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Phoenix/Glendale, AZ area with iPhone 4/ATT is HORRIBLE!

I

Imola Ghost

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 21, 2009
1,153
12
I just got out to the town and will be working here for quite a few months. I thought this being a big town I would have pretty damn good ATT service, that is not the case.

I've dropped nearly half of all calls made or received whether I'm outside or inside. I have no 3G signal and right now I have 4-5 bars and it's not showing that it's even EDGE network, it's just 4-5 bars [what kind of signal am I receiving?)

Why is such a large town this bad with ATT service? I don't know if it's the iPhone 4 or what but I've never had this bad of service and I've been with ATT for 12 years.
 
hmm i was in Phoenix/Scottsdale area back in June for a few days and I didn't have any problems.
 
Where exactly are you? I live in the Phoenix/Glendale area and actually have great coverage. My iPhone 4 has been exponentially better than the 3GS it replaced, I rarely drop calls....maybe 1 out of 20-30 calls is dropped, probably less. I am using a case though, so maybe that helps? (IvySkin Reception case)
 
really?

I have an iphone 4 an live in Phoenix. I have had every model and this is the best version in the area no doubt, with my experience. I travel to Scottsdale, Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Chandler areas almost a daily basis n those areas are great! Right now I have full bars... only time I ever loose much is in Fountain Hills. But elsewhere I havent dropped a thing.
 
I live in Chandler but I am frequently in Phoenix and have zero problems. I actually think my phone might be quicker in Phoenix, and as a matter of fact I have to have the the MicroCell to get a signal in my house.
 
AT&T service in the Phoenix has always been great for me.
I know there are pockets out in Surprise and El Mirage that are not too great, but I always have service.
Never had an issue with reception in Glendale either.
 
I don't understand the point of these kind of threads. Go switch your carrier. There are other phones and carriers out there.
 
hcho3 said:
I don't understand the point of these kind of threads. Go switch your carrier. There are other phones and carriers out there.
Click to expand...

Totally agree...unless it's to see whether their particular phone is an anomaly and others in the same area DO have good coverage while they don't.
For some people however, it's much more fun to complain. Better to curse the darkness than to light a candle.
 
As stated I have been with ATT for 12 or more years, I've never had another mobile phone service with anyone so I'm not likely to just switch service. My post was to find out if there might possibly be something wrong and to find out if other people have similar experience.

I've got ATT's program "Mark The Spot" where you select from several choices of either dropped call, no data, etc and I've literally been on that thing all day with it happening with almost every call. I've tried several times to open websites and the page just takes FOREVER to load even while showing 5 bars and 3G signal. So I'm really just try to determine if my phone could have a problem and I need to return if for another one.

I'm staying at a hotel in Glendale called Staybridge right behind the Cabelas store. I've drove around town today, not sure of the areas I was in today but I drove around for several hours.
 
Imola Ghost said:
As stated I have been with ATT for 12 or more years, I've never had another mobile phone service with anyone so I'm not likely to just switch service. My post was to find out if there might possibly be something wrong and to find out if other people have similar experience.

I've got ATT's program "Mark The Spot" where you select from several choices of either dropped call, no data, etc and I've literally been on that thing all day with it happening with almost every call. I've tried several times to open websites and the page just takes FOREVER to load even while showing 5 bars and 3G signal. So I'm really just try to determine if my phone could have a problem and I need to return if for another one.

I'm staying at a hotel in Glendale called Staybridge right behind the Cabelas store. I've drove around town today, not sure of the areas I was in today but I drove around for several hours.
Click to expand...

When did you get your iP4? I asked earlier, was your signal where you came from as good/better/worse than your previous phone before you came to the phoenix area? If it was better or the same as your old phone, but is suddenly worse in Phoenix, then also think about where you are at. Highl density population (convention center, large office building, etc) or other causes for loss of reception. Is it all the time? Certain areas? Certain times of day?

If your iPhone 4 always had poorer service than your previous phones, then it may just exagerated in a newer area, making me think you have a bad phone. It appears the majority of locals who upgraded to iP4 have seen better service.
 
vastoholic said:
When did you get your iP4? I asked earlier, was your signal where you came from as good/better/worse than your previous phone before you came to the phoenix area? If it was better or the same as your old phone, but is suddenly worse in Phoenix, then also think about where you are at. Highl density population (convention center, large office building, etc) or other causes for loss of reception. Is it all the time? Certain areas? Certain times of day?

If your iPhone 4 always had poorer service than your previous phones, then it may just exagerated in a newer area, making me think you have a bad phone. It appears the majority of locals who upgraded to iP4 have seen better service.
Click to expand...

I got my iPHone on release day. I was replaced about 3 times but this phone has been fine since the latest software update. I was in Oklahoma City before this and although it wasn't great but it wasn't this bad. I've had the every iPHone since the very first one and they've all been great and I love the new iPhone 4 but after traveling around this country and I do travel a lot, this has been the worst "reception" problem I've really ever had.

I just got off the phone with ATT and they sent a signal or reset it and told me to try that out for a day or so. If I continue to have problems tomorrow I am supposed to call ATT and they'll set me up with Apple on getting a new one.

My buddy has been experiencing something very similar with the same phone in Atlanta Georgia. I have not seen the "SEARCHING" displayed at the top really ever but I see it all the time here. Also even though the phone displays 4-5 bars and says 3G or E, if I select Safari or try to make a call sometimes it will say it cannot connect to the cellular network.
 
Best of luck. Sounds like a freak problem. Hope you get it resolved. Nice to see another Okie on here. I'm moving back there next month to the Bartlesville area and then to Stillwater. I'm hoping I have 3G at all. I think I'm jaded with my great coverage in the bay area.
 
vastoholic said:
Best of luck. Sounds like a freak problem. Hope you get it resolved. Nice to see another Okie on here. I'm moving back there next month to the Bartlesville area and then to Stillwater. I'm hoping I have 3G at all. I think I'm jaded with my great coverage in the bay area.
Click to expand...

Yeah it does sound weird. I am wiping in clean and doing setting up as a new phone just to see how she runs afterword.

I actually only have worked in OKC for a long while [about 2 years] but I live in Florida. The 3G service there wasn't too bad but I was mostly only in town towards Bricktown.
 
Compared to other cities, AT&T do have some issues in Phoenix area. I am in Chandler, so far the service is ok, but could have been better.

I went on a business trip to Atlanta, GA, the signal was rock solid.No drop in bars, whatever way you hold the phone. So compared to cities like Atalanta, the signals are weak in Phoenix.

I do drop bars in Chandler area, and I had to exchange the phone once. I am quite happy with the new exchanged iPhone.
 
I live in Surprise but drive to Phoenix, Glendale and surrounding ares on a daily basis. My service has never been spotty. I always have a good signal and rarely have dropped calls. Try turning airplane mode on and then off. That will reset the towers where you are on and the final result is a good signal.
 
jaykk said:
Compared to other cities, AT&T do have some issues in Phoenix area. I am in Chandler, so far the service is ok, but could have been better.

I went on a business trip to Atlanta, GA, the signal was rock solid.No drop in bars, whatever way you hold the phone. So compared to cities like Atalanta, the signals are weak in Phoenix.

I do drop bars in Chandler area, and I had to exchange the phone once. I am quite happy with the new exchanged iPhone.
Click to expand...

Ya gotta remember that AT&T is 1900mhz only in Phoenix area, where in Atlanta they have both 850mhz and 1900mhz. There will be differences in characteristics between the two areas.

I've always found 1900mhz only for any carrier can sometimes be spotty in areas.

This is coming from someone that lived in a 1900mhz only area for AT&T that recently acquired 850mhz band, and deployed 3g on 850mhz.

I also had USCC which was 1900mhz too with a similar experience, and have seen Sprint and Tmo to be the same.


OH and, sorry bout the game Cardinals fans :(
 
try turning off 3g and turning it back on. I had the same problem where I live (always good service) and it only had 5 bars and nothing else next to it. Turned off 3g turned it back on and it was back to normal.
 
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