iPhone 3G Connectivity Issues Are World Wide

If you've been hearing about (or experiencing) the iPhone 3G's connectivity issues, specifically dropped calls and the inability to make connections at the higher 3G speeds, you may have wondered whether the problem was AT&T's 3G network or the iPhone itself.

Courtesy of Apple

Most of the anecdotal reports are from customers in the U.S., which would limit any network culpability to AT&T. But the same connectivity issues are popping up in all iPhone 3G markets, which pretty much lets AT&T off the hook.

The worldwide nature of the problem means there are two likely suspects. The first, and the one that some say is the mostly likely, is a hardware issue. Specifically, the 3G chip set designed and manufactured by Infineon. This chip set is used for the transmission and reception of data at the higher 3G speeds. A different chip set is used for connecting to the slower Edge network, which is currently working just fine.

The second possibility is software, or to be more technically correct, firmware. Apple's firmware could be misdiagnosing 3G signal strength or quality, and forcing a drop to the Edge network to compensate.

Both problems may be fixable with new firmware, but if it turns out to be strictly a hardware issue, there's a small chance that no easy fix is possible, and that Apple may have to replace or repair the current generation iPhone 3G.

I expect Apple to attempt a firmware fix in the near future, maybe as soon as next week. So, plug your iPhone into your Mac and check the iTunes Store for firmware updates. I'll also keep you posted if any updates come down the line.

Stop by the forums and let us know how your iPhone is working.