Full FeediPhone firmware 2.0.2 update explained
What’s the deal with the iPhone 3G? I mean, I updated it and I’m still dropping calls like U.S. Olympic batons!
Bad Seinfeld jokes aside, Roughly Drafted has some information from “a source close to AT&T” as to why you may have updated your iPhone 3G and still don’t have your reception problems fixed.
Basically, iPhone firmware update 2.0.2 addressed how much power the iPhone was requesting from network base stations. Originally, it was requiring a lot of power; certainly more than it needed. This resulted in slowed 3G access and dropped calls for many. So, it’s not the network’s fault for being slow, but the network is affected.
Even if you update your iPhone, there may be others out there who are still running power hungry firmwares 2.0 or 2.0.1, effectively perpetuating your reception issues.
“It is not the network that is fault but the interaction of the bad power control algorithm in 2.0 and 2.0.1 software and the network that is at fault. The sooner everybody is running 2.0.2 software the better things will be. Having seen the graphs the 2.0.2 software has already started to make difference.”
That’s why you may have received a text message from AT&T urging you to update your iPhone to the latest software. Supposedly, if everyone updated to 2.0.2 (or higher), the issues would fully be addressed.
So, if you are still having reception issues with your iPhone 3G, they should be fixing themselves as fast as the users in your area are updating their iPhones. Reminds me of a Beatles’ song:
“I’ve got to admit it’s getting better, a little better all the time…”
Via [RoughlyDrafted]
Subscribe to keep up with the latest Apple news and rumors! - 
Subscribe to our feed
Black Friday 2009
Black Friday is almost here! Gadgetell's got you covered with all the latest news on who's offering the best deals. Dangerous crowds? You're on your own.
Our new podcast: Meet...
We know. Podcasts are so last year - but this one you won't want to miss. Whether it’s a rumor that won’t die, a new product announcement, or just a really good Macintosh or iPhone app find that we have to let you know about, we’ll make sure it’s covered on Appletellcast.
iPhone App Reviews
iPhone Apps. They were great when the App Store was first announced and we could all pick and chose what we wanted, but the number is now overwhelming. Here at Appletell, we'll detail the great iPhone apps we find, and steer you clear from those that aren't worth it even if they're free.
iPhone Game Reviews
As Apple turns the iPhone into one of the most popular gaming devices, the staff of Appletell--gamers and Apple fans alike--are here to help you get the most entertainment value out of your app store purchases.
I’ve posted elsewhere that I believe that the problems users encounter are indicative of a QOS—or, quality of service—issue with the iPhone, and support for those settings on any given network. I still believe that is the case.
The explanation offered by this “… source close to AT&T;” is ridiculous on its face, as a mobile handset device does not get “power” from “network base stations.” This claim seriously ‘dumbs down’ the conversation about the issue. It does, however, lend weak credence to the idea that this issue is a QOS mismatch problem with nearby cellular arrays, resulting in poor receptions and inappropriate switching from one network segment to another.
It’s hard to imagine, however—since the sensitivity of individual mobile handsets and their QOS related performance has little or no bearing on network loading or the performance of other mobile handsets—that updates to other devices would improve the performance of any given iPhone, or—in an environment where users had not yet updated—that the performance of any other device would suffer as a result.
Shorthand: this is a SILLY explanation, by an individual who does not understand basic cellular technologies, or cannot manage to find a coherent way to explain the claim.
on August 29, 2008 at 10:51 AM - LINK