[miffed]

I needed a 'dedicated' phone for a few weeks, so I put my (otherwised unused) o2 contract SIM into my (also otherwise unused) N80

lo and behold , the 3G -o-meter seems to be on all the time , I have not been able to shake off the 3G signal around my usual haunts , so sound like o2 are finally pulling their finger out on this one !
I need to leave the SIM in the N80 for a couple of weeks , but will then move it into an HSDPA phone to see how it fairs then

Onwards and upwards ! - I am well pleased that I'll be able to use a 3G iphone to its full advantage :D

[chagle]

Onwards and upwards ! - I am well pleased that I'll be able to use a 3G iphone to its full advantage :D

Hopefully the 3G iPhone will be announced Monday. I've got my pennies at the ready!! :p

[Hands0n]

I've got my pennies at the ready!! :p

Me too :D But I suspect that we will have a bit of a long wait if some of the negative rumours about UK availability are true. Although to counter that there is tale told that the 2G iPhone is completely sold out in the UK and with no new stock arriving!

I am quite happy with my 2G iPhone despite not having the speeds of 3G. But my fear with iPhone is that it will not do what other 3G handsets do, and that is the cable/bluetooth modem thing for laptops and PDAs. For browsing I have found 2G and EDGE not unbearably slow, at least I have accessed the data in a readable form which is more than can be said for a great number of 3G handsets.

[chagle]

I am quite happy with my 2G iPhone despite not having the speeds of 3G. But my fear with iPhone is that it will not do what other 3G handsets do, and that is the cable/bluetooth modem thing for laptops and PDAs. For browsing I have found 2G and EDGE not unbearably slow, at least I have accessed the data in a readable form which is more than can be said for a great number of 3G handsets.

I use my 3G phone many times throughout the day as a 3G modem via Bluetooth, it's something I couldn't live without. Maybe, just maybe I could get a 3G dongle/USB modem. But it's a shame, as the Nokia does it all! We'll see! :)

[gorilla]

Rather worrying for me, O2 don't seem to have any plans to roll out 3g in NI. Indeed their future coverage map replicates their current HSDPA map. Granted I'll get 3g here in Belfast, but what happens if I venture out into other areas? I hesitate to say it, but their coverage dosen't seem to be any better than 2 years ago. Surely their coverage map is wrong?

[gorilla]

Ok, scrap what I've said above, the situation is much worse than I thought! I don't get 3g in my house and I should be getting hsdpa. Edge is painfully slow, so much so that I'll probably never use it.

How are the rest of you finding 3g reception on the iPhone?

[Ben]

None-existant. O2's 3G coverage really is as bad as I thought.

Fortunately I haven't really noticed yet - home and office have good WiFi, and iPhone just does all that stuff automatically, no faffing about with having to select connections and wotnot. Once again it's a case of Apple making up for O2's shortcomings.

[Hands0n]

I posted a somewhat tongue in cheek comment on Talk3G (https://talk3g.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5847) recently, relating to O2's weak 3G and how to best receive it. Today I have a further observation to add but this probably warrants a new thread.

Where I live there is no real possibility of O2 3G although there is superb support from the other four network because I am within 300m of all of their transmitter masts. That and the fact that the other four have more 3G masts on the ground than O2.

Today, however, while wandering about locally (to the local shops) I observed that I was able to get a fluctuating 2 - 5 bars of 3G not more than 300m away from my house, by walking towards the only O2 3G mast that is not blocked by geography. Stroll back towards my house and the signal disappears by the time I get to my front gate. The only thing that gets in the way is a slight natural curve in the very wide road.

Talk about living on the edge :D

Picture attachments of Uplink and Downlink speedtests and signal strength outside the Newsagent's shop that is geographically level with and approx 1.5km from the O2 3G mast in my other posting.

[selena]

Yes, 3G is erratic.