Trouble in Cupertino? What’s Wrong With the 3G in iPhone 3G?

A gaggle of early adopters are having problems with the 3G part of their new iPhone 3Gs; dropped connections, reverting to the older (and much slower) EDGE network, and transfer speeds that don’t quite bear out the advertising boasts.

A Swedish tech magazine claims to have discovered hardware problems:

Ny Teknik, Sweden’s foremost engineering weekly, obtained a report on tests conducted by unnamed experts that showed some handsets’ sensitivity to third-generation network signals is well below the level specified in the 3G standard.

So-called 3G networks offer the promise of faster Web surfing on cell phone browsers, and make bandwidth-hogging applications like video calling feasible. Phones that access 3G networks must meet certain engineering and technical specifications, which are set and maintained by the International Telecommunication Union, a Geneva-based organization.

The report said the most likely cause of the 3G problems is defective adjustments between the antenna and an amplifier that captures very weak signals from the antenna. This could lead to poor 3G connectivity and slower data speeds.

My report:

At Lizard HQ I don’t get any 3G connectivity at all; the little icon never appears. But I don’t miss it, because the iPhone connects seamlessly to the Airport wireless network (which is faster than 3G anyway).

Around Los Angeles I’ve had mixed results; the 3G icon shows up about 50-60% of the time. I’ve been unable to get connected even in some areas where the AT&T coverage map says it’s supposed to be “optimum.”

But when the 3G Juice is flowing, the speed has completely lived up to the hype so far and I’ve never reverted to EDGE or been disconnected. So I’m fairly happy with it. And I haven’t found any areas in LA where I couldn’t get on the EDGE network.

Everything else about the phone is a total gas. This is one of the coolest gadgets ever conceived. The software functions flawlessly, it syncs up with my other machines painlessly, and the user interface is nothing short of magical. If I’d seen it 14 years ago I probably would have called Bobby Jindal to perform an exorcism.