You're imagining things when you argue that I attack Microsoft or anyone else without facts. That's the kind of mindless accusation that offends me - and most thinking people. When there are real facts, they are fair game.
Anand's review says that the iPhone's reception is better than the other phones they tested. Period. The fact that you are able to twist your arms in some bizarre way to affect that doesn't change their results. Their tests show that the iPhone's reception is superlative.
If you don't want an iPHone, then don't buy one. But the fact that it doesn't meet your standards doesn't justify your endless, fact-free bashing. I'm perfectly happy with my iPhone. No problems at all.
Even when you finally get around to facts, you get them wrong. There's no restocking fee on iPHones at Apple Stores or Best Buys. And you don't have to buy a case if you don't wish. The fact is that products have different characteristics, so you may hold the iPhone slightly differently. Is that trivial fact worth all this endless whining and lawsuits? Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of people do NOT have to hold their phone differently. Pick up an iPhone 4 and hold it next to your ear in the most comfortable manner. For everyone I've ever seen, that position would NOT be one that generates the 'problem'.
Finally, you're talking about a 'problem' as if there's any proof that it's a real problem. While lots of people can get the number of bars to drop, that's a cosmetic issue. There are very few reports of dropped calls while holding the phone normally. THAT is one if the things that makes me ask for facts. Instead of jumping on the "Apple is evil" or "Apple is incompetent" bandwagon, how about first determining if there's a real problem. So far, there's no evidence that it's anything more than a few isolated cases.
1. Where did it say that Anand had a bumper on all the time? They stated that they did testing with bumper, without bumper, holding it in all sorts of locations AND NEVER HAD A DROPPED CALL. NEVER. So please stop making up lies.
2. Apple is claiming that the dropping bars issue is cosmetic and doesn't lead to dropped calls, but if you don't want the bars to drop, get a case or don't touch the seam. Nothing inconsistent int hat.
3. Try cupping the bottom of the phone in the palm of your hand with your hand touching both seams - which is the most common complaint registered here and elsewhere. NOW, try holding the phone to your ear to make a call. You can't do it. If it were simply a matter of a fingertip touching, you move your hand 1/4" higher. BFD.
AND, there's no restocking fees at Apple stores. Yet another of your lies.
Actually, you're wrong. There is a restocking fee for ANY opened iPhone if purchased at any Apple Store in America or online Apple store.
Quote:
Apple will assess a 10% restocking fee on any opened iPhone. Shipping fees are not refundable.
And another thing about my trip to the Vodafone store. Having laid the phone down he picked it up and made a call. He had had full bars on 3G, within a few seconds "call failed" came up on my ip4 as he held it in his left hand.
I have not received my new iPhone 4 but here are my thoughts on the matter.
1) removed the rubber cover on my 3G and "death gripped" it and watched the bars drop to 0 then removed hands and immediately back to 5 bars.
2) How many iphone owners don't cover their phones? I do immediately. I know there are very few iPhone 4 covers and Apple is out of the rubber band so there are a lot more naked iPhone 4s out there so reception issue is amplified.
3) All of you millions of LanceArmstrong Foundation members wearing those yellow bands, cover your new phones and see what happens.
4) Or go to Case-Mate.com and order a rubber cover and practice "safe texting"
5) I wiill report back when I get my new iPhone 4 on the reception issues.
6) Could the issue also be that the iPhone is so date intensive that it locks out the cellular demands from all of the AT&T phones out there so many callers are not able to get a channel to the cellular base station or the signal is weakened by the 3G data demands (engineer needed)
7) Find the recent video where the caller called a sports number and "death gripped" his phone and the call held strong through entire process.
8) How many of you Apple fans bought the phone for the phone and not the other great features. Stop bashing Apple.
"My observation is that are a predictable number of people with an agenda that join AI to disparage Apple-- centered around an Apple product or position announcement... prove me wrong Chronster!"
Chronster?
Yeah because I constantly don't buy Apple's bs. I don't always bash them and I get as excited as anyone else to hear about their announcements, but when I don't completely go gaga like some other people here, I get called a troll.
Heck, there's one guy here who has my name in his sig saying he ignored me. He only ignored me after I called him out for making stuff up to talk up Apple.
I don't believe the iPhone will kill you. The Toyota has killed how many people now because of acc. issues? The guy that brought it up is smoking something
The issue people are having is that they assume antenna attenuation automatically has an impact on calling performance, which is not necessarily the case in the same way that someone's digital TV reception might be much lower than others but the TV shows look exactly the same. The Anand article noted that the baseband hardware was more sensitive and so calls were more stable than any other device despite the higher signal attenuation.
Now while the signal attenuation is definitely an issue, it's also an issue with other phones so holding the iPhone 4 without a case in a natural way will drop the signal enough to drop a call in a low signal area, the same is likely to be true about previous iPhones and other phones. With a case, the extra signal strength gained will allow the iPhone 4 to exceed the performance of other phones.
The bumper case being offered free as it protects the glass on both sides and helps signal quality is a good idea but it is not designed that well because it blocks the dock port of some accessories. The cost will put some people off buying one when they may not really need it (not everyone is seeing an issue).
You have to wonder if the iPhone 4 might have had exceptional quality if the antenna was designed like the 3GS because it seems that the hardware in iPhone 4 is coping very well with even the lowest signal. With the better antenna design of the 3GS, it would have been amazing.
It seems odd though that the 3GS antenna would perform better because Apple must have tested this and found the iPhone 4 to be better otherwise why design it with external antennas in the first place? They have the ability to measure attenuation like anyone else so surely they would have noticed a drop and as people have suggested, maybe they did which is why they made a bumper case for it but there's the possibility that the signal attenuation isn't being measured accurately by testers.
I think the best solution to the issue from Apple's point of view would be to change the way the bars are displayed to instead reflect the likelihood that you can make a successful call with the signal you have but perhaps there are FCC or other regulations that state how reception should be measured.
The issue isn't signal attenuation. The issue is "shorting" the two antennas. You can cover the entire phone with your hands, while not connecting the two antennas, and it will not have any noticeable effect on the phone. On the other hand, you can connect the two antennas with a tiny paper clip without touching any other part of the phone and it will completely lose signal.
This has absolutely nothing to do with the signal attenuation that is common on all phones. This has to do with a malfunction caused by shorting two separate antennas.
I find it darn near impossible to believe that Apple didn't realize that shorting the two antennas would cause a problem. After all, they did include the little plastic strip between the two antennas for a reason. But I guess it is possible that they didn't realize that, despite the plastic strip, the antennas can be shorted by placing your finger or any other conductor over the two antennas. Either they realized it and decided not to fix it, which in my opinion would warrant legal liability, or they didn't realize it after testing, which in my opinion is a completely inexcusable oversight.
I find it darn near impossible to believe that Apple didn't realize that shorting the two antennas would cause a problem. After all, they did include the little plastic strip between the two antennas for a reason. But I guess it is possible that they didn't realize that, despite the plastic strip, the antennas can be shorted by placing your finger or any other conductor over the two antennas.
The plastic strip is to separate the antennas, but your finger placed gently upon it should not cause a complete and instant "short circuit" when you bridge that gap.
Both pics have the right-side edge against a marble table. No human contact with the pic on the left while the pic on the right is from my salty finger bridging and "short circuiting" the antennas. If it doesn't happen with all iPhones then it's not impossible for Apple to have not known about the issue.
Simply put, if that happened on all devices they wouldn't have designed it that way and it would be reproducible on all devices. It's not, so it's quite possible that Apple didn't know about this issue some phones are having. It also makes it possible this is from a production problem that can be solved with suitable replacements or a SW update, depending on the reason they find for the issue. So far, all we have are documentation on how to reproduce the issue, but we haven't determined what the underlying problem is.
The plastic strip is to separate the antennas, but your finger placed gently upon it should not cause a complete and instant "short circuit" when you bridge that gap.
I agree that it should not, but it does.
Quote:
Both pics have the right-side edge against a marble table. No human contact with the pic on the left while the pic on the right is from my salty finger bridging and "short circuiting" the antennas. If it doesn't happen with all iPhones then it's not impossible for Apple to have not known about the issue.
Simply put, if that happened on all devices they wouldn't have designed it that way and it would be reproducible on all devices. It's not, so it's quite possible that Apple didn't know about this issue some phones are having. It also makes it possible this is from a production problem that can be solved with suitable replacements or a SW update, depending on the reason they find for the issue. So far, all we have are documentation on how to reproduce the issue, but we haven't determined what the underlying problem is.
I suspect it is reproduceable on every single unit. The fact that one unit in one area cannot replicate the drop doesn't mean that unit isn't affected, unfortunately.
In many cases, I too, can replicate obtaining better or similar transfer rates despite shorting the antennas. This happens when I am in an area with very good signal strength. Shorting the antennas appears to have more of an impact when you have weaker signal.
Perhaps Apple didn't notice the effect because it only tested the phone in areas with strong signal strength. That seems hard to believe that they would have such poor testing procedures.
The underlying problem is very clear -- shorting the two antennas. There is no question that this is the cause of the problem. Now, why exactly shorting the antennas causes a problem is unknown to me (I'm not an engineer, much less one with antenna expertise). It's also unknown whether this shorting can be fixed via a software update. But very clearly the issue is not your typical signal attenuation (i.e., simply covering the antenna), but rather the bridging of the two antennas.
I suspect it is reproduceable on every single unit. The fact that one unit in one area cannot replicate the drop doesn't mean that unit isn't affected, unfortunately.
In many cases, I too, can replicate obtaining better or similar transfer rates despite shorting the antennas. This happens when I am in an area with very good signal strength. Shorting the antennas appears to have more of an impact when you have weaker signal.
Perhaps Apple didn't notice the effect because it only tested the phone in areas with strong signal strength. That seems hard to believe that they would have such poor testing procedures.
So you're saying that impedance is more detrimental when the signal strength is low? Of course, but that does not mean that you are "shorting" the antennas. To claim it's a "short circuit" because of touching of two antennas is you saying it's a "design flaw", without leaving any room for a production issue, a bad batch of components or a SW/driver issue. I don't think it's wise to jump the gun and state a theory as absolute fact.
I've been in low signal areas testing this and it's never once shown any real change in my ability to make a call or my data throughput. On top of that, there are plenty of videos demonstrating that you can go from 5 bars (-51dB to -91dB) to No Service within a few seconds and completely and instantly stopping data throughput by touching the 3G-Spot. Yet I or anyone else I know can reproduce this effect with 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or even zero bars. I did meet a person I met in a coffee shop this past week with the issue and it happened just as described in the videos. I could do it on his phone and he couldn't do it on mine.
So you're saying that impedance is more detrimental when the signal strength is low? Of course, but that does not mean that you are "shorting" the antennas. To claim it's a "short circuit" because of touching of two antennas is you saying it's a "design flaw", without leaving any room for a production issue, a bad batch of components or a SW/driver issue. I don't think it's wise to jump the gun and state a theory as absolute fact.
I've been in low signal areas testing this and it's never once shown any real change in my ability to make a call or my data throughput. On top of that, there are plenty of videos demonstrating that you can go from 5 bars (-51dB to -91dB) to No Service within a few seconds and completely and instantly stopping data throughput by touching the 3G-Spot. Yet I or anyone else I know can reproduce this effect with 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or even zero bars. I did meet a person I met in a coffee shop this past week with the issue and it happened just as described in the videos. I could do it on his phone and he couldn't do it on mine.
It is absolutely caused by shorting the two antennas. You can wrap your hands around the entire metal band EXCEPT for the part that connects the two antennas on the bottom left. When doing this, there is no recognizable issue with the reception.
The issue ONLY appears (at least to this recognizable extent) when the two antennas are connected. And it can be shorted by something as thin and small as a paper clip.
I have been able to replicate the issue on EVERY SINGLE iPhone 4 that I've tested. That's at least a dozen iPhones. Perhaps it's just a production issue with a batch of phones. In that case, the company should replace those phones. In fact, I've had my phone replaced (due to a camera issue with my first phone) and the new phone has the exact same issue. So it's either a "production issue" that affects nearly every single phone produced, or it's a "design flaw" that affects nearly every single phone produced. In the end, all I really care is that Apple admits the issue and fixes the issue.
It is absolutely caused by shorting the two antennas. You can wrap your hands around the entire metal band EXCEPT for the part that connects the two antennas on the bottom left. When doing this, there is no recognizable issue with the reception.
The issue ONLY appears (at least to this recognizable extent) when the two antennas are connected. And it can be shorted by something as thin and small as a paper clip.
Do you realize what a "short circuit" is. What is being shorted. If it's a design flaw affecting ALL iPhone 4s then why can't it be reproduced on every iPhone 4, regardless of indicated signal strength when both antennas are touched. For your conclusion that's in impossible that would have to happen. Since it doesn't it should indicate there is something else at play besides Apple being complete idiots and not having a single person on staff who understands how RF, antennas or attenuation works.
Do you realize what a "short circuit" is. What is being shorted.
Of course I do. The two antennas are being shorted, causing the issue.
Quote:
If it's a design flaw affecting ALL iPhone 4s then why can't it be reproduced on every iPhone 4, regardless of indicated signal strength when both antennas are touched. For your conclusion that's in impossible that would have to happen.
The video shows exactly what I've been describing. You can cover the entire phone and it won't cause the problem. But as soon as you short the two antennas, it significantly affects the signal. Did you post the video to prove my point or yours?
The issue has been replicated on every single iPhone 4 I've seen. I have yet to see a unit that couldn't replicate the issue. In fact, the issue has become so pronounced that you have virtually every media outlet reporting the issue. There may be some units that are not affected (I doubt it), but those would be the rare exception and not the rule.
Quote:
Since it doesn't it should indicate there is something else at play besides Apple being complete idiots and not having a single person on staff who understands how RF, antennas or attenuation works.
That is not the case at all. First, it hasn't been shown that there are units that are not affected by this issue. Granted, it would be near impossible to definitely prove that any particular unit isn't affected. Regardless, that any single unit isn't affected would not disprove that the issue is shorting the antennas. And it also wouldn't disprove that it's a design flaw.
The evidence shows that the vast majority of units, if not every unit, is affected. The evidence shows that covering the entire phone, except the portion that creates a short, does not cause an issue. The evidence shows that creating even the tiniest of shorts causes the issue. There is no strong evidence showing that any phone is not affected.
To continue to ignore this evidence is being wilfully ignorant. You can say we don't "know [anything] with certainty." Yes, I don't know for a fact that a billion dollars exists, because of I've never seen it. But the great weight of the evidence suggests that it does. And the great weight of the evidence shows that the issue with the iPhone 4 is shorting the two antennas.
The lack of critical thinking is amazing. I can longer try to instill objective reasoning and teach critical thinking to people who want to react first and think later. RIP scientific method.
Fine, you win, it's a design flaw that just so happens to not affect all units made from that exact same design, using the exact same 3G towers, and being tested in the exact same way, in the exact same relative place at the exact time. I suppose it's just a coincidence that one phone would stop downloading data every time while the other never skipped a beat. Purely a coincidence, or maybe I just have a magic phone.
The lack of critical thinking is amazing. I can longer try to instill objective reasoning and teach critical thinking to people who want to react first and think later. RIP scientific method.
Fine, you win, it's a design flaw that just so happens to not affect all units made from that exact same design, using the exact same 3G towers, and being tested in the exact same way, in the exact same relative place at the exact time. I suppose it's just a coincidence that one phone would stop downloading data every time while the other never skipped a beat. Purely a coincidence, or maybe I just have a magic phone.
No, based on the evidence we have, it's a design flaw that affects all units. As far as I can tell, there isn't a unit that exists that isn't affected. And if there is a unit that isn't affected (though I doubt one exists until proven otherwise), there may be explanations for why the design flaw is not affecting that unit.
You can say it isn't a design flaw until you're blue in the face -- wilful ignorance isn't an uncommon thing. All facts and logic point to the issue being a design flaw, however.
Edit: Actually, I just noticed that you have 17,000+ posts on an Apple forum. That explains everything I need to know about your position on the topic. You're likely a personality that will unreasonably defend the product despite all facts, logic, and evidence pointing to the contrary.
Pardon me, if I base my opinion on verifiable facts.
Yet your opinion is that all iPhone 4s are affected, bar none. That it can't be an assembly line (production) issue, that it can't be a component (production) issue, that it has to be every and all iPhone 4s because of the design itself.
You are not being objective or reasonable here. You're making an assumption based on limited information, excluding all information that even begins to go against your belief, and stating your opinion as an unwavering fact.
The issue isn't signal attenuation. The issue is "shorting" the two antennas. This has absolutely nothing to do with the signal attenuation that is common on all phones. This has to do with a malfunction caused by shorting two separate antennas.
The inductive coupling by touching the gap will cause a change to the antenna length, which will make it suboptimal but it's not like it breaks the antenna, it drops the signal by 20dBm so it has a similar effect to normal signal attenuation - I've managed to make a 5 bar drop on my 3G by using a similar grip. The reason it looks like you lose all signal is because the lowest 4 bars are measured too close together.
The antenna still has a design flaw most certainly but as the AI writer put it, it's not that much different from losing audio from covering the ear-piece or not being able to see the display by covering it or not being able to take a photo by having your finger in front of the lens. The biggest flaw comes from the notch being where some people naturally hold the phone making a call.
However, actual iPhone 4 owners mostly don't seem to have a problem avoiding it as there are no huge returns noted. Even if you hold it in your left hand, you can hold the phone with your fingers or just a little higher up - it only matters in low signal areas where you would normally have to make an active effort to get a good signal anyway.
The inductive coupling by touching the gap will cause a change to the antenna length, which will make it suboptimal but it's not like it breaks the antenna, it drops the signal by 20dBm so it has a similar effect to normal signal attenuation - I've managed to make a 5 bar drop on my 3G by using a similar grip. The reason it looks like you lose all signal is because the lowest 4 bars are measured too close together.
No.
The coupling is capacitive. Antenna's length, sure, changes. But what is more important, antenna is ``loaded' ' either with input circuitry of WiFi/BT/GPS radio or with a human body plain and simple. It changes antenna's resonance frequency, so it becomes untuned.
As a matter of fact, it's even more interesting. The lower portion of UMTS antenna should obligatory be transmitting part to satisfy FCC requirements. See where I'm going with that?
Comments
You're imagining things when you argue that I attack Microsoft or anyone else without facts. That's the kind of mindless accusation that offends me - and most thinking people. When there are real facts, they are fair game.
Anand's review says that the iPhone's reception is better than the other phones they tested. Period. The fact that you are able to twist your arms in some bizarre way to affect that doesn't change their results. Their tests show that the iPhone's reception is superlative.
If you don't want an iPHone, then don't buy one. But the fact that it doesn't meet your standards doesn't justify your endless, fact-free bashing. I'm perfectly happy with my iPhone. No problems at all.
Even when you finally get around to facts, you get them wrong. There's no restocking fee on iPHones at Apple Stores or Best Buys. And you don't have to buy a case if you don't wish. The fact is that products have different characteristics, so you may hold the iPhone slightly differently. Is that trivial fact worth all this endless whining and lawsuits? Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of people do NOT have to hold their phone differently. Pick up an iPhone 4 and hold it next to your ear in the most comfortable manner. For everyone I've ever seen, that position would NOT be one that generates the 'problem'.
Finally, you're talking about a 'problem' as if there's any proof that it's a real problem. While lots of people can get the number of bars to drop, that's a cosmetic issue. There are very few reports of dropped calls while holding the phone normally. THAT is one if the things that makes me ask for facts. Instead of jumping on the "Apple is evil" or "Apple is incompetent" bandwagon, how about first determining if there's a real problem. So far, there's no evidence that it's anything more than a few isolated cases.
1. Where did it say that Anand had a bumper on all the time? They stated that they did testing with bumper, without bumper, holding it in all sorts of locations AND NEVER HAD A DROPPED CALL. NEVER. So please stop making up lies.
2. Apple is claiming that the dropping bars issue is cosmetic and doesn't lead to dropped calls, but if you don't want the bars to drop, get a case or don't touch the seam. Nothing inconsistent int hat.
3. Try cupping the bottom of the phone in the palm of your hand with your hand touching both seams - which is the most common complaint registered here and elsewhere. NOW, try holding the phone to your ear to make a call. You can't do it. If it were simply a matter of a fingertip touching, you move your hand 1/4" higher. BFD.
AND, there's no restocking fees at Apple stores. Yet another of your lies.
Actually, you're wrong. There is a restocking fee for ANY opened iPhone if purchased at any Apple Store in America or online Apple store.
Apple will assess a 10% restocking fee on any opened iPhone. Shipping fees are not refundable.
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Im...#iphonereturns
1) removed the rubber cover on my 3G and "death gripped" it and watched the bars drop to 0 then removed hands and immediately back to 5 bars.
2) How many iphone owners don't cover their phones? I do immediately. I know there are very few iPhone 4 covers and Apple is out of the rubber band so there are a lot more naked iPhone 4s out there so reception issue is amplified.
3) All of you millions of LanceArmstrong Foundation members wearing those yellow bands, cover your new phones and see what happens.
4) Or go to Case-Mate.com and order a rubber cover and practice "safe texting"
5) I wiill report back when I get my new iPhone 4 on the reception issues.
6) Could the issue also be that the iPhone is so date intensive that it locks out the cellular demands from all of the AT&T phones out there so many callers are not able to get a channel to the cellular base station or the signal is weakened by the 3G data demands (engineer needed)
7) Find the recent video where the caller called a sports number and "death gripped" his phone and the call held strong through entire process.
8) How many of you Apple fans bought the phone for the phone and not the other great features. Stop bashing Apple.
"My observation is that are a predictable number of people with an agenda that join AI to disparage Apple-- centered around an Apple product or position announcement... prove me wrong Chronster!"
Chronster?
Yeah because I constantly don't buy Apple's bs. I don't always bash them and I get as excited as anyone else to hear about their announcements, but when I don't completely go gaga like some other people here, I get called a troll.
Heck, there's one guy here who has my name in his sig saying he ignored me. He only ignored me after I called him out for making stuff up to talk up Apple.
The issue people are having is that they assume antenna attenuation automatically has an impact on calling performance, which is not necessarily the case in the same way that someone's digital TV reception might be much lower than others but the TV shows look exactly the same. The Anand article noted that the baseband hardware was more sensitive and so calls were more stable than any other device despite the higher signal attenuation.
Now while the signal attenuation is definitely an issue, it's also an issue with other phones so holding the iPhone 4 without a case in a natural way will drop the signal enough to drop a call in a low signal area, the same is likely to be true about previous iPhones and other phones. With a case, the extra signal strength gained will allow the iPhone 4 to exceed the performance of other phones.
The bumper case being offered free as it protects the glass on both sides and helps signal quality is a good idea but it is not designed that well because it blocks the dock port of some accessories. The cost will put some people off buying one when they may not really need it (not everyone is seeing an issue).
You have to wonder if the iPhone 4 might have had exceptional quality if the antenna was designed like the 3GS because it seems that the hardware in iPhone 4 is coping very well with even the lowest signal. With the better antenna design of the 3GS, it would have been amazing.
It seems odd though that the 3GS antenna would perform better because Apple must have tested this and found the iPhone 4 to be better otherwise why design it with external antennas in the first place? They have the ability to measure attenuation like anyone else so surely they would have noticed a drop and as people have suggested, maybe they did which is why they made a bumper case for it but there's the possibility that the signal attenuation isn't being measured accurately by testers.
I think the best solution to the issue from Apple's point of view would be to change the way the bars are displayed to instead reflect the likelihood that you can make a successful call with the signal you have but perhaps there are FCC or other regulations that state how reception should be measured.
The issue isn't signal attenuation. The issue is "shorting" the two antennas. You can cover the entire phone with your hands, while not connecting the two antennas, and it will not have any noticeable effect on the phone. On the other hand, you can connect the two antennas with a tiny paper clip without touching any other part of the phone and it will completely lose signal.
This has absolutely nothing to do with the signal attenuation that is common on all phones. This has to do with a malfunction caused by shorting two separate antennas.
I find it darn near impossible to believe that Apple didn't realize that shorting the two antennas would cause a problem. After all, they did include the little plastic strip between the two antennas for a reason. But I guess it is possible that they didn't realize that, despite the plastic strip, the antennas can be shorted by placing your finger or any other conductor over the two antennas. Either they realized it and decided not to fix it, which in my opinion would warrant legal liability, or they didn't realize it after testing, which in my opinion is a completely inexcusable oversight.
I find it darn near impossible to believe that Apple didn't realize that shorting the two antennas would cause a problem. After all, they did include the little plastic strip between the two antennas for a reason. But I guess it is possible that they didn't realize that, despite the plastic strip, the antennas can be shorted by placing your finger or any other conductor over the two antennas.
The plastic strip is to separate the antennas, but your finger placed gently upon it should not cause a complete and instant "short circuit" when you bridge that gap. Both pics have the right-side edge against a marble table. No human contact with the pic on the left while the pic on the right is from my salty finger bridging and "short circuiting" the antennas. If it doesn't happen with all iPhones then it's not impossible for Apple to have not known about the issue.
Simply put, if that happened on all devices they wouldn't have designed it that way and it would be reproducible on all devices. It's not, so it's quite possible that Apple didn't know about this issue some phones are having. It also makes it possible this is from a production problem that can be solved with suitable replacements or a SW update, depending on the reason they find for the issue. So far, all we have are documentation on how to reproduce the issue, but we haven't determined what the underlying problem is.
The plastic strip is to separate the antennas, but your finger placed gently upon it should not cause a complete and instant "short circuit" when you bridge that gap.
I agree that it should not, but it does.
Simply put, if that happened on all devices they wouldn't have designed it that way and it would be reproducible on all devices. It's not, so it's quite possible that Apple didn't know about this issue some phones are having. It also makes it possible this is from a production problem that can be solved with suitable replacements or a SW update, depending on the reason they find for the issue. So far, all we have are documentation on how to reproduce the issue, but we haven't determined what the underlying problem is.
I suspect it is reproduceable on every single unit. The fact that one unit in one area cannot replicate the drop doesn't mean that unit isn't affected, unfortunately.
In many cases, I too, can replicate obtaining better or similar transfer rates despite shorting the antennas. This happens when I am in an area with very good signal strength. Shorting the antennas appears to have more of an impact when you have weaker signal.
Perhaps Apple didn't notice the effect because it only tested the phone in areas with strong signal strength. That seems hard to believe that they would have such poor testing procedures.
The underlying problem is very clear -- shorting the two antennas. There is no question that this is the cause of the problem. Now, why exactly shorting the antennas causes a problem is unknown to me (I'm not an engineer, much less one with antenna expertise). It's also unknown whether this shorting can be fixed via a software update. But very clearly the issue is not your typical signal attenuation (i.e., simply covering the antenna), but rather the bridging of the two antennas.
I agree that it should not, but it does.
I suspect it is reproduceable on every single unit. The fact that one unit in one area cannot replicate the drop doesn't mean that unit isn't affected, unfortunately.
In many cases, I too, can replicate obtaining better or similar transfer rates despite shorting the antennas. This happens when I am in an area with very good signal strength. Shorting the antennas appears to have more of an impact when you have weaker signal.
Perhaps Apple didn't notice the effect because it only tested the phone in areas with strong signal strength. That seems hard to believe that they would have such poor testing procedures.
So you're saying that impedance is more detrimental when the signal strength is low? Of course, but that does not mean that you are "shorting" the antennas. To claim it's a "short circuit" because of touching of two antennas is you saying it's a "design flaw", without leaving any room for a production issue, a bad batch of components or a SW/driver issue. I don't think it's wise to jump the gun and state a theory as absolute fact.
I've been in low signal areas testing this and it's never once shown any real change in my ability to make a call or my data throughput. On top of that, there are plenty of videos demonstrating that you can go from 5 bars (-51dB to -91dB) to No Service within a few seconds and completely and instantly stopping data throughput by touching the 3G-Spot. Yet I or anyone else I know can reproduce this effect with 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or even zero bars. I did meet a person I met in a coffee shop this past week with the issue and it happened just as described in the videos. I could do it on his phone and he couldn't do it on mine.
So you're saying that impedance is more detrimental when the signal strength is low? Of course, but that does not mean that you are "shorting" the antennas. To claim it's a "short circuit" because of touching of two antennas is you saying it's a "design flaw", without leaving any room for a production issue, a bad batch of components or a SW/driver issue. I don't think it's wise to jump the gun and state a theory as absolute fact.
I've been in low signal areas testing this and it's never once shown any real change in my ability to make a call or my data throughput. On top of that, there are plenty of videos demonstrating that you can go from 5 bars (-51dB to -91dB) to No Service within a few seconds and completely and instantly stopping data throughput by touching the 3G-Spot. Yet I or anyone else I know can reproduce this effect with 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or even zero bars. I did meet a person I met in a coffee shop this past week with the issue and it happened just as described in the videos. I could do it on his phone and he couldn't do it on mine.
It is absolutely caused by shorting the two antennas. You can wrap your hands around the entire metal band EXCEPT for the part that connects the two antennas on the bottom left. When doing this, there is no recognizable issue with the reception.
The issue ONLY appears (at least to this recognizable extent) when the two antennas are connected. And it can be shorted by something as thin and small as a paper clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgouzUMlQpY
I have been able to replicate the issue on EVERY SINGLE iPhone 4 that I've tested. That's at least a dozen iPhones. Perhaps it's just a production issue with a batch of phones. In that case, the company should replace those phones. In fact, I've had my phone replaced (due to a camera issue with my first phone) and the new phone has the exact same issue. So it's either a "production issue" that affects nearly every single phone produced, or it's a "design flaw" that affects nearly every single phone produced. In the end, all I really care is that Apple admits the issue and fixes the issue.
It is absolutely caused by shorting the two antennas. You can wrap your hands around the entire metal band EXCEPT for the part that connects the two antennas on the bottom left. When doing this, there is no recognizable issue with the reception.
The issue ONLY appears (at least to this recognizable extent) when the two antennas are connected. And it can be shorted by something as thin and small as a paper clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgouzUMlQpY
Do you realize what a "short circuit" is. What is being shorted. If it's a design flaw affecting ALL iPhone 4s then why can't it be reproduced on every iPhone 4, regardless of indicated signal strength when both antennas are touched. For your conclusion that's in impossible that would have to happen. Since it doesn't it should indicate there is something else at play besides Apple being complete idiots and not having a single person on staff who understands how RF, antennas or attenuation works.Lex parsimoniae.
Do you realize what a "short circuit" is. What is being shorted.
Of course I do. The two antennas are being shorted, causing the issue.
If it's a design flaw affecting ALL iPhone 4s then why can't it be reproduced on every iPhone 4, regardless of indicated signal strength when both antennas are touched. For your conclusion that's in impossible that would have to happen.Lex parsimoniae.
The video shows exactly what I've been describing. You can cover the entire phone and it won't cause the problem. But as soon as you short the two antennas, it significantly affects the signal. Did you post the video to prove my point or yours?
The issue has been replicated on every single iPhone 4 I've seen. I have yet to see a unit that couldn't replicate the issue. In fact, the issue has become so pronounced that you have virtually every media outlet reporting the issue. There may be some units that are not affected (I doubt it), but those would be the rare exception and not the rule.
Since it doesn't it should indicate there is something else at play besides Apple being complete idiots and not having a single person on staff who understands how RF, antennas or attenuation works.
That is not the case at all. First, it hasn't been shown that there are units that are not affected by this issue. Granted, it would be near impossible to definitely prove that any particular unit isn't affected. Regardless, that any single unit isn't affected would not disprove that the issue is shorting the antennas. And it also wouldn't disprove that it's a design flaw.
The evidence shows that the vast majority of units, if not every unit, is affected. The evidence shows that covering the entire phone, except the portion that creates a short, does not cause an issue. The evidence shows that creating even the tiniest of shorts causes the issue. There is no strong evidence showing that any phone is not affected.
To continue to ignore this evidence is being wilfully ignorant. You can say we don't "know [anything] with certainty." Yes, I don't know for a fact that a billion dollars exists, because of I've never seen it. But the great weight of the evidence suggests that it does. And the great weight of the evidence shows that the issue with the iPhone 4 is shorting the two antennas.
Fine, you win, it's a design flaw that just so happens to not affect all units made from that exact same design, using the exact same 3G towers, and being tested in the exact same way, in the exact same relative place at the exact time. I suppose it's just a coincidence that one phone would stop downloading data every time while the other never skipped a beat. Purely a coincidence, or maybe I just have a magic phone.
The lack of critical thinking is amazing. I can longer try to instill objective reasoning and teach critical thinking to people who want to react first and think later. RIP scientific method.
Fine, you win, it's a design flaw that just so happens to not affect all units made from that exact same design, using the exact same 3G towers, and being tested in the exact same way, in the exact same relative place at the exact time. I suppose it's just a coincidence that one phone would stop downloading data every time while the other never skipped a beat. Purely a coincidence, or maybe I just have a magic phone.
No, based on the evidence we have, it's a design flaw that affects all units. As far as I can tell, there isn't a unit that exists that isn't affected. And if there is a unit that isn't affected (though I doubt one exists until proven otherwise), there may be explanations for why the design flaw is not affecting that unit.
You can say it isn't a design flaw until you're blue in the face -- wilful ignorance isn't an uncommon thing. All facts and logic point to the issue being a design flaw, however.
Edit: Actually, I just noticed that you have 17,000+ posts on an Apple forum. That explains everything I need to know about your position on the topic. You're likely a personality that will unreasonably defend the product despite all facts, logic, and evidence pointing to the contrary.
As far as I can tell, there isn't a unit that exists that isn't affected.
Hence my previous comment.
Hence my previous comment.
Pardon me, if I base my opinion on verifiable facts.
Pardon me, if I base my opinion on verifiable facts.
Yet your opinion is that all iPhone 4s are affected, bar none. That it can't be an assembly line (production) issue, that it can't be a component (production) issue, that it has to be every and all iPhone 4s because of the design itself.
You are not being objective or reasonable here. You're making an assumption based on limited information, excluding all information that even begins to go against your belief, and stating your opinion as an unwavering fact.
The issue isn't signal attenuation. The issue is "shorting" the two antennas. This has absolutely nothing to do with the signal attenuation that is common on all phones. This has to do with a malfunction caused by shorting two separate antennas.
The inductive coupling by touching the gap will cause a change to the antenna length, which will make it suboptimal but it's not like it breaks the antenna, it drops the signal by 20dBm so it has a similar effect to normal signal attenuation - I've managed to make a 5 bar drop on my 3G by using a similar grip. The reason it looks like you lose all signal is because the lowest 4 bars are measured too close together.
The antenna still has a design flaw most certainly but as the AI writer put it, it's not that much different from losing audio from covering the ear-piece or not being able to see the display by covering it or not being able to take a photo by having your finger in front of the lens. The biggest flaw comes from the notch being where some people naturally hold the phone making a call.
However, actual iPhone 4 owners mostly don't seem to have a problem avoiding it as there are no huge returns noted. Even if you hold it in your left hand, you can hold the phone with your fingers or just a little higher up - it only matters in low signal areas where you would normally have to make an active effort to get a good signal anyway.
The inductive coupling by touching the gap will cause a change to the antenna length, which will make it suboptimal but it's not like it breaks the antenna, it drops the signal by 20dBm so it has a similar effect to normal signal attenuation - I've managed to make a 5 bar drop on my 3G by using a similar grip. The reason it looks like you lose all signal is because the lowest 4 bars are measured too close together.
No.
The coupling is capacitive. Antenna's length, sure, changes. But what is more important, antenna is ``loaded' ' either with input circuitry of WiFi/BT/GPS radio or with a human body plain and simple. It changes antenna's resonance frequency, so it becomes untuned.
As a matter of fact, it's even more interesting.
Apple were no doubt perfectly aware of the issue as Steve was marketing bumpers right within his so tightly timed keynote.
Yeah, and it's even more peculiar because Steve has never done that before.
(***ssssockssss!!!***) Excuse me. I must have sneezed.