Behold II Smartphone with Android
September 22, 2008 12:00 AM PDT
iPhone 3G Signal Strength Problems Persist in OS 2.1
Users continue to report poor 3G signal strength under iPhone OS 2.1. To be clear, iPhone OS 2.1 does not purport to actually boost signal strength. Instead, it provides "more accurate" signal strength display, which, in most cases, means more bar bars, but not necessarily better reception or ability to make/receive cals.
Two sample reports from this Apple Discussion thread:
- "the point is that the 3G did go from zero to all the bars but still dropping the calls!
- "I just bought my iphone yesterday and asoon as i got home the reception was terribal so i updated it to 2.1 and instead of getting no bars i get 1 to 3 bars but it goes off and on and turns 3g off and goes to edge."
The most reliable indicator of actual signal strength is the iPhones dB meter, which can be accessed in field test mode. Dial *3001#12345#* then press "Call." A dB reading below 50 generally indicates good strength.
Feedback? http://www.iphoneatlas.com/contact.
AT&T has been building up the network, but it is still too infantile to handle all the data use from iPhone users.
So sue them.
*3001#12345#*
Star 3 0 0 1 # 1 2 3 4 5 # Star
no spaces (only for read ability here)
Any number here below -50, -49,-48... is good.
-87. If any number BELOW -50 is good, then I should be noticing poor connectivity with -87, shouldn't I?
This doesn't make me doubt the consistent quality of my iPhone functionality, but I do question these numbers.
Can anyone elaborate on what this test really shows or what the number really means?
Anyone have success in doing this?
Note the article:
http://www.iphoneatlas.com/2008/09/23/att-chief-admits-iphone-3g-blunders/
ATT's CTO admits failure of their network to handle the increase in traffic due to the iPhone.
- by CyStarkman September 25, 2008 10:14 PM PDT
- It doesn't say much for an iPhone site when the people writing for it don't know basic things to do with the iPhone or networks.
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(13 Comments)Bars are whatever, on any phone. Some days it seems that the journalists of the world only discovered mobile phones when the iPhone arrived. It's comical.
Or is it just that the journalists are in the USA and like the "rest" of the population DO actually think that Apple invented 3G and the launch of the iPhone was the launch of 3G. (Rest is a generalisation and not meant to represent people with brains and actual industry knowledge)
I am in one of the most remote yet populated (27,000) places and the iPhone on 3G is fast enough to play YouTube videos, live. Of course I am in a country that has a 3G network.
Makes all the difference you know