Hardware 2.0

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Annoyed with AT&T dropping your iPhone calls? There's an app for that!

By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes | December 7, 2009, 8:42am PST

Summary: Are you an iPhone user that’s annoyed with AT&T? Are you finding dropped calls to be a pain? Want to report these dropped calls to AT&T? Well, now there’s an app for that!

Are you an iPhone user that’s annoyed with AT&T? Are you finding dropped calls to be a pain? Want to report these dropped calls to AT&T? Well, now there’s an app for that!

AT&T has released a new app for the iPhone called AT&T Mark the Spot (iTunes download link here). The idea is that when you experience a dropped call you are given the option to send back real-time, location-specific info (in other words, GPS coordinate) back to the AT&T mothership.

It’s an interesting idea. It’ll be interesting to see if the network improves as a result of this data gathering.

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily e-mail newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

More from “Hardware 2.0”

Do Windows users trust Microsoft to keep them safe? Seems the answer is "No!"

CrunchPad becomes JooJoo and fades into obscurity

Topics

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

Full Bio
Disclosure
Contact

Vendor HotSpot

The 360° Conversation around Cloud Computing

TECH VISUALIZER brings the social conversation to life... powered by Brocade

Learn More »

Related Discussions on TechRepublic

Did you know you can take part in these discussions with your ZDNet membership?

Ask a Question Start a Discussion

Comments

Add Your Opinion

Join the conversation!

Follow via:: RSS; Email Alert

Just In

Please explain why the concept for such an app pathetic?

BubbaJones_ Updated - 9th Dec 2009

AT&T will have valuable information for them to improve coverage in
areas that need it. Those areas may be were AT&T's original data
denoted good coverage, but now they find it isn't so. Being as you
seem to think there is something wrong with that what suggestion(s)
would you provide?

Years ago when I was a Sprint customer they had, may still
have, a way to send them a message about dropped calls.
Those calls were taken off ones bills plus, we received five
cents credit.

Again, what is pathetic with AT&T app or the concept of
the app? I'm open for suggestions.

View in thread

Please Select
Please Select

0 Votes

+ -

This was not a problem for me until recently.

lostarchitect 7th Dec 2009

I have said here and elsewhere that I have had
no issues with dropped calls here in NYC. Well,
that has changed. In the past few months more
and more often my iphone won't be able to place
a call (the dreaded "call failed" screen), or I
will have a voicemail that I won't be able to
access, or I will have crappy call quality even
though my phone indicates full service bars.

What the heck is going on, AT&T? I'm about 6
inches from breaking my contract and getting a
Droid on Verizon!

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

Won't AT&T Be Surprised

itanalyst2@... 7th Dec 2009

When they get all the data and it turns out that it maps to every area outside their "3G Coverage".

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

RE: Annoyed with AT&T dropping youar iPhone calls? There's an app for that!

mrvee@... 7th Dec 2009

Great story.

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

Pretty much AT&T telling people

Cylon Centurion 7th Dec 2009

That they do have shoddy service.

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

This is better than the "head in the sand" ...

kd5auq 7th Dec 2009

attitude all the other carriers assume!
(Not great, not good, but better)

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

Well, AT&T had their head in the sand

Lerianis10 7th Dec 2009

Until VERY recently, about the same MILLI-SECOND
that they put this app out. Really, they should
have a way that regular people can tell AT&T when
they experienced a dropped call, under what
circumstances, etc.

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

HAD?

itanalyst2@... 7th Dec 2009

Until I see some improvement, they still do.

0 Votes

+ -

done, too late. switched

docpark 7th Dec 2009

i left AT&T because I wasn't going pay for service that I was going to get in the future. I waited for 3G in our area (des moines) got iPhone, but have lived with 1.5 years of dropped calls.

went to verizon because it is better covered in my neighborhood.

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

About To Do The Same

itanalyst2@... 7th Dec 2009

I'm surprised AT&T users haven't amassed a class action lawsuit against them for people being conned into buying the IPhone and salespeople lying to them about 3G service in their area...I've heard several stories from people who got the IPhone because the AT&T rep told them what fast and great service they would get using it, only to find out that 3G wasn't in their area or that it was there, but if they drove 20 miles away it wasn't....

AT&T is getting reamed big time on all this, and I hope they get blasted out of the water...this is their own fault for piss-poor planning.

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

But... but... but...

NonZealot 7th Dec 2009

We keep getting told that iPhone never drops calls. I
thought Apple had a policy that they would not approve
apps with no useful purpose which is why they banned the
"I Am Rich" app. Seems to me that if iPhone never drops
calls, this is an app with no useful purpose.

Huh.

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

HA!!! Never Drops Calls?

itanalyst2@... 7th Dec 2009

Do some research on Apple's "30% dropped call" stance with AT&T...they say that dropping 30% of your calls on the IPhone is an acceptable failure rate.

Apple should partner up with Microsoft to make XBox 360s with that kind of attitude.

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

Oh no, that doesn't count

NonZealot 7th Dec 2009

Do some research on Apple's "30% dropped
call" stance

Because that was simply an Apple employee who
reported that, based on diagnostic logs, it
doesn't count. Unless Apple puts out a press
release that states their product drops 30% of
its calls, it doesn't count.

Apple should partner up with Microsoft to
make XBox 360s with that kind of attitude.

I don't think I would want to pay twice the
price for half the reliability. happy

0 Votes

+ -

And yet again an anti-iphone zealot

Pete "athynz" Athens 8th Dec 2009

takes one isolated incident about ONE person's ONE iPhone in ONE city and suddenly every iPhone everywhere around the world has the same dropped call rate... I call BS on that one.

I'm not saying that dropped calls do not and cannot happen with the iPhone - I have dropped 3 calls in the year and a half I've owned mine - but not with the regularity the 30% implies.

I'd love to see the data they collect with this app posed publicly no matter what the results are... this will either shut you naysayers up or will shut me up... happy

0 Votes

+ -

But... but... but..., butt out...

BubbaJones_ 7th Dec 2009

All phones/carriers drop calls after all they're only walkie talkies.
Nobody said AT&T doesn't drop calls what folks have said is your
hyperbolic usage of 30% drop calls is out of line. Don't try to justify it,
doing so makes you appear foolish.

In my experience, Metro Atlanta, Sprint dropped an inordinate amount
of calls more than any other carrier I've used. So much so I paid to
leave early. Next most dropped was Verizon, then AT&T. The best
carrier for me in this area was MetroPCS, now that I travel I went with
AT&T.

Even you should agree such an app would be good for all carriers. Or
is that statement too logical for you, or do you thrive on being snide.

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

You Don't Get Around Do You?

itanalyst2@... 7th Dec 2009

I have dropped calls all along the I-40 corridor from Oklahoma City to Memphis...dropped calls right in the middle of their "call area" along I-70 from West Virginia to MD...dropped calls in DC metro. All on IPhone 3G and IPhone 3GS...

Don't give me that all phone/carriers drop call garbage....AT&T is atrocious and they are going to pay for it.

0 Votes

+ -

Agreed...

cabdriverjim 7th Dec 2009

I have had a Verizon (smartphone) account for 4.5 years. I've travelled all over the midwest using my phone constantly. There's hardly a moment its not in my hand. I have had less than 10 dropped calls the entire time. I'm not sure exactly how many but more than 4 and less than 10. The last one I know for a fact was when I was at home just after I moved (3 years ago). (My home is slightly rural but also near the intersection of multiple high traffic interstates. The error code given each time was "destination resource shortage".)

I have a lot of friends with AT&T and they are constantly complaining about dropped calls. I'm pretty convinced the reason for the drops is the spotty 3G coverage. One of my friends noticed that his phone is constantly attempting to upgrade its connection to 3G when he's on the fringe of a 3G tower. It upgrades then drops back over and over and over and over. If he's on the phone the call drops. If he's on data he loses Internet for 15-30 seconds. Over and over and over. He's had a G1 Android phone since it came out and he's been using some of the cell tower apps to look at what's really going on.

0 Votes

+ -

G1...

jamerican413 8th Dec 2009

If your friend is using (a) G1 app(s) to analyze his ATT service, it won't be very effective. His G1 won't be able to access ATT's 3G coverage, as they are on different 3G bands...

0 Votes

+ -

You come across in a quite condescending manner .

BubbaJones_ Updated - 9th Dec 2009

Your assumption is incorrect, I do much traveling by car. Places I
found terrible for AT&T is, outside of Klamath Falls OR Hwy 139 to CA
HWY 395 to Reno (close to Reno it gets good). CA 395 south was not
good. Crossing through Death Valley to Las Vegas is terrible (most all
NP are). Another one is Winnemucca to Lakeview was dead. OK City to
Cheyenne to Winnemucca was good. Las Vegas to Hwy 40 I placed and
received a few calls. For me Hwy 40 to Memphis I was able to place
and receive calls. Maybe as the calls came in, or when I was placing
calls I was in a good area perhaps.

Yes some locations in Western US are not good for carriers, some
better than others, in the Eastern sections of the US my coverage as
been quite good. For the most part I'm not displeased with AT&T.

YMMV.

0 Votes

+ -

AT&T says that my home is in their 'best service' area

Lerianis10 7th Dec 2009

Yet I cannot even get 1 bar nor have service in my
home.... unless I feel like walking 1000 feet up
the street and calling from there.

They need more signal repeaters and more wireless
towers, and less 'profit to the investors'.

0 Votes

+ -

In my personal experience...

lostarchitect 7th Dec 2009

In my personal experience, this used to be almost
true. Only very rarely did my iPhone drop or fail
to connect a call. In the last few months, this
has been reversed. It happens every day now! It's
really pissing me off.

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

They better hope Verizon doesn't get hold of the data

T1Oracle Updated - 7th Dec 2009

or the next ad may look worse for AT&T :\ ...

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

RE: Annoyed with AT&T dropping youar iPhone calls? There's an app for that!

gvanderlek@... 7th Dec 2009

Uh-huh? Typically how long does it take to get your iPhone service back so you can ACTUALLY send the report. I would love the see the traffic levels pouring into the AT&T NOC - maybe their new map will will be for AT&T iPhone Traffic Report.

When will this app be available for users of AT&T's 3G handsets from Nokia, Blackberry, LG and Samsung, too?

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

Class Action Suit By March...Bet On It

itanalyst2@... 7th Dec 2009

This many ticked-off IPhone and other smartphone users on AT&T is going to turn into a field day for some attorney.

AT&T is totally at fault here for oversaturating its network with a great smart phone and not having the foresight to upgrade their communications infrastructure ahead of time, or even try to do it during the period of time the IPhone has been out.

Whoever did the projections for this and works on the AT&T tech side of the house needs to be thrown to the gladiators.

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

I want to be a part of it

william.baker 8th Dec 2009

I have complained to AT&T/Apple about this problem numerous times. I even started recording the tracking numbers. I have 15 months of contract left. At 12 months if it is not fixed, I am switching to verizon. I am in the process of switching the family over now. At $130 to break the contract, I will end up making that back within 1 year with the lower cost of Verizon and the frustration at not being able to finish a conversation.

Next commercial: iPhone 7500 apps. Just don't try to make a phone call.

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

RE:There's an app for that!

justanitguy 8th Dec 2009

Just curious, but don't they charge for apps in the App store? How much is AT&T charging for the privilege of reporting a dropped call, and does it use air time, or is it a "free" call or message to AT&T?

Reply
Flag

0 Votes

+ -

No charges.

BubbaJones_ Updated - 9th Dec 2009

At the App Store, some apps are free, some you pay for. This AT&T
app,
Mark the Spot, is free. AT&T doesn't charge for using this app, neither
time nor for the message. The same as when you dial customer
service
from the phone there isn't any charges. They also have an app,
myWireless, that is free as well.

Also, I agree with gvanderlek@... question, "When will this app be
available for users of AT&T's 3G handsets from Nokia, Blackberry, LG
and
Samsung, too?". AT&T should provide this type of app for all their
phones. Maybe other vendors will follow with their own app perhaps.
This type of app could benefit customers and vendors.