iPhone 3G Dropped Call and Data Issues

I have recently upgraded from the original iPhone to the iPhone 3G. My reasons were twofold. I wanted to take advantage of the increased voice quality afforded by the the 3G network. Additionally, I wanted the ability to load data faster so that I can access my corporate Outlook Web Access with Safari. Currently my IT department does not yet support iPhones, even with the Exchange capability in the 2.0 software, and I refuse to carry another BlackBerry.

I home office in downtown Denver, right in the heart of the city. With the first generation iPhone I had 4-5 bars of service in my building at all times, except inside the elevator. I've found that since upgrading to the 3G iPhone, I consistently register 1-2 bars of 3G strength in our loft. If I disable 3G, then I register 4-5 bars of Edge strength.

After upgrading, I am consistently dropping 5-10 calls per day, whereas beforehand I dropped 4-5 calls a year. There seems to be a major issue with the iPhone 3G that prevents the timely handoff of the phone call from 3G to Edge when you are on the boundary of 3G/Edge service. This problem affects both phone calls and data transfer.

When in a call, the typical symptom is a dropped call. When in data mode, such as accessing Safari web browser, it often takes 30-seconds to a minute to make a connection as the phone bounces between 3G and Edge. All in all, the problem is making the phone unusable as my primary phone.

I've found that by disabling 3G I am achieving less dropped calls in downtown Denver. But I am still experiencing more dropped calls than previously, 2-3 per day. Additionally, since upgrading my wife's original iPhone to software 2.0 (and 2.0.1), she is experiencing similar problems.

Now comes word that the iPhone 3G itself might be flawed in it's connection to the 3G network.

The UMTS chips in the iPhone are supplied by Infineon. Ny Teknik, a Swedish publication, cites another cause, alleging that some specimens have insufficient input sensitivity, failing to comply with the 3G specification, and that the problem sometimes occurs because of defects in mass production. The most likely source, they say, is incorrect or inadequate fine tuning between the antenna and the amplifier.

It looks like Apple knows there is a problem, and even though it might be a problem with the Infineon chipset, they plan to address the issue with a software update, not a hardware recall.

Only time will tell how this saga plays out. But I know for my money, as much as I like the iPhone, if they cannot work out the 3G and connectivity issues, I might be moving on.