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Bob Moon: Apple is getting ready to kick off the next phase of the launch of its new iPhone 3G. Consumers in more than 20 countries from India to Argentina will get a chance to buy the new gadget starting tomorrow. The company will no doubt be offering more reliable Web connections, and making its case for how its products are so much easier to use. But it turns out Apple has been struggling to fix glitches from its initial roll-out of its new iPhone version here in the U.S. Marketplace’s Jeff Tyler has more.

Jeff Tyler: Despite the company’s reputation for reliable, easy-to-use technology, Apple’s latest iPhone has generated a number of complaints.

Ken Wilbur: Weak or inconsistent signals, dropped calls, reports of poor battery life.

That’s USC marketing professor Ken Wilbur. Apple has released two software patches, though he says it’s unclear if these will fix all the problems. Wilbur says reports of lost e-mails and other malfunctions invite unflattering comparisons.

Wilbur: You know, you hate to compare Apple to Microsoft, but after they’ve been hammering Microsoft on Vista problems for months in their advertising, Apple’s got some problems of their own.

Apple needs to fix those bugs quickly in order to fend off competitors. T-Mobile is expected to release a new phone powered by Google software sometime before Christmas.

I’m Jeff Tyler for Marketplace.