Aug 21, 2008 2:09 pm US/Eastern
3G iPhone Bugs Are Really Bugging Users
Apple's 3G iPhone Debuted On July 11
MIAMI (CBS) ―
Apple's 3G iPhone is the cell phone millions couldn't wait to have. Now, many are wishing they didn't. Just a month after its Hollywood style release, there are problems and plenty of complaints about the device described as Apple's crown jewel, reports CBS station WFOR-TV in Miami.
On July 11th, Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the world to the 3G iPhone, the so-called future of mobile phones. But many owners say the only future they have seen since its debut is a series of problems, like dropped calls and slow, or no, Web service.
To get a sense of how the iPhone 3G is performing, the CBS Early Show tested it in various U.S. cities including New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and London. In every city, they encountered connectivity issues, and other problems. A user in New York said his device wasn't loading, despite a software patch.
One in Los Angeles said, "It basically does everything I want it to do, except for sometimes, it doesn't. It will open up, give me a title page or splash card for a couple of seconds, and then it'll just go back to the home screen."
A man in San Francisco said, "We're here in the heart of the financial district, and I don't even have 3G connectivity, so it's kind of a bummer."
iPhone carrier AT&T's 3G network is relatively new, but in London, where 3G's been around longer, a woman told CBS News, "It's frozen quite a few times, and I've only had it for two weeks. It's a little bit annoying."
The latest in a series of iPhone software updates was released on Monday.
In a statement to CBS News, Apple said its latest update improves the iPhone's communication with 3G networks.
Unfortunately, the exact cause of the glitches may be in the handset itself and not in the software which could mean the headaches for some iPhone 3G users aren't going away anytime soon.
CNET-TV Senior Editor Natali Del Conte said on The CBS Early Show that iPhone 3G's problems are especially noticeable in big cities, where service tends to be really slow. They work better in the suburbs. They drop calls, and the 3G network isn't as fast as it's supposed to be. It takes a long time for the phone to load Web pages in Safari, and many users have become frustrated with its performance.
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