[Macworld]

Post your comments for Bugs & Fixes: iPhone 3GS signal strength oddities here

[tobefirst]

Is there any way to get the numerical indicator to display outside the field test mode? I'd like to have it replace my bars to see if I like that better. Thanks.

[solrydr]

HMMMM. I believe you need to just let this one lie. Im going to have to stick with apple's rep on this one. It makes sense that the 3gs switches faster back and forth due to the performance increase and that ability to show that status would show more frequently. I myself have tested both phones in a similar environment 3g vs 3gs at work, no wifi, & a bad 3g signal and received the same results as the above article . My test was geared towards the actual download speed of data with a low signal. The 3g would always be at a low signal and would switch to edge intermittently but seemed slow to display/switch. The 3gs however still had much faster download speeds using either network being used but had a stronger signal on either edge or 3g. The two iphones didn't always show the same signal/network but thats how AT&T's network works. Its not APPLES network! If it was dont you think we'd already have speeds around 20gb by now. Just be content, we as a consumer can have such a high tech device available at such an affordable price.

[JoeC]

Any kind of "test" of signal strength based on the bars on your phone or the status indicator of 3G vs E is far from scientific. I've noticed for a long time that my phone will often claim it has a 3G connection, but then I try to surf to a web page, and it can't connect. Ten seconds later, the status switches to "no service."
The traffic explanation makes perfect sense to me. This is why in downtown San Francisco I can almost never maintain a 3G connection, while in Philadelphia last week I had 3G wherever I went. Philadelphia may have a much larger population, but I'm willing to bet that it has no where near the density of population of iPhone users, or users of AT&T's 3G network in general. Even in New York, where I hear people often complain about not getting 3G, I had 3G about 85% of the time. In SF, it's more like 20% of the time.
This is also why AT&T is scared out of its wits of allowing us to tether and send MMS messages. They know that when iPhone users get a feature, they use it. Feature rates have always been based on how likely people are to use the feature, not simply on how much they cost to use.
I had suspected that users jumping into the network were given priority over those who had been there for a while. But I hadn't heard that confirmed until now. Makes sense.

[mattd313]

I'd like to see an article of common bugs, or defects on the new 3GS.
I had to swap mine twice before I got one I was okay with. And now I absolutely love it.
The only time I've been concerned with signal was when I couldn't even get Edge, and I got the little circle in it's place. Forget what it's called, but its below Edge.
Anyway, for the most part, mine works great. Except I noticed if you're in a moving car, 3G speeds are much slower than if you're sitting still.

[ghostface147]

My iPhone 3G S struggles to maintain a signal at my apt, where my old 3G had no issues. Most of the time I am on Edge and sometimes it jumps on GPRS, rarely it stays on 3G. Sometimes it goes down to 1 bar, not even getting a GPRS signal. Very disappointing indeed. I am going to go to AT$T and get a new SIM card and see what that does, and I have an appointment with those "geniuses" tomorrow morning to perhaps swap the phone if the new SIM card doesn't work.

[kill953]

I imagine that (if their rationale is actually true) any "fix" Apple issues will just revert the reporting behaviour to the old method rather than actually doing anything in terms of actually increasing reception ... Perception is sometimes everything!

[evdograham]

Here's a review of a really cool solution that has helped me solve almost all of my signal strength problems with my iPhone 3GS.
http://www.evdoinfo.com/ibooster

[daverobeson]

I really like your use of the phrase "less negative." I find it much more unique than "kind of pregnant." :)

[zoffo]

An easy way to tell if your connected via EDGE or 3G, is to put the phone near an audio device such as a powered speaker. You will get the typical cell phone interference with EDGE, not with 3G.

[nanook]

This article is nice but has very little data. The author should put both of his phones (G and GS) into field test mode (3001#12345#). While in field test mode you can see the signal in -dbs and the actual towers connected to. This will either validate or refute his arguments. Personally I'd expect a bit more research from a MacWorld person.

[nanook]

Field test mode is actually, (3001#12345#)-- sorry

[ktawlks]

GPRS

[grovbergian]

I have no trouble believing the Apple rep here. It has long been the case that the indicator of signal strength on any cell phone only updates itself every so often and should really only be used as a guideline rather than an empirical evaluation of signal strength.