14 DAY TRIAL // Although Apple is yet to acknowledge 3G connectivity issues surrounding its newly-released iPhone, reports are hitting from everywhere with claims of both hardware and software glitches to be the cause of weak signals. Additionally, Apple is said to be prepping a software fix to deal with the problems users are experiencing.
A BusinessWeek piece, for instance, reveals that the Infineon chipset used to provide 3G connectivity in the iPhone is likely the cause of the said issues. Forced to keep up with the immense data consumption of the device, the connectivity is poor or lost in some cases. Other sources cited in the report say that Apple has been so conservative with the software settings that the device cannot accurately determine whether the 3G signal and bandwidth are sufficient to support the features using it.
"Two sources say Apple will likely issue a software update by the end of September - if not by the end of this month - to resolve the issues," reads the report. "Apple and Infineon are currently testing the fix, which will be included in a broader update of the iPhone's software [...]. Part of the role of the Infineon chip is to check whether there's enough 3G bandwidth available in a given area. If 3G isn't available or there isn't enough bandwidth, the iPhone will be shifted to a slower network."
But here's where it gets interesting. According to another source, "Apple programmed the Infineon chip to demand a more powerful 3G signal than the iPhone really requires". The author deduced that "if too many people try to make a call or go on the Internet in a given area, some of the devices will decide there's insufficient power and switch to the slower network - even if there is enough 3G bandwidth available".
It is fair to assume these predictions are accurate, as well as those made by an MSNBC.com article citing a report from Ny Teknik, a Swedish technical magazine, which MacRumors points out to. This source claims that the issues are, in fact, related to the hardware inside the new iPhone 3G: "... the most likely cause of the 3G problems is defective adjustments between the antenna and an amplifier that captures very weak signals from the antenna," the source is cited. "This could lead to poor 3G connectivity and slower data speeds."
Do you own an Apple 3G handset? Are you experiencing these issues?