iPhone 3G reception issues update

While the iPhone 3G scores highly on usability and general lust-factor, there have been numerous cases where users have reported less than stellar signal and general reception problems.  We spoke to an AT&T spokesperson this morning, who told us the following:

"Customer experience on iPhone 3G or any device can vary based on a number of factors including proximity to the cell site, buildings, trees, terrain, and the number of people on the network at a given time.  We and Apple are working continuously to ensure people have a great experience on the iPhone, and we urge our customers to synch iPhone 3G to iTunes frequently to ensure they have the latest software updates" AT&T representative

However we've also been contacted by a number of readers, both here and at our iPhone-specific site iPhoneBuzz, who are in multiple countries in which the iPhone 3G is currently officially sold, telling us that reception can be an issue no matter which network they're on.  The suggestion from the independent cellphone engineer we've talked to is that in such a case it's unlikely to be a carrier problem, and instead is probably a software issue, hardware issue or a combination of the two.

They agreed that the most likely solution is to keep up to date with firmware upgrades, as these can have a huge impact on handset reception.  If you're having problems with your iPhone 3G, the best thing to do is contact both your carrier and Apple themselves. 

Are you having problems with your iPhone 3G?  Let us know in the comments.