iPhone speed issues

The iPhone 2.0.2 update that was supposed to improve 3G connectivity may have had an unexpectedly negative effect on download speeds, accounts say. Test My iPhone is a site that allows users to test their iPhone's download and upload speeds, and also keeps track of average speeds recorded in the last 24 hours. The site has completed just over 600,000 speed tests, and has previously shown an average speed of around 2,224Kbps; in the last 24 hours however, this has fallen 30 percent to 1,578Kbps.

Cult of Mac reports that this decrease could be related to Monday's v2.0.2 update, though it speculates that there might be other reasons for a sudden speed reduction. Some suggestions include meteorological conditions, a spike in traffic on AT&T's network, or a bug in the site's reporting tool. It is noted that average global download and upload speeds are the same, which is a rare phenomenon. One reader comments that the global decrease could be simply be generated by users performing more EDGE tests versus 3G or Wi-Fi.

Complaints about 3G connectivity have surged in recent weeks, with one user going as far as to file a lawsuit against the company, arguing that Apple's claims of "twice the speed" are untrue.

by MacNN Staff