iPhone 3G users in Australia and around the world are suffering from slow internet speeds and poor reception because of a flaw in the device that may have been fixed if not for Apple’s immense culture of secrecy.
A source at an Australian telco who did not wish to be named said Apple – paranoid about keeping the device under wraps – only provided the iPhone 3G to carriers the day before it went to market, leaving them with no time to test it thoroughly on their networks.
Users in Australia, Europe and the US have flooded online forums – including Apple’s own discussion boards – with complaints of poor reception, slow internet speeds and dropped calls.
The poor reception – often displayed as one bar – and slow speeds are occurring in areas of good coverage and do not seem to affect other phones.Tom Piotrowski, managing director of IT security company Unixpac, used the original 2G iPhone for a year before upgrading to the 3G version the day it came out.
On the Optus 3G network, which claims average download speeds up to 1.5Mbps, the maximum Piotrowski has achieved using the iNetwork Test iPhone application is 360Kbps, or less than a quarter of the claimed maximum speed.
“It’s not what you expect especially when they make the claim that the 3G network is supposed to be that much faster,” Piotrowski, from Sydney’s northern beaches, said.
Despite the largest number of Australian complaints coming from Optus users, its spokeswoman Melissa Clare refused to provide any comment on the matter.
Jessica Forrest, Vodafone Australia’s spokeswoman, said the iPhone 3G issues were device-specific and nothing to do with the carriers’ networks.
“We are aware of the issues on the iPhone 3G and we’re working with Apple to provide a solution,” she said, declining to elaborate.
Telstra refused to comment, saying that if the issue is with the device itself then Apple should be commenting.
No Apple Australia spokespeople returned any calls requesting comment.
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