Apple back in court. 3G lawsuit.

An Alabama woman has filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple over reception and speed problems with its iPhone 3G. Birmingham resident Jessica Alena Smith purchased an iPhone 3G in July after numerous advertisements touted the device’s increased speeds. "One could barely turn on the television without hearing that the new iPhone 3G was ‘twice as fast for half the price,’" according to the suit.

But once she started using the phone, Smith’s Internet connection, e-mail, and text messages were "slower than expected and advertised," according to the suit.

Smith, who had owned a first generation iPhone, said the new device appeared to connect to the 3G standard less than 25 percent of the time and frequently dropped her calls.

These calls were made in the Birmingham area, which receives "excellent 3G coverage," Smith said.

Smith contends that Apple is selling a defective product, is benefiting from it financially, and she and other class members are therefore entitled to damages, costs and attorneys’ fees. The suit said the case has at least 100 class members and would seek damages in excess of $5 million.

She also requests that Apple repairs or replaces her iPhone 3G.

Consumers who purchased the iPhone 3G have reported reception problems with the device since its July 11 release. Apple on Tuesday released a software update via iTunes intended to help fix those connection problems.

Via PC Magazine