I Don't Care if It's the Network

There simply is a horrific number of dropped or failed calls here in San Diego over 3G, at least where I live. That's with three different iPhone 3Gs, a Nokia N95 and a Nokia E71, which I'm testing. The E71 is a delightful smart phone, by the way; more on that in another post.

Because the calling problems occur among several different 3G phones, I have to assume the network is the primary problem. Also, the Symbian 3G mobiles worked quite well before Apple launched iPhone 3G. I've been planning to post an iPhone 3G review for weeks, but have repeatedly delayed because of ongoing connection problems. (My colleague Jason Brooks posted a review today).

Freelancer Justin McLachlan reported Sept. 2 that a San Diego man has sued AT&T and Apple over 3G service problems. I'm not recounting any other details about the lawsuit since I haven't independently confirmed it and Justin didn't provide the name of the legal firm or link to the 18-page filing.

GOT A TIP OR RUMOR?

I am mortified at how many news organizations have reported on the lawsuit—including AppleInsider, CNET and Gizmodo—all based on Justin's report. Wired joined the same nonconfirmation bandwagon, but later updated its report with quotes from the suing attorney. Good for Wired. But what about standards of reporting?

Back on topic: Suddenly, AT&T isn't such a good partner for Apple—and perhaps vice versa if iPhone 3Gs are overtaxing the network. In July, I asked, "Is it the Phone, or the Network?" In mid-August, there was a sudden cacophony of complaints about iPhone and 3G performance. At the time, I put out several causes. Among them: Dropped or failed calls could increase after x date, when a carrier has sold x number of phones that begin taxing the network, leading to problems seemingly everywhere around the same time.

My problems started around the same time as other complaints hit the blogs and news sites. A day later, I restored my iPhone, which solved the problem—or so I thought. I restored the phone over the weekend. By Monday, the problems with dropped and failed calls had returned.

This afternoon, I called AT&T seeking compensation. I got something, a $50 credit, which was more than I expected. But it was no satisfaction on a $250 bill that includes $90 in data plan and $15 in text messaging fees. The AT&T rep said according to her coverage map there should be great 3G service in my area. Yeah, right.

A phone should be a phone first; repeated dropped calls and "Call Failed" or "Call Failure" notices simply aren't acceptable. The primary telephony function should be the one that always works. The calling situation is so bad that last week I started using Skype on my laptop to place work-related calls.

It's not unusual for me to redial a call a half dozen times before it goes through. The AT&T rep I spoke with today disagreed about the number of dropped calls. She counted five since Aug. 27. I count more. I can see them in my online account record, either 1-minute calls alongside another longer one or calls of some length where one party or the other immediately rang back.

By that measure, there's more than a dozen dropped calls since Aug. 27, which doesn't include the number of failed calls (14 today, already) because they're not reflected in the phone history (I can see them on the phone). Here's one from today, with seven call attempts, all a.m.: 11:44, 11:44, 11:43, 11:42, 11:42, 11:42, 11:42. Nor does the accounting include the number of calls where people say they can't understand what's being said. Oh, and the dropped or failed count is just for one phone line.

My problem is this: The dropped call situation eliminates most options, because other 3G phones are affected, too. I have to assume that it's a network issue caused by the load placed by iPhone 3Gs. There are lots of theories out there as to why—from power drains on the network to incorrectly spaced 3G towers—but I don't care. If you're having problems, do you care why? Don't you want the problem fixed? I do.

In California, there is another option. A judge's July ruling looks to have made illegal the early termination fees charged by mobile carriers. I can always switch carriers without penalty and either jailbreak the three iPhones (very unlikely) or get new phones (more likely). In the latter situation, I would simply sell the phones—or AT&T could have them back for what we paid for them. I'm mad, but not enough to cheat AT&T out of the subsidy paid for the phones.

I could probably sell the phones for enough money to pay a subsidy, if there were one. Last week, a friend sold my iPhone 2G on eBay for $385, or $14 less than what I paid before taxes. I checked the eBay auctions for new iPhone 3Gs this afternoon. New 16GB models are going for more than $700. My first preference would be to keep all three iPhone 3Gs. But the phones aren't much good as phones right now.

I didn't plan on this post being a griping session. In fact, I started out to write about the alleged lawsuit and today's AT&T data outage on the East Coast. That outage may yet be another sign of a network overstressed by increased 3G usage.

I took a more personal approach, because at least some other iPhone 3G users can relate to these problems. In my home, iPhone 3G has turned from a family delight to a curse word. My daughter wants to trade in her iPhone 3G for a Samsung BlackJack II (the pink and white one). Her switching enthusiasm decreased when I told her calling probably wouldn't be any better on the BlackJack.

So, let me ask: What's your problem—or do you even have one? Please answer in the comments or by e-mail about your calling and data experience using iPhone 3G.

[Please send your tips or rumors to watchtips at live.com]

Posted by Joe Wilcox on September 3, 2008 5:45 PM