Nokia pokes at iPhone 4 death grip, gets called on it
Nokia's official blog has jumped on the iPhone 4 "death grip" bandwagon in a posting that suggests the company's mobiles don't share the same issues related to blocking a phone's antenna, despite having earlier published instructions that tell users to avoid holding its phones in a way that might block the antenna.
Today's Official Nokia Blog post drying asked, "How do you hold your Nokia?" It posts a variety of pictures of a Nokia phone being cupped by a user's left hand, the same thing that is reported to cause a drop in reported signal (although not necessarily in call performance) on iPhone 4.
"The key function on any Nokia device is its ability to make phone calls," the company's official blog posting says. "Providing a wide range of methods and grips for people to hold their phones, without interfering with the antennae, has been an essential feature of every device Nokia has built."
It concludes, "Of course, feel free to ignore all of the above because realistically, you?re free to hold your Nokia device any way you like. And you won?t suffer any signal loss. Cool, huh?"
Grasped by its own Death Grip
Users immediately commented on the posting with links to YouTube videos showing a variety of mobile phones experiencing a lost or degraded signal when held in the user's hand, including videos of a Nokia E71 (shown below), Nokia 6230, and Nokia 6720, as well as phones from other makers: the HTC Droid Incredible and the Google branded HTC Nexus One
Another Nokia customer posted the official user instructions from his Nokia 2320, which depict the phone with a graphical "do not" swipe across the bottom antenna section of the device, and explicit instructions to "avoid touching the antenna area unnecessarily while the antenna is transmitting or receiving."
Nearly identical wording appears in Nokia's printed manuals for its other phones, including the E71, as reader Mark McCormack sent in (pictured below). That's the same model Nokia appears to be presenting in its blog page, where it asserts there is no way to reduce signal by holding the phone in a different way. Nokia's manuals say otherwise: "Contact with antennas affects the communication quality and may cause the device to operate at a higher power level than otherwise needed and my reduce the battery life."
Today's Official Nokia Blog post drying asked, "How do you hold your Nokia?" It posts a variety of pictures of a Nokia phone being cupped by a user's left hand, the same thing that is reported to cause a drop in reported signal (although not necessarily in call performance) on iPhone 4.
"The key function on any Nokia device is its ability to make phone calls," the company's official blog posting says. "Providing a wide range of methods and grips for people to hold their phones, without interfering with the antennae, has been an essential feature of every device Nokia has built."
It concludes, "Of course, feel free to ignore all of the above because realistically, you?re free to hold your Nokia device any way you like. And you won?t suffer any signal loss. Cool, huh?"
Grasped by its own Death Grip
Users immediately commented on the posting with links to YouTube videos showing a variety of mobile phones experiencing a lost or degraded signal when held in the user's hand, including videos of a Nokia E71 (shown below), Nokia 6230, and Nokia 6720, as well as phones from other makers: the HTC Droid Incredible and the Google branded HTC Nexus One
Another Nokia customer posted the official user instructions from his Nokia 2320, which depict the phone with a graphical "do not" swipe across the bottom antenna section of the device, and explicit instructions to "avoid touching the antenna area unnecessarily while the antenna is transmitting or receiving."
Nearly identical wording appears in Nokia's printed manuals for its other phones, including the E71, as reader Mark McCormack sent in (pictured below). That's the same model Nokia appears to be presenting in its blog page, where it asserts there is no way to reduce signal by holding the phone in a different way. Nokia's manuals say otherwise: "Contact with antennas affects the communication quality and may cause the device to operate at a higher power level than otherwise needed and my reduce the battery life."
Comments
Sorry guys, the jokes on you. Nokia are taking the piss out of the whole iphone death grip situation. If you think that finding nokia phones that suffers the same issues is going to backfire on this blog.... you have completely missed this piss take.
Did you guys also believe the daily mail article about Jobs recalling the iphone?
What's that saying about people who live in glass houses??
From Daring Fireball:
http://funsizebytes.com/post/7457211...h-boil-down-to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amPG52DVQuk
Anyone want to guess just how many other phones have problems like these?
While I don't care for the way Jobs responded via email (or that he does respond at all) it looks like he was accurate.
Sorry guys, the jokes on you. Nokia are taking the piss out of the whole iphone death grip situation. If you think that finding nokia phones that suffers the same issues is going to backfire on this blog.... you have completely missed this piss take.
Yeah? Is that why the link to the article on Nokia's blog now shows a 505 error? Seems like they decided to take it back.
EDIT: Never mind. It's accessible now. Don't know what the issue was. (shrug)
is there a justification from all iphone users, that if Nokia phones also have antenna issues, then there is no failure on part of iPhone antenna
There are at least a couple different issues here. One is the "death grip" at the base of the phone deliberately trying to attenuate the signal by holding it in an unusual way. The other is simply bridging the gap between the two antennas on the lefthand side and having the signal drop from 5 bars to No Signal within a few seconds. One is silly , the other is something users should be concerned about. Nokia's blog is attacking the former even though they have the same issue and even warn against it.
While I don't care for the way Jobs responded via email (or that he does respond at all) it looks like he was accurate.
I would take the iPhone 4 with all its signal issues over Nokia's unusable UI.
is there a justification from all iphone users, that if Nokia phones also have antenna issues, then there is no failure on part of iPhone antenna
Some android phones have the same problem - and their manual specifically says not to hold the phone near the bottom.
is there a justification from all iphone users, that if Nokia phones also have antenna issues, then there is no failure on part of iPhone antenna
It's not a failure, it's a limitation that all smartphones share to some extent.
All Nokia has to offer these days is jumping on the Anti-Apple bandwagon?
They are in the process of selling wine with all the sour grapes they have.
Though after years of get a mac ads, Apple cannot complain if another company has a go at them.
X2!! And the fanbois are sour!
Oh please. I would expect something like this to appear on some Nokia fanboy's blog, but, not Nokia's official company blog. Poor.
What's that saying about people who live in glass houses??
It will be funny when they hear from Apple's attorneys and Apple demands a public apology or a multibillion dollar lawsuit.
There is plenty of evidence that Nokia and other phones have the same problem.
Though after years of get a mac ads, Apple cannot complain if another company has a go at them.
The difference, of course, is that Apple's ads didn't make outright false statements.
I would take the iPhone 4 with all its signal issues over Nokia's unusable UI.
LOL I forgot about that. I hear they improved it considerably in an update, but that isn't saying much considering how bad it was to begin with.
is there a justification from all iphone users, that if Nokia phones also have antenna issues, then there is no failure on part of iPhone antenna
No, its a simple recognition of the fact that touching antennas affect their functionality.
The hypocrites are those shouting 'Fail' at Apple for an issue that affects all phones.
I'll take the demonstrably superior reception on my iPhone 4 any day over the ability to squeeze it like a grip exerciser.