The official iPhone discussion forums are swelling with users complaining about reception issues with the 3G version of the device.

Moderators on the Apple website have been forced to move the threads discussing the issues a handful of times already, as the list of complaints became too long for many browsers to handle.

The biggest issue seems to be bad reception and dropped calls, with a significant number of users reporting ‘no service’ alerts or one or two bars of coverage despite being in areas with good radio coverage.

Some suggest that the recent software update to version 2.0.1 is responsible for the bugs, but others claim it’s a problem with the Infineon HSDPA chipset. One thing’s for sure – Apple’s not saying anything, although there are reports claiming that the company has admitted to the problem.

There’s also no way of telling how many people have been affected by the bugs, but the word on the web is that a software patch is being prepared to fix the glitch.

Following the classic Apple-perfect launch of the original iPhone, the 3G version has turned into a bit of a PR disaster. First there were the problems with the MobileMe service, which was launched in an unfinished state, then there was the major firmware update to 2.0.1, just weeks after the launch of 2.0.