3GS reception

WhatsGoingOn2 · 19-02-2010 8:36pm #1

Hi,

I recently change to O2 to get an iPhone and the reception in my house is terrible. It fluctuates between No Service and 1 bar. Anyone have any tips on how to improve reception?

I have 3G switched off. I presume this doesn't work?

Thanks.

BeeDI · 19-02-2010 8:56pm

WhatsGoingOn2 wrote: »

Hi,

I recently change to O2 to get an iPhone and the reception in my house is terrible. It fluctuates between No Service and 1 bar. Anyone have any tips on how to improve reception?

I have 3G switched off. I presume this doesn't work?

Thanks.

Shhhhhhhh, you are in a community of Apple lovers. Most of them will not admit, that an iPhone, is an utter disaster at making / receiving calls, because it has such poor signal reception capacity.
I was really interested in getting an iPhone, and had the good fortune before making the jump, to be able to borrow a 3GS from the brother in law, for 4 days. Lovely little piece of kit, but a complete and utter and out and out total DISASTER at making, receiving and holding on to calls.

I work in an office no more than 300 meters form an O2 3G mast. Full bars on every O2 phone in the office. 2 bars max on the iPhone:( Dropped calls at least 25% of the time. Just totally frustrating.

IF Apple ever sort this issue out, I will buy, BUT, having spoken to a few people in the game, I'm not holding my breadth.

wjc · 21-02-2010 5:19pm

Couldn't agree more. Do a lot of travelling in bad reception areas and found it a disaster at making, receiving and hanging on to calls. Bought a factory unlocked one. Great piece of kit but gave it to my wife to use on a daily basis and only put my sim in if travelling abroad etc. Worst bit of iphone is phone reception! Use my old nokia 6230i for daily use and find it way better as an actual phone!

whiterebel · 21-02-2010 9:33pm

BeeDI wrote: »

Shhhhhhhh, you are in a community of Apple lovers. Most of them will not admit, that an iPhone, is an utter disaster at making / receiving calls, because it has such poor signal reception capacity.
I was really interested in getting an iPhone, and had the good fortune before making the jump, to be able to borrow a 3GS from the brother in law, for 4 days. Lovely little piece of kit, but a complete and utter and out and out total DISASTER at making, receiving and holding on to calls.

I work in an office no more than 300 meters form an O2 3G mast. Full bars on every O2 phone in the office. 2 bars max on the iPhone:( Dropped calls at least 25% of the time. Just totally frustrating.

IF Apple ever sort this issue out, I will buy, BUT, having spoken to a few people in the game, I'm not holding my breadth.

Wow, in a forum called "Apple Media Devices", who'd have thought it.....:rolleyes:

BeeDI · 21-02-2010 10:38pm

whiterebel wrote: »

Wow, in a forum called "Apple Media Devices", who'd have thought it.....:rolleyes:

Well, it aint quite a prerequisite to be an Apple lover, to actually own or be considering owning an Apple device. :eek:

whiterebel · 22-02-2010 9:59am

BeeDI wrote: »

Well, it aint quite a prerequisite to be an Apple lover, to actually own or be considering owning an Apple device. :eek:

No fooling you is there?:rolleyes:

Anyway, back to the OPs original question:

Have you tried other O2 mobiles there? Its not just a case of a bad area for O2?

Stuxnet · 22-02-2010 10:32am

why would you switch off 3g ??
3g is better then E,
your shooting yourself in the foot
if you can get 3g in the first place you cant be that bad
1 bar of 3g is better then full bars of E

BeeDI · 22-02-2010 10:46am

whiterebel wrote: »

No fooling you is there?:rolleyes:

Anyway, back to the OPs original question:

Have you tried other O2 mobiles there? Its not just a case of a bad area for O2?

It's not an O2 issue. Many different types of phones in the office with O2. All getting full 3G bars in the office. iPhone struggling. I had really fancied, getting the iPhione, but based on what I heard, just decided to borrow one for a few days, and check out it's signal reception qualities, not just in the office, but in many locations, over a few days, and all the time with another O2 phone to make direct comparrisons.
The bottom line, is that it is a poor performer in the most basic requirements of a phone. Making and receiving calls.
The logic, of paying big money, for a fancy phone, on an expensive contract, when the phone does everything well except make / receive calls, is just totally beyond the capacity of my pea brain to understand :eek:

Valentia · 22-02-2010 11:15am

Just got the iPhone in January. I love it but reception is terrible. I've often been in situations where everyone around me has a reception and I haven't. It's a fact of life I'm afraid.

I have also noticed that how you hold the phone is important. Wrap your hand around and signal gets worse, hold it by finger tips and it improves. Bad form for such an exorbitantly expensive device. Sure only 17 months left on the contract :rolleyes:.

letitroll · 22-02-2010 11:54am

in the same boat

really disppaointed the device can't really hold onto a signal. The amount of dropped calls i've had is getting riduclous at this stage

my sisters 29euro nokia has a better signal than my 600euro phone and even when i do get through to someone the reception is intermitent at times

time42play · 22-02-2010 1:33pm

All O2 phones have a crap signal where I live (vodafone and meteor are excellent), but I seem to travel in places where the roaming networks have great signal strength. I like the phone enough to live with it for now, but when I upgrade it will definitely be to Vodafone.

whiterebel · 22-02-2010 5:48pm

BeeDI wrote: »

It's not an O2 issue. Many different types of phones in the office with O2. All getting full 3G bars in the office. iPhone struggling. I had really fancied, getting the iPhione, but based on what I heard, just decided to borrow one for a few days, and check out it's signal reception qualities, not just in the office, but in many locations, over a few days, and all the time with another O2 phone to make direct comparrisons.
The bottom line, is that it is a poor performer in the most basic requirements of a phone. Making and receiving calls.
The logic, of paying big money, for a fancy phone, on an expensive contract, when the phone does everything well except make / receive calls, is just totally beyond the capacity of my pea brain to understand :eek:

Do you live where the OP does? Of course it may be an O2 issue, my wife's O2 has dreadful signals where my VF is brilliant and vice-versa. Please don't let the fact that you were turned down by O2 for an iPhone cloud your judgement. OP wasn't asking for generalisations about the iPhone, he was asking for help with regard to HIS HOUSE. Instead of trying to help, you went off on a general rant about iPhones.

bigjohnny80 · 22-02-2010 6:29pm

Vodafone may not prove to be any better I'm afraid as they do not support EDGE

wonky79 · 22-02-2010 6:55pm

my wife and I both have an iphone. she is with O2 and reception is terrible in the house. I'm with vodafone and its grand. no issues.

bigjohnny80 · 22-02-2010 7:36pm

wonky79 wrote: »

my wife and I both have an iphone. she is with O2 and reception is terrible in the house. I'm with vodafone and its grand. no issues.

That's good to hear. Maybe vodas 3G coverage is better than O2 so no issues. Where abouts are you.

wonky79 · 22-02-2010 9:50pm

Limerick. Out in the countryside

byte · 23-02-2010 12:22am

Valentia wrote: »

Just got the iPhone in January. I love it but reception is terrible. I've often been in situations where everyone around me has a reception and I haven't. It's a fact of life I'm afraid.

I have also noticed that how you hold the phone is important. Wrap your hand around and signal gets worse, hold it by finger tips and it improves. Bad form for such an exorbitantly expensive device. Sure only 17 months left on the contract :rolleyes:.

I believe the antenna is around the bottom of the phone (not near the top where it should be), which is why it's affected by your hands.

I've the same problems with mine - it's a design fault of the phone IMO, not the network to blame for reception problems.

Where my 3GS might have 2 bars of signal, my Nokia E51 shows full bars...

BeeDI · 23-02-2010 10:34am

byte wrote: »

I believe the antenna is around the bottom of the phone (not near the top where it should be), which is why it's affected by your hands.

I've the same problems with mine - it's a design fault of the phone IMO, not the network to blame for reception problems.

Where my 3GS might have 2 bars of signal, my Nokia E51 shows full bars...

Yes, this is what I saw also. Not alone in one place, but over a wide area, stretching from Ballinasloe town, Galway city, Ennis, Limerick city, Adare.
Ok, some people seem to say, it's down to O2, but that just seems illogical, when you have 2 O2 phones side by side. Nokia N958GB, for example working absolutely perfectly and on full bars, and the 3GS, dropping calls or showing just one or two bars!!

If it's an O2 problem, why does it manifest itself on the 3GS, and not on the N95.
At my own house for example, the N95 shows a 3GS signal, when the phone is on stand by, or making a voice call. When you internet on it, the signal changes to EDGE. N95,works perfectly on voice, and adequately on internet. iPhone, works very intermitantly on voice and continuously drops the internet connection completely.

In my office, the N95 shows 3.5G signal wghen on internet. I am only 300 meters form O2 mast, and clear line of sight. Down loading absolutely flies.
The 3GS works better, and more stable than at home, but still manages to drop out once in a while. Shame:(

3GS reception

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