Metrics & Measurement

Apple has released a software patch which may help iPhone 3G users who experience an abnormally high amount of dropped calls.  According to cNet, “The release notes accompanying the new firmware refer rather obliquely to ‘bug fixes,’ the same term Apple used when it released the 2.0.1 firmware update a few weeks ago.”  Speculation is running rampant as Apple tries to deliver on its promises of faster internet connections with its iPhone 3G.  Comment boards are awash in debate over what could have caused the issue and whether the patch is truly a fix or a workaround.  For bleeding edge consumers, having the coolest new gadget is coming with some unforeseen drag factor.

The glory of the 3G iPhone is its promise of incredibly fast internet connection speed.  For a device that is geared toward the more multi-media focused, the ability to deliver on such promises is paramount.  Anything less than spectacular and the iPhone gets slammed as an overpriced gadget.  When connectivity is maintained, the iPhone 3G definitely can provide streaming video on a large glass screen that leaves other smartphones in the dust.  But since its release on July 11th, which Talkibie covered for New Hampshire, customers have noticed more dropped calls than with their previous iPhones.  That’s when the speculation began.

Tech savvy users took their concerns to the internet.  Tech websites like cNet and TechCrunch, news sites like The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek, and forum boards lit up with articles and comments regarding iPhone 3G performance.  “Owners also lament frequent shifting between high-speed and slower-speed networks during calls and Web sessions,” found BusinessWeek reports.  The Wall Street Journal reported a mobile analyst with Gartner, Inc. “has experienced spotty network reception with his own iPhone 3G, most recently inside San Francisco’s baseball stadium — AT&T Park.”  Apple quickly acted to resolve the issue with update 2.0.2, in the hopes of allaying the general outcry.

All indications point to a possible chipset issue.  The iPhone 3G uses an Infineon chipset to manage which AT&T network is needed to stream video and other large data files.  Unfortunately, the interaction of Apple’s management software with Infineon’s chipset and AT&T service creates a volatile mix that ends up dropping connectivity more often than normal.  As BusinessWeek explains, “One source says Apple programmed the Infineon chip to demand a more powerful 3G signal than the iPhone really requires. So if too many people try to make a call or go on the Internet in a given area, some of the devices will decide there’s insufficient power and switch to the slower network—even if there is enough 3G bandwidth available.”  So while the chipset is getting most of the bad press, it is more likely a combination of factors bringing connectivity issues to the surface.

Apple has taken the first step in mitigating customer ire but is there more to be done?  As Dulaney explained to the Wall Street Journal, “It’s not about whether you have problems or don’t have them.  It’s how quickly you address them that matters.”  The turnaround of a couple weeks since initial reports points to Apple’s commitment to doing right by the customer after the fact.  But could Apple have addressed the issue before it released the iPhone 3G?

As covered in previous Talkibie articles, performance monitoring should be a baseline for businesses intent on staying ahead of potential system crippling events.  iPhone stories abound about the “call home” functionality built into handsets that will rat out whether a customer is using hacked systems and shut down the phone.  Would it be that much of a stretch to collect the data for amount of calls dropped, or perhaps number of times 3G bandwidth was downgraded?  By building monitoring and measurement features into reporting software, (with an opt-out feature, of course), Apple can better monitor their product performance.  Instead, Apple must take a reactive stance instead of a proactive one.

Arguably, testing a product before mass release should catch any glaring issues.  Apple faces a unique challenge in that it has a vast following that tries to find out when the “next, big thing” will be released.  Testing without product information leaks to the press or blog sites is almost impossible.  Secretive, limited testing is Apple’s modus operandi.  BusinessWeek states “The problem is affecting 2% to 3% of iPhone traffic, the people say. That compares with a dropped-call rate of around 1% for all traffic for AT&T (T).”  Limited testing didn’t catch the discrepancy.  Full system metrics might have helped Apple predict the chipset management issue long before their hand was forced.

By Alicen Hogan