[Touch HD General] ryaninuk:
Okay so I lied I am making another comment because I am bored. What I specifically was uncomfortable with is when people were using my name to call people liars. I didn't want to be seen as overly hostile on either side of this debate.

To clarify the iPhones I have here get medium signal for GPRS but never pick up 3G at my home. They also drop down to no service often. This is my coverage map.....

http://www.webmap.o2.co.uk/map.asp

I know from going around town that 3G is working in the area. Full bars everywhere with the HD. Here is the same map but for the that O|2 uses to show what quality of service to expect. So it isn't just my home being a dead spot. Not that this matters I have wifi at home anyway.

http://www.webmap.o2.co.uk/map.asp

As you can see most of the area is listed as very strong coverage. I live on top of a hill right in the middle of the strong coverage area so I would think I wouldn't have trouble.

I never said that the iPhone rarely gets signal. It rarely gets 3G signal out here though. I am not in the boonies I am 30 minutes from London. It seems that good signal is not enough for the IPhone but rather it needs exceptional signal to have simply adequate, steady performance.

The signal is such that for browsing the web it is okay. Half the time if it went down and up again while I am reading a forum like this I wouldn't notice. I could just wait and reload the site no biggie. However try using something like meebo or anything that requires constant connections is nothing but frustration.

I feel a little bit cheated at times that I signed up for 3G coverage and unlimited data. How am I supposed to take advantage of streaming feeds and such on GPRS when it cuts out altogether every 5 minutes? I am saying that the iPhone doesn't just have trouble with 3G but cell service altogether.

It could be that both phones as they were purchased at the same time came from a bad batch I am going to go to Apple this weekend and see what they say. If I get a better result I will be very happy to convey that. If the radio actually really is just like this though I am not sure what they can do for me.

I hope that describes it a bit more for you. Many times I get no signal and I found that if I turn the phone off and on it sometimes comes back or toggling airplane mode whatever you get the basic drill. I don't think anybody here is lying here, it is my hope that we can stop making accusations and maybe stop with the fan boy put downs.

Earlier I believe it was you (it could have been somebody else I am too lazy to go back and check) said if you give an HD to somebody not used to it they would go back to an iPhone. This is sort of me now, the only thing is I can't rely on my iPhone enough to go completely back to it. I will be going to a remote area soon where signal strength is not strong and I can't rely on my iPhone to deliver for me there as it doesn't cut it here in a rich suburb.

Part of what I do is volunteer work in a third world country to try as much as I can to help bring technology and teach some of the people there. This is why a radio is so important to me. There is no other internet connection anywhere in the place I will be going. So I would love it if I could just use the phone that is easy.

Nice iPod or not aside I really can't toy with my HD too much because I would be in the dark if I screw it up. I can't even take that chance. You try getting that fixed or looked at in Southern Laos. When I leave in a couple weeks all major settings stay the same. No changes it must stay working. No tweaking, flashing, cooking for me. LOL

I am in the odd situation in this thread that I have both and am not really fully satisfied with either. I do feel relatively lucky with the state of the world economy and all that I have a disposable income to beta test these devices. Having both of these nice phones is nothing to bellyache about but it sure cost me enough :) Between all of my gadgets if one doesn't work the other will I suppose.