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Some iPhone 4 launch units lose signal when held with left hand - Page 11

post #401 of 446
6/25/10 at 12:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by matrix07 View Post

It's a problem for some but not all of 4s affected, hence not a design flaw like some suggested in this thread. Maybe it's not all hardware's.

Maybe, as some have suggested, that there some kind of missing coating on these iPhones. That being said, if all you need to interrupt a signal is a finger over that band then it's a hardware problem. As of right now, I see a heck of a lot more videos and problems reported from respectable websites than I do of people having no problems.

It may not all be hardware but software can only fix so much. As of right Apple is stating there is no problems other than the way the user is holding it. If it was just software they would have said, like they have in the past, a fix was coming.
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post #402 of 446
6/25/10 at 1:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by str1f3 View Post

As of right now, I see a heck of a lot more videos and problems reported from respectable websites than I do of people having no problems.

I seem to recall as many people claiming there's no problem with their handset as people claiming there is. Maybe it's just the way we look at thing? Maybe people who don't have problem just wouldn't want to waste their time posting videos?

One thing for sure the iOS4 need to be fixed for the way it handle cellular sensitivity. This is already acknowledged by Apple. But can they solve this antenna problem altogether? It remain to be seen. It could be the coating problem (or lack thereof) coupled with software bug, who knows. Interesting days ahead that's for sure.

The Android way: Our problems become your problems.

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The Android way: Our problems become your problems.

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post #403 of 446
6/25/10 at 1:24am
No problems here. Have held it in every way possible. I can make the bars go down if I deliberately want to, but it's difficult to do with normal use. I have never completely lost signal either. Incredible gadget, I must say. Looks like I got lucky... it's a nice little unit.
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post #404 of 446
6/25/10 at 1:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ranchogirl View Post

<-----is kind of glad she decided to wait until the dust settled.....

Still enjoying my 3GS which works perfectly. I'll wait until this is fixed and I can hold my phone any way I see fit.

Quote:
Originally Posted by matrix07 View Post

Whatever it is it's not a design flaw. It happened to 3G and 3GS as well and it didn't happen to every 4s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zehL4z__G-o

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=950228

Quote:
Originally Posted by str1f3 View Post

Many phones have this trouble. With the iPhone 4 that problem has been exacerbated. You can now consistently go from 5 bars to no service because you are directly interfering the antenna. You no longer even have to hold the iPhone. You just have to have your finger covering that area.

On my iPhone 3G (now with my mum) and my iPhone 3GS, haven't encountered any grip-signal problems.

In any case, a new day dawns soon in the USA. We'll see what it brings of this hullabaloo.
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post #405 of 446
6/25/10 at 1:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ranchogirl View Post

<-----is kind of glad she decided to wait until the dust settled.....

OMG there's actually a female on this forum. Welcome.
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post #406 of 446
6/25/10 at 1:46am
Wow, we've gone almost one entire forum page without Ireland posting. He must be asleep now LOL.
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post #407 of 446
6/25/10 at 1:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ranchogirl View Post

I'll wait until this is fixed and I can hold my phone any way I see fit.

Didn't you hear? All you need is an extra accessory thing that you have to pay for but is kinda cool, and all your problems are solved! Forget about the Apple design, or aesthetics, or that the iPhone 4 is supposed to function as-is, just-work, out-of-the-box, it's all about using bumpers to hold your phone any way you like...

In all fairness, we'll see what happens today (25th) to get further clarification on this matter.
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post #408 of 446
6/25/10 at 2:01am
Yesterday I posted that my 1Phone 4 did not have the problem... it does. It does not occur immediately, but takes up to a minute to start, then I can get it to repeat fairly easily. Yesterday I was changing hand positions fairly quickly and thus likely not giving it enough time.

It does seem to fluctuate; at home the problem occurred more easily when I was sitting down in a carpeted room, but was less likely to develop while standing on a wooden floor (I live in Japan where we don't wear shoes in the house).

Went to the reseller in town today where they had some on display and I could get those to exhibit the problem as well. Mine and one of the display devices only saw a drop of one or two antenna marks. Another display device did drop to 0. This particular shop has lots of static electricity (and has for some time).

Bought a case for my phone (finally some arrived today), installed it, and the antennas remain at 5.

So, yes, there is an issue. Though readily repeatable, there seems to be some fluctuation in the user's environment, but I am only one test subject. There is also a quick and easy fix: to put a protector on the phone. This is not to say the phone shouldn't work well without a case: it should, and this is a big problem.

I do not recall having a problem with my 3GS, but I put a protector on it very early on and thus likely never noticed. Likely, many users will put protectors on their iPhone 4's and thus never notice the drop in reception. Many will, however, so Apple will need to do something about this.

Likewise, I hope there is no truth to the Steve-message rumor about improper holding technique. If it is real, lots of people will be reasonably upset.

 

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

 

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

 

 

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Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

 

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

 

 

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post #409 of 446
6/25/10 at 2:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by thompr View Post

So get a "bumper" too. Probably a good idea anyway, to protect the edges (and antenna) if you drop the phone.

It just works!

SCNR
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post #410 of 446
6/25/10 at 2:11am
Now some people say the signal not drop in landscape mode? Could anyone test?

The Android way: Our problems become your problems.

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The Android way: Our problems become your problems.

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post #411 of 446
6/25/10 at 3:17am
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post #412 of 446
6/25/10 at 3:28am
Apple has acknowledged the issue, in a way:

http://blogs.computerworld.com/16407...rss_cwbloggers


Can't get the actual Apple link... but the meat is this:

“Gripping any phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas. This is a fact of life for every wireless phone. If you ever experience this on your Phone 4, avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band, or simply use one of many available cases.”

Not good, IMO.

 

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

 

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

 

 

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Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

 

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

 

 

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post #413 of 446
6/25/10 at 4:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bergermeister View Post

Apple has acknowledged the issue, in a way:

http://blogs.computerworld.com/16407...rss_cwbloggers


Can't get the actual Apple link... but the meat is this:

Gripping any phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas. This is a fact of life for every wireless phone. If you ever experience this on your Phone 4, avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band, or simply use one of many available cases.

Not good, IMO.

Translation:

"Hold different."
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post #414 of 446
6/25/10 at 4:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by RationalTroll View Post

Translation:

"Hold different."

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post #415 of 446
6/25/10 at 5:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by moofrank View Post

I was wondering why there were so many good reviews of the phone. My call quality sucks.

As a few tests, I have a nice spot at my desk with perfect reception and full bars.

My 4g in my left hand will fail to get emails, and calls have terrible quality. While getting emails, the phone will drop back to Edge mode before being unable to contact the server.

Sounds like the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

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GOA

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Proud AAPL stock owner.

 

GOA

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post #416 of 446
6/25/10 at 5:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foo2 View Post

Where I live, Speedtest normally yields very roughly 1.6M down and 0.5M up.

As soon as I invoke the iPhone 4 death grip (more like a touch), the transfer speed dives. If I invoke the death grip before starting the test, Speedtest sits forever at the ping test. As soon as I release, the test moves along and the reported ping time is roughly the length of time I held the death grip.

I added a small piece of electrical tape over the 'seams' (see below) while waiting for my case to come in. My speedtest results showed no difference. Interestingly, unlike most people, my uploads are roughly equal to downloads:

1. Hold phone near top. 5 bars. Download 1145, upnload 1166

2. Cup phone in hand on bottom. 2 bars. Download 1110, upload 1119

3. Small piece of electrical tape covering seam, cup phone in hand on bottom. 4 bars, Download 1145, upload 1120.

The antennae seem to affect the number of bars but not performance (although the performance meter jumped around more in case #2).


Quote:
Originally Posted by dimitris View Post

I tested the "signal death grip" with my iPhone 3gs and it also has the same issue with the iPhone 4.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmXpGGrB_hg
The interesting thing though is that even though the phone has no signal at all
when I make a call the signal goes back up even though I still hold it with the "signal death grip"!!
If I let go of the grip the signal goes back up even further.
So I don't really know what to think but maybe it's a software issue after all?

I believe that there are two issues involved.

1. The normal behavior of all phones to have variable signal intensity depending on how they're held, proximity to the body, etc. There are plenty of reports that all phones suffer this problem. This is simply a result of the fact that the human body absorbs the signal and Apple has no way to override the laws of physics. I suspect that this is what Apple was referring to when they talk about the way users hold their phone.

2. The antennae are very close together on the iPhone 4 and it is easy to touch both anntennae at the same time. This apparently shorts things and causes the number of bars to drop. It is not yet 100% clear if the signal is really dropping. My data suggests that the signal really is OK, just the bar levels are off. That is essentially what Apple told Mossberg and claims to be able to fix it. Apple needs to release this software update ASAP.

HOWEVER, there are reports that #2 also causes dropped calls. I'm not sure that anyone has done enough controlled experiments to know that this isn't just 'normal' AT&T behavior. IF IT DOES TURN OUT TO BE REAL, then it appears to be a design problem related to the placement of unprotected anntennae. If that turns out to be the case, I would hope and expect that Apple would:
a. Make whatever design changes are needed so that future phones do not have the problem.
b. Repair or replace existing phones. Alternatively, they might offer the customer a choice of a free case (or credit so they can buy their own) or a full refund.
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post #417 of 446
6/25/10 at 6:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta View Post

I added a small piece of electrical tape over the 'seams' (see below) while waiting for my case to come in. My speedtest results showed no difference. Interestingly, unlike most people, my uploads are roughly equal to downloads:

1. Hold phone near top. 5 bars. Download 1145, upnload 1166

2. Cup phone in hand on bottom. 2 bars. Download 1110, upload 1119

3. Small piece of electrical tape covering seam, cup phone in hand on bottom. 4 bars, Download 1145, upload 1120.

The antennae seem to affect the number of bars but not performance (although the performance meter jumped around more in case #2).

I believe that there are two issues involved.

1. The normal behavior of all phones to have variable signal intensity depending on how they're held, proximity to the body, etc. There are plenty of reports that all phones suffer this problem. This is simply a result of the fact that the human body absorbs the signal and Apple has no way to override the laws of physics. I suspect that this is what Apple was referring to when they talk about the way users hold their phone.

2. The antennae are very close together on the iPhone 4 and it is easy to touch both anntennae at the same time. This apparently shorts things and causes the number of bars to drop. It is not yet 100% clear if the signal is really dropping. My data suggests that the signal really is OK, just the bar levels are off. That is essentially what Apple told Mossberg and claims to be able to fix it. Apple needs to release this software update ASAP.

HOWEVER, there are reports that #2 also causes dropped calls. I'm not sure that anyone has done enough controlled experiments to know that this isn't just 'normal' AT&T behavior. IF IT DOES TURN OUT TO BE REAL, then it appears to be a design problem related to the placement of unprotected anntennae. If that turns out to be the case, I would hope and expect that Apple would:
a. Make whatever design changes are needed so that future phones do not have the problem.
b. Repair or replace existing phones. Alternatively, they might offer the customer a choice of a free case (or credit so they can buy their own) or a full refund.

Well said. Unfortunately, for now at least, it seems Apple's response is to acknowledge the issue as a non-issue-"hold it differently".

"My 8th grade math teacher once said: "You can't help it if you're dumb, you are born that way. But stupid is self inflicted."" -Hiro. Sometimes it's both.

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"My 8th grade math teacher once said: "You can't help it if you're dumb, you are born that way. But stupid is self inflicted."" -Hiro. Sometimes it's both.

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post #418 of 446
6/25/10 at 6:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta View Post

This apparently shorts things and causes the number of bars to drop. It is not yet 100% clear if the signal is really dropping. My data suggests that the signal really is OK, just the bar levels are off. That is essentially what Apple told Mossberg and claims to be able to fix it. Apple needs to release this software update ASAP.

It's already shorted somewhere inside through the electronic board. You can check it with a multimeter, the resistance is less than 0.5 Ohms. So the resistance of your hand does not contribute at all. Apparently, its' a capacitive coupling and tape just physically distances the hand from the antenna thus decreasing the coupling. The thicker the gap the better.

I agree that even the bars are reduced, the SpeedTest does not decrease, in some cases I even observed an increase. My numbers are about 2Mp for download and 1Mp for upload.

Come down, people
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post #419 of 446
6/25/10 at 6:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nvidia2008 View Post


Excellent. Kudos to you sir (or madam). I like your style.
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post #420 of 446
6/25/10 at 6:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stevie View Post

How about just wearing a glove on your left hand? That way the iPhone will retain its beauty.

can it be a bright white glove with sequins/crystals?
Ooh, and can I also have a chimp named Bubbles?
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post #421 of 446
6/25/10 at 6:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta View Post

...
HOWEVER, there are reports that #2 also causes dropped calls. I'm not sure that anyone has done enough controlled experiments to know that this isn't just 'normal' AT&T behavior. IF IT DOES TURN OUT TO BE REAL, then it appears to be a design problem related to the placement of unprotected anntennae. If that turns out to be the case, I would hope and expect that Apple would:
a. Make whatever design changes are needed so that future phones do not have the problem.
b. Repair or replace existing phones. Alternatively, they might offer the customer a choice of a free case (or credit so they can buy their own) or a full refund.

Did you not read my previous post? I believe I asked nicely for no one else here to utter the phrase "free bumper". Now maybe didn't read my post, or maybe you took me too literally, so I will re-phrase for your benefit. Please, for the sake of SANITY, no one else mention anything about Apple giving a free case of any kind as a resolution to this problem.

This is NOT an acceptable fix for the problem. If Apple belives something is wrong and therefore should do something to address the situation, then they just need ot bite the bullet and fix or replace affected phones.

I have no clue at this point if the issues are cosmetic, or software glitches, or hardware related. It's too early to tell. However, if it is in any way a hardware problem, then a free case WILL NOT be satisfactory.

Why would any intelligent consumer pay hundreds of dollars and sign a two year commitment only to be told you have to buy a case for it to work right? Or in one scenario, someone suggested Apple give out gift cards. No, this isn't okay either. We should NOT want to be compensated for it not working, we should just insist that it be made to work as advertised, or refunded.

Don't settle for less than you are worth. Demand the best!
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post #422 of 446
6/25/10 at 6:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulkas View Post

Well said. Unfortunately, for now at least, it seems Apple's response is to acknowledge the issue as a non-issue-"hold it differently".

That's not entirely true. Apple's 'hold it differently' seems to address my item #1. They have also explicitly commented on item #2 to Mossberg, saying that there will be a software fix.

So Apple is acknowledging that both types of problems occur. We just don't know whether the software fix will really work or not.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Plagen View Post

It's already shorted somewhere inside through the electronic board. You can check it with a multimeter, the resistance is less than 0.5 Ohms. So the resistance of your hand does not contribute at all. Apparently, its' a capacitive coupling and tape just physically distances the hand from the antenna thus decreasing the coupling. The thicker the gap the better.

Thanks for the explanation. That makes sense.
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post #423 of 446
6/25/10 at 7:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Plagen View Post

It's already shorted somewhere inside through the electronic board. You can check it with a multimeter, the resistance is less than 0.5 Ohms. So the resistance of your hand does not contribute at all. Apparently, its' a capacitive coupling and tape just physically distances the hand from the antenna thus decreasing the coupling. The thicker the gap the better.

I agree that even the bars are reduced, the SpeedTest does not decrease, in some cases I even observed an increase. My numbers are about 2Mp for download and 1Mp for upload.

Come down, people

I was thinking that maybe you could summarize your comment in layman's terms. Not for me of course because I know everything about electrical circuits and what-not, but we may have some less experienced commenters that don't understand. But again, not for me, I totally get it
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post #424 of 446
6/25/10 at 7:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJinTX View Post

Did you not read my previous post? I believe I asked nicely for no one else here to utter the phrase "free bumper". Now maybe didn't read my post, or maybe you took me too literally, so I will re-phrase for your benefit. Please, for the sake of SANITY, no one else mention anything about Apple giving a free case of any kind as a resolution to this problem.

This is NOT an acceptable fix for the problem. If Apple belives something is wrong and therefore should do something to address the situation, then they just need ot bite the bullet and fix or replace affected phones.

Did you read MY post?

I said that Apple should:
a. Make whatever design changes are needed so that future phones do not have the problem.
b. Repair or replace existing phones. Alternatively, they might offer the customer a choice of a free case (or credit so they can buy their own) or a full refund.

The first priority is to fix the problem so that they don't manufacture 30 million phones. No one knows yet whether that will be a software fix or a hardware fix.

If the software fix doesn't work, they need to make design changes.

If they require design changes, I stated that they should repair or replace existing phones.

I suggested that they offer the OPTION for a customer to receive a bumper or a full refund.

I don't see any problem at all with offering people the option of accepting a bumper in lieu of phone replacement. If a customer isn't having a problem and would rather have the free bumper, it's no skin off your nose.

(not to mention that I don't care how nicely you asked for people to not mention free bumpers - it's not your site and people are free to make whatever suggestions they want).
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post #425 of 446
6/25/10 at 7:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nht View Post

.....
Given this issue is more serious than folks whining that Apple lowered prices do folks really believe that Apple won't do something? $60M is a lot of money but Apple has what? $23B in cash?

If the problem is widespread, and it might be, then Apple will respond in a way to keep its reputation intact. It's worth a lot more than $60M. There isn't likely to be an open letter again but there have been "the sky is falling" problems with Apple gear that blew over because Apple replaced the defective units and made good.

I certainly hope so. If the situation turns out to be worse than a few thousand phones, this would affect not only the iPhone 4, but all future iPhone launches. Can you see incredible lines forming in the future if this turns out to be a PR disaster?

I'm a huge Apple fan and was planning to get the iPhone 4, but I will be waiting until the dust settles on this. Right now I'm very pleased from the performance boost iOS 4 gave my 3GS.
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post #426 of 446
6/25/10 at 7:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta View Post

Did you read MY post?



I don't see any problem at all with offering people the option of accepting a bumper in lieu of phone replacement. If a customer isn't having a problem and would rather have the free bumper, it's no skin off your nose.

(not to mention that I don't care how nicely you asked for people to not mention free bumpers - it's not your site and people are free to make whatever suggestions they want).

1. Of course I read your post, and I agree with most of what you said. However "free bumpers" isn;t one of them, which is why I commented.

2. Of course it isn't my site, I am not a moderator, and cannot tell you what to do say think or feel. I wasn't literally telling you what to do. It wasn't said with the intent of your mom telling you to "Clean up your room". Although I intended it to sound a bit like that to inject a bit of humor. Maybe, I should have excluded the joking tone. In any case, my intent was to make a point, which is this: If Apple hears alot of people indicating that a free bumper might appease them, then this might be their long term answer, which is no answer at all.

3. I see that you mentioned a refund or a bumper, and to this I would say again, no one in their right mind should let Apple off the hook this easily.

4. So if people talking about "free bumpers for all" affects the situation by Apple saying this is their plan, then it would be skin off the nose of anyone who isn't willing to accept that as a "fix".

5. Finally, you mention if a customer isn't having an issue, they may prefer a bumper. Are you kidding? If they aren't having an issue then they do not need or deserve a free bumper. If they have no problem, then no solution for them is needed. It's not like people should get them just for emotional stress because they saw a youtube video that a guy in Florida is having the problem.

Again, I'm not literally telling you or anyone else to do, only making the point that we should form a united front and not settle for an "I'm sorry" as a solution. An actual fix may be needed depending on what is actually going on.
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post #427 of 446
6/25/10 at 8:07am
PCMag wrote about the antenna issue:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2365650,00.asp

If this Webb guy is right this will be a serious problem for Apple. It has all the signs of a truly big gaffe.
I have a feeling that either Apple didn't discover it until the last minute OR that they discovered it fairly late in the process - way too late to fix it. This will also explain why they had these bumpers ready at day 0.

To tell you the truth guys, I am not laughing. A piss stain here and there on some phones is not a big issue, but a failed antenna design pretty much negates the core function of this device - being a mobile phone.

I guess that sometimes it's an advantage to be stuck in the middle-east waiting for a new device. We have time to see if it actually works for other people... on the other hand, living here puts us in danger of being wiped off the map by an iranian atomic bomb in the near future!

I hope it all gets fixed soon.
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post #428 of 446
6/25/10 at 8:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJinTX View Post

1. Of course I read your post, and I agree with most of what you said. However "free bumpers" isn;t one of them, which is why I commented.

2. Of course it isn't my site, I am not a moderator, and cannot tell you what to do say think or feel. I wasn't literally telling you what to do. It wasn't said with the intent of your mom telling you to "Clean up your room". Although I intended it to sound a bit like that to inject a bit of humor. Maybe, I should have excluded the joking tone. In any case, my intent was to make a point, which is this: If Apple hears alot of people indicating that a free bumper might appease them, then this might be their long term answer, which is no answer at all.

3. I see that you mentioned a refund or a bumper, and to this I would say again, no one in their right mind should let Apple off the hook this easily.

4. So if people talking about "free bumpers for all" affects the situation by Apple saying this is their plan, then it would be skin off the nose of anyone who isn't willing to accept that as a "fix".

5. Finally, you mention if a customer isn't having an issue, they may prefer a bumper. Are you kidding? If they aren't having an issue then they do not need or deserve a free bumper. If they have no problem, then no solution for them is needed. It's not like people should get them just for emotional stress because they saw a youtube video that a guy in Florida is having the problem.

Again, I'm not literally telling you or anyone else to do, only making the point that we should form a united front and not settle for an "I'm sorry" as a solution. An actual fix may be needed depending on what is actually going on.

Just what is wrong with Apple saying "we'll give you a refund or, if you prefer, give you a free bumper"? Especially since I suggested that they should first repair or replace the phones with ones that don't have the problem (assuming that the software fix doesn't work).

I think it's unreasonable for YOU to demand that people not even consider an option that they might be happy with.
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post #429 of 446
6/25/10 at 8:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta View Post

Just what is wrong with Apple saying "we'll give you a refund or, if you prefer, give you a free bumper"? Especially since I suggested that they should first repair or replace the phones with ones that don't have the problem (assuming that the software fix doesn't work).

I think it's unreasonable for YOU to demand that people not even consider an option that they might be happy with.

I am not demanding anything. I explained my tone was for effect, and that my post should be taken as advice on how to react as consumers. And I spelled it out pretty clearly. If an option is given to those affected to either get a new phone, get a full refund, or get a free bumper, and 10,000 people opt for the bumper, then I could care less if they choose this option. Because I am still being given my own option. But for it to be fair to all, there has to be an option.

If 10,000 people on forums like this continue to say that they would be fine with a free bumper as a solution, then Apple could decide to respond to the alleged issues by saying "We are sorry about the problems, and we have decided to give free bumpers to anyone affected". If they said this and offered no other options because some people, like you, are okay with it, then this affects everyone else and screws them over. In this scenario, just because they happen to go with a single option that you like does not make it okay to not give the rest of the affected users their choice. If it's not free choice for all, then there is no choice.
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post #430 of 446
6/25/10 at 9:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cubert View Post

Ummmm....I'm right handed so I hold the phone in my right hand as most right handed people do. It's the unfortunate 11% of us who are left handed who are going to have issues.

This is what i call ignorance and denial. Wont you hold it in left hand to use the touch screen ? or is your left hand dead ? I am a right hander , but i hold my phone more in the left to use the touchscreen. Also both my ears are working. So either you never owned a phone or you are an apple rep.
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post #431 of 446
6/25/10 at 9:27am
if apple had the slightest care for its customers it would have announced this issue and not the dumb answer it gave to engadget, that is more depressing than no answer. I know a lot of iphone owners just want to shut up, but remember you are not getting it for free, you got a device and this is a flaw and obviously serious hardware flaw .. i am going to cancel my preorder if i dont hear an apple announcement (sensible one) in 1-2 days.
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post #432 of 446
6/25/10 at 9:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta View Post

I added a small piece of electrical tape over the 'seams' (see below) while waiting for my case to come in. My speedtest results showed no difference. Interestingly, unlike most people, my uploads are roughly equal to downloads:
.....
.....
I believe that there are two issues involved.

1. The normal behavior of all phones to have variable signal intensity depending on how they're held, proximity to the body, etc. .....

2. The antennae are very close together on the iPhone 4 and it is easy to touch both anntennae at the same time. This apparently shorts things and causes the number of bars to drop. It is not yet 100% clear if the signal is really dropping. My data suggests that the signal really is OK, just the bar levels are off...

IF IT DOES TURN OUT TO BE REAL, then it appears to be a design problem related to the placement of unprotected anntennae. If that turns out to be the case, I would hope and expect that Apple would:
a. Make whatever design changes are needed so that future phones do not have the problem.
b. Repair or replace existing phones. Alternatively, they might offer the customer a choice of a free case (or credit so they can buy their own) or a full refund.

First off, if you live in an area where you normally get 2 or 3 bars; you WILL drop the call when you have the audacity of picking the phone up in either the left or right hand.

Second off, I used electrical tape and had great success in eliminating the problem at home - HOWEVER ....

Take a wild guess where they put the microphone.



Yup, in the lower left hand corner ..... So when you use tape - be careful you do not cover the small hole used by the microphone - or you will not be able to talk to the person on the other end of the line.

And the hits keep a coming
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post #433 of 446
6/25/10 at 10:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nvidia2008 View Post

By not getting cheated.

BS. You bought a technology product as an early adopter and can return same for a full refund.

End of entitlement story.
Pity the agnostic dyslectic. They spend all their time contemplating the existence of dog.
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Pity the agnostic dyslectic. They spend all their time contemplating the existence of dog.
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post #434 of 446
6/25/10 at 10:50am
pull up to my bumper baby... anyway nice to know that you have to add a bumper to make your new sleek phone fatter and uglier. in my area of cali phones are sold out anyway. this is the first time i did not buy product on day one. 3GS with ios 4 works great anyway. so is reception really worse with the new phone or is it just loss of bars.
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post #435 of 446
6/25/10 at 10:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gdog View Post

pull up to my bumper baby... anyway nice to know that you have to add a bumper to make your new sleek phone fatter and uglier. in my area of cali phones are sold out anyway. this is the first time i did not buy product on day one. 3GS with ios 4 works great anyway. so is reception really worse with the new phone or is it just loss of bars.

Is anyone selling bumpers except for the apple store? My local store only ordered black.
iMac 27" 2.8 Quad i7 / 24" Dual Core 3.06 / 17" Macbook Pro Unibody / Mac Mini HTPC / iPhone 4
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iMac 27" 2.8 Quad i7 / 24" Dual Core 3.06 / 17" Macbook Pro Unibody / Mac Mini HTPC / iPhone 4
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post #436 of 446
6/25/10 at 1:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJinTX View Post

Excellent. Kudos to you sir (or madam). I like your style.

Thank you... *bows*
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post #437 of 446
6/25/10 at 1:59pm
I was going to post a gloat... a ha ha told you so... now that the reception issues have been thoroughly debunked. But it appears most are still in denial that there is nothing wrong with the phone. They are waving off the fact that all cell phones exhibit this exact behavior, and even though many smart phone manuals actually have paragraphs dedicated to explaining how to avoid the issue, they still insist that there is something wrong with the new iPhone!

Maybe we've missed something. I think there is something wrong with the new iPhone. It makes people stupid. No... wait... they were probably stupid before. What it doesn't do is make them smart, I guess.
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post #438 of 446
6/25/10 at 2:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by chillin View Post

I was going to post a gloat... a ha ha told you so... now that the reception issues have been thoroughly debunked. But it appears most are still in denial that there is nothing wrong with the phone. They are waving off the fact that all cell phones exhibit this exact behavior, and even though many smart phone manuals actually have paragraphs dedicated to explaining how to avoid the issue, they still insist that there is something wrong with the new iPhone!

Maybe we've missed something. I think there is something wrong with the new iPhone. It makes people stupid. No... wait... they were probably stupid before. What it doesn't do is make them smart, I guess.

I can only speak for myself, and I have no iPhone 4 to test with, but this does seem a bit different that other phone launches. it is also different than my experiences with both the original iPhone and 3Gs. While I certainly see my signal changing, I have had very few dropped calls, and none of these I would attribute to holding the phone incorrectly. The few drops I have had are related to areas where signals are weak. So I am curious about your comment that certain issues were debunked. There are of course 2 different signal strength issues at this time:

1. The cosmetic issue pointed out by Walt Mossberg in his review where the iPhone seemed to have erratic signal strength meter readouts while using the phone, but he never had a problem making or receiving calls, or dropped calls. The one he said Apple was working on a fix for.

2. Holding the phone in certain ways (near bottom left corner, or bridging the two different antennas that reduces actual signal greatly, and causes dropped calls.

So which of these two issues are you saying was debunked? I am not aware of any debunking going on. I am assuming you are saying issue #2 above was debunked, but I don't think it has. If every phone has this same issue, can you let me know how I can hold my 3Gs in order to drop calls and lose all signal? Also, if it affects all phones, why are some iPhone 4 users saying that have no reception issues, yet some are plagued with them? I would be curious because none of this has ever happened with my 3Gs and I would like to do some testing.

Thanks~
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post #439 of 446
6/25/10 at 3:50pm
Held my iPhone 3GS with my hand wrapped around the bottom half, and I noticed I was losing bars. Then I let my phone rest on my palm, and the bars started coming back up. Never noticed it before, its kind of funny.
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post #440 of 446
6/26/10 at 6:51am
here you can see that even apple holds it the wrong way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK37dysPPzU
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