CrunchGear

The first generation iPhone seems to have similar problems with Apple’s own Bluetooth headset. The Apple Bluetooth headset will start to crackle if it’s as little as 5 feet from the iPhone. I assumed it was the headset, but when I paired it with my wife’s old RAZR, the sound was markedly better. In fact, I can move halfway across the house when paired with the RAZR before the sound starts to crackle. So clearly it’s the iPhone, and not the headset.

Similarly, my original iPhone seems to be equally hard of hearing at certain orientations with respect to our AirPort Extreme based WiFi or AT&T’s EDGE signal. I had high hopes that the plastic back on my wife’s new iPhone 3G would result in better reception, but it doesn’t seem to be much of an improvement (which is a shame, since first and foremost it’s a phone.)

Frankly, I think the antenna designs for both phones are sub-par. It’s a place where Apple’s engineering is somewhat anemic, and needs to catch up to some of more experienced phone manufacturers. I seriously hope they either migrate to fractal antenna technology, or increase the effective length and exposure of their existing aerials.

P.

Have you considered the possibility that the iPhone 3G is merely reporting a more conservative (more accurate) assessment of signal strength? In any case, signal strength is a largely useless indicator of service availability since it ignores important factors such as S/N ratio and network capacity.

It must just be my area (South Florida) or something but I consistently get ~4 bars. I can talk with 1 bars just fine and only get a rare drop out with 0 bars. Now if I drop back to EDGE I can only talk with 2 or more bars without losing connection, but the 3G works fine with next to no signal.

Since upgrading to the 3G model I’ve noticed substantially better call quality and coverage - in areas where I couldn’t use the original model at all.

However, last night I first noticed something strange - while driving on a major expressway in an area that’s saturated with cell phone coverage, I had a call slowly degrade, dropping from 3G to Edge and finally drop after the voice became garbled. Then I had No Service for about a mile before it came back up. Hopefully that was just some fluke with the local cell tower…

3G provides better coverage overall within the NW. It’s the first phone and carrier that has coverage within my home! No more wandering the streets to take a call.