DailyTech reports some iPhone 3G users are experiencing problems with the 3G functionality of their phone. According to two internal sources at Apple and an independent analysis a Infineon chipset inside the phone is the root of the problem and it seems the issue could be resolved with a firmware update:
It appears, though, that Apple and AT&T may soon have to address 3G issues publically as two separate internal sources at Apple and an independent analysis have seemingly confirmed there is a major problem, and Apple has a software fix in the works which may help.
First up is an independent analysis by Ny Teknik, Sweden's foremost engineering weekly, which obtained test documents from unknown sources, which indicated the iPhone was well below specified standards for 3G. The International Telecommunication Union, a Geneva-based organization, sets and enforces strict standards about the quality associated with products using the 3G moniker. The deficient 3G iPhone appears to have slipped through the cracks.
According to Ny Teknikās obtained test report, adjustments between the antenna and an amplifier, which capture the faint signals received by the antenna, are defective. This makes the phone likely to drop calls and have slower than hoped data speeds.