Consumer Reports changes stance, cannot recommend Apple's iPhone 4 - Page 6

Unfortunately, they contradict themselves in their own article. In some places they uncategorically state that the problem affects all iPhones, then, they say their review unit wasn't affected. Then there's the ridiculous claim that CR showed that it affects all iPhones... by testing 3 phones.

This is hilarious! I'm a HUGE Apple fanboy most of the time, but when I had an iPhone 4, I would constantly lose all data all together. I would sit there and try to download something, only to finally realize that I had my pinky finger partially covering the black seam. That's just not right, so I returned it. Do what is right... return the iPhone 4 until Apple figures out how to fix it. Until then, I'll be using my iPhone 3G because it works perfectly fine on 2.2.1.

Even *I* can't defend Apple on this stupid mistake. They're hurting their image!

Not Applicable...

I couldn't go back to my iPhone 3G. The screen looks out of focus compared to my iPhone 4.

... far more important than 'their image' is the inconvenience this obvious design flaw is causing their customers.

While I agree that real world performance is more important than number of bars, your first statement is wrong. In my case, a piece of electrical tape (which is thinner than duct tape) reduced the signal loss - at least as measured by the number of bars.


More importantly, will they test other phones with the same test method? This "iPhone signal drops" mania is ridiculous if they don't test other phones.

Yes, I believe Apple has known all along about the signal bars. Remember this episode from 2008, when Apple increased the number of bars displayed in iOS 2.1?

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-10115756-233.html

If you can cope with Android bad seeds Why wouldn't iPhone users cope?
Unintelligent rant.

: Helloooo Glenn Beck, how are you?

Serious questions here guys: I live in a high signal area. If the new patch from Apple reports the bars correctly, will I then see a reduction in bars when touching the lower left corner? Also, shouldn't I at least be experiencing dropped calls? I'm thinking if this is in fact a design error, shouldn't all iPhones be affected, or is it because I'm in a high signal area that I haven't noticed the problem yet?

Dear Apple: I will be happy if you demonstrate fairness to customers by giving credit for bumpers purchased and if you demonstrate honesty by bringing back Field Test Mode in the next iOS update.

Chances are... your being in a 'strong signal area' is working to your benefit in this situation.

Am in Los Angeles. Me and a roomate bought our iphone 4's on day one. Each of us HAVE NO RECEPTION ISSUES at all. In fact this new iphone performs FASTER, downloads FASTER from our WIFI, the face time is awesome.. The only "issue" i can report is that the prox sensor is a little too sensitive sometimes. But overall this phone is a major upgrade from past models and just flies with speed and moving through websites and applications is now super fast and flawless. Clearly to me the "issues" people are experiencing must be related to a combination of factors that don't exist in my case and the case of countless others. Dropped calls are a fricking fact of life, not apple. And yea that goes for EVERY network out there including Verizon.

Hey I am def not a fan of ATT. But am not concerned about Apple "ponying" up or not. I'm a 25++ year customer and can say that right now I have 6 Apple products in my house including iphones and their customer service has stood behind my purchases within REASON.

And...I might add...Even today, calling Apple is so much easier than calling almost ANY consumer electronics company on earth!

I mean, what's the problem? If my phone, no matter who I bought it from...did not make calls or consistantely exhibited problems making it unable to function, i'd just return it either for my money back or exchange it. It boggles my mind why paid shrills from Apple's competitors stir up these forums and convince people that have no issues to honestly develop one while they sit on these forums ranting about an issue when a solution exists, it's called exchange or return.

My phones reception is GREATLY improved over previous models. Its internet speed also performs as promised.

My iPhone 4 will drop calls on que every time, no problem. It has been demonstrated with an Apple Genius and with AppleCare. I have tested several other phones at the same locations and at the same times and they do not suffer the same results as the iPhone 4. In the tests were iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, Motorolla RAZR. We also tested a Nokia, an LG, and a Samsung, but I didn't record the model numbers of those three.

Bottom line is that my iPhone 4 performed well sitting on a table, but when picked up with two fingers anywhere on the sides, the call would drop in approximately 20 seconds. With all of the other phones we tested, not one call was dropped no matter how they were held. Also, data downloads can be halted with my iPhone 4. Could not get data to stop with the others.

While the informal test results in that article don't seem to agree with more recent, formal testing, I think it's pretty clear, based on the more recent tests, that they set the signal display to show expected call quality rather than signal strength. So 5 bars meant you would get good call quality, with a decrease in bars indicating how much you should expect the call quality to decline.

But, because 5 bars represented such a wide range of signal strength, the difference between holding and not holding the iP4 sometimes appears dramatic, even though it isn't. The bar display will "fix" that by eliminating the apparent dramatic drop in signal strength.

But, the announced fix doesn't seem to address at all the issue that some phones will lose connection when the seam is bridged but others won't. And they have publicly addressed the proximity sensor issue either.

It's likely the latter of these is easily fixable with a software update, which has not yet been announced. It's possible the seam bridging issue on the phones that experience it may also be fixable in software, but they have not yet announced anything related to that either.

The problem was that their initial "testing" wasn't really testing by their normally thorough standards. I was actually shocked that they even published that initial finding knowing that they didn't really test it. And I suspected that they'd have to change their stance once real testing was done.

My confidence in CR wasn't diminished by their flip-flop, it was diminished by them apparently getting caught up in the iPhone frenzy and feeling they needed to weigh in with an opinion without conducting proper tests first.

Beacrefull...someone is going to accuse you of making sense!

Off topic a bit, but just an observation. If anyone is in my boat and their iPhone 3G contract just expired, and you're thinking of buying an iPhone 4, take heed!

If you order a iPhone 4 with the iPhone App, it bangs you the 18.00 upgrade fee, but if you do it on a real Mac, the fee is waved. Go figure.

Consumer reports can remove the phone from their ass and they will get better reception. If those of you can't figure out how to hold a phone properly without covering a 2 mm strip, then don't buy one. If you are too cheap to buy one of the many different cases available, then don't buy one. If you don't like the phone, return it. Most of the people here making comments don't even own the iPhone 4. I get better reception with the iPhone 4 than I ever did with the original iPhone. If I smother the antenna on the original iPhone, the bars go down on that one too. It doesn't matter if the display shows 2 bars or 4 bars, you can still make a phone call.

So...You did all this testing, Apple Genius, Apple Care etc and it's still happening????

This is BOGUS.

So you "kept" a device that ISN'T working and you are on here to say what?

Let me guess. ALL IPHONES SUCK?

I mean, get real, ANY product we ALL buy can be defective by a process of millions. I mean what product launch of THIS MAGNITUDE could or should be flawless?

Secondly why should Apple or ANY company officially comment on an issue when they themselves can't yet accurately access it's magnitude?

I guess NONE OF YOU have ever dealt with CEC's like DELL-HELL or HP for that matter.

I have taken mine in several times and on my third iPhone 4. I'm still experiencing the same issues outlined in previous posts. Anyone else having better reception after exchanging?

That's just sort of sad.

Well if you recall they (Consumer Reports) did not initially test it themselves. They relied upon reports from another source, Gizmodo I think. Whoever it was that they were relying upon did not properly test the phone under lab conditions.

And this is if Consumer Reports is really like it was 20 years - A REAL NOT FOR PROFIT business.

I recently signed up to see their "product reviews" of items we all need and care about and they were LAME.

I learn way more from forums like this FOR FREE than their SUBSCRIPTION FEES for a small limited information source.

What's funny is that they FLIP FLOPPED on this issue. I call that UNRELIABLE and UNTRUSTWORTHTY by all accounts.

Personally I think the free bumper thing is their best corrective route. It probably costs Apple about 50 cents for one and they charge $30.00. Get real Apple, thats just too much money for a silly band to wrap around the phone.

Wow - I guess it mean's that all iphones are defective and deserve to be recalled and they better own up to their lies!

I mean can you hear me when "I" tell you "I" have NO ISSUES like yours. And other buddies of mine here in LOS ANGELES don't as well???

What does that mean to you when you "hear" that?

Oh, please. The Anandtech report shows the iPhone 4 exhibiting dramatic signal attenuation when it's held that's real and much greater than with the 3Gs or Nexus One.

I'm not complaining because it's worth it to me. I killed my land line last year. I'd rather be a dumb owner of an all purpose iPhone 4 @ $79 a month - new minimum is $55 a month - not $104 - than a smart owner of a landlocked Vonage account @ $30 a month.

heh, since you were apparently still in diapers at the time, just google for signal bars on the iphone in 2008, and you'll find tons of discussion about it.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=586974

Oct 23, 2008, 12:25 PM
"IMHO, all Apple did was tweak the indicator. Many of us verified this by doing the field test before and after the 2.1 update."

Demand Apple bring back Field Test Mode in the next iOS4 update.

Man of class, you are. Rude and clumsy. I'm left handed, and there's not much easier in this world than simply changing your grip to avoid that one trouble-spot. I can reproduce the loss of bars, but in practice it's never been a problem, because I'm not a clumsy idiot like some people I'm replying to.

I can understand why you are having such a hard time believing this MIGHT just be true. Your iphone 4 is probably working fine for you? That is great for you. If people are to believe you that yours is working fine when you say it is, why is it such a stretch for you to believe others when they tell you theirs is not working properly? How many iPhone 4's will it take, before I can get one that does work, is my question. Mine has been returned twice and I'm on iPhone 4 number three. All three will drop a call when picked up with two fingers anywhere on the sides. I love Apple products and have 10 currently, which is why I will not give up. I believe will improve upon this problem and refuse to believe that this is all we can expect. They have always done pretty well in the past about making things right, so let's hope they stand behind these too. They announced today that they will exchange 2008 Time Capsules within the given range of affected serial numbers, and how much more important is the iPhone line to the company than the Time Capsule line.

yea good one, i plan to buy 2, this to me is a non issue, i always use a case and i can't wait to get mine

Not everyone wants to hold the freaking phone to their right ear. Holding it in my left hand to my left ear causes the palm of my hand to short out the antenna. I can't easily change how I hold the phone and still be comfortable with it. It is a very real and disturbing issue. Get over yourself.

Mine does not have any signal issues...perhaps, I am a lucky one for a change.

It suggests you and your buddies are using cases, you've been consistently in a strong signal area when you've held the bare phone the "wrong way", and you've been unaware of the times when you've held the bare phone the wrong way while in a weak signal area. It is often harder to prove a negative, but there are plenty of people who've seen the problem.

How do you make such a leap in your logic?

I agree, have you seen those rubber bumpers,.. they make you iPhone 4 look like a kids toy,...

Not as dramatic as the loss of bars appears to show.

Exactly right. Well said.

I agree the software update will probably alleviate that gross perception but it will do nothing to fix the actual attenuation, which is much worse than for other phones including previous iPhones (3Gs at least).