A tale of two iPhones

So I haven't yet downloaded the iPhone update, so here's a customer-issue story until I get the update tonight.

When I bought my iPhone I actually bought two handsets. The other ended with a close friend of mine who switched over from Verizon. Today, we met for lunch in San Francisco at, appropriately, the downtown Apple store. He had questions to ask the Apple people.

There were no answers for the following questions apart from: Call AT&T and/or call Applecare, specifically:

Question 1: Why is it that everytime his iPhone calls back home (New Jersey) it echoes and you can hear the conversation twice?

Answer 1: Have you tried turning on and off the iPhone? Yes? Is the area calling populated? Yes? Oh, well you'll have to call AT&T.

Commentary 1: I too had this problem calling Iowa, that's to be expected, it's Iowa and reception could be spotty, right? I typically hang up and call again with good results, but I've noticed the same problem but not with every call.

Question 2: On passcode mode, the iPhone won't unlock, calls are missed, what gives?

Answer 2: Have you tried turning on and off the iPhone? Yes? Oh, do you have the latest update? Yes? Oh, well you'll have to call Applecare.

Commentary 2: I've also had the same problem, but it seemed to stop after the last mini-update.

Question 3: My Apple iPhone $100 credit got screwed up, can you help?

Answer 3: Us retail stores can't access that database, have you called Applecare?

Commentary 3: No comment as my credit issued in less than 30 seconds.

Overall commentary: It's a bit frustrating that you have to use your iPhone to call in to answer these questions that would seemingly best be answered in a real-life live-person setting. What if you're passcode wouldn't unlock? Would you hear everything twice?