According to the Interwebs, I am not the only person having <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/iphone/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210002971&subSection=News">serious reception issues</a> with my 3G iPhone. Reports are coming in from all around the globe decrying the device's inability to find and hold onto a 3G signal. A new report suggests Apple will be offering a software fix as soon as next month.

Eric Ogren, Contributor

August 14, 2008

1 Min Read

According to the Interwebs, I am not the only person having serious reception issues with my 3G iPhone. Reports are coming in from all around the globe decrying the device's inability to find and hold onto a 3G signal. A new report suggests Apple will be offering a software fix as soon as next month.Even after updating to firmware version 2.0.1, my 3G iPhone continues to have difficulty connecting to AT&T's 3G network. More often then not, I am greeted by a "no service" indicator, rather than the "3G" icon at the top of the iPhone's screen.

Some lay the blame at AT&T's feet. In a side-by-side test, I've seen the 3G iPhone get no coverage, and other devices get full 3G coverage. It was never AT&T's fault, as far as I am concerned. Since the problem has been experienced by users around the world, the fault clearly lays with the device.

According to a report from Business Week, Apple is working to fix the problem. But just what is the problem? Well, BW says that the problem resides in the coding that supports the 3G iPhone's Infineon chipset -- the chip that provides the 3G part of the phone. BW's sources say that a firmware update that takes care of the coding problem should be enough to fix the reception issues that are being experienced by many.

Whether Apple or Infineon is to blame for the iPhone's poor reception issues, the issue needs to be resolved. Sooner rather than later. The sources indicate that the firmware update will be available in September. Right now, that feels like it's a long way off.

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