Is The iPhone 3G’s Reception Actually 3G?

The reported problems of poor 3G reception and call quality on shiny new iPhones have been well documented, but with Apple claiming the networks are not robust enough whilst carriers say the iPhone 3G is lacking…who is to blame?

Well, if reports from Swedish magazine Ny Teknik are correct, they place the fault squarely with the sensitivity of the handset, stating the antenna of the iPhone 3G may not meet the high standards of the International Telecommunication Union.

The phone is meant to provide faster web browsing and connectivity through the 3G networks, and yet tests performed in many places around the world have shown the iPhone having issues where handsets from other manufacturers had not.

Despite Apple declining to comment regarding the matter, the chances of a hardware fault are echoed in comments made by one financial analyst in particular. Richard Windsor wrote a research paper detailing the Infineon 3G chipset (which is also in the iPhone 3G) as having similar signal reception problems in European phones a few years ago.

If the issues with the iPhone 3G are attributable to the hardware as opposed to the networks or something which can be fixed via an update, Apple clearly have a huge problem on their hands. With an estimated 3 million iPhone 3Gs sold in the first month of release, that is the kind of product recall which messes up a company’s reputation and finances overnight.

Source: Mobile Tech Today