Death Grip hysteria may end Monday with iOS 4.01 - Page 13

Originally Posted by Ireland

Yet another seasoned member of the forums keeping it real. What's with these newly registered users who are bat-shit crazy? And who hate anyone pointing out anything bad about this new iPhone.

Originally Posted by Mazda 3s

Here's an update. I was able to somewhat resolve my issues by purchasing a Griffin case from Best Buy (looks a little like the Apple Bumper case, except that it has a clear piece that covers the back).

My download speeds still take a bit of a hit, and the upload speeds take a MAJOR hit, but it's not nearly as bad as using it naked with the death grip. This will have to do until Apple fixes this problem.

My new results with the case using the Death Grip: ...

Originally Posted by Foo2

I guess you didn't really read his blog post, because he does see an issue with the design, even if he did choose to buy an iPhone 4.

Originally Posted by NOFEER

<snip>mine is two tone silicone that wraps around the top and bottom of the front about a 1/2 inch, love it and it is rubbery enough that it gives me a good grip and is colorful <snip>

Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody

So, instead of just holding it slightly differently, you'd rather put a case on it and cut your upload speed in half and take a big chunk out of your download speed as well?

That's crazy IMO.

Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody

I think you read the article wrong. I just read the whole thing and I don't see where he says there is an issue with the design of the iPhone 4 antenna. He more or less describes the same issue with all cellphones which is pretty much what Apple is saying.

Originally Posted by g3pro

Actually, the phone takes into account signal quality and interference with an averaging algorithm when it comes to displaying the signal strength as bars.

If you have a consistent 5 bar reception, the phone is telling you that you have better reception than 4 or 3 or 2 or 1 or no bars. ON AVERAGE.


There are variations, of course, and the larger variations in signal strength and quality you have, the lower bars you will have.

For example, if you are in an area with high noise to signal ratio, there are times when you will have good signal strength and quality and other times when it is bad signal quality. However the phone averages this out and displays 3 bars. Or 2 bars.

Originally Posted by justflybob

Funny, that's exactly what she said about you!

Err, about 30 seconds after she performed a Lorena Bobbitt on ya for being so annoying.

Originally Posted by g3pro

Loss of reception while dialing out?
Avoid using the phone for phone calls.

Dropped calls in San Francisco?
Avoid going to San Francisco.

Playhouse Disney (or other flash site) doesn't work in the browser?
Avoid going to that site.

Screen gets smudged?
Avoid touching the screen.

Hate getting ripped off for expensive junk?
Stop buying Apple products./QUOTE]

Yeah, Apple sells junk. That's what they sell. And their junk is so popular they're the biggest consumer products company on Earth,

:::YAWN::: Another day, another desperate, full-of-himself clown in love with his own empty voice.

Originally Posted by thespaz

I believe it's simply a baseband issue. Perhaps with the new antenna design, they changed the baseband and it got screwed up somehow.

What if Apple releases a software fix (4.0.1) tomorrow and it completely solves the problem? What happens to all the people screaming that it was definitely a hardware problem and impossible to fix with software. You do know that software controls the hardware right?

Do any of us know how Apple made the iPhone and especially how they coded it? I didn't think so.

So since everyone has theories... they don't really know exactly what the "real" fix is.

I'm sure we'll find out next week.

Originally Posted by solipsism

And that is why yours and others diagnosis is irrational and fallacious. If it's a design flaw then it would be happening to all iPhone 4s. It's not, so it's something else.

Originally Posted by Foo2

And I'm holding the iPhone wrong, too. You missed the part where he says he expects the iPhone 4 antenna to be "worse" (his exact description) in the context of signal attenuation by the body; and you should note he doesn't even touch on the death grip issue, presumably because it wasn't well publicized by the time he wrote his post. Why is anybody using Webb's post to support the notion that nothing is wrong with the iPhone 4 antenna?

Originally Posted by iBill

Looks like Ireland's not the only one infuriated by the iPhone 4 antenna "calamity".

http://vimeo.com/12858526

Originally Posted by iBill

Looks like Ireland's not the only one infuriated by the iPhone 4 antenna "calamity".

http://vimeo.com/12858526

Originally Posted by Ireland

Ok, enough with the abuse.

Originally Posted by nht

That's not strictly true. You can have a design flaw that doesn't exhibit itself on all units or in all conditions.

Originally Posted by justflybob

I think everyone here would just like the old Ireland back.

Originally Posted by solipsism

As stated, I don't see how that is possible.

If it's a design flaw causing a "short circuit" when you touch the other antenna then the operating band in use or RF signal strength would not affect it's ability to "short circuit" simply because the antenna is exposed.

Originally Posted by nht

Sure...take for example the design flaw in the space shuttle SRB...it only happened in specific circumstances (cold weather). Burn though didn't happen every time...but it was still a design flaw in the SRB.

Unless heat, humidity, skin salinity, signal strength, frequency, distance to tower, etc affects the outcome. Could be the designed mitigation for RF interference doesn't work in all real world conditions.

That said, the most consistent way for me to reproduce this bug is the use a penny. My palm isn't conductive enough to reliably reproduce the effect.

Originally Posted by solipsism

Yet, I can cover all the scenarios you mention and still not recreate the issue. I've gone so far as to use wet hands dipped in salty water as well as use conductive metals to bridge the gap. Therefore it cannot possibly be design flaw causing a short circuit from using an external antenna. That is busted. If Apple recalls every single iPhone 4 and comes out with a design that encases the antenna in plastic or rubber, perhaps by offering free Bumpers to all iPhone 4 users, then I'll concede that it's a design flaw that affects all iPhone 4s.

Originally Posted by BDBLACK

I don't think it's really possible to reproduce this issue reliably because there are too many variables. Manufacturing variances, changes in signal frequency, changes in interference...

Maybe the problem only occurs at a specific frequency or maybe only when there is a specific type of interference.

I am almost sure the issue is caused by standing waves which occur when the exposed antenna is held with bare hands. Apple can change the software to help filter out this type of interference. I think they can sort a lot of it out with software but I'm willing to bet there will always be some issues having the antenna exposed like this.

Originally Posted by solipsism

Agreed.

When you start getting compared to TeckStud and you have SpotOn/MacTripper in your corner (until he got banned, yet again) you need ask yourself if you're being reasonable.

Hopefully in the next couple days things will be back to normal and I'm sure by the time the iPhone 4 hits the shores of Ireland proper he'll be first in line and first to agree this is the by far the best iPhone Apple has ever made and the best smartphone money can buy.

Originally Posted by dubiousutility

To determine whether this is just a problem with the software measurement of the signal strength, I tested the actual data throughput speed in both unheld and held states. The impact of holding the iPhone in your hand is SEVERE, cutting up/down speeds to a fraction of their unheld potential. Here are the results.



Maybe/hopefully this can be fixed in software, but it's not just about measurement in the UI, nor is it a typical issue that affects all phones.

Originally Posted by Mr Underhill

To members in the UK, is your iPhone 4 suffering from any of these problems?

Mine's fine if not even better than my 3G. I read a lot about these issues but I can honestly say all my iPhones have worked beautifully. The 3G is on O2, the 4 is on Vodafone and seems even better. Maybe due to the new antenna?

All these connection issues seem to be isolated to the US, well at least from my reading. Any feedback on UK iPhones would be great.

Originally Posted by kotatsu

I'm right handed but always hold phones in my left hand, then use my right hand to prod the touch screen. Isn't that how everyone uses them?

Originally Posted by BDBLACK

I don't think it's really possible to reproduce this issue reliably because there are too many variables. Manufacturing variances, changes in signal frequency, changes in interference...

Maybe the problem only occurs at a specific frequency or maybe only when there is a specific type of interference.

I am almost sure the issue is caused by standing waves which occur when the exposed antenna is held with bare hands. Apple can change the software to help filter out this type of interference. I think they can sort a lot of it out with software but I'm willing to bet there will always be some issues having the antenna exposed like this.

Originally Posted by nvidia2008

You're all WRONG. There are no reception issues.
http://www.macrumors.com/2010/06/27/...ue-stay-tuned/

Boy, Steve is taking some more big risks here with what is conceivably Apple's flagship product. I think he should let Apple PR and engineers handle this one.

Originally Posted by nvidia2008

Things could get a little uglier before they get better. As much as I want the old Ireland back, we'll have to deal with this first and see what comes of it (if verified)

STAY TUNED. NO RECEPTION ISSUES.
http://www.macrumors.com/2010/06/27/...ue-stay-tuned/

We do something similar. We call it “clouding.” Right now, for example, we’ve sent out the following messages about iPhone 4 and the antenna issues:

1. All mobile phones have this problem.

2. Our mobile phone does not have this problem.

You see how this works? These two statements cannot both be true.

Yet we’ve said both of them. And now you don’t know what to believe.

Ask any psychologist what happens to people when they get confused. Their heart rate goes up. Their skin temperature rises. Adrenaline starts to flow.

They feel desperate, and scared, as if they’ve fallen out of a boat and now they’re getting tossed by waves and they’re maybe going to drown.

Now all you have to do is reach out with some kind of certainty, and no matter how obviously untrue it might be, people will latch onto it.

Originally Posted by DocNo42

No doubt, some people are experiencing real problems - and those people should take the problem phone back to Apple and get it exchanged for a new one.

But the real clueless people are like ones here who go to the Apple store and squeeze 12 phones to watch the display change without bothering to see if it really affected the devices performance. I have a 3Gs and an iPhone 4. They both show the screwy meter thing when gripped, yet they both work just fine even when the display says "No Service".

That sure as heck sounds like a software bug to me.

Again, if you are one of the minority who is having an actual hardware issue - take the phone back to Apple. They will fix or replace it. Stuff happens. But moaning on the Internet won't solve anything other than furthering the noise level.



I don't have to respect people who are flat out wrong because they take information from the Internet, misconstrue it and then further repeat the bad information. And disagreeing with someone doesn't equate a lack of respect either - it's not a binary proposition.

Let's look at it a different way. If this wasn't Gizmodo just starting more $h!t but a sincere and real problem - say a systemic design flaw as some have hysterically claimed in this and other forums - with over a million sales, don't you think actual iPhone 4 owners would be coming out of the wood work in droves?

If it was really a systemic design flaw, you would see major news organizations reporting it with their own research, interviews and follow up - instead of pointing to "online reports".

We don't see any of that. It's another internet tempest in the teapot. It's like the game telephone - but on steroids because there are tens of thousands of people with nothing better to do than endlessly gossip.

The level of furor over this is what is ignorant. For the vast majority of people, this is a total non-issue. It more than likely is EXACTLY what Apple claimed it is - a software issue. I realize conspiracy theories and "Apple is Dooooomed!" are far more entertaining, but still believe that Occam's razor applies far more often than not (and certainly in this case as well).

Originally Posted by trumptman

Ridiculously spot on, and reflects pretty much everything in this thread.

This whole rumor, true or not, really speaks to the last two sentences.

Originally Posted by Hands Sandon

I don't think Apple would suffer too badly even if it couldn't fix the problem. Most people will figure ways around it because they like the phone too much to want to swap and most people will use a case. Personally, even without a case I won't be swapping phones to Android or whatever. At first it was pretty tricky holding the phone differently but I've since found ways, especially using my left index finger or thumb resting above the screen at the top of the phone that really feels ok, it's not what I would have chosen but it doesn't bother me now.

When I do hold the phone as I had always done and call my home landline number I get the failed call message and the landline goes dead. Likewise if I'm surfing, web pages will stop loading, so when it says "no service" for me it's not just telling me the wrong thing, it's telling me the right thing.

Originally Posted by guinness

Don't let the phone adapt to the user, have the user adapt to the phone.

Good grief, the hand gymnastics you'll put up with, just because it's Apple, magical, or 'just works'. I don't get it - no matter how good the screen is, OS, apps, etc, what's the point, if you can't hold it like a normal phone, without dropping the call or cutting d/l speeds.