Chicken? Uh, could you dumb it down a shade?

Akibake-

Wait, so how does this account for my 3G reception getting worse after 2.0.2?

melikespi

I'm not sure I understand. The problem was caused by people who have not yet updated to 2.0.2? I thought it was caused by 2.0.2, or at least it got bad at the time 2.0.2 was released.

stryder100

@PaaatrickBabyBoy: Ewwwwww Mountain Dew?

MikeSWelch

It's okay. Mark's mom is fat any way. The last thing she needs is more chicken.

Help yourself to seconds, Pops Wilson.

OMG! Ponies!

We're havin chicken tonight!! Chick-chick-chicken tonight!

Enochrewt

*So if the dad eat less chicken, he will be more full??

k2001

Seriously though, someone from Rogers network ops told me the exact same thing, and I tought he was so full of it at the time... im surprised... :) My city only has one 3g tower too...

godkorg

Some if the dad eat less chicken, he will be more full??

k2001

Whats the difference between a chicken and Mark Wilson? Aparently a chicken can feed a family of four... wakka wakka :)

godkorg

Sounds suspiciously like a temporary fix. I'm going to hold off until Giz says it's ok.

mildretard

So what you're saying is that I should tell everyone around me who asks that the iPhone 3G sucks so they don't go out, buy one, and clog up my 3G bandwidth.

Samifumi

Everyone UPDATE. Now. Not later. This second. Sincerely, the rest of the World.

kaffeen

No chicken, only khlav kalash!

PaaatrickBabyBoy

@taking_this_easy: uh, no. 3G iPhone users not upgrading to the newest firmware = bad for everyone.

TonyRockyHorror

"It's sort of like splitting a chicken for dinner. If everyone grabs just one piece, it can feed a family. But if Dad goes back for seconds before Mom sits down to the table, someone is going hungry."

Why is she out of the kitchen, anyway?

If anything, the iPhones aren't taking enough 3G. They should have limitless chicken-taking powers! Muahaha.

Anrui

how could the phone have possibly made it through AT&T's ridiculously long testing phase (bberry Bold STILL in testing supposedly) with a bug like that.

I mean, what the hell do they do while they test new phones for 6 months?

wills916

I vote for more Tower of Power!

+ Watch video

strider_mt2k

i just want them to fix the damn texting lag crap. drives me crazy. i do notice a lot of failed/dropped calls though since the 3g purchase. isn't at&t supposed to be the leader in fewest drop calls...?? what a joke.

graphx

so more iPhone users coming to AT&T's 3G service = bad for everyone?

/me quickly goes to tmobile or verizon...

taking_this_easy

I'm not sure I buy it. I think most folks will have upgraded pretty quickly to 2.02 especially with that txt blast they sent. I haven't seen any improvement - in fact, I'd say my experience has degraded since 2.02.

weatherman

The moral of the story?

Play nice.

Love your mother.

Can't we all just get along?

dc-united

Darn DeAT+Th Star, screwin everything up

Jon B.

So then it won't take five minutes to download 14 rich-text email messages over 3G like it did in Jersey City this morning?

OMG! Ponies!

Is it working because Steve Jobs is dead?

[gizmodo.com]

aliskaba

simple solution add more 3G towers so the coverage will increase
and by adding more towers they can load balance the connections
but if what they say is true then whole usa had to suffer (that means also people without iphone 3g using the same towers)
AFAIK other people didn't suffer or am i missing something?

TBM-Fan

Is this were the case, I should be able to access the internet through my apps like Mail, Twitter, etc. Unfortunately, I can't since 2.0.2. I also can't seem to use the locate feature on Maps. Seems like, not only is ATT not able to handle the load, but Apple messed something up with the update. I shouldn't need an over abundance of power to be able to download an email.

ScrewzLuse

So, if this is the case, then why does 2.0.2 seem to decharge my battery so much faster than 2.0.1?

shiftyeyedgoat

So........ what about the order for the 45 million iphones. Yeah, they won't all be accessing my tower, but what if they did!?!?!?! WHAT IF THEY DID?1!?!!!

remps

Hmm, so I'd want everybody ELSE to update while I keep my power-sucking firmware.

UofITom

They should be baking more chicken.

JackHoliday

@Parapraxis: Go out to the yard and break off a switch for me to hit you with.

OMG! Ponies!

@melikespi: It's using less power.

ripfire

That should read "fix for the iPhone 3g's 3g problem," because clearly that network issue is not the reason I had to type this comment three times.

beardedkid

You should punish daddy by hiding his favorite whiskey.

Parapraxis

This would certainly explain why AT&T is sending users text messages asking them to upgrade.

After all the horrible reviews I've read of 2.0.2, there's no way I'm upgrading until the next release comes out.

RalphWiggum

I'm a dad, you insensitive clod!

marcsiry

So does this only affect the 3G iPhones, or does it also affect the original iPhones?

Joseph

And yes, it's the iPhone 3G's fault... I'm sorry but how can anyone blame the network for having problems because of a device that's set to greedy hog mode?

draiko

[www.quizilla.com]
iPhone 3G: I NEED MORE POWER!

[bjwebb3749.tripod.com]
AT&T (and other carriers): I canna do it Cap'n! Any more an' she's gonna blow! *hic*

[www.jeffrichphoto.com]
iPhone 3G owners: Grrrr!

[fracas.files.wordpress.com]
Apple vs. Carriers

[theprudentindian.files.wordpress.com]
Apple after we find out that the iPhone 3G is to blame

draiko

@PaaatrickBabyBoy: Vendor: Only Mountain Dew or crab juice.
Homer: Ewwwww..... I'll have the crab juice.

I have a question, is every at&t user with a 3G handset experiencing this problem or is it just new iPhone users? Question of the day, maybe? Gimme some biased, most likely inacurate and completely unofficial results that I can produce as fact when I argue with my friends, Gizmodo!

GarciaConcern

well it will only get worse as long as the number of iphones still rise and rise and rise.. if dropped calls are your biggest problem, I think switching of 3G and calling on the more stable edge network should help alot of people, it did for me!

krisve

Maybe I'm not following this...

Let's say everyone downloads the update... Does this mean that if more people buy an iPhone in a given area it might "drain" the tower again and everyone is back to square one again?

Did this software glitch cause such a high power consumption that this fix essentially doubles the amount of people who can use a given tower? Or instead, does this update allow only a few more "pieces of chicken" to be had, and the towers are still operating at close to capacity for 3G data transmission?

Shouldn't everyone who uses a 3G phone be complaining then?

DustyButt

Bottom line, most likely AT&T asked for the fix since they cannot meet capacity.

How is this effecting people who have 3G with non-iPhones? My guess is that they should be effected too. If this is true, then it is a network capacity issue, pure and simple. If it is not true, then it is an iPhone issue.

Well, can people chime in? Deduction can solve this mystery!

brutek

yeah.. I have to agree.. I'd say my 3g service has gotten worse and spottier since 2.0.2... god i hate att..

LostAtoll

@brutek: My father had noticed his HTC 3G had gotten worse connections ever since the iPhone came out. This morning he commented to me that it suddenly seems to be better.

Isildur

@OMG! Ponies!: Thx, didn't know Giz comments used img tags

draiko

@DustyButt:

1. You are right, this doesn't resolve the issue, just postpones the problem.

2. AT&T grows their 3G network along with their user base. As more people sign up, more money is made, and more towers are built. As long as AT&T stays one step ahead of total network capacity, they'll be ok. It's a horrible way to run a network... kinda like living paycheck to paycheck.

3. Yes, everyone with a 3G device on AT&T's network should be complaining in certain areas.

4. We still have yet to see if this fix works. This would also be a good way to keep iPhone 3Gs in people's hands past the 30 day return period. Keep telling everyone that there's a fix. If problems persist, tell them that not enough people have the update.

draiko

@draiko: for pics, type {img src="x.jpg"

Substitute "<" for the "{" , the link to the image for "x.jpg" and DO NOT CLOSE THE TAG. Check "preview comment" before clicking to submit.

OMG! Ponies!

Original story comes via Roughly Drafted:

[www.roughlydrafted.com]

Rener

@OMG! Ponies!: You're in JC too? The AT&T network here is complete shit since the iPhone 3G launch. I guess that's what happens when you have all these huge office buildings, the Newport mall and all the condos/residences in one area probably split between two towers max.

mobilehavoc

Can you hear me now???

iPHONE SOFTWARE PROBLEM!!!

So much for all the testing!

yoshi

Still doesn't work for me at home. I get 3-4 bars of 2.5G service and zero to one bars of 3G service. But turn on 3G, try making a call, and the call fails.

Apparently there's enough signal to make the phone think it can use 3G and enough to prevent it from automatically downgrading to 2.5G, but not enough signal available to actually make a call. Even totally failing to connect isn't enough to convince it otherwise.

ghmlco

This is going to work out great for me. Everyone else will go update and use less power. I will keep my high powered version, have faster service and not get dropped calls or whatever. Quick, everyone go update.

sonicwinder

I wonder if the phone was initially programmed to be this power hungry beast, or if it was programmed within a normal range, but AT&T told apple to cut it back because their network can't handle it. Presumably there are some consumer advantages to the higher power version, assuming AT&T's network could handle it. Perhaps apple set it at a level that was working best in their labs, but as it turns out, they (and AT&T) underestimated the increased number of AT&T subscribers and the network just can't take it, so AT&T has made apple cut it back. I mean, I can't imagine AT&T had no idea what the power consumption was before they allowed the phone on their network. They had to have known and approved it at some point, and are now going back on it.

Either way, the number dropped calls might have decreased (I don't use the phone portion enough to notice, but it seems to be the general consensus), but, otherweise, my 3G performance is noticeably worse on 2.0.2 compared to 2.0 and 2.0.1. From really bad latency causing slow overall loading (not low bandwidth, in my case), down to, more commonly, 3G flat out refuses to grab any data at all, it just sits there spinning until I cycle airplane mode or restart the phone.

I hope this isn't "the" fix. There better be more coming. Because I went from not wanting to use edge because it was too slow (when my 3G was working great), to now, I get excited when I have full edge bars, and scared when I have a 3G signal. I guess I could disable 3G, but I just don't have it in me.

pj_rage

I always figured this had to be network related. I'm in a smaller 3G market and never have had a dropped call while within that area, and always have had reasonable data speeds. Seemed like maybe people having problems were in a more saturated market.

Limekiller

@mobilehavoc:

STFU and install Apple's iPhone update when it comes out, you big baby.

yoshi

Hey, all I know is with all the complaints about 2.0.2, I ain't upgrading my 3G iPhone any time soon...

Sorry if that makes me a selfish SOB, but I can live with it.

And reception here on "Lonk Island" NY isn't all that great either. Lots of call failures.

chasmm

"Everyday, its the f***ing chicken"...-Grandpa Edwin Hoover

thetickler

I have an LG CU500, which is now over a year old, and it came with 3G capability from the get-go. Since AT&T have "turned on" 3G in my area (south-central Louisiana), everyone I know who's on AT&T down here has had crappy connection problems.

The excuse my wife was given just a few weeks ago when she called AT&T was that they had not finished switching over to 3G, and that by the end of this month everything should be fine. Now I read that it's actually from the iPhone sucking...I mean the iPhone sucking too much juice.

So, anyway, to answer a comment from above, yes it has affected everyone with a 3G phone, not just the iPhone.

CajunGuy

In Hoboken, and 3G gets tired after a bit. I have bigger issues with 2.0.2, though... like Safari crashing all the freaking time.

getz76

@aliskaba: Don't they have that new thing where they take away the vowels from comments like yours?

That said, this explains why those Swedes were able to test the iPhone in closed conditions and achieve such good results.

If there's only one test phone requesting power from one source, of course it will work.

We should politely ask them to duplicate these findings and see what they come up with.

Gilbert

@OMG! Ponies!: That was clearly Jersey City and not related to anything other than Jersey City.

Elvisisdead

I feel like chicken tonight, like chicken tonight!

+ Watch video

blb

OK I am calling complete BS on this. First of all it sounds like a compromise between AT&T and Apple to share "blame"..while they try and figure out what the problem is.

Second seems like most the people with 3G iPhone problems indicate that when their 3G iPhone fails others with non-iPhone 3G phones work fine...so if this was true these phones should have been having problems also..but they WEREN'T. Good luck 3G iPhone owners, suck on that placebo and imagine that call going through.

I love my hacked original iPhone running 1.1.4...works fine...I can actually you know make a CALL...what a cell phone is for...

Oh and if MS tried this BS they would get plastered....while Apple just gets a pass. Oh people are "upset" about it but their iPhone, Apple and Jobs remain pristine and clean as if nothing is wrong.

Big bad MS would look like it went 10 rounds with Tyson when he first started boxing professionally.

max11221

There's no way such a problem would not have been caught during early system testing. Conclude, they released the product despite having knowledge of this problem. You want out of your contract with no ETF? Repeat after me: "I will become a party to the class action lawsuit."

whootowl

I also am pretty suspicious of this idea. I can appreciate that Apple and ATT had a problem by not working this out sooner and Apple not building in automatic or urgent updates for the iPhone 3G. But I really don't appreciate that it has taken the entire worldwide gadget blog community to get to this point of understanding.

I've posted my full thoughts on ATT's behavior re: their 3G network on the Macrumors forum under userid "cobalt" (link [forums.macrumors.com]). My further thoughts on the matter are this: ATT has gone on record, admitting that they lack the network coverage they need for the users they have, and that they lack the ability to determine with any accuracy whether someone does or does not have sufficient network connectivity.

Doesn't that mean that ATT can't reasonably refute any claim a customer makes about lack of 3G coverage? So, if I decide to ditch ATT (and the iPhone 3G), then I should be able to get out without paying an ETF (although I'll be stuck with an iPhone 3G). Or, instead, if I decide to call ATT every month and say that I have irregular 3G connectivity every day, which is in fact pretty much true, then I should be able to get service credits every month.

Feedback? Revolt? What?

cobaltage

@b33g33: Hey Anti-fanboy. Maybe you should just admit that your mom screwed up when she dropped you on your head.

The Magnificen7

So, the iPhone, by *Apple*, is greedy? Who'd have thunk?

asten77

@b33g33:

Thank you! They act like the iPhone is the only phucking 3G device on AT&T's netowrk.

yoshi

Hey Fanboys ... maybe its time to admit your messiah screwed up and stop blaming the network. I've had a Samsung Blackjack w/ 3G (No Jobs didn't invent 3G phones) on AT&T for almost 2 years now with nary a problem. Enjoy your lightsaber sounds in the meantime. Who needs to make calls and check emails anyway?

b33g33

@max11221:

Apple's definitely getting a pass on this one.

This is friggin' joke. Apple needs to step it up and take full responsibility.

yoshi

@godkorg: my peeps represent that statement

beekerstudios

Hmm. Ever since 2.0.2 my phone is so buggy. It randomly freezes, key lags, contacts are crazy slow, screen will go black when i try to wake it up. Geez, I've always been an apple fan, but i am now ready to admit that this is not apples finest product. :( Can anyone help me get my phone back to 2.0? Will the downgrade mess up my apps?

TheodoreMedusa

Like Chris Rock would point out:
As long as they saved the BIG piece of chicken for Daddy, everything will be just fine.

So, if the 3G iPhones are asking for too much chicken, what are the 2G ones asking for, chicken flavored Ramen?

codemagic

So those who don't upgrade will have better service? So why upgrade (as an individual that is, you still need the majority to upgrade)?

Suijin

@max11221:

"Oh and if MS tried this BS they would get plastered....while Apple just gets a pass. Oh people are "upset" about it but their iPhone, Apple and Jobs remain pristine and clean as if nothing is wrong."

re: MS - yep, you're right
re: Jobs - nope, didn't you hear? He was dead for a short while last night. I think that was the Bloomberg editors firing a warning shot over his bow.

D.

drzeller

@TheodoreMedusa: mine are just fine.. try a reinstall.

sos10

iPhone on > Check
3G activated > Check
Use Interference Robustness mode > Check

Tedinasia

Wouldn't the 3G speeds get slower if the iPhone is using less power from the towers? I'll just stay with 2.0, everyone else update.

MICHAELSD

BS!

Derek Devine

This type of fix relies on other users updating but favors those who don't.

It's akin to the dynamics of disaster management. Orderly evacuations from burning buildings ensure more people survive. But individuals who scramble may enhance their own chances provided others remain orderly.

Not suggesting people push ahead as they flee a burning building or don't upgrade in order to get more... chicken. Just that the fix is based on a somewhat altruistic model of individual sacrifice for the good of the flock.

frigg

@Isildur: Thanks for the feedback! This is one data point, but if this pans out further, then AT&T has capacity issues and needs to invest in infrastructure rather than their current solution.

The current solution could cause a higher degree of 3G-to-Edge drops since the lower power will mean greater dead spots between towers for phones that have power throttled back.

brutek

@MICHAELSD: Dumbass read up on how CDMA works.

sxr7171

@b33g33: Why do I have a feeling that it affects the rest of us too. I don't know exactly how W-CDMA works but with CDMA messing with the tower's power output like that affects the whole network. Maybe that's why my N78 drops back to EDGE so much more these days.

sxr7171

@wills916: They don't actually test the phone for functionality. They just check to see if the phone can be coaxed to do things it shouldn't like tethering or VOIP or anything else that can cut into revenues. That process takes 6 months to a year. Once they make sure the phone cannot do anything that would cut into revenue they release it and let owners test it for proper function in advertised functionality.

sxr7171

@sxr7171: Can't say I've seen any issues over in the Atl area. But I will keep a closer eye on it nevertheless.

b33g33

@The Magnificen7: What a witty repartee ... you must be one those people that paid $599 for the original iPhone.

b33g33

Riiiight. So what about the fact that millions of other 3G enabled phones on at&t and other carriers using the same towers are NOT having similar issues?

I highly doubt its a tower issue, more like a combination of an at&t capacity requirement and a much needed software update. If everyone updated to 2.0.2 tonight they would have to think of another excu.. reason to stall.

TKWarrior

@b33g33: Or someone who lives in Canada, and did not have reliable access to an iPhone until the unlocked phones were readily available, but I decided to wait. And you forget the original iPhone was not subsidized. Why don't you go to AT&T and see what unsubsidized phones cost just a little more than a year later?

Maybe I'm tired of idiots like you constantly feel the need to make statements about some inflated sense of superiority when it is not deserved. You can say all you want about Apple 'fanboys,' but there are real people who use these products who are vastly more intelligent and want to join a discussion without seeing some misinformed jackass making insane statements like the one I had first replied to.

And guess what? Canadian users have had no problems, and we are using the same phone. It is AT&T. You have no idea what you are talking about, and just because you think we give a shit that you are somehow well informed because you own a different phone, that I wouldn't even glance at, you are sorely mistaken. Grow up, keep thinking your Blackjack matters (Hint: Moto is toast), and leave the rest of us alone. If you label anyone here as you did in the post above again, I'm sure you will receive more comments like this one.

The Magnificen7

@The Magnificen7: Yet another well thought out and civil response. You are definitely building a towering case for your intelligence and character. By the way, the Blackjack is made by Samsung. Maybe you've heard of them? They are the largest electronic company in the world (no its not Apple). Maybe you dont have Google in Canada, but you might want to drive across the border and go into a cybercafe (a place with internet and google access) and type in 'blackjack phone' into the google input box. Typically intelligent people research their claims before typing them up. But of course, someone of your intelligence obviously would have known that beforehand.

I personally find it hilarious that people like you are salivating at your collective apple-techno-stack leashes whenever someone dares to criticize your mighty benefactor. I actually have a lot of good friends who own and use Apple products without this adolescent need to pick flame wars with anyone who questions their loyalty. But then again, they are mature, successful professionals who don't need to rely on the latest toy from Cupertino to validate their existence.

Have a good evening.

b33g33

@The Magnificen7: he told you

charger08

@frigg: Communism vs capitalism... good of the whole vs the good of oneself...

Either way, I'm glad I'm getting a Sprint Touch Diamond (or Pro) soon.

draiko

so thta must have been why i got that annoying txt asking me to update my phone

elislider

Very weird I have a Moto Z9 with 3G and it has worked flawlessly on 3G since it's inception here in June. Maybe it IS the IPhone and not AT&T's network.

FireZingr

@brutek: It's not affecting me at all on my WinMo htc Tilt. I swap out the card from my iPhone 3G when I want to teather, or use serious phone features like voice dial built in to WinMo. Works GREAT when teatherd and I can hardly tell a difference from a broadband connection. I have noticed iPhone users cursing and spitting when I light this up but that may just be coincidence.

SnakeFarm

Yay! Give less power to a phone that can barely hold onto a signal in the first place! Smart thinking, guys!

dcdttu

...and btw, my phone is NO better. Anywhere.

dcdttu

OMG Ponies,

Will you give me a helicopter ride? Or am I just another peon to you? =(

logie

From what I have witnessed personally, I believe that the problem is two-fold. The first part is the obvious problem that everyone else knows about: the iPhone was too "power hungry" for the AT&T network. I am guessing that anyone who updated to the 2.0.2 firmware has a slower connection now, because the iPhone doesn't draw as much power from those towers. This leads me to the second problem: AT&T does not have enough towers or infrastructure to handle the new load on the network. I have noticed this with my 3G non-iPhone from them. Service has been severely hampered by the additional customers with AT&T and honestly I believe that they were just too cheap to make the network better. So basically it is Apple's fault because they made such a damn popular device and AT&T's fault because they are cheap bastards who can't even support their own bloat.

macusernick

So if someone (me) doesn't update, but everyone else does, will my phone be an all powerful power hog? Essentially a hack achieved by laziness?

Toren16

This 2.02 fix has worked for me. I had Edge only at my house - now there are 3 to bars 3G all the time.

roqfish

I used to repair cell phones for Cingular a few years ago. 3G Is newer than me, but the technologies are comparable. I believe the Swedish studies to the point that they do not realistically test for a hand-off; unless the newer test-beds do a better job of simulating it. Now, as for this current proposal, there is a conundrum... For the network to get better everyone must update to 2.0.2; however, those who update to 2.0.2 get pushed further to the back of the chicken line until everyone updates. For those who have ever studied public administration, this is a perfect "drain the swamp" example. It is in everyone's (collective) best interest to update immediately; but it is not ideal for any individual to update. AT&T / Apple should make this a mandatory update if they have the capability to do that.

(How was that for a first post?)

pcyoung

As far as I'm concerned I'll stick with 2.0.1 as long as possible. With everyone else on 2.0.2 requesting less power, I'll be cruising along with my power hungry 2.0.1 firmware getting faster data throughput!

KendraCalvus

how about the issue where apple blocks access to someone's media and apps if they don't sync every couple of days. I went away for a week, and 2 days in lost access to my media. Apple stated nothing could be done until I returned home, so basically putting all my media on one device screwed me.

muscleboybx