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

[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). 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.

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 https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/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.

 

[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). 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/article...ne_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]

Maybe problem with AT&T (and other providers)

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.

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.