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Apple iPhone 3G software update to fix signal reception issues

By: , IntoMobile
Thursday, August 14th, 2008 at 3:08 PM

iPhone 3G signal reception issuesThere have been scattered reports of some iPhone 3G users experiencing less than stellar 3G signal reception and call-performance on their gloss-finished iPhone 3G handsets. The carriers are blaming Apple’s hardware. Apple points the finger at carrier’s network issues. In the end, the customer gets stuck with sub-par wireless reception on their brand new iPhone 3G.

Speculation has led some to believe that the Infineon-sourced 3G chipset used in the iPhone 3G is to blame. Following on the belief that Apple programmed the iPhone 3G to demand a 3G signal that’s more powerful than what the iPhone 3G needs to reliably deliver 3G services, a new report from Business Week speculates that an iPhone software update could fix 3G signal issues.

The iPhone 3G is presumed to be programmed so that when too many people access their local 3G cell, the iPhone 3G will perceive that the 3G signal quality has dropped below the preset threshold and revert to the EDGE network – even when there’s still sufficient 3G bandwidth available to support reliable 3G calling and web surfing. And, as more and more iPhone 3G’s come online, the problem with overcrowded 3G networks will likely get worse.

Apple’s next version of the iPhone OS, iPhone 2.1 OS, is expected to bring with it the necessary code changes to allow the iPhone 3G to hold a 3G signal even when the local cell approaches saturation.

We’ll keep a close eye on upcoming iPhone OS updates. Hopefully users with spotty reception issues will see an improvement in 3G performance.

[Via: BusinessWeek]

About The Author

Will Park

Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...

  • Anthonymarquize

    Where do you get the update?

  • John

    Alternatives ??????
    Bloomberg-Businessweek Oct 17-23,2011
    Has an article about Charlie Ergen and the billionaires effort to accquire and expand the DISH network. He is attempting to cobble together a viable broadband sattelite based network to handle digital signals.

    I hope it works or is at least immitated as we need a viable alternative to the very expensive digital networks like ATT&T and VERIZON. Perhaps APPLE and DISH could get together and put together a system that actually functions.

    The cell tower system and the microsoft opperating system have inherent problems which doom their long term existance.