apple actually FIXED the problem?

Seriously, look at the db range, to do this dial *3001#12345#*

Where the bars is, you will see the db number, if you tap the db number it will switch to back bars and tap again, back to db number. The lower the db number, the better connection is.

Press the home button to go back to your home screen.
Click to expand...

What is a good db number? Sorry noob... number ranges between -81 to -91 so far

Well repeatedly doing www.dslreports.com/mspeed
speed test.. My speeds are anywhere from 900kb/s to 1500 kb/s.. alot better than 2.0.1 where I was getting 400-700kb/s
 
Anuba said:
I was thinking the same thing. I now see 5 bars all the time, but I only get 237 Kb/s download speed which is a 10th of what I had with my old SonyEricsson 3G phone.
Click to expand...
Somewhat opposite experience here at work. Before 2.1, I'd get 1 bar of 3G and anything that used the Internet failed to connect. After 2.1, I get 2-3 bars of 3G and the Internet is connecting perfectly each time. 590kbps. :confused:

Out of curiosity, are you on AT&T? If so, have you tried your SE lately? Was wondering if AT&T's network now having to handle millions of iPhone 3G users accounts for some of the speed difference you're seeing.

macdaddy121 said:
My 3G is just as bad as it was before. I live right outside of Atlanta and according to the maps I should have plenty of 3G signal. Is there a trick I don't understand?
Click to expand...
What map did you look at that showed you the signal level for 3G? The AT&T 3G maps in my area only show if there is 3G coverage (or not), ... they don't show the signal levels like they do with their non-3G coverage. :(
 
Just updated my iPhone to 2.1. The 3G reception is better! The db range is now in the upper 70 where it used to be in the upper 90s.

Hardcoredan52 said:
What is a good db number? Sorry noob... number ranges between -81 to -91 so far

Well repeatedly doing www.dslreports.com/mspeed
speed test.. My speeds are anywhere from 900kb/s to 1500 kb/s.. alot better than 2.0.1 where I was getting 400-700kb/s
Click to expand...
If you are seeing down to -81, that's good. The lower the number, the better the reception.

I haven't tested my download speed. But, that wouldn't be the iPhone issue, that would be AT&T network where AT&T can put a cap on much bandwidth to give out.
 
I updated this morning...where I used to get 1 bar on the left side of my desk and regular downgrading to Edge, I now have 5 bars and significantly faster speed.

I'm very pleased.
 
I made calls in two areas where I got no 3G reception (and frequently dropped calls) before the update; I now have 3-4 bars and had no problems with the calls. Could be a coincidence, but I doubt it.
 
Not so sure about the bars. I have really bad reception where I sit at the office, regardless of carrier or device. I just updated to 2.1 and now I get 3-4 bars. If it really is boosting the signal, I'd expect degraded battery life.
 
BennyBlades said:
I did the update a few hours ago. I'm now getting full bars here at my desk where I used to get 0-2!
Click to expand...

ya, that's fine-n-dandy, but everyone here keeps saying they "get more bars". more bars doesn't mean an improved quality of reception.

for all we know, apple just changed the bar graphics to show more bars to appease the complaints...when in reality, the reception is still unchanged. i don't care how many bars people get, i would prefer to know if their actual reception/dropped calls has improved.
 
aristobrat said:
Somewhat opposite experience here at work. Before 2.1, I'd get 1 bar of 3G and anything that used the Internet failed to connect. After 2.1, I get 2-3 bars of 3G and the Internet is connecting perfectly each time. 590kbps. :confused:[

Out of curiosity, are you on AT&T? If so, have you tried your SE lately? Was wondering if AT&T's network now having to handle millions of iPhone 3G users accounts for some of the speed difference you're seeing.
Click to expand...
Nah, I'm on Telia in Sweden. They deployed 3G ages ago and you get a decent 3G signal in every useless and uninhabited nook and cranny of this country, and I'm right in the middle of a city so the signal isn't a problem, it's just that the speed is terrible. I'd love to pin that on Telia rather than the iPhone, but I get much better speed with other phones...
 
VenusianSky said:
Not so sure about the bars. I have really bad reception where I sit at the office, regardless of carrier or device. I just updated to 2.1 and now I get 3-4 bars. If it really is boosting the signal, I'd expect degraded battery life.
Click to expand...

Have you tried making a call? It could very well be that they've just manipulated how the bars show up relative to signal strength (especially since they don't say that reception is improved but that they have "improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display") but so far I've found that I don't seem to be having the dropped call issue I was having before. I'm not sure what it means, but I'm pleased so far (though it's far too early to say anything definitively).
 
pintnight said:
Just updated my iPhone to 2.1. The 3G reception is better! The db range is now in the upper 70 where it used to be in the upper 90s.

If you are seeing down to -81, that's good. The lower the number, the better the reception.
Click to expand...

WhySoSerious said:
ya, that's fine-n-dandy, but everyone here keeps saying they "get more bars". more bars doesn't mean an improved quality of reception.

for all we know, apple just changed the bar graphics to show more bars to appease the complaints...when in reality, the reception is still unchanged. i don't care how many bars people get, i would prefer to know if their actual reception/dropped calls has improved.
Click to expand...
Looks like the person above used Field Test mode to show the actual RF has increased (not just the bars) on his iPhone with 2.1
 
pintnight said:
How about that Apple actually FIXED the problem?

Seriously, look at the db range, to do this dial *3001#12345#*

Where the bars is, you will see the db number, if you tap the db number it will switch to back bars and tap again, back to db number. The lower the db number, the better connection is.

Press the home button to go back to your home screen.
Click to expand...
Mine says 101 to 107 and I have 5 bars. I call bullcrap they just modified the the bars. The area im in also has FULL 3G coverage?
 
spyz88 said:
Mine says 101 to 107 and I have 5 bars. I call bullcrap they just modified the the bars. The area im in also has FULL 3G coverage?
Click to expand...
Maybe both the display of the bars and the RF were changed?

At work (before 2.1) I couldn't get Safari to even load a page over 3G. Now I can benchmark it at 600kbps. Something (besides the number of bars on the display) changed.
 
My actual reception has greatly improved. 5 full bars in my apartment in Brooklyn where I used to get none. It's real too and not just *showing* 3G reception. I loaded a webpage over safari and it went like butta.
 
I'm getting improved 3G reception, I used to have 1 bar in my bedroom (around -113db), and now I'm getting 4-5bars (varying -51 to -101db). I'm very pleased!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back