Friday, August 29, 2008 -- 11:44 a.m. -- on my couch

The truth is out there (cue X-Files theme) but Steve Jobs leaves it to us to find it.

What does this have to do with 2.0.2? Well, as you might have heard, it's a pretty important update, according to Apple and AT&T. Apparently, the more people who use 2.0.2, the better your iphone is likely to get when it comes to 3G signal strength.

First, Roughly Drafted magazine spoke to someone with knowledge and then I took some time to follow up with my sources to make sure that what I was reading and hoping to explain to you was actually correct.

And, for the most part, it is. And it's actually really interesting.

I'll explain it as simply as I can. There's a certain algorithm that handles all the under-the-hood stuff -- signal strength, routing calls, towers, etc., etc. Stuff that we don't need to worry ourselves with.

In 2.0 and 2.0.1, the algorithm is faulty. 2.0.2 improves the algorithm. But because we live in an environment where not everyone updates their iPhone software at the exact same time, we live in a world where 2.0 and 2.0.1 and 2.0.2 are mixed. And that's where the problem is.

The 2.0 and 2.0.1 phones are communicating with the same towers as the 2.0.2 phones. But in the case of 2.0 and 2.0.1 phones, the algorithm is asking for too much power from the towers, causing a bad experience for 2.0.2 users.

Long story short, if you lived in a town with 1,000 people and 500 iPhones and every single one of those 500 iPhones was using 2.0.2 -- not a single 2.0.1 or 2.0 -- you'd have (in theory) flawless 3G coverage. But add 1 or 2 or 10 stray 2.0 and 2.0.1 iPhones -- which are faulty -- and the satisfaction rating falls. Change that whole example to major metro areas like Chicago and New York and it makes perfect sense.

In the past day or two, while other sites have been reporting this, I've been doing some serious research wit some engineering sources that I have ... and I've been asking people in suburban locations that are supposed to have strong 3G signals to talk to me about how their iPhone usage has been. And it was fascinating to me that folks in very small towns were telling me how great 3G was and how fast it was and how they couldn't understand how I was having the problems I was having.

Well, I get it now ... in those more isolated areas outside the city, there are less iPhones and therefore less chances that non 2.0.2 iPhones are communicating with the towers. That means a more flawless 3G experience. According to this really unscientific testing, if I sent a busload of 2.0.1 users to that town and told them to all turn on 3G at the same time, the people who said 2.0.2 was great for them should instantly have trouble.

Well, I'm not going to do that to anyone, so relax. But you see the point ... and now you see why the photo accompanying this post is so important ... this is AT&T letting everyone know that 2.0.2 is the way to go because the more people that upgrade their software, the better the experience is for everyone else out there.

So I have one question for Apple and AT&T. Why in the world didn't you just say so?

Communication is what AT&T does ... it's what Apple does ... so why, Apple, didn't you release a statement saying that there's a problem with the way 2.0 and 2.0.1 communicates with the towers and that's why 2.0.2 is a vital update? Why did you just say bug fixes?

Honestly, Steve ... bug fixes is like the old story of the boy who cried wolf. When I see bug fixes, I usually say ... oh, bug fixes. Ehhh. Update whenever. Probably nothing. It took a ridiculous amount of work from this blogger and countless other sites out there to confirm why 2.0.2 was so important.

Can you explain why in an age where customer service is so important why that's my job? I'm happy to help my readers any time of day, but isn't that what you are supposed to do?

And my guess, AT&T, is that you can't say anything because Apple won't let you ... so your answer (and it's a good one, under the circumstances) is to release a text message that basically lets people know that 2.0.2 would be a good thing to have. So no blame to AT&T there ... I understand that you can only do what Apple lets you do. I'd even go so far as to say that it must be frustrating for AT&T to know that the problems that exist on the iPhone are not theirs and they can't do much to fix it other than send cryptic text messages.

Steve ... I try to give you and Apple the benefit of the doubt at every possible juncture. I have to explain to callers why I'm negative when I shouldn't always be negative. But looking at this situation, I don't understand your logic. You made a mistake in 2.0 and 2.0.1. 2.0.2 fixes it. Admit the mistake, tell your customers what happened, tell everyone that upgrading to 2.0.2 is the most important thing they could possibly do in their lives and let's move on to bigger and better things!!!

Geez.

Instead, I'm writing a book explaining it. Let me write the book later. For now, you've got thousands and thousands and thousands of people writing on Web sites like mine and forums like yours about how their iPhones don't work the way they are supposed to and you let them just sit there while this 2.0.2 information is out there. I'm sorry, but I just don't see the logic behind that no matter how hard I look at this.

So tell me, Steve et al ... iTunes 7.7.1. Well, I basically told the world not to upgrade to it. What did it do differently than 7.7 besides crash a lot of folks' iPhones? Oh yeah, bug fixes. So I'm guessing 7.7.1 has some hidden gem in it that makes me coffee in the morming? Or cooks me dinner? I guess if that's the case that I'm going to have to do some investigating, because obviously you aren't going to tell me about it.

Anyhow, it's another negative point that I'm forced to make. With the iPhone complaints at the level that they are, we deserve more than this, Steve Jobs.

OK. that said ... let's recap.

* 2.0 and 2.0.1 have problems.

* Steve Jobs needs to do a much, much better job at communicating.

Did I miss anything? Please let me know in the comments.

Thanks for calling. And remember .. it's Labor Day weekend here in the U.S. ... so I may be off doing stuff on Sunday when I'd normally be working. I'm around in case breaking news happens and I'll answer comments when I can.

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Long winded much? Kidding...i know the frustration of having these problems! Anyway, I've had absolutely NO dropped calls since upgrading to 2.0.2, and i'm expecting things to improve drastically when 2.1 arrives in september!

SCOTT'S REPLY: LOL. Sometimes I just feel like I've gotta shout it from the rooftops to be heard, you know? And yes, I agree ... I think good things are coming in 2.1 ... I've said before and I'll say again that I think 2.1 is one of Apple's most important software updates ever for any device.

Personally, I don't feel Apple is the one to be blamed, ATT should be able to detect the firmware from the cell towers and shoot the 2.0 and 2.0.1 customers a message saying their iPhones NEED to be upgraded! Since, not many people sync their iPhones regularly. Many iPhone 3G customers recieved SMS at different timings... 3G is worst at its best!

SCOTT's REPLY: Well, I'm agreeing with you on most things here, Kiran ... AT&T has been sending the texts. But how do you force someone to upgrade? Are you suggesting AT&T force an over-the-air update? That's fine, if Apple allows it and I'm not sure they do.

if your example is correct and only a few non-2.0.2 spoil the experience for everyone, a more realistic approach would be to control this from the towers somehow instead of relying on people to upgrade. Otherwise, they should force the upgrade.

SCOTT's REPLY: Absolutely right, but if Apple isn't allowing AT&T to do that, well, that's one problem, and is this fixable from AT&T's end on the towers without Apple's intervention? Doesn't appear that way, but my thought would be that if it was, AT&T would have done it a long time ago and not risk the ads that have appeared from Verizon blaming AT&T's network.

Read this was the problem yesterday also- didn't know if I should believe it. Now if this is REALLY the problem, how are you going got force all these people to take the update? I know people that haven't done it yet. In a big city, you're going to have plenty of people who aren't tuned in to this stuff and don't really care to keep up with it. What's the solution- you can't even make them upgrade to 2.1 when it comes out- people are out of town, don't care, don't follow this stuff etc. This has all just gotten way more complicated and messed up than it ever should have! They better get this stuff sorted out- just dropped my MM acct finally after spending my last and final hour with the chat line trying to help figure out why mail now doesn't push to the phone. No help and that was it- back to the simple life of Gmail. Just read Gizmodo's review of BB Bold and they said 3g works better than on the iPhone and battery life so far early on is much better running 3g etc all day. Same network and it seems to be working; so is battery working the way ours should it appears. Supposed to be released Sept 12 on AT&T- hope that update comes close to that date bc between having lousy mail, bugs and pitiful battery life, it's making the idea of switching more attractive by the day. Btw, you couldn't be more spot on; the lack of communication is just absurd!!

SCOTT'S REPLY: You hit the nail on the head, Brad ... how are you going to get people in a big city to do this? Send a text alert from AT&T? Nooooooo. And that's my reason for calling out Steve again ... if this update is something that is so important, tell us that. Make sure that everyone knows. Post the information on the Web site. Mention that your 3G coverage won't improve unless everyone else updates also. That's why I'm so perturbed about this.

Here's a new one- canceled MM and had to sync phone to iTunes to get contacts etc back on to phone. Contacts are back in the new contact app but not in the "phone" contact app. Re-synced 5 times a still won't reappear there. Any thoughts or is it off to the genius bar? Also want you to know that I've gotten at least 5 pop ups from apple saying my acct has expired- do you want to purchase etc. Wonder when that will stop! Nearing the end of my rope with all this stuff- taking WAY too much of my time.

SCOTT'S REPLY: Just saw your other note ... glad that all you needed to do in this case was reboot the comments. I have not shut off my mobileme, obviously, so I was about to start figuring out how to fix your problem. Thanks for saving me the trouble :-D

Sorry- rebooting the phone contact app restored them. Saves a trip to the genius bar. My battery seems to be lasting longer today since I've canceled MM and am not using Push. Maybe not having push and going back to Gmail is a blessing in disguise. Gonna see how the battery does going forward without push before signing up for Exchange. Might be better off without it- at least if and/or until they address battery life issue.

SCOTT'S REPLY: Whew! Sometimes a good and simple reboot is all you need. Push clearly drains the battery, but considering how push works on a Microsoft device, it should keep the battery pretty stable -- and for some reason it just doesn't on the iPhone.

That just doesn't make sense. Software has nothing to do with the towers. What about the thousand's of data cards and cell phones also using the 3g towers. They don't have problems. The fact is the I-Phone is the first phone to fully utilize 3G so the lack of coverage is more noticeableto people. Once there is more capacity and denser coverage we'll be fine. That is why rural people don't have trouble. Nobody out there to jam up the system. In Urban areas 3g is weaker than edge but transmitting from the same locations. Don't blame the software for overloading the towers, blame the towers for lack of signal and capacity and the I-phone for not being able to work with that.

SCOTT's REPLY: No, not the software messing up the towers, the software incorrectly communicating with the towers. In that sense, it is certainly plausible, don't you think?

Scott, great investigative journalism! Appreciate the effort you've gone to on our behalf.
By the way, that's what I meant in my comment on your post from the 24th. Thanks for putting it out there better than I could express it.

SCOTT'S REPLY: Well, no problem, but I started this after another report. All I did was make sure the information out there was accurate and do a little unscientific test, but you are welcome of course. Sadly, my work won't make too much of a difference, but if it gets the word out, that's what counts.

Great article and that explains everything. Friday my iphone 3G dropped a very important phone call and then would not let me make phone calls for the rest of the day. I was panicing trying to get my computer up and running so I could use my Skype acct to call this person back.

Saturday I went to the Apple store and they explained to me that I needed to upgrade and my problems would be solved. Another guy right next to me had the same issue two days before me until he upgraded.

I had dismissed the text message from At&T bc I was having issues with my wireless and my signal wasn't strong enough to accompany the iphone 2.0.2 update. I just figured next time I was at a wi-fi place I would do it.

As you can imagine I was pretty mad when everything happened. In theory if some emergency would have happened on Friday when my phone didn't work that would have been a serious problem.

I love apple and my iphone. I think Steve Jobs is a genius but I agree with you about his communication. If the text would have said "your phone will not work properly if you do not make upgrade within 48 hrs, please update asap" you better believe I would have updated pronto.

Thanks for a great blog and I will be subscribing to your RSS feed. Thanks!!!

SCOTT'S REPLY: Thanks for the insightful comment, Jared. You said it all ... just clarify the text ... tell me why it's important ... don't just say to update -- tell me that updating is really important and explain the reasons. There's no reason in the world to not explain every detail on something like this.

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