Apple says iPhone 4 calculates bars wrong, software fix forthcoming - Page 5

No, reception is better because of the exposed antenna.
The perception by John Q is completely due to the hysterical parroting of nonsense by ignorant bloggers and media.

Glad i sold my AAPL on Monday.
Not buying this as a software issue only.

Still believe in Apple as the best innovators we've seen in a long while but this is a mistake in an otherwise great run of products - admit it and fix it.

I'll be buying back in when the stock market crashes later in the year - which is bound to happen and like last time, Apple won't be immune.

If you hold AAPL, get out now, take your profits and buy back in in a few months time.

That's the thing about revolutionaries, they usually become a lot like what they replace.

Wow... the American school system really does produce illiterates, doesn't it?
What they're saying (and as those of us who actually have one in marginal reception areas have been saying) is that the display has been over-reporting strength in weak areas, making normal drops in the display look more dramatic.
Actual reception has been improved greatly.

I'm curious.. when you go to a restaurant, do you eat the menu instead of the actual food? Just wondering.

If I grip my original iPhone around the bottom (where the black plastic covers the antennas) I can make my reception go from 3 bars with Edge to NO SERVICE - takes about fives seconds. I have learned not to hold my phone that way in areas where signal strength is poor. I don't really consider this to be a defect in the original iPhone.

Whoa their pardner.
If you've been spouting off all this time WITHOUT EVEN HAVING ONE, you really need to show some intellectual honesty be returning it before you even open it.
You have NO grounds for griping.
Return it now so someone who deserves it can get their hands on it.

... nvm its not even worth my time lol

Using the 3rd grade term 'fail' is a fail.
Return to beneath your bridge.

How does is this a "solution" in any sense? It just makes it look like it has more bars but the problem is still there. This isn't a surprise to apple, they meant from the start to inflate that bars.

I'm extremely disappointed in apple, they're still denying the problem rather that doing what's best for the customers and fixing it.

Simply because there IS no issue.

Oh brother. Looking like round two.

Keep it up. Only another 230 something posts to go and you'll beat yesterday's total.

That is unfair. The iPhone 4's antenna has been tested externally and shown to have far superior reception to previous models. It has also been shown to be more susceptible to signal loss.

They could have stuck the antenna back inside and shielded the shit out of it to prevent any loss from physical contact. That would also have resulted in it having shittier reception. Perhaps they missed the mark on balancing sensitivity and protection, but is dishonest to imply they are lying or misleading when they claim it has better reception. It does.

Prove that the non Apple vendors will require enforcing fees when the manufacturer has indicated otherwise.
Prove, not whine.

It really is all semantics. If you read Anand's article technically the iPhone does get better reception but if you "hold it the wrong way" the reception drop negates the benefits of the antenna and then some.

Even Anand himself said that Apple should be giving away free bumpers with this issue being such a problem.

Everyone might as well get a case anyway since Apple decided to choose form over function and make a glass phone that can shatter from a two foot drop.

Apple's intent concerning bars, from Anand's article, was to clearly make it seem as if the iPhone was getting so much more reception than the previous generation.

oh lol because he's being a troll right? By saying the obvious truth?

Do you even know what trolling is? It has nothing to do with trolls that live under bridges. Think of a fisherman trolling for fish.

I hate to bring you the news, but this wasn't the reported software fix Daniel Eran reported. He was talking about a frequency switch update which didn't exist. Still doesn't, and from what Apple says, won't.

What do they want us to do? Fucking take a mentos and put a smile back on our faces? It is really fucked up with the AT&T signal arguments all these years and now, oh my bad, its been misleading all this time.

Put *3001#12345#* back on IOS4

Again, we are only 8 days into the issue. And Apple must be careful how it responds.

As you say, addressing the accuracy problem is good!

Because of all the hysteria, I think they focused on that first.

If a large number of devices (above normal manufacturing defects) have additional problems, I am sure that Apple will address these, too.

I suspect they are, as we speak, looking at the hardware, cell radios, software, etc. to see if there are any other potential exposures/defects.

There are certain "fixes" that are preferred over others-- for obvious reasons (cost). Other "fixes" might involve recall, reengineering with re-submission for FCC approval if the changes are significant.

In 32 years of dealing with Apple, I have found them to do the "right thing" by their customers. That's one of the reasons that Apple's customer satisfaction ratings are among the highest.

.

I can't say enough good things about. I won't give a review but the screen, camera and video combined with the simplicity and buttery smoothe and quick OS make this feel like everything that Apple has stuck too and improved has been all for the right reasons. I compared the screens and browsers on a couple of top of the line Androids yesterday and whilst I was impressed by them the clarity and detail of the iPhone is far superior and their jitteryness was extremely noticeable compared to the flawlessness of the ip4.

The reception issues are truly horrendous without a case, it's annoying to always have to hold the phone differently, but it's certainly possible to do so. You win some you lose some, but I'm very disappointed by Apple's stance since up till now I personally have always found them extremely helpfully, often going out of their way to not just fix an issue but to fix it and help me with any smaller issues etc too. I have no doubt that I will love using this phone for the time I own it as, I currently do. The extra effort is well worth it.

How can there be such a mental disconnect from their PR letter and what they are actually doing? Or perhaps is a lack of critical thinking on many of the posters here. Besides the letter clearing stating the bars fix will show less bars, not more bars, they stated "weeks" to usher in this update, which clearly means thy are altering a lot more than just the way bars are represented.

It doesn't 'technically' get better reception... it really does get better reception. I live in AT&T hell... wilderness edge in Marin, and spend time in SF.
Reception in both has greatly improved.
Frankly, if the price for most people getting better reception is that a few folks have to use a bumper (I use one simply because its a great case, btw) or have to skootch their fingers a centimeter one way or the other, then its an overall win, and the disaffected can now take theirs back if they're truly that lazy, and stop whining. (I'm really searching for another term, but its SO appropriate here.)

Don't waste your breath, people round here won't take that sort of a comment seriously. Even if they should.

So in this case when I hold my phone in landscape mode it will drop to no signal sooner? and kill of data connection...

I disagree with your rephrasing of the issues involved, as I think your analysis confuses the issues in a way that distracts from the actual issues involved. To repeat, I think the issues are correctly defined as:


Not being an antenna expert, I will defer as to whether attenuation or de-tuning is the correct word to describe issue 1, however, I don't think that changes the correct description of the issues. (And, no, I don't think one needs to be an antenna expert to correctly analyze the issues. Perhaps to solve them, but not to identify them.)

Issues 1 & 2 need to be distinctly and precisely delineated because issue 1 affects all iP4s, whereas, issue 2, based on reports, affects only some iP4s irrespective of location*. On affected iP4s, bridging the antenna seam results in predictable and repeatable interruption in data service. On unaffected iP4s, it does not. The effects from simply touching the antenna vs. bridging the seam are quite distinct, with a random touch on any iP4 causing issue 1 and bridging the seam causing issue 2, but only on some iP4s. This is a very important and defining characteristic of issue 2, which is not the case with issue 1, and strongly indicates that it is not a design issue, but some issue specific to only some iP4s.

You are correct, however, that Apple has not, at least in this announcement, addressed issue 2. That doesn't preclude the possibility that they are aware of it, investigating it, or may address it with a software update (if possible). They may simply not be addressing it at this time because they don't yet fully understand it. But this is in fact the primary issue that does need to be addressed.

I also disagree that issue 3 is irrelevant. Clearly this is causing some number of disconnected calls from the end call button being accidentally pressed. It's quite likely that at least some number of reported "dropped calls" are related to this issue**. So, I think it's important that this issue be part of the discussion.


* With 2 iP4s in close physical proximity to each other, a case where they should be receiving approximately the same signal, one iP4 may display this behavior while the other may not.

** This assumption is based on reports of "dropped calls" that don't appear in the logs as dropped calls.

We don't know the number, because Apple hasn't released the numbers. You are right, where they are using it is a factor, as the Anand article points out. But, it is simply physics that a contact with an antenna will cause signal degradation and the iPhone 4 is the first iPhone to have an external antenna. How much of a problem it is needs to be determined, but it is a obvious issue. Is too much being made of this? Probably. But for anyone in an area with moderate to low signals, it is a real issue where it might not have been with earlier models. At the same time, the improved reception by moving outside, means those same people can get a usable signal if they aren't holding it wrong, where the older models might not have been able to get on network at all.


Apparently in German bars?

Actually, nothing at all.

Whatever Apple thinks they aren't admitting an antenna design issue. Which looks to be the case. For whatever reason it doesn't seem to affect those with a very strong signal, so Apple are using that to help their denial argument.

I personally don't want to spend 599 to try it out. I'll be awaiting iPhone 5 - with it's: "there was nothing wrong with the last antenna design, but for some strange reason we have redesigned it."

Everyone take a breath and read Gruber on this...
http://daringfireball.net/2010/07/translation_iphone_4

Likely discussed in this thread somewhere, but has anyone done this and been told their ATT contract renewal is terminated as part of the "full refund?"

I'll add to your list...

Considering every iPhone is redesigned each year I guess your pretty safe on being able to claim victory on your prediction. Being pragmatic isn't a crime.

Oh, fucking stop with the bullshit lying. I actually quoted that part of the article in another post.

Yes, the iPhone 4 antenna and baseband work vastly better in low signal conditions. This doesn't change the fact that it creates conditions for low signal simply by allowing the antenna to be touched by having it on the outside.

Again, the 4 uses the signal it gets better and will better reception overall. It will also lose signal more dramatically when touched than previous models. A fix would be to prevent such a dramatic loss of signal.

It is insane that people try to ignore this is an actual issue. Even Apple admits a case will improve the situation. Head up ass is not a flattering look for anyone.

The reception is better due to the better antenna and external placement. However, as a result of the antenna's location under certain commonly occurring conditions, the reception is vastly worse. The two are not contradictory. Apple can still have the ebtter reception but with a slightly different design to avoid the problem. This is basic.

You are getting better reception because you're holding it the right way. For those like me who are lefties or hold it in their left hand there will be worse reception.

I'll get the new iPhone with a Bumper anyway because the phone is so fragile. Tests from Anandtech have shown the signal drop is at par with other phones which theoretically means better reception than my 3G.

Even that poses new problems since many third party cases and docks can't connect through the Bumper.

Do you know a real issue exists?

Do you know that an above normal percent of the 2.5-3 million devices are experiencing the real issue?

Do you know that Apple won't resolve any real issue? problems to the satisfaction of the customer, regardless of return window (including: refund, replacement, compensation, etc)?

I don't know you-- but you appear (according to your posts) to be a whiny complainer.

I know Apple! They make excellent products. They pride themselves in customer satisfaction!

My bet is on Apple!

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No thanks. I've used them and operated them from other people and in AT&T stores. I have hands on experience with the phone and the issue. I am waiting to see if my phone with a case is usable. If it is, as I hope it to be great. If not some other person can deal with it's quirks.

Because it is an improved design. By moving the antenna outside (and improving the baseband) you get much better reception in low signal areas.

Moving it outside results in it doing a better job at doing what it does. It makes it a better antenna. It also makes it more susceptible to degradation sue to touch.

But how does that explain the people who no get slower speeds and dropped calls going from a 3G or 3G S to an iPhone 4? It doesn't. Fair enough if they reporting the bars wrong, but simply side by side tests of different iPhone show the iPhone 4 cannot transmit data when held a certain way. Whereas other iPhone can. They might slow, but they don't slow like iPhone 4. Location dependent of course.

I find this to be absolutely hilarious.

If this isn't the most obvious lie and the most facile cover-up of said lie in Apple's entire history I don't know what is. They (and especially Steve Jobs), often bend the truth a bit but they rarely outright lie like this.

It also sounds like valley girl talk. "Dood! we totally didn't notice! Srsly!"

What's really "stunning" is that we are supposed to believe that they have been doing this since the very inception of the iPhone and never noticed it? Riiiight.

Freudian slip?

It is ignorant to say someone like Anand is an 'ignorant blogger'.

So true.