yeah that guy doesn't inspire much confidence in me though.

he's says that -90 db is better than -80 db, which is incorrect

i don't know what to make of his claims!

2.0.2 out now. let us know if it improves your reception!

edit- just updated, no obvious improvement (yet)

2.0.2 update hasn't resolved poor reception problem, but 3G data speed gone up. Vodafone 3G data speed was 381 Kbps yesterday, it's 630 Kbps today (after 2.0.2 update).

Here is a full article about the problem, PC World - FAQ: IPhone 3G Reception -- What's the Problem?

You can test your iPhone data speed at TestmyiPhone.com then register your findings on their global ZeeMap.

Testmyiphone.com - iPhone Speed Test

ZeeMaps: Wired.com Study: Global iPhone 3G Performance

test my iphone is totally inaccurate, as its some one's home web site on a overseas lousy link, thus not to be taken with any accuracy at all. I find I can get data anywhere from 900kbs to 1.65Mbs, on optus, and I havnt applied the update yet.

go an have a read here... most of the complaints are just rubbish!

AppleInsider | Inside the iPhone 3G dropped call complaints

do you mean that -
A- all the "evidence" supporting the complaints of people around the world are rubbish, OR
B- that all the complaints themselves are rubbish?

cause i'll definitely agree with A. none of the speculation to date can be taken too seriously. it's all too tainted, and none of it seems to be coming from people who might actually know what's going on. (financial analysts, scientists who don't want to be named...)

if you are suggesting B, then I think that's a bit insulting to anyone who does have an issue

Installed 2.02 and there seems to be no apparent difference. I am sitting in my office, bang next to a full wall window 0.3km from a tower in St Leonards and getting barely 1 bar.

Last night in my house in Glenwood I was getting 3 bars and was unable to get a data connection (see image). In my house signal strength has ranged from 1 bar to a full 5 on 3G - sometimes even No Service. In both locations I always get an excellent 2G signal.

Thus my theory is that whilst there is certainly an issue with the phone, there is also an issue with the carriers. I suspect that Optus have been overwhelmed with new users. I switched from being a long time Vodafone customer because the plans are more affordable. Whilst 3G phones have been around for a while, the nature of the iPhone makes it likely that much more data will be used.

yes i agree there seems to be 2 fairly distinct problems -
1- you get shitty reception (iphone problem?)
2- you get no data connection, or data/gateway timeouts (carrier problem? - has been more frequent over the last few days potentially? i personally have not seen it, but live in a very small town, i believe Melb users were reporting timeouts yesterday on Optus)

Has anyone got a local report on whether this has helped yet?

I was in the process of handing mine back when I read about this. I clawed it back and will try it tonight.

I'm on Voda in Brisbane, and have just gone from 2.0.0 to 2.0.2 (I skipped the .0.1).

Previously I have expereinced poor xfer speeds, and very poor reception on 3g. Having done the upgrade I would say there is very little to no difference in the displayed signal strength, and using iNetworkTest, I'm getting pretty much identical or WORSE transfer rates to 2.0.1

Last week (Friday) I was getting between 218 and 333 kbps sitting here at my desk (AMP Place, Eagle St, Brisbane CBD) when I had 2 bars of 3G signal.

Now (on 2.0.2) I am getting 3 bars of 3G signal, but between 178 and 191 kbps.

pretty inconclusive, but it certainly isn't a magic fix...

Simon.

I have given it most of the day, and tested the phone in some familiar locations, and can't see a difference yet.

After your iPhone loses signal, and drops back to 2G, does anyone ever see their iPhone switch back to 3G on it's own? (without using the airplane mode toggle, or a power cycle)

For me this has been one of the most annoying aspects of the iPhone. The phone will drop back to 2G, and for me, I don't think I've ever seen it pick up a 3G signal again, of it's own accord. (Even if while on 2G, I drive to the base of the 3G tower, it will not switch up. Yet if i airplane mode toggle, then I'll get 5 bars 3G!)

Well I've installed it. It's early but I can't see any difference in anything yet. I'm sitting here with 1 bar of 3g 7k north of the Brisbane CBD - on a hill. I haven't seen it swap to GSM though... might be co-incidental.

I did the poll at last. Where can I see the results? I used the speedtest in the poll. I got 161 on the Optus 3g network. Wow that is speedy... not...

ill check to see if you can online view the results, but i dont think you can

i can email it them to you if you are interested. it's a csv that opens in excel.

Reception hasn't improved with 2.0.2 but I'm noticing it swaps to 2G quicker than it used to when the 3G signal is lost. It used to just stay on No Signal and I couldn't even make a call... but it seems to switch from 1 bar 3g to full 2G reception when I try to make a phone call. have only seen the No Service for a few seconds at a time.

To be honest I know that the 3G signal in my apartment is pretty dodgy (I'm with Vodafone) but I just want to be able to make phone calls, so this improvement is a step in the right direction for my situation. I have wifi at home for anything that needs data.

On a separate issue, I've been testing my "hold the phone upside down for better reception" theory and I'm finding that it works almost anywhere the 3G signal is weak. In my apartment I get 1 bar 3g, but if I hold the phone upside down it goes to 2 - 3 bars 3G...
Today I was at McMahons Point (Only a hop, skip and a quick swim to Sydney CBD) and I was getting 2 bars of 3G reception, but holding the phone upside down I got Full 5 bars of 3G reception. I sat in the same spot turning it from right way up to upside down watching the reception change ever time without fail...

The only thing I can think that would cause this is the antenna being at the bottom of the phone and being blocked (or interfered with) when your hand is covering it. If this is true then the phone in theory has no problem picking up a 3G signal, it's more a design fault (which unfortunately cannot be fixed with any amount of software...)

Here's hoping It's not that but test the theory and see if you get the same thing that's happening to me?

yes i have always seen the upside down=better reception, for me the signal goes from 1 bar, up to 1-3 bars.

are you seeing your phone reconnect to a 3G network from 2G? i see the iphone go 3g-->2g most of the time without too much difficulty. i do not think i have seen my iphone do 2g-->3g without me manually toggling airplane mode, or turning the iphone on/off.

No, mine goes back and forth.
Since updating today it seems to be going back and forth quite frequently at home, can't be good for the battery