I love my iphone4 BUT...

[Not so Dumbo]

After YEARS of only having a basic prepaid cell I finally got an iphone4 and absolutely LOVE it! But with that said I absolutely HATE AT&T's coverage and I am now thinking about getting out of my contract within the 30 day grace period. I really don't want to but I'm dropping numerous calls everyday and have start answering my calls by saying... I just switched cell providers and am having trouble if I drop your call I'll call you back. Which isn't cool when my cell also doubles as my home phone.

Has anyone else been in my shoes and had AT&T improve their service for them? There technical support team keeps claiming that they can do things to improve my service (something about Centinial's towers) but so far nothing has worked. I just would like to know if they are blowing smoke for the next 30 days or if they really can help improve my signal strength. Like I said, I really love my iphone and would hate to give it up for something else but if it's no good for phone calls then it kind of defeats it's purpose.

 

[sookie]

call and talk to them and see if you are in a poor coverage area. sometimes you just are in a bad zone and its worth it to try another carrier. it might be the phone... did you get a bumper? im happy with my 3gs. it seems to pick up a better signal than my friends with the iphone 4 for some reason - something to do with the design.
if you are in a bad zone they can't really do much to really fix the situation long term unless new towers are going in. you might try and see if you got a faulty sim card too. dont give up but just go and look and see if you are in a bad spot. talk to other att users and see what they are dealing with too. do you have a 3g signal?

 

[mom4graceandlogan]

Got Iphones in Feb. Our coverage has actually gotten worse in last 30 days. Goes straight to vm does not ring etc. constant dropped calls. My husband travels and has a terrible time with it. He loves all the other cool features. It is my understanding that all AT and T people are having probs not just iphones, my friends are constantly complaining. Have not made the time to go to AT and T and complain yet. We are now stuck in contract. phones are very cool but service is so bad it should be criminal for what they are charging. I would not ecpect it to get better any time soon. Iphones have to be all that is keeping the company in business. I have 3G.

 

[memy26]

it must be your area. I have AT&T and an iphone and I don't have any problems. Yes there are a couple of areas where I lose service but that happens with all carriers at some points.

I've been with AT&T for years and have never had any major problems

 

[Not so Dumbo]

call and talk to them and see if you are in a poor coverage area. sometimes you just are in a bad zone and its worth it to try another carrier. it might be the phone... did you get a bumper? im happy with my 3gs. it seems to pick up a better signal than my friends with the iphone 4 for some reason - something to do with the design.
if you are in a bad zone they can't really do much to really fix the situation long term unless new towers are going in. you might try and see if you got a faulty sim card too. dont give up but just go and look and see if you are in a bad spot. talk to other att users and see what they are dealing with too. do you have a 3g signal?

We are in the best coverage area per their coverage map. The technical support rep said we were closest to the Centenial wireless towers and would give my sim permisison to use those towers but service didn't get any better.
My DH talked to a clerk at one of the store who talked about a signal booster that hooks up to your wireless router on your computer that supposed to improve coverage but they want $150 for it. He told them they were nuts to have such terrible coverage and they expect us to pay to improve it.

 

[sookie]

We are in the best coverage area per their coverage map. The technical support rep said we were closest to the Centenial wireless towers and would give my sim permisison to use those towers but service didn't get any better.
My DH talked to a clerk at one of the store who talked about a signal booster that hooks up to your wireless router on your computer that supposed to improve coverage but they want $150 for it. He told them they were nuts to have such terrible coverage and they expect us to pay to improve it.

no you shouldnt have to do that. i would do one of two things - probably both.

run diagnostics on the phone at the apple store

get a new sim card.

if after that its still dropping a lot, i'd ask to check the 3gs or i would drop the contract.

i wonder if there is something wrong with the antenna in your phone. we have had att for years, and yes, sometimes there is crappy coverage - like any service - but if i am in a 3g area its usually just perfect.

 

[dex08]

I don't have any issues with my iPhone 4 when I'm at home but there are certain areas around town where the coverage is bad. There's an AT&T app called Marks The Spot which I use to report problem coverage areas back to AT&T.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

I don't have any issues with my iPhone 4 when I'm at home but there are certain areas around town where the coverage is bad. There's an AT&T app called Marks The Spot which I use to report problem coverage areas back to AT&T.

Mark the Spot was their first suggestion. I've probably sent them at least a dozen dropped call or no service reports in the last week and a half.

 

[scrapquitler]

are you using the plastic cover that supposedly 'fixes' the antennae problem that was discovered just after the IPhone 4's release? Maybe the problem isn't the coverage but the fact that (according to Steve Jobs) you are 'holding the phone incorrectly'

 

[Not so Dumbo]

no you shouldnt have to do that. i would do one of two things - probably both.

run diagnostics on the phone at the apple store

get a new sim card.

if after that its still dropping a lot, i'd ask to check the 3gs or i would drop the contract.

i wonder if there is something wrong with the antenna in your phone. we have had att for years, and yes, sometimes there is crappy coverage - like any service - but if i am in a 3g area its usually just perfect.

Good suggestions I'm going to try all of those with the Apple store.

are you using the plastic cover that supposedly 'fixes' the antennae problem that was discovered just after the IPhone 4's release? Maybe the problem isn't the coverage but the fact that (according to Steve Jobs) you are 'holding the phone incorrectly'

Good thought but Yes, I have the Steve Jobs approved plastic case properly installed around my phone. It made absolutely no difference

 

[DisneyDebbie]

My friend has had an iphone for a over a year, and just recently upgraded. they both are constantly dropping calls. I have verizon prepay and get much better reception.

 

[vicki_c]

My AT&T iPhone works a lot better than our previous phones with Verizon. It's really hit or miss in so many places - we are shown as in excellent coverage areas for both services, but we could hardly even get 1 bar on our Verizon phones most of the time. Our iPhones don't do that much better when we're deep in our house (like the basement), but work a lot better outside or near a window.

So you might have the same problem with any phone with AT&T where you live.

 

[Disney-Kim]

I have the Iphone 4 and its my first Iphone...My DH does too but its his 3rd....

the Iphone 4 has issues with dropped calls and my phone has a terrible proximity sensor problem...but the update yesterday is supposed to cure that...we will see.

I have friends who say the Ip4 is worse than their 3G's....as far as dropped calls...

 

[cheerforchelsea]

I am retired AT&T employee and if they tell you that they are working on your problem - then they really are. They may be slow but they are working on the problem. I have had a lot of dropped calls within the past 2-3 weeks (never had that problem before) and I don't have an i-phone.

 

[r&kmommy]

The Iphone is an amazing piece of technology. Too bad AT&T renders it useful only as a paperweight. Get out, now, while you can without penalty. AT&T has had many "fixes" (like the special covers etc,) and made many promises that they are working on the dropped calls but bottom line is their coverage sucks big time, with a very few exceptions. Get Verizon and a Droid, you won't be sorry!

 

[Not so Dumbo]

I am retired AT&T employee and if they tell you that they are working on your problem - then they really are. They may be slow but they are working on the problem. I have had a lot of dropped calls within the past 2-3 weeks (never had that problem before) and I don't have an i-phone.

Thank-you. I feel better knowing this.

 

[dclfun]

Just got an Iphone 4 when they came out but I'd had AT&T for several years. I have GREAT coverage, never a dropped call. With Verizon I had horrible coverage. I detested Verizon and couldn't wait for my contract to end. I guess alot depends on where you live.---Kathy

 

[LovableGluttons]

I have the Droid X with Verizon and have had no issues with dropped calls. I was going to get the IPhone, but friend of mine have had the same issues with dropped and missed calls.

 

[ktlm]

I think it is the Iphone itself, not ATT. I have the Iphone and it is great for everything except for being a phone. It drops calls quite a bit and some places it is hard to get a signal. DH has ATT, but not the Iphone. Pretty much everytime I don't have a signal, he still has one on his phone and can make calls easily. Also, he never has dropped calls with his phone.

 

[sookie]

i had to go to an att store to get the sim - so i first went to the apple store to get my phone checked (i'd had a couple of dropped calls and my one year warranty was almost up)... i got the phone replaced, then walked down to att store and got a new sim.
i'd ask to see if a replacement phone would do the trick too and update that phone!