Some early iPhone 4 shipments have defective screens, missing bars - Page 3

My 3GS does it after the upgrade, so does my 4g. Both work the same, as I sent all day trying it.....

OMFG! The world is going to come to an end!!! Settle down. Jesus...whatever the problem turns out to be, it'll get fixed....drink your juice Shelby

The article is wrong in my opinion. The reception dies with the bars. My iPhone 4 is essentially unusable and I can't make a call without if "failing". I can get 4-5 bars if the phone is sitting on the table, but if I pick it up, the number of bars drops and in about 15 seconds I get "no service". I can reproduce this over and over. Threads on Apple's iPhone forum confirm a similar problem. I believe it's widespread.

Yes. BT/Wifi/GPS on one side, GSM on the other.

EXACTLY what I'm thinking! But then I don't have AT&T here for another few months (late fall) so hopefully by then Apple will have fixed these problems...

Again, I repeat, with wifi on and with me placing my finger to form a circuit between the antennas like the youtube movie linked here, I do not experience any drop in signal. I held my finger there for 30 seconds and not one bar dropped nor did wifi performance degrade.

I'm not sure if it's a bad batch of phones or if I just got lucky, but try as I may, I can not replicate this issue.

This is exactly the problem I'm having. Lots of bars when the phone is sitting on the table, but when I pick it up they drop to zero and "no service". And it's more than cosmetic. I can't make a call.

Apple is Doooomed!

Seriously, I'm sorry to hear some are having issues. Hope it gets fixed soon. I get no pleasure seeing apple have problems. Only AT&T.

got my iPhone 4. I LOVE IT! absolutely no issues.

Ok. Quick followup.

Just back from my friend's house... her phone *does* have the same problem.

She wasn't palming the phone, just gripping lightly with her fingers. It's all about connecting that bottom strip with the left side. As soon as I showed her -- she could trigger the problem too.

In a way this is either a good thing (software problem that there will be a fix for) or a really horrible thing (major design flaw that explains why Apple got into the bumper business).

I'm just glad it isn't shaping up to be some frustrating middle ground... an intermittent problem that some phones have and most don't. Granted, it's only two for two in my world, so far. But the odds that phones that shipped at least a day apart have the exact same issue, narrows it down a little. Right?

I'm guessing there will be a quick fix or we all get free replacements (or bumpers).

So... could it be the proximity sensor in the iOS4 upgrade?

I will be testing friends 3G and 3GS phones tomorrow.

Or maybe pH?

Ray

I have the same problem on my 3GS now - bars slowly disappear when I pick it up. Yesterday updated to iOS 4. Able to make call , though , even without bars.

What if you use a wire (not your finger)? Worse?

The videos I watched claim that a case would *NOT* stop this problem.
Huh?
How would your fingers touch the antenna inside of a case?

Guys take a chill pill and relax. After I first activated and synched my phone this morning I had the same issue with bars disappearing.

That only lasted for about 20 mins. After that I've had full bars all day. No dropped calls. Call quality is great. This has been the experience of other friends who also got their phone early.

Before you go crazy cursing Apple, just wait until you get your own phone, use it for a while and see.

Btw, the phone is just AWESOME.

There may be issues, they seem software related, but I think people are going a little too ape-sh** on this.

People with issues are going to complain on these boards, much more than the thousands of people this doesn't happen too.

Every iPhone launch there are some problems. By using Caps, and YouTube and links, people are drawing attention to the issues, but I am almost certain they are not 'widespread'.

As the Gizmodo incident showed, all the test units were equipped with rubber cases to fool onlookers into thinking the 4 was a 3GS. A byproduct of this deception is these cases could have offered the apparent buffer required to keep the antenna from being shorted.

As for your claim that this is "conspiracy nuttiness", YOU are the one who is failing to explain how such a widespread claim could have become so widespread in such a short period of time. Occam's Razor suggests that instead of there being some spontaneous agreement among distant strangers to falsify antenna bars, that maybe, just maybe, this is an actual phenomenon.

Try opening your mind and being impartial instead of jumping so quickly to Apple's defense. Yes, it may all be hoo-ha, but right now that is far from (dis)proven. Right now we're still at the data collection stage and for you to be jumping to the "this is bunk" conclusion belies your bias.

Myself, my fiancee, and a co-worker all received our iPhone 4's on Wednesday. None of us have the screen blotch issue or the vanishing signal bar issue. So hopefully those problems are only affecting a small number of units.

Yeah I did that too. Magnetic fields affect the electron beam used in CRTs. The neck of the tube has several magnets used for alignment when they're assembled. Later TVs automatically degaussed themselves every time they were powered up, otherwise the image would become distorted by the local magnetic field in which they operated.

LCDs, having no electron beams, cannot be similarly affected.

Well, I hope these issues are a relatively easy fix and Apple offers people a free replacement or some other acceptable remedy. But this is one of several reasons why I almost never buy when something first launches, good to give a few weeks or months till most of the bugs are worked out. Patience is a virtue.

For you early buyers I wish you success with your phone (really).

I would have bet money that someone would have started with the yellow or grey tint thing with the screen. I swear that happens with every product Apple puts out.

Also its hardware whenever you make 600k of something there are going to be issues with some. When I got my Evo I had to download a firmware update and 6 software updates for it to work correctly. Thats just part of the fun of being an early adopter....

I've been able to replicate the dropping bars issue, but I placed a call under those conditions and it worked fine. Haven't exhaustively tested what it might or might not do to data speed. I've not had anything noticeably fail on me today, though.

Really, I'm hoping data stays okay, because having made approximately 12 hours of calls over the last three years, _phone_ connectivity is actually a lesser problem for me. Data transfer, though....

They only showed the one prototype unit with a rubber case - there was no other reference to such cases being used by anyone else - either inside or outside One Infinite Loop. Let's keep our facts straight here - Ireland is already frothy and fit to be tied.

Also let's keep some perspective. Does anyone have an ACTUAL count of the number of units showing the screen artifacts or the antenna/bar issue? As opposed to the number of videos submitted to youtube which of course vets every single submission for veracity and uniqueness. Oh? They don't?? Well, um then we can still safely assume that every single youtube video is unique and not a copycat farce of course. Because people just don't do that. Ever.

And of course of the thousands of iPhone 4s in the wild already literally hundreds are showing these artifacts yes? The forums are highly accurate representations of the average user experience with the newly released iPhones. Yep, everyone goes out there to comment, good or bad about their new iPhone. There are simple answers to ACTUAL issues - like eyespark and friend are having, as opposed to the relatively issueless experiences of a number of other posters. Get it replaced, or if Apple has a solution - try it and see if it works. If it doesn't, get it replaced. Apple has a vested interest in taking care of these issues, obviously.

Now Ireland, stop hyperventilating. And the rest of you reactionaries settle down and relax. Seriously. This thread has all the subtle dynamics of a kindergarten at recess. STOP reacting to everything and develop a more measured and pragmatic approach to absorbing what the internet offers you in terms of speculation, innuendo and outright lies.

Eyespark - best to get that checked out soon and fixed or replaced - yes? Tomorrow MIGHT be a bit problematic at the Apple Stores - but you never know.

ktappe - on the other hand the internet is just the perfect tool for spreading half-truths, copycat flame-baiting, and on, and on, and on. Urban myths and conspiracies thrive like never before because of the internet. There is NO inherent truthiness to the internet, and while you may wish to assume that everyone out here is by nature honest and forthright in all their dealings - I am a cynical pragmatist and believe that the average person is just this side of larcenous by nature and is kept good only by the convenience it represents. SO yes some folks are having problems and I give them the benefit of the doubt. But I'm not going to be a Chicken Little every time someone posts a video on youtube or posts an issue in a forum.

All, the final analysis is easy: if you are afraid that it won't work for you/is too expensive/might be faulty - don't buy it. Easy - yes? Of course. I will blame all of you flamers for Ireland's apoplectic cardiac arrest if he goes down mortal. I'm serious.

A fundamental design flaw is possible, but extremely unlikely.

I have no idea what stainless steel alloy is used in the 4, but stainless is not a very good conductor. Its resistivity is about ten times that of copper, and your body's resistivity is a lot more than that. So I wouldn't be too concerned about one's ability to attenuate the signal by holding the phone, or bridging the two antennas with one's fingers.

In general, SS is a good material for an antenna. Bear in mind cell phones utilize very very little radiated power, so your ability to attenuate that is limited.

I wondered about attenuation effects as soon as I saw the WWDC presentation, but I'd seriously doubt Apple's engineers didn't give that a great deal of thought as well.

Sorry to troll.... But, wow you dorks have surely spun yourselves into a tizzy haven't you.

Take a deep breath. Everything will be fine.

In perusing the last couple of threads from the AI articles, I am rapidly tiring of having to add trolls and OCD'd idiots to my ignore list. With a couple of very fine exceptions, the commentary herein devolves so rapidly into post-adolescent angst, that it's wearying just to contemplate.

My thanks to you few of all stripes who have carried on civil and lively discourse on all sides of the discussion. That was a pleasure. The rest, well... I'm not going to dignify stupidity and bad behavior with continued attention.

I will be absenting myself from these fora from now on. My time and effort is better spent elsewhere. I wish all of you the best. Let me leave you with my favorite close:

Of all the money e'er I had,
I spent it in good company.
And all the harm I've ever done,
Alas! it was to none but me.
And all I've done for want of wit
To memory now I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night, and joy be with you all

Of all the comrades that e'er I had,
They're sorry for my going away,
And all the sweethearts that e'er I loved,
They'd wish me one more night to stay,
But since it falls unto my lot,
That I should rise and you should not,
I gently rise and softly call,
Good night and joy be with you all.

Peace all.

LOL, I feel sorry for the geeks waiting outside the stores for their yellow-screen iphones.

I got my iPhone 4 on Wednesday. All OK. Screen is perfect. Calls are fine. Incredible unit.

From what I understand, there is NO SIGNAL problem... That this is an issue with way the bars are being represented on the screen. You can safely make a call. Apple is said to have incorporated band switching technology into iPhone 4.

Now the yellow screen is Much more of an issue.

Rumor sites live in a fantasy world where they believe manufacturing is an exact science, materials are flawless and assembly is elementary.

Nothing new for any product, in any market. They always have a % of defects. You and I know that, but it seems as if rumor sites need to make a stink out of it, as if consumers are too stupid to return for a replacement.

Will you EVR actually live up to these words?

Seems like you need some shame (alone) time to calm down about this.
I'm sure Apple will be happy to fix any iPhone thats broken, however they won't fix your broken dreams, they obviously create these products only to toy with your fragile emotions.

This is why I can resist the temptation to get in line early and be near other 'iPhone enthusiasts". But I may change my mind if enough lame dorks seeking attention on YouTube chase away a few clowns.

An update to my previous post...

Quick recap: My phone (arrived Tues) is having the signal-drop problem, and so is my friend's phone (arrived Wed). We both lose all bars when our hand/palm connects the left side and bottom part of the metal side band. It drops calls. It drops data. It is a problem that is easily reproducible and consistent. The rest of the phone is perfect. No screen issues. No problems.

Ok -- new info:

My neighborhood typically has moderate signal (half-bars on average) so I went to a part of town that has very strong full-bar, fast 3G signal all of the time to see what happens.

Result: yes, the signal did continue to bleed off when the phone was held as described, *but* not all the way this time. In this location it would drop 3 or 4 bars but never drop signal. Calls did not drop. Data did not drop. 3G did not drop down to Edge.

Under these circumstance I'm not sure I would have noticed a problem if I lived/worked in this area.

Also while there, I ran speed tests (speedtest.net app) and found, to my surprise, that the download speed did *not* change (hand on or hand off) but the upload speed did drop by more than half.

Here is the average of what I was seeing:
Holding phone by the glass: 1.55 down / .96 up (Mbps)
Holding phone on side, reducing bars: 1.55 down / .47 up (Mbps)

So... in an area with strong signal, calls go through and the download speed stays the same... but upload speed halves.

Another observation...

I read on another site that if you wrap thick rubber bands around the side of the phone (makeshift bumper) the signal-drop does not occur.

I tried this -- and sure enough, the signal is fine.

The issue (on my phone) definitely seems to be a connectivity problem between the two antenna parts -- even if the real culprit ultimately turns out to be software.

I trust Apple and love Apple products... but... I have to admit I was surprised to see them get into the rubber bumper business when Steve announced the iPhone. Now when I see how a simple rubber band corrects the signal-loss issue... I have a sinking feeling about the bumpers.

Someone suggested I go take my phone in. Eh. I will. Eventually. I'm not all stressed out about this problem. It's more a curiosity (for now). It's still very usable. I will wait and see what happens when all 600,000 preorders arrive and we get some true feedback.

IF it turns out that the rubber bumpers were actually a $29 + $5 shipping + tax fix to a bad design problem they discovered too late in the cycle... then I'll get upset.

Until then...

I'm sorry but I've boycotted gizmodo.

Well there are a few other possibilities if we are going to start fantasizing.

1. They designed the phone next to the super cushy illuminati/new world order facilitated internet super structure under Apple's part of Cupertino. It's known amongst many who work actively in the tech section of the underground press that it's impossible not to have perfect reception in this area of RDF. Private planes are also restricted from flying thru this are of disturbance, and must utilize other 'airports'.

2. $650 for a few phones and a couple 'off-camera' garbage can lids, is a pretty cheap negative publicity campaign for Google. $215 bucks also buys a dim a few minutes of YouTube glory - pathetic? - there's an app for that. Even if there is a legit issue with a few phones, you seriously think they wouldn't considered goosing it with some more? Probably just me being crazy, not like Google owns YouTube or anything.

3. The people touching the phones, need to wash, so full of germs that it's actually starting to affect radio frequencies. It's a widely known fact that Google Labs also lacks any cleaning stations or even basic sanitary workplace conditions, very dense clouds of toxic smug progressive simp speech permeate their entire facility and even indirect exposure have made millions violently ill. I'm more surprised the iPhones didn't completely melt.

4. This is actually a feature. Normally people with healthy solcial lives and interets have people to talk to, and it's impossible to see the bars while it's against the ear. This feature gives people without such, a fun way to enjoy their under-used communications features.

I've got the same display issue with my 1G iPhone. I think it's the actual glass that is a tiny bit thicker right where the issue is, putting pressure on the display.
When looking at the screen at an angle, mirroring something I can see a tiny mirror distortion around the corner where the issue is. Maybe it's the same problem we're seeing here.

Apple is using a bonding agent called Organofunctional Silane Z-6011 to bond the layers of glass. Apparently, Apple (or more likely Foxconn) is shipping these products so quickly that the evaporation process is not complete. However, after one or two days of use, especially with the screen on, will complete the evaporation process and the yellow "blotches" will disappear.

How do I know? I was involved in pitching Z-6011 to Apple.

That's the most useful and informational post on this thread (and maybe this whole forum).

good to hear. but too late for Ireland, the sky has already fallen in, the baby's out with the bathwater and the waa-mbulance is on it's way.

That's great to hear. The screen is a major selling point. I'd hate it to be imperfect.