iPhone 3G reception

[Vlad_M]

Guys, I would like to get some idea of how iPhone 3G owners are finding the 3G reception.

In my case, I often get situations where the phone will have 3G signal, use 3G for a while, but after a while it will simply drop to GPRS (blue dot) without me moving at all. I don't know if this is something I should try and fix (i.e. try and replace the phone) or is this just the way things are. FTR, my N82 and N95-8GB also used to do the same thing (I remember this because I used them a lot as modems in my office), I just have a feeling that the iPhone does it more often. Also, if I switch off 3G and then turn it back on, it will have 3G signal for a few minutes, then fall back to GPRS, then (maybe) get 3G again...

What has your experience been of 3G, does it lock on to it and stay on it, or does it fluctuate? I am going to go past the iStore in Clearwater tomorrow and see what they say about it, but I thought I'd get some feedback from here first.

 

[bwana]

Guys, I would like to get some idea of how iPhone 3G owners are finding the 3G reception.

In my case, I often get situations where the phone will have 3G signal, use 3G for a while, but after a while it will simply drop to GPRS (blue dot) without me moving at all. I don't know if this is something I should try and fix (i.e. try and replace the phone) or is this just the way things are. FTR, my N82 and N95-8GB also used to do the same thing (I remember this because I used them a lot as modems in my office), I just have a feeling that the iPhone does it more often.

Sorry - I guess I dont take mine out of airplane mode enough but 'blue dot'?

 

[Vlad_M]

Blue dot indicates GPRS (as opposed to "3G" for HSDPA or "E" for EDGE).

 

[bwana]

Blue dot indicates GPRS (as opposed to "3G" for HSDPA or "E" for EDGE).

And if I have none of the above?

EDIT - nevermind - the wifi was usurping the 'E'

 

[Vlad_M]

Then you probably have an iPod Touch

Is your phone on and connected to the network? Can you surf using Safari?

 

[Vlad_M]

And if I have none of the above?

EDIT - nevermind - the wifi was usurping the 'E'

So I take it you are in a non-3G area?

 

[bwana]

Then you probably have an iPod Touch

Is your phone on and connected to the network? Can you surf using Safari?

Like I said - even though I switched out of airplane mode the wifi was on its place.

. . . and I just have E - I dont think my tower is 3G enabled. According to google earth I'm less than 300m away from the tower so the signal should be strong enough?

 

[Vlad_M]

Are you VC or MTN?

 

[bwana]

Are you VC or MTN?

Vodacom.

 

[Vlad_M]

Dude, how do you answer my pots so quick?!?

Anyway, I think that all VC towers are 3G enabled - do you have any other phones in the house (on VC) that you can compare with?

 

[bwana]

No - they're all Blackberry's (EDGE). If I take the phone up to my office I get 3g signal but I've got a feeling that's coming from a different tower.

 

[Vlad_M]

When you get a 3G signal does it stay like that, even after some time spent surfing, or does it drop to EDGE or GPRS? That's the problem I get - I can't say for sure that it is all the time, as I haven't been in areas where I know for a fact 3G is strong - but it has been dropping down to 2G a lot.

 

[bwana]

Yeah - it seems to be pretty solid when I've used it but like I say I dont switch it on all that much.

Is there any way to force it to use 3G if available even if it is weak?

 

[Vlad_M]

Nope, it is always in "dual mode", it falls back to 2G when 3G is weak.

 

[Sparky_za]

I don't have an iPhone, but I see some of the same issues on my HTC. Do you use it mostly during peak periods? The 3G signal seems to weaken during peak times, I'm guessing because there are a lot of people using it??

 

[Vlad_M]

I don't have an iPhone, but I see some of the same issues on my HTC. Do you use it mostly during peak periods? The 3G signal seems to weaken during peak times, I'm guessing because there are a lot of people using it??

Yeah, and as I said I did see this kind of behaviour with my Nokias too...maybe it is the quality of the 3G network in SA, at my house (in Lonehill) I don't even get 3G.

 

[vodacom3g]

The iPhone is definitely not as sensitive as other makes I've used before.

 

[Vlad_M]

Less sensitive as in less capable of holding onto the 3G signal?

I just found out that if I want to even consider a swap, I would have to deal with Vodacare, even though I bought the phone at DionWired