The ranks of unhappy iPhone users continued to swell at the weekend as Apple customers complained about problems maintaining a signal on the company's new 3G handset. Over the past few weeks, customers have flocked to Apple's online support forums to complain about weak or fluctuating signals leading to dropped calls and long download times.... "I have had my iPhone since this past Sunday," wrote one iPhone customer on an Apple support forum last week. "The reception issues began immediately with 3G flip-flopping between 'no signal' and up to four bars - but usually hovering between none and two.".... Not all iPhone users are reporting problems but a growing number of anecdotal reports from around the world indicates that the phenomenon may be widespread. Apple has yet to publicly acknowledge the problem, compounding the frustration for some users.
OK, so I broke down and bought an iPhone 3G. Having been able to sell my 2G on Craigslist for $290, I figured why not? I made a nice $90 profit selling my 2G, and the 3G was touted as being twice as fast...right? Well...you know how some things aren't exactly what they're made out to be?? Yes, Virginia, this would be one of those times.
The first thing I noticed, and I am NOT happy about this (nor am I alone in my dismay), is that the 3G's signal strength (MORE BARS IN MORE PLACES!!) has been abysmal at best. Rarely do I see more than two (out of five) bars, and very often there are none at all. I've lost calls and missed calls altogether. To say that this isn't exactly what I had in mind would be something of an understatement.
Don't get me wrong; I still love my iPhone. If I knew that this is what I'd be getting, though, I would have hung onto my 2G and been perfectly happy. I'm still a huge Apple fan (he says as he types this on the MacBook he still adores), and I have to believe that Apple will manage to come up with a fix. I'm willing to be patient...to a point. I gotta tell you, though, that this is not at all what I paid for.
Stay tuned....
