[Zak Reiter]

New iPhones around the world are encountering terrible reception with 3G and edge, and this issue is causing quite the raucous ruckus.

From Los Angeles to Miami, Portugal to the cliffs of England, people are complaining about the slow internet and oftentimes as much as the inability to make or even maintain a phone call. So far there have been no explanations, but plenty of theories have been cast around.

For a look at the Apple forum discussion on this, go here.

To sum it up:

• There is no conclusive answer
• 3G may just be overwhelmed
• iPhone may just have a terrible antenna (other AT&T phones work just fine)
• Some are claiming a 'poor batch' of iPhones being sold early on
• Apple has yet to make claims of hardware issues

Update: Gearlog has found mention of questionable 3G reception 600 times in Apple's discussion boards. IN HowardForums there have been 526 comments from people having 3G woes, as well as 215 comments on Engadget, 131 on MacTalk Australia, 58 on iPhone Forums Germany, 24 on the O2 Customer Forums, and 10 comments on Gearlog itself.

The issues appear to be affecting some but not all devices. The discussion on Engadget seems to point toward restoring an iPhone 3G from an older 2G iPhone as the cause, although nothing conclusive has been found yet.

[Stephen007]

I'm sorry to hear this and for those who are affected.

I wanted to at least offer my experience. I have actually found the 3G iPhone to be much, much better than the original, which is why this story surprised me. My original couldn't do any data in my work building because the cellsite was too far away & the building is too... well, too much of a building, blocking out the signal. Even had trouble making calls from the parking lot. The new phone will make & receive calls at work & now I have data (big smile!) and at broadband speeds. Odd to not only have data but also have it fast as crap when the old EDGE phone couldn't do diddly. I wasn't sure whether to attribute my incredible fortune to 3G itself or a newer, bigger antennae.

I definitely "feel your pain" and wish you the best in getting this resolved.

[Zak Reiter]

Eh, there really is too large of a field of answers for anyone to say that it's this person's or that person's fault. At times it feels like Apple's fault, at other times AT&T's. Who knows... Some people are getting good reception, however, so it's pretty weird.

[bluecrabby]

I am surprised by this post, my new iPhone 3G gets at least one-two more bars of signal than my first-gen iPhone, even when they are right next to each other. As a matter of fact the 1st gen can't even place or receive calls in one room of my house, but the 3G can. I'd more quickly believe that people had unrealistic expectations before they bought the phone.

I don't know whats wrong... My house/Backyard 1-3bars... a few blocks away 5 bars... I want this to be at&t's fault(poor 3g coverage)... Please, not the hardware!!

On a side note... When I first got my 3g iphone I noticed some plastic/fiber looking stuff on the left side of my screen, in the crack between the glass and silver band. At first I thought it was plastic from the packing... Then when I pulled on it some came off but some stayed. It seemed to be coming from under the silver band or some place behind the edge of the screen and the silver band. is this not were apple but the antennae.

Or its nothing...

ever since i updated, my phone reception has gone down

[bluecrabby]

No the antennae is not located under the chrome bezel, no worries.

[jtenenb]

I have resorted to simply turning off 3G on my new phone as I get fantastic Edge reception whereas I might be 1 to 0 bars of 3G reception in most places I have been in metro atlanta. I'm hoping this is a network thing...it seems like it. Any other atlanta user reports? Also should we report this to ATT so at least they are aware?

[xxx]

So far, being 2 weeks in there seems to be a lot more problems than positives for the iphone.

[frannyc28]

I have been having the same problem here in NYC. Called apple, they told me to call AT&T. Called AT&T they claimed my call was the first call they ever had about this issue!... So Either they are LYING LIKE THERE IS NOT TOMORROW.. which it wouldn't be surprising coming from AT&T or People WE need to call and complain...

I have called and they are trying to find out what is going on.

My rational behind my call was: Why am I paying for a service I have to turn off to have reception on my phone? I politely gave them 7 business days to solve or have an answer about this or I will demand to go back and pay for my Edge old plan, which it was $15 less.

Whomever is having problem start calling AT&T and complaining about. If we don't call and just complain in here this will not be fixed.

hi guys

i too have been having reception issues with iphone 3g. im with vodafone and they have pretty shit customer service so its like trying to get blood from a stone.

a mate of mine is with optus and he also got issues.

Apple may have improved the signal over the first iPhone, but having switched away from a HTC SmartPhone 2125, I find the signal on iPhone 3G awful. I can swap the SIM card to my old phone and see a 4-bar signal in my basement when iPhone has no bars at all. Same is the case in covered parking garages. Not sure if this issue is somehow related to indoors, but I am obviously missing the continous signal I had before.

Overall, I like my new iPhone for all the other things I am able to do.

In my house I used to get full reception with my older iPhone and now that I upgraded I get only 1 bar. The weird thing is that I noticed that disabling the 3G network the bars go up to the top again. So I'm sure that is AT&T's problem and the poor 3G network they have.

My 3G reception is horrible right in the middle of Dallas. It is OK outside with 2 or 3 bars but all I have to do is go indoors in any building even just inside a window and reception drops to 1 bar if that. The worst part is the dropped calls. If the 3G signal drops and it reverts to edge(which always has way more bars, often 5 compared to 1 on edge), the call drops!!

[jedimacfan]

I get better reception with the new iPhone 3G compared to the classic one.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

My 3G reception is horrible right in the middle of Dallas. It is OK outside with 2 or 3 bars but all I have to do is go indoors in any building even just inside a window and reception drops to 1 bar if that. The worst part is the dropped calls. If the 3G signal drops and it reverts to edge(which always has way more bars, often 5 compared to 1 on edge), the call drops!!

That should be five bars on edge compared to 1 on 3G above. Sorry. Also, I have a brand new Iphone 3G purchased day after release. Stock firmware/software.

[Peter000]

I haven't noticed poor 3G reception, when I've been in a 3G area.

It could be a bad set of 3G chips got out there. But at any rate, the answer is take it back to an Apple store, have them look at it. Don't live with it.

I'm in New Orleans and have found the reception with the 3G to be better than the first generation iphone. After reading this article, I took the sim card out of my 3G and put it into my 2G. 5 Bars on the 3G, 2 bars on the first generation.

The 3G speed is definitely faster than edge, but I always thought EDGE was terrible. I used to get very impatient with EDGE and although the 3G isn't as fast as WiFi, I've never found myself wishing I had a wifi hotspot in the vicinity while trying to use safari, so the 3G is much better for me. Unlike a lot of people it seems, I'm thrilled I upgraded.

I hope it isn't the hardware for you guys, like a bad bunch of iphones or something. I hope they get it fixed and I feel your pain.

[frannyc28]

People I have contacted AT&T again, and after 4 days of my original complain, about my issue and they are still trying to figure it out what the problem is.
So far I have got my iphone service credited back for this month and they told me that if the problem remain, I can call and ask for them to credit it back every month.

I know it is annoying as hell to have to call AT&T every month BUT if all of us start to call and ask for credits that will force the different companies to take action and do something about it.

I have also called Apple and they told me this is a network problem not an equipment problem... fact is that there are people on other networks with same firmware that have great reception.

Just call your provider, explain the whole WITH/WITHOUT 3G less or more bars and ask to have the service credited since you have signed a contract for 2 years of a service you are not getting. You are obligated by contract to keep the account but they are also obligated by the same contract to provide you with the service you are paying for.

AND do not accept the excuse "the problem is the SIM CARD or the iPHONE it self". LIE and tell them you already got both changed and the problem remains.

again... call and complain if we keep it on the forum they will never do anything.

I have two problems... the dropped calls and lousy reception all over LA, and the ridiculously short battery life. My solution has been to turn off the 3G mode whenever I am not specifically using it, and that has helped both issues significantly. I had similar quality concerns at the beginning of the first iphone's life, but AT&T service improved significantly after the first few months. Hopefully this issue will also be resolved as they rollout more 3G in the city.