iPhone Reception

as crazy it sounds, try getting a metal butter knife and hold it in your hand that has the phone...the knife fits along the back of the phone flush against the back of the phone as you use it.

Your personality must be electrifying...i bet you interfere with TV reception too.

I also have an iPhone, and it is not at all unusual to have to go outside to use it. This happens at my home and at a place where I commonly stay in San Diego, among others. My previous phone was not an iPhone, not 3G, and my previous carrier was not AT&T. I don't know which of those factors contributes most to the weakness. Like you, the weak reception is the only thing I don't like about the unit.

One of these days I plan on making a passive outside antenna to bring the signal inside to a second antenna close to my desk. I suspect the aluminum foil in the house insulation may be the principal blocker of signals, so this just might work.

If either that doesn't work, or I don't find any 'round tuits', another possibility is an active system. I just learned about http://wi-ex.com/index.aspx, and their zBoost product. At between $200 and $300, I think it's clearly overpriced, but I haven't seen any alternatives yet, so I may end up getting one. They do claim a money-back guarantee.

The signal at the location where it works laying on table is most likely a refracted signal from nearby structure that only presents itself strong enough at that location and in a horizontally configured polarization (not the norm). Bottom line, it is just a poor location and/or the cell's receiver is not as sensitive as others that might work properly there, if at all. Bottom line, that location, or in the house in general , is just a dead zone for your receiver. You need to install a remote antenna or one of the signal booster/repeater gadgets. SD Davis RF Co.

the below may be of use

http://www.wtw.jp/eng/repeater.htm?gclid=CJ-_zsCw5J4CFQQ9lAod4GNqMg

http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/mobile-accessories/vodafone-sure-signal

http://www.mobdev.co.uk/acatalog/MX_Series.html

http://www.cellantenna.co.uk/index.php?id=50

also if you get a car airiel complete with coax, put airiel as high as poss, and bare inner of coax so about 4 inches is showing with screen folded back or put another airiel on free end and you have a passive repeater but this will only work if there is a good signal high up

also following on from last.

the 3g frequency is very high and doesnt travel very far and is very much line of site.

also picking the phone up changes the airiel inside the phone frquency by the capacitive action of having a large damp/wet body (your body) near by

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10014633-37.html

List of frequency in question

BTx / MTx In TDD (Time Division Duplex) 1900 - 1920 MHz

GSM 900 Frequency Range:

Mobile transmit (BTx) 880 - 915 MHz
Base transmit (MTx) 925 - 960 MHz

GSM 1800 Frequency Range:

Mobile transmit (BTx) 1710 - 1785 MHz
Base transmit (MTx) 1805 - 1880 MHz

Third-Generation (3G) Frequency Range:

Base transmit (BTx) 2110 - 2170 MHz
Mobile transmit (MTx) 1920 - 1980 MHz

BTx / MTx In TDD (Time Division Duplex) 1900 - 1920 MHz

check the coverage map out.

http://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/pcc.aspx?WT.z_unav=mst_global_cvg