If you're new I Phone 3G is silent, it is because it is:

Question

Here is the problem. I have 3G coverage at work but not at home. So, when I am at home I use Wi-Fi to get used to the phone, try out the Apps, and see how it works. It works very well on Wi-Fi. I then put the phone in airplane mode and go to bed. The next morning I turn off airplane mode and make sure that 3G is on. Wi-Fi is off. At work my Tilt, which I wear on my left side with the IPhone 3G on my right, goes off quite often indicating to me that I have email. The IPhone 3G is silent even though I have the same email account on it.
After the day is almost over it dawns on me, why has my IPhone 3G been silent all day and my Tilt has received and downloaded a dozen or more emails when both phones have the same email account? So, I go to the IPhone 3G and check my email manually. The little circle at the top and the one at the bottom spin and spins for ever I guess if I let it. Finally realizing that it is not going to finish, I exit the email app by pushing the home button. I then shut off the phone completely (holding down the wake/on button for 6 seconds or so) and when the IPhone 3G re-boots bam I have all dozen or so emails. This happens very consistently, each and every day. Someone else with the same problem has found that if you hold the home key when these circles are spinning in the email app for 6 seconds it will close the email app and then when you re-enter the email app you get all your emails. So, the IPhone 3G is silently doing absolutely nothing for you but adding weight to your belt, unless you continually power it off and back on, or close every application you run completely by holding the home button for 6 seconds, which is what many others are doing to get around this problem. You also need to shut the phone off after each use of Wi-Fi if you plan to use the phone or email functions on anything other than Wi-Fi. I do not know how the IPhone 3G could be any more unreliable than this. You are under the false impression that the IPhone 3G is working in the background for you, retrieving all your emails faithfully, when in reality it is just in a deep, deep sleep.
I think this is part of the 3G drop call issue that so many have complained about in the very long thread on that subject. It seems to be related to the IPhone 3G trying to switch between networks, and in this case Wi-Fi. I have to be able to depend on my phone and email client to provide me reliable calls and email in a timely fashion, just like I depend on my brand new car to get me to work and back each and every day. If something should go wrong with the brand new car, the dealer will fix it within days.
I am wondering just how many others are having this issue and if anyone has come up with a fix, or knows there will be one shortly for this issue other than the two (2) mentioned? These two (2) workarounds are not fixes anymore than if I had to pull my car over every few miles to restart it would be a fix that would allow me to get to work and back. This is my first Apple product and if these issues are not fixed by the time I get my next bill from ATT it will also be my last. I also had been very seriously considering a Mac Pro (loaded with about $7,000.00 or so), and that purchase is now being re-thought. Whether that purchase will take place will be highly dependent on how Apple and ATT handle these major issues with the IPhone 3G. Apple's silence will only make these problems much worse for all involved.
My question is a simple one, when will this, and all the other problems with the IPhone 3G be fixed?
The Omega

Answer 1

No, I have not taken my phone for exchange as I think it is a coin toss as to if the new one will be better or possibly have issues I do not have on this one.
I also get emails, and with Mobile Me almost instantly, just like Steve Jobs showed. Mobile Me works great, as do all the other emails, so I do not think this is an issue with just my phone. The problem only occurs under the following conditions.
1) I use Wi-Fi to browse the Internet, get email, or whatever.
2) I then turn on 3G in an area that does not have 3G and barely has Edge (Wi-Fi is off).
3) I go to work where I get full bars on 3G.
Now, at work after I have done the 3 above things, I get no emails on any email account, including Mobile Me until I either power the phone all the way off or completely close out the email App by holding down the home button. If I do power the phone off after using Wi-Fi before I go to bed for example, then email works fine.
The Omega