Love the iPhone app. I find it slow to buffer on WIFI but usable. However on cellular it's driving me mad constantly disconnecting and endlessly buffering on iPhone 4. I'm getting full 5 bar coverage 3G (supposedly up to 7mb on my network) but the app rarely plays more than 4 seconds of audio before buffering for 10-20 seconds, sometimes the icon just rotates endlessly with no connection for 10 minutes. In the car it seems impossible to get a constant stream even in 3G coverage.
Is this normal or could there be an issue with my phone? I've no problems otherwise with net access or streaming radio apps.
5-bar coverage doesn't always mean you have a good data connection. It is a leading indicator, but you could be in an area with congestion. Which feed is this happening with? If it's happening with many feeds, the issue is likely with your connection. We've done extensive field testing with the app under many network conditions, and don't believe there is any issue with the player.
The buffering amount is adjustable, by the way. The little 'i' on the home page has the setting inside. If you leave the buffer large (the default) that will help on flaky connections. If you want lower latency and less of a buffer then slide the slider all the way to the left.
Either way, though, if you are constantly buffering it is either your connection, something else with your phone, or the feed itself may be buffering on its uplink. The devil's in the details, so if you can provide more info it will be easier to help.
-Dave