[charliej66]

Hi all. I'm new here. Don't have an iphone yet, but plan on getting one shortly. I was kinda waiting to see what will happen with some of the problems that I've been reading about. Which brings me to my question.

Does the iphone still the connection problems, drop calls, etc. when 3G is turned off? There is no 3G coverage where I live, and I have access to wifi at work and at home. I don't really need 3G anyway.

Thanks.

[avt123]

I don't have any of those problems but I know some people still do. 2.1 is coming out this month and should fix those issues if people still have them.

[JustinHorn]

The problem isn't as big as it sounds in the news. Just apple product owners seem to louder or just expect more than we do from microsoft

[Reaktor5]

I really don't like paying for 3G while I'm in a no 3G area for college. I'd much rather have the option of switching to the $20 data plan and be stuck on EDGE than paying more money for a feature I cannot use.

[avt123]

Just use the first gen iPhone.

[Reaktor5]

That's not the point. It's AT&T who should offer a plan without 3G, not forcing people to find old devices that have been used.

[charliej66]

I really don't like paying for 3G while I'm in a no 3G area for college. I'd much rather have the option of switching to the $20 data plan and be stuck on EDGE than paying more money for a feature I cannot use.

Good point. I didn't think about that yet.

[avt123]

I understand. I thought I read something about people using the medianet plan and it was still $20. I haven't looked at it recently so I don't know if they just made that the 3g plan.

[Jeremy]

That's not the point. It's AT&T who should offer a plan without 3G, not forcing people to find old devices that have been used.

While I understand what you are saying there is no way that will ever happen. AT&T can not lose that extra $10 bucks they are making a month. Especially offering the phone at the new "low" price...

[mikecc]

Every phone has dropped call problems. It's usually not the phone's problem. It's the network.

[Jeremy]

Every phone has dropped call problems. It's usually not the phone's problem. It's the network.

Now that all depends on what you call "problems". I'd say "problems" if it happened a few times a day. Once a week, not a issue. Personally I can count on one hand how many times I've dropped a call on the 3g. And I've been using it since July 11th. No "problems" here.

[Reaktor5]

While I understand what you are saying there is no way that will ever happen. AT&T can not lose that extra $10 bucks they are making a month. Especially offering the phone at the new "low" price...

Sadly, I agree it won't happen. It'd be nice but AT&T is just like any corporation, they're about pleasing the masses and making as much money as possible, not pleasing a small group.

[dweidman]

That's not the point. It's AT&T who should offer a plan without 3G, not forcing people to find old devices that have been used.

Why?

It is like saying you want to buy a car with a radio in it - but since you don't listen to music, you won't use it or turn it on (I swear, cross my heart).

As far as I know - there isn't a way to permanently disable 3G in a device that physically has the radio in it (from AT&T's POV) - and why would they want to make that option available for the rather tiny group of people who won't pony up the extra money for it?

Easy Cost / Benefit equation from their point of view.

Sorry.

-Daniel

[dweidman]

Now that all depends on what you call "problems". I'd say "problems" if it happened a few times a day. Once a week, not a issue. Personally I can count on one hand how many times I've dropped a call on the 3g. And I've been using it since July 11th. No "problems" here.

I have dropped 5 calls today.

Just FYI.

-Daniel

[charliej66]

Why?

It is like saying you want to buy a car with a radio in it - but since you don't listen to music, you won't use it or turn it on (I swear, cross my heart).

As far as I know - there isn't a way to permanently disable 3G in a device that physically has the radio in it (from AT&T's POV) - and why would they want to make that option available for the rather tiny group of people who won't pony up the extra money for it?

Easy Cost / Benefit equation from their point of view.

Sorry.

-Daniel

It is not that I want do disable 3G, or that I don't want to use 3G, or even that I don't want to "pony up" the extra money. I would love to have 3G and would be more than happy to pay for it. The fact is that myself, and a large part of the US don't have 3G coverage with At&t. So why would some one want to pay for a service that is not available to them? I think that is the point everyone is trying to make.

Also, that wasn't the point of my original post. All I was wanting to know, is if the iphone would have all the issues that I have read about, if I just turned the 3G off.

[dweidman]

It is not that I want do disable 3G, or that I don't want to use 3G, or even that I don't want to "pony up" the extra money. I would love to have 3G and would be more than happy to pay for it. The fact is that myself, and a large part of the US don't have 3G coverage with At&t. So why would some one want to pay for a service that is not available to them? I think that is the point everyone is trying to make.

I understand what you are saying - but the car has a radio in it. You can't un-radio the car.

Hope that makes sense. (by the way - I wasn't replying to your post - that is why I quoted Reaktor5.)

Also, that wasn't the point of my original post. All I was wanting to know, is if the iphone would have all the issues that I have read about, if I just turned the 3G off.

What problem specifically - if it is dropped calls - you won't deal with the poor handoff between 3G and Edge if you simply turn off the 3G radio. Was there a problem you were specifically looking at?

-Daniel

[charliej66]

dweidman,

First let me apologize if my post sounded argumentative. It honestly wasn't meant to. And I do understand your point about the car radio, and completely agree.

As for my question about dropped calls and 3G: you answered it exactly. Thank you. That made sense to me but I wanted to be sure. See, when I get an iphone, I will probably give up my BlackBerry. That just makes me a little nervous.

Thanks again.

[Reaktor5]

I don't think the 'car radio' analogy is fitting.
You aren't paying a company monthly in order to listen to it, are you? (Excluding XM/Sirius)

[Reaktor5]

It is not that I want do disable 3G, or that I don't want to use 3G, or even that I don't want to "pony up" the extra money. I would love to have 3G and would be more than happy to pay for it. The fact is that myself, and a large part of the US don't have 3G coverage with At&t. So why would some one want to pay for a service that is not available to them?

Agreed to the nth degree.

[dweidman]

dweidman,

As for my question about dropped calls and 3G: you answered it exactly. Thank you. That made sense to me but I wanted to be sure. See, when I get an iphone, I will probably give up my BlackBerry. That just makes me a little nervous.

Thanks again.

Anytime - glad to help.

-Daniel

[dweidman]

I don't think the 'car radio' analogy is fitting.

Not surprising.

The iPhone 3G has a REAL radio in it to handle the data separately from cell calls. It is physical hardware in the new iPhone 3G (which is why the old iPhones **can't** access it.) My analogy wasn't an accident.

You are saying you don't want to use it / can't use it -- so you dont' want to pay for it. However - it is in there - waiting to be used. So if you decide to travel to somewhere where there IS 3G - then you will be able to use it. You are paying more for the ability to access the 3G network - whether you do or not is immaterial.

If you don't want to pay the money for 3G - then you need to get a phone that doesn't even SUPPORT it. Then AT&T can be sure you aren't using it - and can offer you a lower data plan.

Anyway - hope this helps.

-Daniel

[Jeremy]

I have dropped 5 calls today.

Just FYI.

-Daniel

That's a bummer. That really is not good. FYI Not that it matters much but for me... Zero.

[avt123]

Zero.

Same here.

[dweidman]

Yeah - today is especially bad - so much so that I turned 3G off to get the 5 bars of Edge back.

Just so I am speaking directly -

Edge = -63 (signal strength) (varies from -63 to -67 normally)
3G = -113 (signal strength) (varies from -99 to -113 normally)

And it still tries to pick up on 3G - drops the call. Then 5 seconds later - switches to Edge...

*sighs*

-Daniel (in Los Angeles)

[Jeremy]

Yeah - today is especially bad - so much so that I turned 3G off to get the 5 bars of Edge back.

Just so I am speaking directly -

Edge = -63 (signal strength) (varies from -63 to -67 normally)
3G = -113 (signal strength) (varies from -99 to -113 normally)

And it still tries to pick up on 3G - drops the call. Then 5 seconds later - switches to Edge...

*sighs*

-Daniel (in Los Angeles)

Los Angeles? That actually shocks me... I figured you were on the fringe of poor 3g area.