RSSReports: Apple set to fix iPhone 3G connectivity in update
By Ed Oswald | Published August 15, 2008, 4:47 PM
Apple may attempt to alleviate what iPhone 3G users have perceived to be connectivity problems by way of a software update instead of a recall, which would take a significant chunk from its profits.
Earlier in the week, Swedish engineering magazine Ny Teknik reported on tests from unnamed iPhone 3G users showing its signal sensitivity was well below levels specified in 3G standards. That report indicated that there may be a hardware issue somewhere between the antenna and the amplifier. If either or both parts aren't operating properly, it could lead to poor connectivity and slower speeds.
Apple's support forums have seen a significant number of complaints including a higher than normal amount of dropped calls, as well as few or no "bars" indicating a very poor signal. Anecdotal tests show that other 3G devices in the same location had a better signal reception and were not experiencing the same problems. The iPhone's connectivity issues aren't localized to the US and AT&T either: Similar problems were reported in Canada, Japan, Great Britain, and elsewhere.
Nomura financial analyst Richard Windsor surmised that these problems could be caused by what he termed an "immature" chipset produced by Infineon. BusinessWeek lent weight to that theory on Thursday, citing two sources as saying the Infineon chip was indeed to blame, but that the issue could be addressed by the iPhone 2.1 software update.
But iSuppli analyst Francis Sideco added that there could be an issue with the radio frequency transceiver or baseband, which would mean that update would need to be bigger. In all cases, neither Apple nor its partners are acknowledging any specific problems.
According to BusinessWeek's sources, the Infineon chip was programmed by Apple to generate a higher quality 3G signal than was actually required. Thus, if a signal was not as strong in a particular area, the phone would revert back to the slower GPRS and EDGE networks.
Why Apple may have done this is something that was not explained. Perhaps Apple may have wanted to provide the best 3G experience possible, and felt that allowing the phone to attempt to connect to 3G towers in fringe areas may have not been a good solution.
Several news sources report that the 2.1 update may be less than a month away.
Hey internetworld7,
My wife read your posts and says you have a Napoleon complex or a very short wee-wee. She is a doctor of psychology and can profile people from thier sad and pathetic ramblings.
She says you have all the characteristics of a friendless loner who thinks Star Trek is real.
I'm not kidding by the way.
--------------------------------
She already knows I'm a spoiled and extremely wasteful egotistical opinionated douchebag so don't bother trying to insult me.
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|I guess you are an experiment of hers gone wrong. Is her maiden name Mengele by any chance?
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|She already knows I'm a spoiled and extremely wasteful egotistical opinionated douchebag ...
Wow.
Apparently, she has a rather high opinion of you. ;)
(Comparatively speaking, of course...)
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|Fix iPhone 3G connectivity problems? Huh, what problems? I have done _so_ much reading up on the iPhone 3G and this is the first sniff I've had that there's a problem with the phone. How long has this been known about because prior to the story I'd not heard a thing? Can anyone tell me more than this story says or point me in the direction of some links that explain this further? Many thanks in advance.
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|I'm going to do you a huge favor and point you to this site called google...it's the first step in learning tha internetz. Go here:
www.google.com
Once that site loads, in the search box, type something like this "iphone connectivity problems"...which will return many many results with connectivity problems, click on one of those links and read. You can do this for many other things, the search returns results for whatever you typed in the search box, it's pretty amazing stuff....great way to do research if you're curious about something.
Many your welcomes in advance for this advice, I know it will change your life forever.
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|I would reply with a witty retort but given that you write like a child, I know it would go way over your head.
Still, thanks for your very helpful insight.
Q: "Can anyone tell me more than this story says or point me in the direction of some links that explain this further?"
A: "www.google.com"
Marvellous.
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|point me in the direction of some links that explain this further?"
Google.com (that's pointing you in the direction of some links)
But for the Google impaired, here are some actual links (from the search results following Niro's direction would have gotten you):
gigaom.com/2008/08/12/3g-iphone-connection-problems-chip-related/
www.macfixit.com/article...story=20080710104108497
www.telegraph.co.uk/mone...8/08/15/bcniphone115.xm
"Marvellous"(sic)....indeed.
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|Nobody here can be helpful can they without being a smartass it seems, even you. [shrugs] Still thanks for the links (I will refrain from asking for assistance in future).
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|"Anecdotal tests show that..."
Other anecdotal tests have shown that the iPhone has similar reception to an N95, but for reasons best known to Apple, the two devices do NOT display the same amount of 'bars' regarding the strength of that signal. The example give was side-by-side testing of an N95 and iPhone in field-test mode, which displays the signal strength in -dB. The iPhone consistently reported the same or better signal strength, but, conversely, showed fewer 'bars' in it's signal strength meter (eg, -95dB = 4 bars on the Nokia, 2 bars on the iPhone).
My guess is Apple's software update will be a patch to increase the perceived signal strength to make users happy about their 'bars'. :p
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|I thought that's what they did with 2.0.1. I could have sworn I read that in a BetaNews article before.
It makes sense if that's the case (that they are in fact getting the same signal as everyone else).
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|LOL! Just goes to show that the more Apple step out of their little bubble world where they control everything (geee. reminds you of a certain CEO...) the gloss starts to drop off pretty fast and the flaws in the design, manufacture, QA, and even business strategies, start to become so obvious that even the most strident Apple supporters have to concede that their seemingly perfect little Apple is actually just as capable, probably more so due to their insular ecosystems, of royally screwing up.
Seen any Windows Mobile phones have these sorts of issues? Should be more likely given it's not a closed platform like Apple's... and yet you don't see it happening.
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|Yup, the iPhone users are just dumping these things in droves! Get your head out of your @ss fanboy!
And as far as have we seen any Windows Mobile phones with problems....it seems they are having more problems simply selling enough so that we MIGHT see one - working or not. Deal with it.
Yup, to answer your question, Windows is PERFECT. Gee, pardon me as I just got another notice that my Windows fixes are ready for download...again.
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|"Gee, pardon me as I just got another notice that my Windows fixes are ready for download...again. "
Funny...everytime I look at my ubuntu box at work there's a few dozens patches ready to install. I'm pretty sure (100% sure as a matter of fact)...I have downloaded more patches in a few months for ubuntu then I have for windows in the past few years combined.
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|You both missed the point. Foxfyre because he's a little bit too emotionally involved, and you, well...because of his reaction.
The original poster was merely commenting on the apparent correlation between the increase in problems/market share.
He never said Windows was perfect. Never said Apple was worse than MSFT. Foxxy just jumped the gun, probably a little hot-headed after replying to some other git below...
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|Looks like Apple has got drunk in all the money they are raking in fooling people....
If it really has a hardware problem, how will fix up with a software...a software solution to a hardware problem always leads to performance issues.
do I see a class action round the corner ?
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|Ill stick to my 1st gen iPhone for now. Having a slower internet vs. dropped calls is a fair trade for me. Already fight too much with "other half" because of "perceptions" of each other hanging up on the other. When all these batches of 3G's are sold, and they get their assembly line decent parts to make more, then count me in.
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|huh, the whole Apple and AT&T wireless sales deal has been a nightmare.
I am a business customer so I couldn't get the iphone from apple store because of FAN #. I had to end up doing a new contract or wait 2 - 3 weeks for AT&T store to order one for me. Getting my phone onto my existing account only took 4 days and 6 1/2 hours total behing on the phone with AT&T and I must have had only 22 or so transfers.
Great job.. Interestingly enough I was in Atlanta across from Cingular's World Headquarters (now AT&T) and even there the signal was 1 bar on 3G went up to 3 by me moving 6 inches in another direction and dropped to GPRS. I guess they don't have a tower on their building, maybe its that CANCEL scare.
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|Yup, a "nightmare". No one is happy. All there is is widespread failure. A little hyperbole perhaps?
Sorry to hear you couldn't be first in line - it must have been just terrible that you couldn't impress your business friends fast enough.
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|Could you expect anything else from the greatest company on earth led by the greatest CEO on earth other than to work diligently towards perfection of their product?
Like the Mac and iPod, the iPhone is nearing absolute unblemished perfection!
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|Over-hyped products and services not ready for release? Nope, I definitely would not expect anything less from Apple. In that regard, they never fail to disappoint.
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|Interesting, considering according to other posts you've made, Apple doesn't make mistakes.
How do you account for this one?
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|Just because you can't afford something in life is no reason to call it over hyped. This is no way to go thru life. Acknowledge the greatness of the product and save your pennies. :)
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|I'm still waiting for an answer...
How can a perfect company, who puts out perfect products.. have a flaw that they need to fix?
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|Services not ready for release, huh....
So they have bugs to be patched a month or two after release? So what...
...Not like that ideal Windows XP stuff that still hasn't been effectively patched only, what, 7 years after its release...but its good to know Vista was perfect out of the box too.
Anyone who realistically actually expects NO problems with a system as complex as any of the mentioned hasn't much of value to offer in terms of insight.
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|then apple's slogan should not be "it just works"
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|Gee, another wizard who takes marketing slogans literally.
Whatever you do, don't adopt a slogan implying that you think....
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|Gee, Microsoft's products have problems too? Wow, thanks for sharing that oh-so-insightful nugget.
I don't remember stating anything to the contrary in my previous comment, but thanks for pretending that I did (as usual).
No, Vista is not perfect. It never will be to everyone, nor will any offering from any other battalion of developers. A perfect OS is a pipe dream, because there is no one perfect solution. But it has definitely been plagued by far fewer problems since its introduction than any flavor of OS X... you know, that "perfect" OS from Jobs and Co. (you may have seen a witty commercial or two about its supposed superiority). Their arrogance is comical, much like yours.
I agree with your statements about unrealistic expectations and the unfortunate souls who cling to them. However, I am not one of them.
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|Gee, another internet loser who believes he's smarter than everyone else, news flash, your s**t stinks just like everyone else
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|Gee, gee gee gee gee gee gee. Gee.
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|to work diligently towards perfection of their product?
...and here you've been telling us they *are* perfect?
Did you *lie* to us??!?!?
*gasp*
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|Vista? LOL!
Hell, they aren't even close to getting XP down after 7 years!
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|Well, here are two who advance their position by example rather than with a sign explicitly advertising the fact that they don't think.
And one who proves it by smelling sh!t... Other than the bouquet which seems to accompany you.
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|...and again I ask...why are you guys still taking him seriously? lol
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|You'd be surprised as to what I could afford, but I still won't buy thier junk.
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|It isn't the iPhone - it is ATT. Their service is notoriously bad - here in Philadelphia is especially lousy. Ever since they took over what was my Cingular account I have have more than 40% dropped or failure rate with my phone, an ATT provided Samsung 3G model, as have 4 other friends on various other phones. The phones can't complete a call only 2 blocks from the main ATT store in center city!
There has been a class-action suit of long standing against ATT in California for false advertising about their cellular connectivity - easy to google it.
I would love to have an iPhone, but not as long as ATT is tied around its neck like a millstone. As it is, we can't wait until our contracts are up and we can get rid of ATT. Apple should do so as well - perhaps they too can join the class action suit in California!
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|It is the iPhone. This is not limited to one provider. I live in the Netherlands and there are big problems here as well. T-Mobile has confirmed there was no problem with the 3g network. Elsewhere in Europe people have the same problems. Even with differed providers.
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|what a lazy @ss company
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|Where's internetworld7? Probably douching his p****......
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|Apple sure has a lot of "fixes" for thier "perfect" junk.
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|Steve Jobs must have diarrhea after the iPhone and Mobile Me fiasco's of late. Lets hope their forthcoming Macbook line doesn't have 1) peeling finish, 2) overheating, 3) battery problems, 4) magsafe's that cause fires, 5) screens that don't display enough colors, etc... Did I miss anything?
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|yeah quite a bit but im too lazy to name them....
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|6) Crappy quality slot drives
7) Warping casing (MacBook Pro)
8) £800 for a replacement MacBook Pro screen from Apple (Ahahahaha)
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|They just work!
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|Better be much less than a month away!
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|So don't upgrade to 2.0.1. Wait for 2.0.2. Or 3.0 or whatever they are going to call it. The 2.0.0 version software has fewer problems than the 2.0.1. But the 2.0.0 version still has lousy reception and does go back and forth between Edge and 3G more than one might expect what with all the promotional hoopla.
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|HERE HERE! Till they get their act together, I wont even upgrade past 1.4. iTunes loves to harass me about that too, even saying I cant download movies/tv/videos with out the upgrade. Yea right! Done it plenty of times.
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