3GS 3G signal

Hi,
I have had my 3GS for just less than a week, and so far love it! The only thing is, my data signal is rubbish.
It constantly switches between GPRS, Edge and 3G. Its hardly ever on 3G, only for a short period of time, and even then it doesnt seem that quick. Its mainly on GPRS.
I spoke to o2, and they said that in the area they are having problems with the data network, which is fair enough.
But then my dad got home, and he has a N95 8GB, and in my room, he has constant 3G, and a lot of the time 3.5G and its really fast. He is also on o2, so i dont see why there should be so much difference?
Im starting to think there might be something wrong with the phone, but dont want to take it back and end up with a yellow screen one!
Has anyone got any ideas as to what it might be? Or ways to solve it?
thanks!

Hi Shaady,
there is already some discussion on this in the forum. There are several issues to consider.
1 - Some have discovered, that holding the phone at the very top with 2 fingers only has improved signal strenght, while holding it at the bottom lost the signal.
2 - Some (I am included) have experienced a very slight improvement after the SIM-card was thickened. Maybe the contacts are not tight enough with some models.
3 - Many get improvement by completely switching 3G off at low covered areas. This prevents the iPhone from switching between 3G and GSM.
4 - Im sure I have not covered all of these vague thesis.
Regarding the "yellow screen issue" - I have yet not seen an iPhone with that problem. Remember that even if there are a very few faulty devices most of us do not have any problems at all.
Fred

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3gs No Signal Unless Im Near To The Local Cell Antenna

So my iphone 3gs worked fine and now it only gets signal when nearer to a cell mast. I used to get reception pretty much everywhere but now i dont get any at my home but when i drive through town and when im at work i get full signal. I have taken the phone apart and there are no lose conections and i have changed the antenna charging port but still the same..i may have dropped the phone at some point but im not sure...any ideas any one.

Right, which is still where I'm kind of confused, but is it possible that although the iPod isn't connecting to the wifi network, the location information is still being passed through to the iPod via the WiFi network? So although it isn't allowing you ON the network, it's still acting as a location server and allowing that location data to be transferred? I have a hard time believing that, as then you'd potentially be getting location requests from every person that drives by.
Not only that, but I wasn't exactly driving 10 MPH... I was going by these houses at about 35 MPH, so it's a little hard to understand how that location information could be consistently getting to my iPod even though I'm only in 'range' of any given WiFi network for about 3 seconds.
EDIT: It also knew where I was when I was behind a grocery store, not anywhere near ANY kind of neighborhood or connectable WiFi.

3GS no signal

I just dropped my iPhone 3GS earlier and right after a while, my phone signal went off. There's no bars or and any searching signs that they are looking for signals. The signal will come back only like after 2-3 mins or so and go off again after a while.
What should I do? Is there any way to look at this matter? Really need advice. Thanks so much!

livelifeoffthewall wrote:
Got it off me Dad's mate in May
It sounds to me like the iPhones IMEI has been blocked - this has been discussed a lot on these forums. It basically means that the iPhone has been reported lost or stolen by the owner. I'd recommend calling O2 and asking them. You will need to the iPhones IMEI number which you can find by looking at:
Settings > General > About > And scrolling down to the bottom...it's a 15 digit number.
By calling them they will be able to tell you the phones back ground.
Would I be able to get it exchanged at the Apple Store? I know it's a massive longshot as I'd probably need ID and proof of purchase and that, but I thought I'd give it an ask rather than sell it for spares or repairs when it was possible to get it exchanged.
If the above is not the problem and it's still under warranty then it might be eligible for repair/replacement. You should connect it to iTunes and register it using your own personal Apple ID and information.
Failing both of these I'd put it on an internet auction site and cut my losses.
Please let us know how it goes.
Best of luck..
Ricky

Video of my 3GS with Signal Problems

In this video you can see with your eyes how the signal reception works
on my Brand new iPhone 3GS 16gb Black.
You can see what happends as i simply grab it with my hand...
without move it from it's originally position.
That's really bad...
HD version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWWP5khUJGs
SD version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmu1uEibOwI
Come one Apple, here there is a problem, fix it please!

I am on my second Iphone 3GS 32Gb here in the UK, the first being returned due to poor signal.
The replacement is no better!!
With my N95, I have a medium 3G signal and a rock solid 2G signal. I never have calls drop or lose all signal at home.
Since I purchased and started using the Iphone 3GS, I would say 80% of my calls at home either drop or the recipient of the call complains that they can't hear me.
I also get the "No Cellular Network" message with alarming frequency on the Iphone.
If nothing is rectified in the next few days (and frankly I don't see how it can) I will be returning the Iphone for a full refund under O2's 14-day policy.
It's a shame, as I love the capabilities of the handset (other than not holding a signal obviously), but for me the No1 feature I require in any sort of smartphone is the ability to reliably make voice calls..and at the minute, I'm not sure, in that respect, the Iphone 3GS is fit for purpose!!
Message was edited by: Gadgetnutter

Another unhappy iPhone 3GS user - SIGNAL issues

I have recently (2wks ago) received an iPhone 3GS from Vodafone UK.
Which like many other users has a problem holding a signal.
In the house I can't even hold a 2G signal and that is in a "good to excellent 3G area".
And 3G is hardly ever possible in the house.
Now this continues to be a BIG issue outside the house which is apparently an "Excellent 3G area".
It drops signal at the drop of a hat.
Many people are reporting the same issues on the Vodafone forums but we keep getting fobbed off.
And I notice other people here too mentioning signal issues.
Am well fed-up of this and feel well ripped off - the phone barely functions for the purpose it was meant for "PHONE".
I have tried all the scripted useless help Vodafone give out - does anyone have any suggestions ???

FWIW, I think it's down to a poor receiver, not an 'inherent fault' as you suggest.
If you want to take it further, then I suggest a legal route if Vodafone aren't sympathetic.
You won't get any more useful advice here, because there is no more to give!
Actually, there is some more advice. Recently, Vodafone have started to push their 'Sure Signal' box. Guaranteed signal in your home via wi-fi for £50. It's a no-brainer for you I would suggest.
http://online.vodafone.co.uk/dispatch/Portal/appmanager/vodafone/wrp?nfpb=true&_pageLabel=templateCClamp&pageID=PPP0161
Message was edited by: igmackenzie

Weak 3gs wifi signal after upgrade to ios6

Anyone experienced the same thing after upgrading their 3gs to ios6?
I noticed that wi-fi signal became weaker.
I am on the same spot inside the house and the 3gs cannot detect my connection.

I have the same issue since I upgraded to iOS 6. My 3GS (end of 2009) has extremely weak WiFi signal from areas I used to get very strong signal. I now need to be within 12 inches of my home WiFi access point for the phone to pickup the signal. And the connection drops as soon as I am getting more than 12 inches away.
Same behavior from our WiFi at work -- I can no longer connect on the corporate WiFi from my office space!!
I also went to the Apple store in San Jose, and the phone was not even able to pickup the Apple WiFi signal from the middle of the shop!!! This very same phone was working flawlessly on 5.1.1 before the iOS 6.0 upgrade. I tried all the tricks people said to no available. Nothing works. My phone is useless now because of Apple!! Isn't this a trick to force people changing to newer phone?? Now I am using too much from my 3G plan and it will cost me moneys because of this..
Apple starts to look like a Lemon to me..

3GS loosing service constantly

3GS dropping signal saying it has no service in full 3G areas without moving around just dropping out constantly also sometimes takes up to 15 mins to try and make a phone call I have talked to other iPhone users an none of them have this problem what should I do¿

You'll be pleased (!!??!!) to know you are not alone - I have 2 iPhone 3GS on contract with Vodafone here in the UK and they are both exactly the same as yours - signal keeps disappearing every time you try to use it. Took me 1.5 hours to actually send a text the other day, by that time it was actually received too late to be relevant! My phones are also about 9 months old - bad batch or just plain rubbish?
No point in a mobile phone that doesn't allow you to be mobile is there?
Nobody seems to care that they don't work despite around 50 e-mails to Vodafone & countless phone calls - getting my money as my part of the contract but not fulfilling theirs..................

I am facing wifi and mobile 2G signal issue after upgrading to IOS 6 from IOS 5 in IPhone 3GS. Please help, restoring setting even didn't helped.

I am facing wifi and mobile 2G signal issue after upgrading to IOS 6 from IOS 5 in IPhone 3GS. The mobile carrier signal as well as WIFI suddenly drops zero and are then restored automatically. Sometimes i cannot conenct to WIFI even standing infront of WIFI router. Please help, restoring setting even didn't helped.

Update: my phone's connecting to the WiFi again. I don't know what did the trick. I did nothing since reinstalling the software. It hadn't worked then, it is now. I tried connecting to my dad's phone's hotspot( he uses a Moto G), and it worked. I then tried connecting to the WiFi at a friend's house, and when I came back home, my phone was able to connect to my WiFi! Is it of any significance that my friend's router doesn't require a password? My issue has been resolved( for now; I hope I'm not counting my chickens before they've hatched). For anyone facing a similar issue, I suggest you try everything I did:
1. Turn your router off for a minimum of 30 seconds, turn it back on and try connecting.
2. Click on the WiFi network you are connected to, scroll to the bottom, tap "Renew Lease".
3. Do a soft and hard reset.
4. Reset network settings.
5. Back your data up, erase all content from settings menu, restore from backup.
6. Reinstall your software( put it in recovery mode).
I am not sure which of the above worked for me. Make sure you try everything. If none of the above works, take it to a genius bar or an authorised service provider. Good luck! :)

I had recently followed orders to restore my iPhone 3gs (iOS 6.1) from a question on apple support. However it was working fine before that, it's just that my phone didn't have signal. So it said to restore my iPhone and now it says that the Activation se

i had recently followed orders to restore my iPhone 3gs (iOS 6.1) from a question on apple support. However it was working fine before that, it's just that my phone didn't have signal. So it said to restore my iPhone and now it says that the Activation server is temporarily unavailable and when i plugged it into my mac, it said that i ddn't have a sim card installed. What can I do to fix this besides bring it to the store? it also bugs me because this answer was supposed to work but it just messed my phone up even more. This has already happened once and i had to take it to the store. What should I do to fix this? Thank you so much for all answers. i really appreciate.

no so i dont know what happened

My iPhone 3GS have little signal of wifi. What can I do??

My iPhone 3GS have little signal of wifi. What can I do??

Hi jazznola9,
Welcome to the Apple Support Communities!
There are several steps you can take when troubleshooting Wi-Fi connectivity on an iPhone and it sounds like you have already done a few of them already. In your situation I would recommend reading over and working through the steps listed in the attached article.
iOS: Troubleshooting Wi-Fi networks and connections
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1398
Have a great day,
Joe

Terrible signal problem in iPhone 3GS

Hi;
I have old iPhone 3G. Which i lost over the last long weekend so i brought the new iPhone 3GS. we all know that iPhone has shaky 3G reception but 3GS is worse than 3G. In the same places where i was getting full signal now i am getting hardly any signal with my new 3GS.And sometimes when its going back to Edge in case bad 3G, it's not returning back to 3G automatically after i moveed to good reception area.
Is there a problem with 3GS? or is it just secific to certain Handset. Please let me know. As per the input, i will take up with Apple.
Thanks in Advance.

First of all , please excuse me for my english.
However i totally agree with infenitely.
1) 1 person with a problem: is not an issue. 2 Persons: can be. Many persons (and in this forum seems to be this case) : is a problem. Many persons all around the world (this is my 5th forum this evening): is a statistical mess.
2) Production processes : is something that i don't want to ear. I paid for something that had to have some characteristcs and (actually) it has half of what it was supposed to have. (in italy I paid 619 € for a 16gb).
3) assistance: is not possible to spend 25 minutes calling the Italian Apple Phone Number (0,48 € per minute) and then the first time the call dropped and the second time the person told me "i'm afraid, i cannot help you, probably depends on you provider.." or some other stupid answers that shows the incompetence of this Apple Operator.
I'm using it since one week ago (previously i had an iphone 3g) and right now this is what happened to me:
a) if during a phone call i receive a Text Message or an email, sometimes the call drop, other times i start to ear a metallic rumor and i have to drop the call.
b) with any reason the phone switch from 3g to GPRS (i don't have edge): i can say with any reason because the other phone i'm using for work (nokia E71) in the same place "on the other side of the table" has a full 3g signal.
c) during the internet navigation, it freeze like if there is no signal and then i have to power off and then power on it to navigate again
d) many times during the day it "says" no phone signal - impossible to do phone calls" (mre or less translating the italian phrase), when the other phones (mine and of my colleagues) has no problem.
So is a statistical problem: the only thing i hope is to have the possibility to speak with someone of Apple Italia really expert that can help me on this trubles.
Excuse me again for my English
Ruggero

3GS external speakers no longer work and significantly diminished recognization of carrier signal

Recently my IPhone 3GS has, through events unknown to me, stopped emitting any sound from the external speakers (sound quality is perfectly fine from headset). Also, signal strength has become almost entirely diminished, and most often "No Carrier" is displayed (have an additional IPhone 3GS on same firmware without any problems, and is actually a few months older). Not sure if the phone is still covered under warranty, since the weblink is not functioning. Was wondering, even though it may not be under Apple's "Limited Warranty" due to duration of time since purchase, will an exchange for a refurb or possibly a service request be compensated? Just wondering what my options are, especially since I am under a business plan through AT&T and have multiple IPhones for coworkers/"friends" including 3-3GS's and a recent IPhone 4 (not to mention my personal IPod Classic for my evening jogging).

If its under warranty thenmaybe Apple will fix it, they are very easy to come by search "iPhones 3gsdock connector" on eBay and this will show you exactly how to take the phone apart to get to the dock connector, I have brought one from eBay today as I have been having antenna problems with my phone hopefully that will fix it, anyway here is the guide to the iPhone disassembly.
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/Installing-iPhone-3GS-Dock-Connector/1546/1
3Gs' are very easy to takeapart all you need is a small Philips screw driver and a suction pad.
Hope it goes well
Chris

My 3gs (11 months old) has been losing all signal

my 3gs (11 months old) has been losing all signal for calls and both 3g/wifi, goes to "searching" then "no signal", and back to some signal but not for long at all. i upgraded to ios5 couple of wks ago but this was all happening before that, was hoping the upgrade would help, but noooooooooo! battery power has gone so bad in last few days too, charging up to 3 times a day!! cant afford a new phone so any help would be really appreciated.

A reset may help. Tap and hold the Home button and the On/Off buttons for approximately 10-15 seconds, until the Apple logo reappears. When the logo appears, release both buttons.
No content is affected by this procedure.

Worse signal with 3Gs??? What's going on??

Have my new 3Gs at work for first time. When I was on the phone in my office The other person could not hear me!! I looked at the signal strength and it was on edge at 1-2 bars and when I walked around would sometimes jump to 3G or get worse. I dont remember having this issues with my 3G. Is the reception worse on the 3Gs? Could I have a bad phone?? Any suggestions or ideas appreciated.

Well, I put up with the worse signal for a long time and then gave in and started reading the forums. Should have done that first like I usually do but I guess I was ********. My problems started like this.
iPhone 3gs came out the same week that our rural area started testing 3g coverage. I waited a bit thinking that my problems were network "testing" related.
I used to get better coverage with 3G phone when I would just use my EDGE coverage and have 3g turned off. So, I started to turn off 3G to see if it would work like before. No luck.
Then I started having times were I would switch from 3g tower to EDGE tower, vice versa, and I would get no data transfer and would have to restart phone. I called Apple and they told me to reset my network settings when it did that. Lame fix to an obvious problem. I don't have time to reset or restart (which btw takes forever with iPhone).
So, to my solution as off now, scotch tape. I searched and read about it and figured, heck, what will it hurt. I went straight to putting two pieces of tape on the back of my SIM card and so far I do have better signal. I will be testing this out when i get home and see what happens. When I went from 3G to 3GS phone my signal went from full bars to one bar. AND I CAN SEE THE NEW TOWER FROM MY BACK PORCH. I'm talking like a quarter of a mile from my house. RIDICULOUS!!!
Hopefully this works out in the long run. If not, I am taking this thing in for a new one. And, if this phone goes to Verizon, I will gladly pay the $350 for my wife and I to cancel our contract and go back to Verizon.

3GS signal problem

Hi,
Any know problems for iphone with the ff specs?
============
3GS model version 3.1.2 (7D11) Firmware 05.11.07
============
My iphone signal is toggling from 2G to 3G while stationary. Any ideas how to fix this? Thanks.

DEAR
I UPDATE MY I PHONE TO NEW FIRMWARE 3.1.3 BUT I HAVE PROBLEM NO SIGNAL THE SIM NOT WORKING

3GS 3G signal

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