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The iPhone Is Ruining My Life!
Despite rave reviews and millions sold, Apple's iPhone has become notorious for falling short in one key area -- the phone. Why all those dropped calls could be costing us a lot more than you think.
Posted 7/ 6 10 at 7:30 PM | Business Trends, Technology, Business Travel, International Business, Online Business, Business Products & Services, Computer Hardware, Consumer Products & Services, IT Services, Media, Software, Telecommunications
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Matthew Armendariz is tethered to his iPhone. The Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Web designer uses Apple's wildly popular smartphone for personal and business calls, Web research and e-mail. So when he lost a design project because his iPhone never rang, he was understandably irked. Calls about the project repeatedly went to voicemail, leading the prospective client to believe that Armendariz was too busy or, worse, unreliable. And it wasn't the first time AT&T dropped the ball -- er, call."I've dropped countless calls while talking to clients," says Armendariz, who admits -- for better or worse -- he's an Apple junkie and has no plans to abandon his trusty, if sometimes unreliable, iPhone.
[Editor's note: Following the publication of this story, Armendariz reached out to AOL Small Business and explained that he "finally had it and dropped AT&T/iPhone," spending nearly $1,000 to switch to a Verizon Android phone.]
Then there's Lindsey Carnett, CEO of Marketing Maven Public Relations in Los Angeles. She regularly uses her iPhone to call national television producers, new business prospects and retail clients. One recent call with GNC was dropped -- at a very inopportune time.
Poor reception and dropped calls have become a way of life for many AT&T Wireless customers since the iPhone was first introduced in 2007, and the new iPhone 4 -- which, by Apple's own admission, may drop calls if users hold the phone a certain way -- has sparked a litany of complaints online. AT&T and Apple were dealt another public relations blow recently, after revealing that a software glitch has misrepresented the phone's actual signal strength for years.
Sure, it's annoying when calls get dropped, and it's a reality for almost every cell phone and carrier at some point. But with millions of power users who live their digital lives on Apple's superphone, and in part because it does so many other things so well, poor call quality has become a well-known Achilles' Heel of the iPhone -- especially frustrating for entrepreneurs and other business types who use it as their mobile offices.
Joseph DePalma, a managing partner at Joseph.Stephen PR in Philadelphia, says AT&T's dropped calls are a frequent frustration and make it difficult to develop "a new client relationship based on reliability."
Steve Johnson, an expert in technology product management at Pragmatic Marketing, tries not to get worked up when his calls fail. "The client dropped the call, we all sighed heavily, he called me back, we concluded our business," he says. This sequence has become somewhat of a tradition for Johnson and his colleagues, who have experienced many dropped calls over the years.
Instead of shouting expletives at AT&T, "Chris" in Oregon (he asked to remain anonymous) is making light of the reception issues. On the heels of the viral success of @BPGlobalPR -- a fake Twitter feed purporting to be from BP's public relations department -- the longtime iPhone user set off to create a snarky AT&T analog while he was on hold to pre-order an iPhone 4.
"While AT&T's servers were crashing left and right, I thought, 'Huh, I've got a few minutes. Now would be a good time to "join" AT&T's PR team.' @ATT_Wireless_PR went live that afternoon in an attempt to give humorous voice to the frustrations that iPhone, and AT&T users in general, have felt for years," Chris says.
But the mystery Twitterer insists he's not trying to take down the company.
"The point is that in this brave new age of social media, even giant multinational telecoms like AT&T can be given a successful nipple-tweaking by one guy with a computer and too much free time," he says. "Will this change the way AT&T does business? Almost certainly not. Will a few people have a laugh at AT&T's expense? They already have."
But Chris' gripes aren't limited to reception issues, nor are those of other AT&T users. Tate Chalk, founder of athletic footwear maker Nfinity and a member of the AOL Small Business Board of Directors, has jumbled contacts on his shiny new iPhone 4. For example, when his mom calls, it shows up as a different name and number. Chalk thinks it might be a "linking" problem that is mixing up his e-mail and telephone contacts. He hasn't called AT&T to discuss the problem or find out how widespread it is, because he fears he'll be put on hold for 30 minutes -- and he has a business to run.
In fact, based on his own experience, Chalk says it's probably not a good decision for people to invest in AT&T's iPhone 4 for business use, because first-generation models tend to have bugs, whether with reception, a wonky camera or a yellow bar on the LCD screen. "For the true mavens, get it," he says. "For everyone else, wait it out."
On Friday, Apple fessed up to the signal-bar glitch.
"Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong," Apple said in a statement. How wrong? For many users, the iPhone adds two more signal bars than it should.
The statement went on to say that Apple is adopting an AT&T formula for calculating signal bars to accurately display signal strength in a given area -- which, of course, doesn't exactly solve the problem of poor reception, just how that poor reception is displayed. Apple will also issue a free software update in the coming weeks to distribute the correct formula to the millions of iPhone 4s that have been purchased since its release on June 24. Owners of iPhone 3GS and 3G will also get the update, since the erroneous formula is present in those versions as well.
Spokespeople for AT&T declined to comment on the issue and deferred to Apple representatives, who did not respond to questions via phone or e-mail. But the companies appear to be working together to address the reception issue.
And that's good news for many businesses that have made -- or want to make -- the switch from BlackBerry to iPhone. AT&T says 40 percent of its sales this year have been to business customers, suggesting that iPhones are encroaching on corporate territory once owned by Research In Motion's BlackBerry.
Since its debut in 2007, the iPhone typically has not been supported in corporate environments. IT departments had been reluctant to fix the expensive device, which was seen more as a toy than a business tool and didn't offer much privacy protection. BlackBerries, although not as consumer-friendly, have always been durable, reliable and efficient -- if not a little less fun and glamorous. But in January, Apple announced that 70 percent of Fortune 100 companies were testing or deploying iPhones. And the Cupertino, Calif.-based company is improving its privacy, devising new business-friendly apps, and offers more than just e-mail. Apple will likely welcome even more fans -- business and otherwise -- once it teams up with Verizon, a long-anticipated partnership expected to debut in 2011.
In the meantime, most iPhone users appear to be standing by their devices, albeit sometimes begrudgingly. "That's what we do," Johnson says. "We sigh and accept it and move on."
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Comments (Page 3 of 5)
Funny how so many people have had issues with the JesusPhone on AT&T (and a few other international carriers) where many others (without JesusPhones) have had no issues (like me). I have never had any issues. I've been a Nevada Bell Wireless/Cingular/AT&T Mobility customer for over 10 years and have never had these problems. I had problems with the iPhone that I had for a week, but that was it. My RAZR2 (V9x) has been nothing but reliable in the while that I've had it. Same with my Nokia 6085, Motorola V557, and the two V220s before that. Everyone I know that has an iPhone all have issues with them. Everyone I know with a different AT&T phone have had none. Everywhere I go, I have reliable service (unless I'm in an all-carrier/all-cell dead zone), even in crowded metropolis' like NYC, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
I feel they are coming out with too much technology and they don't test it long enough to find out the flaws. I have verizon and I think all phone companies are taking advantage of the customers. And they are getting greedy. Verizon sent me a free phone to find out later there was a recall, easy to break they gave me a voucher worth a whole $25.00 it was so hard to understand it I never used it and it expired. I don't think they should of had a expiration date to begin with. The government lets them get away with murder.
It is AT & T not the iPhone, I have had 3 different phones and it is the service, they are horrible and all their reps have different statements about the problem, none of them really have a clue...
Everyone's getting this new iphone because of that special face-to-face feature it has on it.
If you want to stop dropped calls on your iPhone -- Turn off 3G!
Worked for me (when not talking to other iPhones that still have it on).
Here's a blog I posted on this -- http://www.seangw.com/wordpress/index.php/2010/06/att-iphone-how-to-fix-dropped-calls/
Look, I've been with AT&T for 9 years and many phones. I never had drop or no ring problems until I got the iPhone. It's fun to pile on AT&T, but they're fine, the iPhone has many strange problems and Jobs and company just will not even listen to people. They have this "we're Apple" and can do nothing wrong. They're so worried about secrecy that they really can't beta test in the real world. The iPhone is VERY quirky.
Welcome to Earth... Get a grip people, no one is any more important or any bit more special than the next person. We, all of us, will get to, (if we are lucky enough... ) live our short life and then we will die... Yes folks, none of us gets to skip that part. So far, money and the latest crappy, made in China electronic junk, has not been able to help you cheat the inevitable.... Reality time fellow humans... Why not take the same money you would essentially waste on these products and invest it in something that will actually benefit your brothers and sisters. be a real hero to a kid who has nothing good going on in life. Or a senior citizen who lives on a fixed income and has little or nothing. It sure as hell isn't just about ME, ME, ME.... Or is it?
I have T-Mobile and my phone has a bad noice, sometimes it doesn't ring and when I check it up, have had a lost incoming call. I called them up and either I pay for a new one, or renew the contract. Am with them for 4 years. But I have only 3 more months to close contract with them. I suggest to everyone who has problems with their cel phones, to check with other companies the ads and pros, before deciding. Asking other people about their phones is another alternative.
I can imagine people hanging up on anybody they don't want to talk to "Sorry I lost your call testerday, my iPhone dropped out and I couldn't connect for hours. Darn that Apple and AT&T."
AT&T is pathetic. It's not just the iPhone. I have the same lousy service with my Blackberry. In the middle of Los Angeles I cannot even get a signal. When I called to complain the person seemed so surprised that I was having issues with dropped calls. It's time for a class action law suit so we can all get our money back from AT&T for selling an expensive service that they knew they could not deliver. Why do they keep selling iPhones and IPads if they can't handle the traffic? Common sense tells you to upgrade the system and then sell more phones. Greed tells you to do the opposite!
I just got a HTC Diamond 2 unlocked phone for AT&T and it works perfect in my house.My old phone for AT&T had shitty service.I always dropped a call but i just changed phones and i am cool now.My new phone now is the best phone i have ever had and in my opinion better then a iphone.Go check all the different HTC out.
Apple has admitted to problems in headline news recently. It really depends on where you are, everyone seems to say something bad about their last provider... but if you don't like AT&T, unlocked phones are not a secret.
The trouble with the younger generation is that cell phones are suppose to be a convienance, not your main line of communication to do business. Wireless technology has always & will always drop signals. Get a desk & conduct business like a professional, stop relying on cell phones & get a life.
I told you the network was junk and why verizon will always have a better network because Uncle Sam needs the security and dependable network..verizon cell sites on gov land.
Dollar per dollar the Sprint EVO is by far a better phone and service plan. I've been using it now for a few weeks & outside of the million apps apple carries it's a surperior phone and has plenty of apps to keep me happy.
I think the problem is with the 4G and 3G signal strength.
I have AT&T and use a Motorola RAZR V3xx which is 3G and it drops calls every once in a while. I look at it and it shows a missed call or I get a voicemail from someone I never knew called.
I do have a couple of GSM phones that I will put my SIM Card in and I never lose coverage with them.
Basically, these new networks might be great for internet, but they suck for making calls. Stick with GSM or CDMA depending on your carrier.
Get on the internet when you get home or when you get to the office computer. Or use your laptop and use WiFi.
Its not att.t it is the iPhone.. ive used att for years many different phones never had dropped calls. this problem seems only to be with another crappy apple product. and to the t-mobile user who says att sucks T-MOBILE IS ATT U DIMWIT
I had an iPhone and it dropped calls, went to voicemail, etc. I substitute teach and missed 4 jobs one week and got rid of the iPhone in a hurry.
c'mon. every phone and their respective service drops calls.
Why is that everyone seems to have something negative to say about AT&T and the iPhone?
I have had my iPhone for a good while now and have NOT had any problems other than the normal problems I have had with every other carrier that I have had. And I have had ALL major cell phone carriers. I go some places and my phone wont work. I go other places and my phone works fine. My phone even works places Verizon phones wont work so come off it. Every carrier has its problems so stop thinking that one is SO far above the other. I have had sprint and their customer service sucks. I know people with verizon who have had to get 5 different replacements for their phone because it was jacked up. And all of my tmobile friends well they have problems with their service like every other week. And because people need to have the latest technology all the time they put out shitty stuff and people buy it. I personally would not buy the first generation of this iPhone4...thats just insane. Verizon and AT&T are the only two carriers I have had no real issues with as far as service. It really depends on where you live but it seems that some people cannot grasp that concept.