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If we all update to 2.0.2, the 3G will work? News article

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cjandnw

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Jun 11, 2007
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http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10028026-37.html

Power-control software blamed for iPhone 3G reception issues
Posted by Tom Krazit 15 commentsShare
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The iPhone 3G's reception problems have been blamed on flaky power-control software.

(Credit: CNET)A plausible scenario for the iPhone 3G reception problems has emerged: it's a power thing.

RoughlyDrafted reported Thursday that a source with AT&T blamed "faulty" power-control software inside the iPhone 3G for the dropped calls and poor reception that owners have been experiencing since the device was released in July. In short, the iPhone 3G demands too much power--more than is necessary--from a local cell tower to maintain a connection, and when multiple iPhones try to glom onto the same tower, the problem snowballs.

The iPhone OS 2.0.2 software update was designed to fix this power-control problem, according to RoughlyDrafted's source. However, the source believes that the problems will not go away entirely until all iPhone 3G owners--or quite a few--upgrade to the 2.0.2 software:

In a mixed environment where users are running 2.0, 2.0.1, and 2.0.2, the power control problems of 2.0 and 2.0.1 will affect the 2.0.2 users. It is not the network that is fault but the interaction of the bad power control algorithm in 2.0 and 2.0.1 software and the network that is at fault. The sooner everybody is running 2.0.2 software the better things will be.

This explanation makes a lot of sense viewed against the stories of CNET readers over the past month of iPhone 3G flakiness. It would explain why the problems were more pervasive in populated areas with lots of iPhone 3G early adopters, such as San Francisco, Chicago, and New York. It would explain why those who updated to the 2.0.2 software didn't see improvements across the board. And it would explain why the problems are being reported around the world, not just on AT&T's network.

So, this saga may soon be coming to an end. If you haven't already updated to the 2.0.2 software, do so today, for the sake of your fellow iPhone 3G owners. Hopefully that process, combined with an iPhone 2.1 software update to get rid of the other bugs in the release, will allow people to use their iPhone 3Gs as designed.

The unanswered question--assuming this account is accurate--is why the iPhone 3G shipped
 
I actually think it's plausible. It would be a valid point as to why heavy cities (like NYC where I live) have been hit hard.

It also explains why both Apple and AT&T are hitting people up hard about upgrading to 2.0.2. When was the last time AT&T sent SMS's to people telling them to upgrade?
 
if this was truly the case don't you think at&t would be asking for compensation from apple?
 
Very interesting story from a good news source. I wonder how Apple will respond to AT&T blaming the problem on the iPhone publicly. Could get ugly!
 
xolan99 said:
... It also explains why both Apple and AT&T are hitting people up hard about upgrading to 2.0.2. When was the last time AT&T sent SMS's to people telling them to upgrade?
Click to expand...

Good point. They also have a display advert for 2.0.2 prominently on the front page of the app store. Sounds plausible.
 
If this is the case, shouldn't it affect everyone on AT&T's 3G? Sounds like the only people complaining are iPhone 3G owners...
 
Actually iPhone's are affecting other 3g phones

MSUSpartan said:
If this is the case, shouldn't it affect everyone on AT&T's 3G? Sounds like the only people complaining are iPhone 3G owners...
Click to expand...
Appleinsider reported a few days ago - latest BB 3g suffers the same issues, but it is a victim of iPhone's with old FW.
 
MSUSpartan said:
If this is the case, shouldn't it affect everyone on AT&T's 3G? Sounds like the only people complaining are iPhone 3G owners...
Click to expand...

You clearly haven't been on AT&T's support forums, on on Howardforums. The complaints are loud and clear, regardless of phone model.

tomashi said:
sounds absurd
Click to expand...

For anyone who knows how 3G WCDMA and CDMA works, it's not absurd at all, and this makes perfect sense. Adaptive power models are clearly explained in how WCDMA works, and this is an even more complex explanation.

It also explains why AT&T sent out a text message to all users asking them to update, when that's never happened before.
 
scaredpoet said:
You clearly haven't been on AT&T's support forums, on on Howardforums. The complaints are loud and clear, regardless of phone model.



For anyone who knows how 3G WCDMA and CDMA works, it's not absurd at all, and this makes perfect sense. Adaptive power models are clearly explained in how WCDMA works, and this is an even more complex explanation.

It also explains why AT&T sent out a text message to all users asking them to update, when that's never happened before.
Click to expand...
Too bad that 2.0.2 is a piece of garbage - my iPhone is much more unstable now, having to reboot several times per day. I wish I had never upgraded from 2.0.1.
 
Try to restore it.

jrbdmb said:
Too bad that 2.0.2 is a piece of garbage - my iPhone is much more unstable now, having to reboot several times per day. I wish I had never upgraded from 2.0.1.
Click to expand...

I had some little issues right after upgrade to 2.0.2. Interesting fact - the update from 2.0.1 completed in a very short time which is very unusual for 240MB.
I performed full restore (from DFU mode) - it took a considerable time. Then, I restored my settings from a recent backup. I have no any issues ever since.

Why not? You may start to enjoy your iPhone again.
 
THE ONE REASON I BELIEVE THIS...

ATT sent us all SMS telling us to upgrade so it must be important to all of us not just individuals
 
I think the whole situation is extremely ironic.

Remember how Jobs warned about bad software "taking down the network", as being a reason not to allow third party apps?

But who could predict that it would be an Apple approved update that does it?

:rolleyes:

(Of course, a third party app would not have been able to cause it. This was a 3G radio firmware problem.)
 
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