iPhone is a great at everything except making calls!

[justiny]

Interesting. I get very good 3G reception in NW DC and MD suburbs. The only place where it's sketchy is McLean and that whole Glebe road Chain Bridge area. But I think that has more to do with NIMBY than ATT and Apple. GSM is also pretty weak in that area.

The other day I started a phone call near Gaithersburg on 270, and held the call perfectly into downtown DC. And that's roughly a 20 mile trip. The call was crystal clear, didn't experience the strange garbling that I would get on my 2G iPhone and Blackberry.

overall I'm pretty satisfied with 3G in my area.

Georgetown and Embassy Row is where I have the most problems with 3G signal. Reception at my house in Northern Virginia is fine, only because the tower is about a 1/4 mile away (and just my luck, no need for 3G at my house because I have WiFi).

I really don't believe a replacement iPhone will solve this, but I guess anything's possible. For now, I'll just keep it on EDGE and see how this pans out. It is damn irritating not being able to just keep it on 3G full time in Washington, DC without having issues.

 

[wolfwill23]

OK, here is the latest.

Apple replaced my iPhone, no questions asked.

I used the new phone quite a bit today and DID NOT DROP ONE CALL! Also, the battery is noticeably more powerful than my first phone. I have had everything on (GPS, 3G, bluetooth, WIFI) all day and battery is just half way gone. My first phone would have needed a charge already.

So, to sum up, if you are having problems with dropped calls and/or battery life, I think you've got a bum phone. Return it if you can. Apple seems to be exchanging the phones with little resistance.

I loved my iPhone before but now I REALLY LOVE MY IPHONE!

 

[justiny]

Thanks for the update. Envy... I haz it.

 

[forrestmc4]

Not so sure about that. I've been using mobile phones on Verizon since they were BellAtlantic Mobile in 1984. OVer the last five years their network rarely dropped calls for me regardless of where I was traveling. ATT has dropped a bunch and I've already been put in embarrassing situations doing that "can you hear me now?" thing.


I've also found that Verizon's EVDO coverage was nearly uniform, but ATT's 3G coverage is hit or miss at best, even in DC which shows full coverage on ATT's online coverage map.


ATT's coverage in DC is several steps below Verizon in voice and data cvoerage.

I have to agree with you about ATT's DC area coverage. When I picked up my phone in Friendship Heights and went back to my house in Tenleytown just a mile or so away my 3G service went from 5 bars to 1. What makes things more strange is that where I live is nearly the highest point in DC and there are a number of radio, television, and cellular towers within a half mile of my house. You'd think that there would be decent coverage but no luck.

Have you found areas with really solid 3G coverage yet? I haven't had any time to go out and about with it the new phone since I just got it on Monday.

EDIT: Read the rest of the thread. Answered my own question.

 

[Ntombi]

OK, here is the latest.

Apple replaced my iPhone, no questions asked.

I used the new phone quite a bit today and DID NOT DROP ONE CALL! Also, the battery is noticeably more powerful than my first phone. I have had everything on (GPS, 3G, bluetooth, WIFI) all day and battery is just half way gone. My first phone would have needed a charge already.

So, to sum up, if you are having problems with dropped calls and/or battery life, I think you've got a bum phone. Return it if you can. Apple seems to be exchanging the phones with little resistance.

I loved my iPhone before but now I REALLY LOVE MY IPHONE!

Glad to hear it.