Apple deletes discussion threads about Consumer Reports and iPhone 4 - Page 2

Agreed, they heard about the complaints; Tested to see if they were valid.
They were.

Most cell phones will drop if you go into a basement, tunnel or a more remote area. That's the nature of cell phones.

They are far too busy joining blogs like this to make up stories to innovate.

Apple needs to innovate some antenna reception to compete with other phone makers.

Yes, all cell phones exhibit signal attenuation to some degree depending on how they're held. The iPhone 4 exhibits it to an extreme, when held naturally.

If the signal is strong enough, it won't be completely suppressed by the death grip.
Apple never claimed that fixing the "stunning" bars software issue will fix the signal attenuation problem of the iPhone 4.

I definitely DO question CRs integrity, and have for years. Don't forget, they were the hard core Toyota sycophants for years too. We all know how "Toyota Quality" has turned out in real life as opposed to CRs fantasy review land. They also were very critical of Macs for many years, writing patently false reviews riddled with factual errors. As well, they've been responsible for many false health and safety scares over the years.

Anyone who already knows anything about a product that CR reviews can tell you that they do not know what they are talking about, and never have. Consumers Reports is not a credible source of information about ANYTHING.

Just posted this to another thread...

This confuses me???


Haven't read all the posts-- just a few of the first and a few of the last.

Forgive me if this has already been posted:


Consumer Reports: "By the Way, the iPhone 4 is Also the Best Smartphone on the Market"

http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/2...on-the-market/

.

No, there is no restocking fee. I paid nothing to return mine, and they refunded my protective cover charge and the Applecare charge (which they weren't obligated to do. ATT went out of their way to help me reverse the iP4 purchase. I'm back to my original 3Gs and original contract term, which ends in Sept. If they fix the hardware issue, I'll be back for the new version. My 3Gs is lame by comparison in every way but decreased signal strength when touching the dreaded "3G Spot" (sorry bout that ladies).

Wow, please, pretty please read up on this issue then comment. No one says it happens all the time. What they do say is it happens when in a week signal area. Apple says you may not know that you are in a weak signal area because of software that determines how many bars are displayed. Then the real question is does the death grip lower the reception more than other phones, the ones with complaints say yes, and that's the flaw.

So, if I follow the logic on this, and Consumer Reports can be "bought", that means Apple paid them for the initial positive review. Then Google stepped in and paid them to change it to be negative? Just want to make sure I'm getting this right...

If the class action reception lawsuit moves forward, I would subpoena both Apple (We have gone back to our labs and retested everything, and the results are the same the iPhone 4s wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped.) and Consumer Reports to see the data collected and how it was done.

I beseech you, please go away. Your relentlessly (and pointlessly) negative comments are burying the issue for those who are attempting to post legitimate comments about the problem of signal/bar drops.

You are a pathetic example of Gresham's Law at work. (Look it up).

Yea right toyota just made cheap junk all these years. Sorry, not good enough. Data, need data. While I do think CR is too critical and narrow on issues and on what's good or bad, that's far different from fraud. In general they hit the mark. Their more recent reviews of Toyota have not put them on top. I suppose their recent no approval of the Lexus suv was fraud also? Which btw forced Lexus to recall and change their software. Pssst, why is that thing with foil on his hat staring at you?

Man what color is the sky in your world dude? CR is the ONLY source in the world today for dispassionate, fact based analysis of consumer products. They do not succumb to pressure and do not accept advertising. One possible reason Apple could have deleted the threads is that CR almost never let's people reprint their reviews or even reference them. They sue and win. Their tests are performed carefully and their ratings combine test results for surveys provided by subscribers. Are they perfect? Of course, not nothing is. If changing your mind because you did more testing, gathered new information and found a difference is called flip-flopping then so be it. Do some research on them and you'll see. Even better why don't you go get a job there and do an undercover investigation? Until you do that your assertions have no validity.

No... Don't you know, It was the guys with the tin foil hats. Man, is it a full moon or what tonight?

OK, I'll try to be nice here, and not call you any bad names. But are you serious? I can hold my iPhone 4 (the 2nd one I received from Applethey agreed to swap out the first one) in the palm of my left hand and after ~10 secs. the Speed Test app drops the 3G connection from ~2 MBps download speed to "unable to connect to server." And in several conversations I've had testing this condition my voice calls drop dead. Gone. As in: "No Service." And this happens in almost every location I've been to since I got my original iPhone on June 23. Yes, I've even demonstrated it to the clerks inside my local AT&T store. The only place it hasn't happened is when I stood 20 yards from an AT&T cell tower about ten miles from my house.

Your opinion that "no one" has shown any sort of reception problem flies in the face of absolute, empirical, repeatable facts. And as Aldous Huxley said: "Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."

It difficult for me to believe that anyone can still be spouting the line that this is all some fantasy from a bunch of Apple haters. I've owned and used Apple products since I bought the original 128K Mac back in February of '84. I use them for my work. I've encouraged my friends and relatives to buy them. But Apple has dropped a turd in the punchbowl here. And reading what you wrote just makes me apoplectic. You owe it to yourself to open your eyes. Those of us who have gone to the trouble to test this vigorously aren't persuaded by your profound ignorance.

Sanity! Thank you

That's hilarious. Great link.

I tried to warn people NOT to upgrade to iOS4 on a iPhone 3G as it wiped my phone and my wife's phone and pretty much rendered them useless. They DELETED my posts. Idiots.

Typical modern day way of dealing with problems. IGNORE them and hope they go away.

Message to Apple and Steve Jobs: WE WILL NEVER FORGET IOS4, AKA: YOUR "VISTA". The mere fact that you are DENYING and IGNORING this disaster is cause for great alarm. You are no longer trustworthy.

Good point, but unfortunately, few will actually read it that way. The haters didn't even bother to notice that CR otherwise thought very highly of the iPhone 4 overall. They just clip and repeat this one friggin' soundbite. Sadly, so has the mainstream press.

Hmm... that would constitute 2 changes of opinion, but I count only one change of any sort from CR. CR went from praising but not issuing a recommendation of the iPhone 4, to praising and explicitly saying they can not recommend the iPhone 4. Maybe they will eventually recommend the iPhone 4 after further testing or after Apple provides an adequate (in CR's opinion) response.


Somebody said they didn't?

Delete your anger. Search around the web. There is a way to return to iOS 3.1.3. Chill out.

If you disagree with the review that's fine. It's your choice. Integrity is a different matter altogether and insinuates that these reviews are somehow not earnest.

I have to agree with Consumer Reports in both their blog and their review of the phone.

When I take my iphone out of my case and hold it in the "death grip" I can get my bars to drop if I hold it in an unnatural position for me. I don't think I would have noticed the bars dropping if there wasn't so much hype surrounding it. I wish Consumer Reports would have published their data instead of just their conclusions. Especially when they taint their analysis with a duct tape solution instead of a case, come on, how over the top. Additionally, their claim that the 3GS and palm pre phones don't lose signal when you cover their antenna is preposterous. I can make my 3G lose bars by holding it just so, but I'll admit it is much more difficult.

The phone itself is better than I'd hoped. It's much faster, the display is amazing, most of the apps I've used have adapted to OS4 so I'm getting the full multitasking experience without draining my battery. I'm extremely pleased with this phone so far. The camera is a huge upgrade over the 3G and I was able to Facetime a good friend I haven't seen in a while. Really liking it.

I love that phone. However, people who go the "there is no proof that calls are actually dropped" route should really reconsider their alcohol drinking habit. In other words, my iPhone 4, as well as all of my friends, are among those "very few phones" with issues. Yes, signal drops. No, my Nokia doesn't loose signal that way. Same place.
So, those people who say "I have the iPhone and I have no issues are either lying, deluding themselves something fierce (maybe they just dream of owning an iPhone 4, and not actually have one?), or for some reason got a very different phone than those I've seen until now.
It's not a crippling issue, people can get a plastic/aluminium/jobs-skin/leather case (like the one at www.jean-rousseau.com ...)
However, the way Apple deals with the issue reminds us of:
-broken (exploding?) iPhones
-watercooling iMacs
Anyone remembers that? I do.

So, I keep my iPhone, and I keep buying Macs. But people denying the issue are just plain wrong.

Well, let's face it... it's a screw-up of potentially biblical proportions in terms of Apple product releases, but it hasn't really slowed sales AFAIK. Also, a little perspective, please. It's not like they leaked oil into the gulf, released radioactive steam into the air, or harmed someone's puppy.

Thanks for posting your return experience. I'm heading in tomorrow to take mine back. I have exchanged twice now and each is no better at making calls than the first. My old contract expires in November, so I'll take another look at the iP4 V2 then.

I wouldn't say they don't have the right to delete threads, to me it's just the fact they were caught doing it that's the story.

Although where do you draw the line. If Google stopped any news articles that were negative about them from appearing in Google News would that be wrong? After all it's there news tool.

This is how I imagine the news from Consumer Reports made it's way around today...

Microsoft HQ
Steve Balmer talking to Bill Gates...

Hey Bill, Steve herehey, remember when we talked the other day and you told me I need to start putting my foot down around here and get everyone in line?

Yeah?

Well Bill, I did it, I did it!

What did you do Steve?

I told the Windows phone 7 guys I dont give a shit how buggy the first version might be, just make damn sure the antenna works, we will fix the buggy stuff later!

Good job Steve!

AT&T Support center break room

Hey, I had this call earlierthis woman said she saw some article how Consumer Reports isnt recommending buying the iPhonesomething about the antenna I guess

Really, you mean its not our fault this time?

Google HQ

Hey, did you see where Consumer Reports gave the new iPhone a good review then changed their minds and now say, dont buy it?

Yeahmy first thought was, hopefully this will slow down sales enough of that thing so our guys dont have to rush to finish their UI design and Photoshop classes!

Apple HQ
Phone call between Steve Jobs and Phil Schiller

Hi Steve, Phil heredid you see the article on Consumer Reports today?

Yes I did

Im sorry SteveIll call themclickdisconnected...

Hey Steve, sorry about that, got disconnectedAnyways Ill call them and threaten to sue and weclickdisconnected...

Im so sorry, anyways like I was saying

Phil?

Yes Steve?

You did get my company wide email earlier todaythe one liner that said simply; go back to using the 3GS, right?

Was that from you? I wasnt sure

Does Apple really believe that ditching forums posts will stop this story from circulating, or that the censorship won't become another story in itself?

Creepier by the day....

Marco (Marco.org) had an interesting article related to this in that you may never see a redesigned iPhone 4. He says:

It is puzzling however that some people can't reproduce the problem. That seems to indicate a problem with only some of the production run, or maybe that other factors are involved. Satisfied customers don't generally go on 'happy rants', so characterising the problems as a universal issue with the iPhone by reading complaints on blogs doesn't make a lot of sense.

Are we seeing millions of returns by dissatisfied customers? Until we know how widespread the problem is, I have to assume it's blown out of proportion. That's not exactly unusual when it comes to anything apple. What other company attracts as many trolls?

I'm sorry to hear you have problems with your phone. I'm hoping we have more facts before I get to buy one in Canada.

Yes, that would be true. I hadn't looked at it that way. You can bet the iP5 will include an antenna redesign. Thanks for posting this article!

Since "Apple Discussions is a user-to-user support forum", they almost never do.
And with all the bad PR going on with this, even less likely they will say anything in a publicly accessible (but still privately owned) forum.
Perhaps if/when they have an actual fix there may be a few questions but more likely to simply get some data from affected users.

What's a water-cooling iMac??

I think the 'exploding iPhones', were actually a couple of iPods one of them a case in the UK that was thrown out of court because it was fraudulent. Are those the ones you remember?

Duplicate...

It's a combination of two things...the antenna design and the quality of cell service getting to that antenna. The antenna design is what it is...it does reduce reception, being as exposed as it is. If the cell signal getting to it is good, then the reduction isn't as pronounced or evident. If your in a marginal area for reception, that antenna design makes the situation that much worse. So people with good cell service don't see it as much as others.

What doesn't help the issue are many people are coming from 3G/3GS phones to the iPhone 4 and seeing many more dropped calls and other issues, compared to their earlier iPhone's. Maybe if we were coming from other phones, the people who are having the issue wouldn't complain as much or notice as much. What also doesn't help the situation is the people having the issues are labeled as "trolls" and such.

As a fan of Apple products, the tech in me loves the new phone. As a consumer, I have the right to complain, if it's not meeting my expectations, especially when I compare it to my older 3GS which it replaced. That doesn't make me a "troll" just as much as the person who says they have no issues, would be a "fanboy"...

That's not what they wrote. They just wrote they could no longer recommend it. That's pretty sloppy journalism AI.

Okay, my iPhone 4 arrived today. Along with lots of other people. The guy at FedEx was saying to the long line of people, all of which were waiting to pickup their iPhones, "I hope you enjoy your new iPhone" in an ironic tone -- as he had been passing them out all day. Anyway, I live in San Francisco -- YES, SAN FRANCISCO -- home of the dreaded 3G signal or not from hell. Anyway, you know the minute I got home to my apartment that has the worst signal in the world on my iPhone 3GS where I must go outside to get a call -- that I would test this iPhone 4 by making calls, gripping it to death with both hands, touching one and then the other and then both little bars -- AND DRUM ROLL PLEASE -- NOTHING! I can't get this iPhone to drop a call. I can't get this iPhone to drop signal no matter how hard I grip it. Bars stay consistent no matter how I hold the phone. I was even able to place a call inside my apartment with no issue. In summary, I don't get what is going on here with this antenna thing. I invited a friend over and we compared iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 and gripped them in our left hands and we saw NO DIFFERENCE. I bought a bumper as I feared it was a required "design feature" but I don't even intend to use it now. So, is it possible some iPhones made in the early runs were simply defective and that this isn't a "fatal design flaw" that got past numerous check points at Apple?

This is turning into one big, fat, ugly PR disaster. It's stunning insofar that Apple has been communicating very well over the past several years, even decades. Now this is just out of control, no matter how big the issue really is. You'll only see the real influence all this has once the international launches start. See if they can repeat the frenzy that was iPhone 3G. I doubt it.

I had a 3G, I now have an iPhone 4. It drops calls less than the 3G in my own personal dead zone ( my house). Aside from the iPhone 4 being on another level of speed and functionality compared to the 3G - notably GPS reception is light years better. I can't imagine actually returning a iPhone 4....

CR are a bunch of panicked neurotic old ladies - they prefer dull reliable cars with poor engineering ( e.g. Toyota who never heard of disconnecting the accelerator when the brake pedal is touched like most european manufactures) over brilliantly engineered cars with an occasional flaw. The same applies to cell phones apparently.