iPhone 3G: What's the frequency?
If you've been having connection issues with your iPhone 3G, please let us know where you are.
(Credit: Apple)If you're an iPhone 3G owner in the U.S., we need your help.
Earlier Monday, we reported on the 3G reception issues that a number of iPhone 3G users have run into during their first month with the device. We'd like to have a little more data to see if there are any patterns connected to who is having problems, and who isn't.
In the comments below, or in an e-mail to me (tom.krazit@cnet.com) please post the following:
Area in which you live.
Date on which you bought your iPhone 3G.
Do you live inside an area labeled as 3G as shown on AT&T's coverage map?
Have you experienced problems with dropped calls or flaky 3G connections? Please elaborate.
This part might require you to be on hold for a while, but it could be potentially very interesting: please call up an AT&T customer service representative and ask them if the primary 3G tower near your home or that your phone is currently using runs on the 1900MHz frequency or the 850MHz frequency. Earlier today I was told by an AT&T customer representative that they can do a system test on your phone to see which 3G tower you're connected to, and the frequency of that tower. If they seem confused, ask them to look it up.
If you're an AT&T customer using another 3G phone on the network, please also respond with your location and whether or not you're having the same kinds of issues. And if you're outside the U.S. and can share your experiences, that would also be helpful.
Thanks for your time.
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom. 
Miami
Date on which you bought your iPhone 3G.
July 15th
Do you live inside an area labeled as 3G as shown on AT&T's coverage map?
Yes! Definitely, Miami is supposed to be in abundance with 3G
Have you experienced problems with dropped calls or flaky 3G connections?
Yes, I have had dropped calls like crazy, even with other AT&T users.
I didn't get the MHz...
Saturday morning after the Friday launch (can't remember the date)
3G yes. Solid coverage area.
Problems? Yes. Calls will just drop even when not moving. 3G will switch to Edge without warning and then just hang. I get "server stopped responding" popup. And the GPS is slow. I get a large area bracket before the blue dot finally kicks in. Sometimes takes several minutes.
Chicago
Date on which you bought your iPhone 3G.
July 22nd
Do you live inside an area labeled as 3G as shown on AT&T's coverage map?
Yes
Have you experienced problems with dropped calls or flaky 3G connections? Please elaborate.
I've been having a lot of calls go straight to voicemail (no rings... I pick up the phone later to see that I've got missed calls and voicemails waiting for me). I noticed that this was only happening when I had 3G turned on. Hasn't happened since I turned it off. Also, full bars of 3G in the Loop (where I work) but terrible speeds.
I blame the 2.0.1 firmware upgrade. I wasn't having these issues before then.
On a 2G network it is : GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
On a 3G network it is: HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
Area where I live is Dublin, Ca. Most likely the iPhone 3G network works better on 850 network as I have a phone that is an unlocked and is triband excluding 850. That phone does not work in the area let alone getting 3G reception. So I would assume that the network is 850.
July 11
Yes I live inside an area labeled 3G
No dropped calls. I live less than a mile from AT&T Wireless national headquarters and I get poor 3G reception at the house. Their map shows I should be getting a strong signal here. I get a strong signal in other places I frequent. My feeling is it's an AT&T issue, not Apple's.
Date on which you bought your iPhone 3G. : 7-11-08
Do you live inside an area labeled as 3G as shown on AT&T's coverage map? ; YES
Have you experienced problems with dropped calls or flaky 3G connections? Please elaborate.
NO I have not. I have noticed that i don't have as strong signal as i did with sprint in my area. However they share the same tower placement. I use to make calls inside buildings where i work and now i can't.
Date purchased: 7/25/08
3G area: Yes
Almost every call has at least one dropped connection. Service outside 3G area is much better. Turning off 3G works much better but the speed obviously suffers
Date on which you bought your iPhone 3G: Day 1
Do you live inside an area labeled as 3G as shown on AT&T's coverage map: Yes. Many dropped calls. Poor to no reception and no 3G in area where ATT rep said I should have great 3G coverage.
July 11th Apple Store Stonestown San Francisco
Daly city CA 94015
My area is supposed to Have 3G! But it does instead it has EDGE
very low signal! I drop calls every day! I have to move out of my house to talk
And I have to turn 3G off since there isn't!
The battery sucks! The apps keep on crashing!
When I go to myspace.com it always frezzes so I try And hold down the home button for 6 seconds it doesn't work! So I have to reset it pressing the power and home buttton.
I'm with tmobile and I never had all those problems. I'm going to cancel my at&t contract
And unlock it to use it with tmobile.
July 11th
According to ATT Wireless' coverage map, I should have Good to Best with 3G coverage in my area.
I've been getting numerous dropped calls and failed calls. I would receive calls and after I answer the call would fail. People would also call me and it goes straight to voice mail due to my lack of signal. 3G coverage has not been too much of a problem as far as I know.
I contacted AT&T online chat support and they stated that in my zip code where i work they have two issues with towers in the area. One was from today and the other was from mid-July. Both are still unresolved. I also inquired about my home zip code and that area has two "degraded towers". When I inquired about what frequency my phone was on, she said that she didn't know. She said I should have good coverage because I'm in a 3G area.
Bought iPhone on July 19th
Yes, live in a 3G area
Very weak, intermittent 3G signal. Mostly reverts to Edge.
Accessing data (internet via Safari) or email is painfully slow.
I called AT&T today (Aug 11th) and was told a fix was available. All I had to do was dial " #002 " and the phone would drop then reconnect to the closest cell tower and fix the 3G reception. Well, guess what? Nothing, zero, zilch, nada, not one iota's bit of a difference. I still have horrible 3G reception.
I really do like the iPhone... but the 3G functionality is, for all practical purposes, non-existent.
Northern Virginia (DC Metro)
Date on which you bought your iPhone 3G.
08/10/08
Do you live inside an area labeled as 3G as shown on AT&T's coverage map?
Yes
Have you experienced problems with dropped calls or flaky 3G connections? Please elaborate.
No bars at all with 3G at home or at work (even outside), spoke to AT&T and they said, there are 3 cell towers down in the area.
July 17th
Yes I live inside a 3G labeled area
Rarely get more than 1 bar using 3g in house. Frequent dropped calls. Forced to use Edge at home
Unless your Steve Jobs, stepping up to the plate......
- by JG14889 August 11, 2008 7:38 PM PDT
- Area in which you live.
- Like this Reply to this comment
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Showing 1 of 9 pages (175 Comments)Chicago
Date on which you bought your iPhone 3G.
July 31
Do you live inside an area labeled as 3G as shown on AT&T's coverage map?
Yes - Downtown area
Have you experienced problems with dropped calls or flaky 3G connections? Please elaborate.
3G works great at street level and near windows. If towards the middle of a building, 3G signal is minimal or non-existent and the phone does not properly switch over to EDGE. However, if I manually switch to EDGE, it works fine in the same areas where 3G does not.