Comments on: iPhone Reception Problems are All Your Fault

By: Hongkie Town » Blog Archive » and also

Hongkie Town » Blog Archive » and also — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:51:38 +0000

[...] The reason for iPhone’s 3G reception problems uncovered – TechCrunch [...]

By: ziho

ziho — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:56:11 +0000

I like super iphone, and iphone used my now is very snug.

By: jeromio

jeromio — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:14:26 +0000

A few points:
– Power measurements are a key component of UMTS/CDMA. Both radios (phone & tower) optimize the amount of power by continually testing and tweaking. I don’t quite understand the nature of the problem they supposedly fixed, but it is surprising that acceptance testing didn’t uncover it.
– The firmware for the baseband is completely separate from the rest of the phone. No app writer is going to be able to alter it. It’s typically signed and the flash sequence is carefully laid out so that uploading rogue f/w is really, really difficult.
– Operators prioritize 3G in the search order for networks b/c A) this technology is more efficient at allocating resources (can support more calls per tower & per MHz of spectrum) and B) this is what they’re moving to (eventually GSM/EDGE will go away). So you may have strong GSM signal, but the phone may prefer to lock onto a relatively weaker 3G signal.

– Most 3G operators

By: vidar

vidar — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 10:27:09 +0000

Iphone sucks, I bought a 1.gen Iphone some months back and the phone is nearly useless as poor/unstable reception makes it impossible to receive phone calls amd sms. I have upgraded with the latest firmware when available without success. It falls out of reception when the phone goes in “standby mode” or if it is placed on a table with back down or in a pocket/purse. Useless!!!!!

By: Kai

Kai — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:35:26 +0000

Oh anyway does this mean that other phones (non-iPhones) on AT&T’s 3G network that happen to be connected to the same transmitter as one with many iPhones connected would also be affected (since “If too many phones ask for too much power at once, the transmitter starts shutting down”)? Or does it only shut off the offending device?

By: Kai

Kai — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:14:15 +0000

Maybe Apple should just add an option: “Automatically switch to 2.5G network when 3G signal falls below (X) bars” – where X is user specified…

By: d3bruts1d

d3bruts1d — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:35:19 +0000

This is the only reason I have yet to upgrade my iPhone to the iPhone 3G…. if AT&T/Apple could figure out who and what is to blame for the 3G sucky service, then I’d happily upgrade… in fact, my wife wants an iPhone, but I refuse to upgrade her RAZR until something gets fixed on the 3G.

By: Randy

Randy — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:32:08 +0000

Screw the cat.

Why doesn’t AT&T just fix the transmitter so it doesn’t lock people out for using infinitesimal amounts of “too much power”.

By: WIRELESS « Daily Marauder

WIRELESS « Daily Marauder — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:02:36 +0000

[...] asking for too much power and, in 2.0.2, has been fixed to stop requesting that power so often. (http://www.tech...-all-your-fault [...]

By: » iPhone Reception Problems are All Your Fault micro jmw blog

» iPhone Reception Problems are All Your Fault micro jmw blog — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:13:05 +0000

[...] iPhone Reception Problems are All Your Faultthis is similar to the kind of issues I deal with at work at times. The update or change is out but it takes a while for the effects to be noticed because of the circumstances and distribution of the system as a whole. [...]

By: Dan Grossman

Dan Grossman — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:08:05 +0000

BTW, I posted this from my Instinct.

By: Dan Grossman

Dan Grossman — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:07:11 +0000

Nope. Working flawlessly since I bought it in June. I’ll never understand the iPhone owners.

By: CoreEcon » Blog Archive » iPhone Reception Issues: Classic Externality

CoreEcon » Blog Archive » iPhone Reception Issues: Classic Externality — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:52:41 +0000

[...] random (not everyone got them) and the hardware tested just fine. It looks like the problem was congestion at mobile phone towers. An internal source at AT&T discussed the problems fixed by the 2.0.2 update, explaining, in no [...]

By: Michael Long

Michael Long — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:40:10 +0000

The 2.0.2 update to my 3G iPhone still doesn’t work for me at home. I get 3-4 bars of 2.5G service and zero to maybe one bar of 3G service. But turn on 3G, try making a call, and the call fails. Will not even ring, just “beep beep beep”, then “Call Failed”.

Apparently there’s enough signal to make the phone think it can use 3G, and enough to prevent it from automatically downgrading to 2.5G, but not enough signal available to actually make a call. Even totally failing to connect isn’t enough to convince it otherwise. The only solution is manually turn off 3G.

By: John Biggs

John Biggs — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:05:02 +0000

I totally dumbed down the explanation as I understood it but the assumption is that you can’t create a destructo-beam with your iPhone and take up all the bandwidth. While my understanding of the engineering isn’t so great I did consult for GSM telecoms back in the day so I KIND of understand this and it makes sense.

By: hassan

hassan — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:00:32 +0000

The cell tower should just cut-off the erratic phone.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:57:43 +0000

In defense of Apple (ironically) I’ve had very similar problems with my 3G service when using my WM6 BlackJack. Full bars and 3G and a page won’t resolve. Also, the 3G drops phone call drops issue. Some weeks it’ll happen every day. Some weeks never. But certainly not reliable. I’ve been burned a few times when really needing the service. Btw, I’m not a “fanboy” of any company. I use what works for me, and would not be shy in using Apple products. My Nano works great. It was given to me. If someone gave me a IPhone I’d use it. ‘Tis solid hardware.

By: Darth Mac - Lord of the Apple Empire » iPhone 3G Users to Blame

Darth Mac - Lord of the Apple Empire » iPhone 3G Users to Blame — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:57:39 +0000

[...] would like to thank John Biggs for taking the time to correctly assign the blame for iPhone 3G issues: THE USERS! Despite the lack of faith exhibited by many (even you Michael [...]

By: ariel mcnichol

ariel mcnichol — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:53:32 +0000

UGH. I regret switching over and want to go get a Blackberry on Verizon. The reception problems and keyboard make all the pretty pieces not worth it.

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:49:25 +0000

Don’t bet on an OTA update unless Apple decides to release “updates” in packages smaller than 200MB. They’re replacing the entire firmware for even the smallest updates, so even over the “blazing fast 3G network” ::eyeroll:: OTA isn’t going to happen with the current update scheme.

By: iPhone 3G reception issue now YOUR FAULT | iPhone Help !

iPhone 3G reception issue now YOUR FAULT | iPhone Help ! — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:41:12 +0000

[...] interesting post at TechCrunch pointed out that if all iPhone 3G users upgraded to firmware V2.0.2; they problem would be [...]

By: Michael Wilde

Michael Wilde — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:36:00 +0000

I wonder if Sprint is having these issues with the revolutionary “Instinct”…

By: Tim Dorr

Tim Dorr — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:25:56 +0000

Isn’t this the *exact* argument that Apple gave for denying apps on the iPhone in the first place? That you might release something that would take out the cell network.

So ironic, it burns.

By: Justin Day

Justin Day — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:15:45 +0000

So you’re telling me the phone can tell the tower what to do? That sounds like a terrible terrible security flaw. Can I create some rouge software request all the power and DoS towers completely? Why aren’t the towers simply ignoring the requests for more power passed a certain threshold?

By: Joe Bowers

Joe Bowers — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:13:06 +0000

I mitigated this issue by not having an iPhone.