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Will 3.1 fix the dropped call issues?

J

jkozlow3

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 16, 2008
973
659
I live in a fairly spotty coverage area where the phone frequently switches between Edge & 3G when traveling around town. I'm guessing that this has a lot to due with the terrain here in Colorado Springs.

Anyway, I have been dropping significantly more calls since 3.0 - as have several friends in town. I'm guessing this has to do with the way the software deals with the frequent Edge>3G>Edge switching.

Does anyone know if this will be fixed in 3.1? It's getting REALLY annoying and the problem is definitely worse after the 3.0 "upgrade".
 
jkozlow3 said:
I live in a fairly spotty coverage area where the phone frequently switches between Edge & 3G when traveling around town. I'm guessing that this has a lot to due with the terrain here in Colorado Springs.

Anyway, I have been dropping significantly more calls since 3.0 - as have several friends in town. I'm guessing this has to do with the way the software deals with the frequent Edge>3G>Edge switching.

Does anyone know if this will be fixed in 3.1? It's getting REALLY annoying and the problem is definitely worse after the 3.0 "upgrade".

Thanks!
Click to expand...

There has been a huge amount of reports regarding dropped calls since 2.0. I personally haven't had the problem, but who knows when it's gonna get truly fixed.
 
iphone.aggie said:
That's because you're "somewhere in Texas." :) I've left Texas and haven't had any dropped calls (but I can't remember having dropped calls in Texas either, but that was several years ago).
Click to expand...

Check my edit :p I live in Austin, TX. No problems with dropped calls whatsoever. However when I go out of town and out of state I sometimes get a few dropped calls.
 
i thought i read somewhere that it's GSM issue of dropped calls when you switch towers
 
droppin calls is nothing to do with the iPhone

it happens when automatically switching between 3G and EDGE coverage .. but the most reason is when porting from a tower to another ..

it happens everywhere around the world :)
 
H.Muqbali said:
droppin calls is nothing to do with the iPhone

it happens when automatically switching between 3G and EDGE coverage .. but the most reason is when porting from a tower to another ..

it happens everywhere around the world :)
Click to expand...
Yes and no.
3G/EDGE have nothing to do with the voice call.

Voice is still done over the GSM signal.
Dropped calls occur due to either a weak signal and/or a bad hand off to another tower.
Known issue with GSM. Poor phone design can make it worse.
 
Dropped/Failed calls on O2 3g in UK - 32gb 3GS

Hi all

lots of people seem to be having this

I spoke to O2 and went through a settings reset and phone restore. Neither cured the phone. the O2 CS guy asked me to put SIM in another phone to see if itwas SIM/Signal or Phone.

The sim and calls worked fine at full strength (but only GPRS). He then concluded it was the iPhone and a trip to the Apple store was in order.

HOWEVER - today I tried turning off 3g and the iPhone works great with GPRS/Edge. So I rang CS again and spoke to a more helpful (and knowledgeable) lady. She checked her system and said that I lived over 10mls away from a 3g mast so signal would be weak.

IMPORTANTLY she said that the iPhone does not have the ability to auto step-down to Edge or GPRS. Therefore, if it does not have signal it needs for a good 3g signal you will get dropped calls/failed connection and poor or non-existent data.

She suggested turning off 3g in sysprefs and only turning it on in an area know to be a good 3g area.

OBSERVATION - data/email and calls all work quicker on GPRS/Edge than on a struggling (and false reading ) 3g setting. :(

:mad: Having bought the 3gs(!?!) for its hi speed data capabilities and the fact that all my machines are on mobileme and Macs, I am very miffed that you only find out later that O2 has VERY patchy 3g coverage which they acknowledge and hope to fix soon. In the meantime they point you to the small print of the T&C and say hard luck. :mad:

Come on ORANGE! get the iPhone!!

Rick
 
RickRAH said:
Hi all

lots of people seem to be having this

I spoke to O2 and went through a settings reset and phone restore. Neither cured the phone. the O2 CS guy asked me to put SIM in another phone to see if itwas SIM/Signal or Phone.

The sim and calls worked fine at full strength (but only GPRS). He then concluded it was the iPhone and a trip to the Apple store was in order.

HOWEVER - today I tried turning off 3g and the iPhone works great with GPRS/Edge. So I rang CS again and spoke to a more helpful (and knowledgeable) lady. She checked her system and said that I lived over 10mls away from a 3g mast so signal would be weak.

IMPORTANTLY she said that the iPhone does not have the ability to auto step-down to Edge or GPRS. Therefore, if it does not have signal it needs for a good 3g signal you will get dropped calls/failed connection and poor or non-existent data.

She suggested turning off 3g in sysprefs and only turning it on in an area know to be a good 3g area.

OBSERVATION - data/email and calls all work quicker on GPRS/Edge than on a struggling (and false reading ) 3g setting. :(

:mad: Having bought the 3gs(!?!) for its hi speed data capabilities and the fact that all my machines are on mobileme and Macs, I am very miffed that you only find out later that O2 has VERY patchy 3g coverage which they acknowledge and hope to fix soon. In the meantime they point you to the small print of the T&C and say hard luck. :mad:

Come on ORANGE! get the iPhone!!

Rick
Click to expand...


I have an Orange contract sim in my unlocked iphone and i get really patchy network signals but only experience dropped calls when im at home & not standing up...ie: i cant sit down ro make a call :D
 
Scooterman1 said:
Does the EDGE/3G Data really have anything to do with Voice Dropped Calls?
Click to expand...

Yes. I tested this to try and see what the issue was. Get in a car and drive around (or preferably have someone drive you around) while on a call on speakerphone, you can watch when the hand-offs between edge and 3G occur and that is usually when the calls drop. I've dealt with it here in L.A. by only turning 3G on when I want to use it for data.
 
abiyng87 said:
Yes. I tested this to try and see what the issue was. Get in a car and drive around (or preferably have someone drive you around) while on a call on speakerphone, you can watch when the hand-offs between edge and 3G occur and that is usually when the calls drop. I've dealt with it here in L.A. by only turning 3G on when I want to use it for data.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a Apple problem. The iPhone just is having trouble jumping between 3G and Edge. My 2.5 year old 3g LG phone will jump between the 2 with out a problem while on a call.
 
thelatinist said:
This isn't a software issue or even and iPhone hardware issue. It is a network issue.
Click to expand...

Disagree.


Rodimus Prime said:
That sounds like a Apple problem. The iPhone just is having trouble jumping between 3G and Edge. My 2.5 year old 3g LG phone will jump between the 2 with out a problem while on a call.
Click to expand...

Agreed. And the problem definitely seems worse since 3.0. Lots of people in various threads have reported that disabling 3G helps - particularly if you live in an area where the signal switches between 3G & Edge a lot.
 
Rodimus Prime said:
That sounds like a Apple problem. The iPhone just is having trouble jumping between 3G and Edge. My 2.5 year old 3g LG phone will jump between the 2 with out a problem while on a call.
Click to expand...

Yes, I definitely think it is an Apple problem as well. Hopefully they can get that together.
 
Disagree

thelatinist said:
This isn't a software issue or even and iPhone hardware issue. It is a network issue.
Click to expand...

I live in a area where AT&T has lots towers I have had a few phones in the last year a nokia a lg Kaiser a China Hiphone :eek: a Iphone 3G and now a 3GS only one I have had drop calls on is the 3GS this is my second phone from Apple same issues.

OP nobody can answer your question till it comes out but my fingers are crossed that the problem has to do with the radio and the software used for it. with the Kaiser I played allot with different software for the radios. so I am going to a least wait and see myself.
 
sweet

Mad Mac Maniac said:
No. But supposedly 3.1 is supposed to be released this Friday alongside SL!! I can't wait! :D
Click to expand...

My Pizza delivery guy told me we are getting our MMS Friday too. :D Wow What a day Friday will be.

images
 
RickRAH said:
Hi all

lots of people seem to be having this

I spoke to O2 and went through a settings reset and phone restore. Neither cured the phone. the O2 CS guy asked me to put SIM in another phone to see if itwas SIM/Signal or Phone.

The sim and calls worked fine at full strength (but only GPRS). He then concluded it was the iPhone and a trip to the Apple store was in order.

HOWEVER - today I tried turning off 3g and the iPhone works great with GPRS/Edge. So I rang CS again and spoke to a more helpful (and knowledgeable) lady. She checked her system and said that I lived over 10mls away from a 3g mast so signal would be weak.

IMPORTANTLY she said that the iPhone does not have the ability to auto step-down to Edge or GPRS. Therefore, if it does not have signal it needs for a good 3g signal you will get dropped calls/failed connection and poor or non-existent data.

She suggested turning off 3g in sysprefs and only turning it on in an area know to be a good 3g area.

OBSERVATION - data/email and calls all work quicker on GPRS/Edge than on a struggling (and false reading ) 3g setting. :(

:mad: Having bought the 3gs(!?!) for its hi speed data capabilities and the fact that all my machines are on mobileme and Macs, I am very miffed that you only find out later that O2 has VERY patchy 3g coverage which they acknowledge and hope to fix soon. In the meantime they point you to the small print of the T&C and say hard luck. :mad:

Come on ORANGE! get the iPhone!!

Rick
Click to expand...

Yes, it's better to have a strong 2g signal than a patchy 3g. Your right, calls will be better and data faster. Also, your battery life will be better as your iphone is not constantly switching back between 3g and 2g. I read this from some tech heads and observed myself.

I do the same. Stick it on gprs and in town i switch 3g on. It's either that, or move house.
 
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