back to article Apple preps patch for 'problematic 3G' iPhone?

An upcoming software patch may bring relief to iPhone 3G owners whose handsets have been struck down by inexplicable connection problems. So reports the Wall Street Journal, which quotes unnamed “people familiar with the matter” who say that Apple is set to release a fix within weeks. Since the 3G handset’s release, customers …

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  1. Webster Phreaky
    Jobs Horns

    And of course the Patch will create 20 more bugs...

    ... it's the way that Apple ALWAYS does things, just look that the printed history on the net.

    But it get he AppleTards something to do while living in the land of denial ... patching patches.

  2. vincent himpe

    Title should have been

    3G patch for iPhone has current users on EDGE

  3. Will

    @webster

    Don't you get tired of spouting the same old shit day after day?

  4. Mick F

    @Will

    Problem is - AppleTards are the lamest bunch I have ever had to work with. Webster gets my vote.

  5. Ian Ferguson
    Unhappy

    Version 2.0 software

    Since I upgraded to v2.0 of the iPhone software, on an original iPhone, I've had all kinds of connection problems - which obviously can't be anything to do with 3G.

    I'm currently wishing I could downgrade again, as quite often the internet is unusable and text messages take several tries to send. Complete reinstalls don't do any good.

  6. jim
    Coat

    Recall

    Why don't Apple just admit that they've messed up and recall all 5.5 million iphone 3Gs.

    Easy peasy

  7. Jim
    Thumb Down

    @Mike F

    Don't be retarded, just remember that wintards outnumber mactards by roughly 20:1 and the ratio will always follow the market share. And they are all equally lame in my experience.

  8. Pete Burgess
    Unhappy

    just so long as...

    iTunes doesn't for some reason think my iPhone is an iPod like it did last time and totally fook it up!!

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    oh, problematic you say

    well, i'll give you a problem. AIDS. yeah. like that punk? huh?

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Moderation

    Apparently all comments are moderated before posting.

    I'd love to see the pearls of wisdom that get rejected.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The thing that makes me laugh about Webster...

    ...is that he always references lots of people complaining about Apple's (insert iProduct here) on the net, without seeming to notice that there are also may be one or two people here and there complaining about Windows products out there on the net, too.

  12. Pavlovs well trained dog
    Joke

    I still can't connect on 3G or Edge

    Oh. Wait

    Mine's an iPod Touch, not an iPhone

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    Utter tosh

    "Another theory is that if too many people are connected using 3G within a given area, such as Central London, then the strength of the 3G connection found by Infineon’s chip again will be deemed not good enough, forcing the iPhone to opt for Edge."

    Anyone care to explain how an omnidirectional radio signal (3G) can be weakened by too many people receiving it? Your phone doesn't 'suck in' waves. A lighthouse isn't any less brighter with more ships in range...

    Who's theory is that so I can properly kick off?

  14. Andrew Moore

    hmmmmmm

    I hope it does better than this:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaN1Nz1Dyls

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Jobs Horns

    apple?... problem?... acknowledge?...

    "...Apple hasn’t officially acknowledged any such problem..."

    anyone who's had the misfortune to try and find help on apple's support forums would know that apple *never* acknowledges that there is anything wrong with any of their hardware or software.

    if it disnae work properly, the user broke it!

  16. OrsonX

    Your phone doesn't 'suck in' waves

    @ Utter Tosh

    LOL!

    Thank you.

    Physics 101

    Some people are so dumb.

  17. Alistair
    Boffin

    @AC re: Utter tosh

    I think they are trying to explain how the signal to noise ratio decreases as more users are added to the cell. I believe a suitable expression to use would be "inter-user interference" although they may be referring to inter-cell interference of course in a tight urban environment where cells are small.

    Its a pretty complex subject and as this is just a rumour filtered through journalism delivered via the 'net, you can understand how some "noise" might have crept into that "signal". To gain a proper understanding, I recommend you do an MSc in telecommunications technology.

    Anyway, my sources tell me it is a protocol stack related problem in the firmware running on the ARM9 in the Infineon chip-set.

  18. AppleHaveNoRespectForTheirCustomers
    Jobs Horns

    Apple don't deserve their reputation

    I keep reading about Apple's amazing customer service and loyal fan base. Well my iPhone was my second Apple purchase and it'll be my last. I just demonstrated the 3G problems to a so-called genius at my local Apple store and he still denied there were any issues, even though he could see it right in front of him. To add insult to injury he told me there is no way to complain to Apple. "Yes your phone doesn't work. Bad luck. We can't do anything about it".

  19. Steve Evans

    @AppleHaveNoRespectForTheirCustomers

    "To add insult to injury he told me there is no way to complain to Apple"

    Well in the UK there is. It's called the sale of goods act and includes such lovely terms as...

    "Unfit for purpose", aka a phone that doesn't do phone calls.

  20. Les Matthew
    Thumb Up

    Keep the iArticles coming

    I just love the flame wars.

  21. Tom Simnett
    Stop

    The difference between handset makers

    I've got an HTC TyTn II with a bit of an issue - it keeps turning off my new text message notification sound. Running Windows Mobile 6.1 (that's for Webster). Anyway, Apple would have claimed no issue. Vodafone happily accepted there was clearly a bug and offered to send my phone off for repair. Personally, I'd rather they fixed the issue before I send my phone off, given they have a previous handset of mine with the same bug. Voda said "yep, no problem. We'll confirm with HTC on Monday and give you a call back". Had it been Microsoft, I can't see the same being true. Software houses are notoriously arrogant about their products. Always have been, always will be.

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Alert

    I was planning on...

    ...showing up to make a comment feigning disappointment at the lack of a Webster Phreaky post. But I'm obviously too late.

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    @AC

    Its called Cell Shrinkage and its a feature of how 3G works, the more other users the more interference that is seen.

  24. James O'Brien
    Stop

    Not just ICrap

    I have a HTC Hermes 8525 supplied from work lately it has been flaky as hell with 3G and Edge and calls ingeneral. Actually today I was on the phone with my boss and the damn thing just shit the bed. No phone, no 3G, no Edge. About 20 minutes later everything started working again. And no its not the phone having an issue this has happened before.

    @Webster Phreaky

    ??? Werent you just on the Apple fanboi buss umm yesterday? I take it your shipment of meds finally came in?

    On a side note I will still say WP has my vote.

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Jobs Horns

    Buying Apple products..

    .. is God's way of saying you've got to much money.

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Jobs Halo

    Buying Apple products

    Well let's see, either I buy a piece of cheap 'n' nasty technology that looks like it was squeezed out of a dog's arse and is about as useable, or I buy from Apple.

  27. Jesse Dorland
    Jobs Horns

    Gotta Love Mac Users

    Why Steve spits in their faces and they think it's dew.

  28. Mick F
    Jobs Horns

    Buying Apple

    "...or I buy from Apple" and pay 3 times the real price.

    They really are not that much better and the added extras of sending your phone off to have the battery changed for you just make it a bit of a joke. I have 2 real mac's and my hackintosh runs faster.

  29. Anonymous Coward
    Heart

    May sound crazy but this is reality

    I know it may sound crazy but for everyone that posts online about having trouble, there is the majority of users not posting online because they are not having any trouble what-so-ever.

    Not to repeat myself so here:

    http://www.davidalison.com/2008/08/six-months-after-my-switch-update.html

  30. Simon Says
    Boffin

    @ Utter Tosh

    "Anyone care to explain how an omnidirectional radio signal (3G) can be weakened by too many people receiving it? Your phone doesn't 'suck in' waves. A lighthouse isn't any less brighter with more ships in range..."

    It's called Cell Breathing and it's a "feature" of how 3G works. As a 3G cell gets more users it will begin to shrink its effective range to ensure that those nearest the mast maintain a good connection, while those on the edge of coverage find themselves pushed from the cell. Not exactly the greatest idea ever, but certainly not a problem exclusive to the iPhone.

  31. WTF
    Flame

    I'm curious...

    What happened to this forum? Seems to me like all (tech related) postings now end up down one of three paths:

    1. Group therapy sessions for Webster Phreaky's obssesive-compulsive disorder that is driven by the deep seated anger and resentment he has from his infatuation and unrequited love of Steve Jobs. (It's a very thin line between love and hate my friend, and me thinks you doth protest entirely too much.)

    2. Pinhead comments from pinheads with just enough knowledge about technology to be dangerous or insulting, usually both, blathering incoherent technobabble, usually with the right words used in the wrong places, or spewing on about how nobody else "gets" the technology they so obviously don't get.

    3. Whiney little bitch sessions reminiscent of spoilt six year olds upset because their new pony only came with three legs instead of four.

    Maybe an analogy will get me point across on the last two (the first is painfully self-explanatory): I have a car. My car has bugs, like a bell that rings incessantly when I open the door after I've started the car. I imagine that this bell is there to tell me that the door is open and the engine is running, but I already know that, because I'm the guy that started the car and then opened the door. My car has obviously missing features, like it doesn't fly. And I can't run it through walls and buildings on my way home from the pub on Friday nights without scratching the paint. I mean, come on, any idiot marketing genius should have figured these things out by now. I got so frustrated by this that I even took the time to contact them to suggest that their next gen car absolutely had to be flight capable, or I was never, ever going to buy from them again. I also suggested that it be amphibious and have machine gus turrets behing the headlights. And just cause I was feeling generous, I told them that they could really, really increase their sales if they set up a deal where they give away the car for free... and the buyer kicks in for the petrol. Genius, right? I bet I never even get a "thank you" for that brilliant insight. They should have made me V.P. of Marketing for that one. So anyway, here's the problem: no marketing/designer feedback on the website. Figures, right? So I went and spoke with one of the guys at the dealer. He was absolutely clueless, told me that non-flying cars were a feature, not a limitation (yeah, like I haven't heard that one before), and then he said that my car was perfectly good as it was, non-flying AND non-amphibious. Can you believe that guy? What a tard! After the look I gave him, he said he would see what he could do. Yeah, that's what I thought. Bitch! So, weeks and months go by, and no word from the arrogant bastards. And guess what? the latest model just came out. Can you fucking believe it!?!? It still doesn't fly, AND no machine gun turrets. Bloody bastards! See if I ever buy another car from those looser wankers again!

    Just a thought...

  32. Gareth
    Thumb Down

    Bought it, tried it, took it back

    Don't get me wrong, loved the ipod touch but the iphone lacked 3g and gps both of which I use a lot.

    The release of the iphone 3g with these features plus all those of my ipod touch seemed a dream come true. Coupled with the rumoured car nav app it would haev been a perfect device.

    Yet I had it for 24 hours and it went back.

    The GPS is highly inaccurate, performing fantastic feats putting me in my next door neighbours bedroom (no bad thing, she's a fox) but then deciding that in some superhuman feat I had escape her husbands wrath and was now cowering in some bush beside the A55.

    Had that been the case I would have struggled to make a call with any reasonable hope of clear quaillty having bearly managed 1 bar signal with 3G switched on.

    Turn 3G off and a full signal!

    The bluetooth stack doesnt even allow you to transfer my contacts from the viewty.

    Siganl on the viewty? Full 3G signal no problem.

    Rang o2 on the iphone, kept dropping the call.

    When I took it back the next day (people waiting in line tp buy) the nice chap behind the counter asked "wtf is wrong with it, we have people queung out the shop and you're bringing it back."

    Why pay £35 a month for a crap deal on minutes and texts when you have something that doesn't do what it's supposed to?

    G

  33. Alexis Vallance
    Jobs Halo

    From MacRumors

    "We are working on some bugs which affect around 2% of the iPhones shipped, and hope to have a software update soon."

    Steve

  34. Lloyd
    Black Helicopters

    Hmmm

    I've not had that as yet, mine has a tendency to lose signal every couple of days but a quick rebvoot resolves it, I've never even had it switch to EDGE before. I still believe that itunes is the biggest turd known to humankind though.

  35. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    re: I'm curious...

    LMAO, F**king excellent

  36. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    @WTF

    If you had an Open Sauce (sic) car, then you could fix the ringing bell (sound like a yankee piece o' crap), a spotty geezer from outer mongolia could fix it for you, buy just stipping down the dash board, removing the enigine then putting back to getther using engine 00.456.6543 Uzbugger version b1.

    Teach you to buy propriety crap you stupid paytard....

  37. Craig McLean
    Paris Hilton

    Wow.

    Now that "iPhone vs AnyOtherMobilePhone" has become the new "Linux vs. Windows", Apple must be doing something right. Especially if it's pissing of so many non-Apple customers.

    However, the iPhone is the only piece of Apple equipment I've owned. The 2G was very nice, but I'm fecking sick of the new 3G iPhone. The constant dropped calls, battery life of about 3 hours, and Apple's fingers-in-ears-singing-la-la-we-can't-hear-you attitude. Won't be buying another one, but then by the time I've got a refund on this one the next Nokia will be on sale ;-)

    Paris, because the beer there is expensive.

  38. vincent himpe

    panic ...

    "We are working on some bugs which affect around 2% of the iPhones shipped, and hope to have a software update soon."

    we HOPE we will have an update soon ... note the use of the word 'HOPE'.... Not very reassuring... I would have expected something more reassuring like:

    "We are working on some bugs which affect some of the iPhones shipped, and will have a software update within a month."

    Time to pull out the whip and, if that fails , start threatening with pieces of pink paper ...

  39. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    @ panic...

    ""We are working on some bugs which affect some of the iPhones shipped, and will have a software update within a month."

    Time to pull out the whip and, if that fails , start threatening with pieces of pink paper ..."

    So as far as we know this is a patch/partial rewrite of the firmware for the 3G baseband processor? The patch fixes a problem that affects 2% of customers, but will be applied to 100% of iPhones?

    Let's not rush it at the expense of getting it right, eh?

    @Wow.

    You can turn the 3G off if it turns out to be a bunch of cock where you are. O2 aren't great at 3G coverage it seems. It also seems to be the case that the worse the 3G signal the faster the battery drain.

    I leave mine running Edge/Wifi unless I'm in London - having all that battery life back is great, and the 3G signal is iffy enough that data doesn't usually happen over 3G, but works well enough over EDGE/GPRS and there's usually wifi.

    Agree that the 2G was a nicer phone too.

    @ the guy that took one back - GPS doesn't seem to work indoors, and does give comedy results. Never mind the A55, mine thought I was in Spain...

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