Whether or not you're able to substantiate your discomfort with that reporting by disputing any specific claims of fact in those articles, one fact remains unquestionable: Apple's mishandling of this issue has resulted in a significant hit to their reputation.
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.
I see how this could be a software issue with the iPhone reporting the wrong bars and people going crazy (and it probably is) but that still doesn't explain how i can stop data transfer completely by holding my phone like this. how come i can drop calls just by doing this? if it was just an error in reported signal bars it shouldn't stop or slow data transfer!!!! ugh this is no fix for me, it just means ill be seeing less bars on my phone.
Whether or not you're able to substantiate your discomfort with that reporting by disputing any specific claims of fact in those articles, one fact remains unquestionable: Apple's mishandling of this issue has resulted in a significant hit to their reputation.
I agree that so far Apple is not handling this the way I would want. I am not surprised that there is no answer or resolution, as this type of investigation takes time. Where they went wrong I think is not making an announcement that they are looking into the situation. I think this is all that the practical consumer needed.
However, some of their "mis-handlings" have since proven to be those faked email responses from Steve. That definitely will influence people's opinion negatively going forward, and a lot of people will probably never learn that they were faked.
I wonder why the software bar-count calculation was wrong in the first place. Could it be that Apple intentionally exaggerated the signal strength (or maybe signal/noise ratio) and showed more bars in order to make AT&T look better? I wouldn't be surprised if Apple asked AT&T "What can we do to help your image? How about showing more bars?" ...
It's just as likely that they determined signal strength above a certain threshold made little or no difference in call quality, so, having 5 bars represent all signal strengths at or above that threshold allows your phone to give more information regarding changes in signal strength below that threshold with the remaining 5 bars (including 0) .
For example, if signal strength were measured on a scale of 0 to 100, and the values represented by the bars are equally distributed across the possible values, you get:
0 bars = 0 = no signal
1 bars = 1-20
2 bars = 21-40
3 bars = 41-60
4 bars = 61-80
5 bars = 81-100
But, if anything over 60 has equivalent call quality and you change the values to this:
0 bars = 0 = no signal
1 bars = 1-15
2 bars = 16-30
3 bars = 31-45
4 bars = 46-60
5 bars = 61-100
It gives you more information regarding how good you should expect call quality to be at a given location by having each bar below 5 represent finer gradations of signal strength.
I don't know if this is exactly what they were doing and how they were doing it, but it's not a completely off the wall way to approach it.
I'm sure there will be plenty of people who will complain about this too!
Considering Apple is WRONG, yes. This isn't about how many bars are displayed, it's about losing the call. Literally I can touch that spot and I will go from 5 bars to "No Service".
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.
Actually, it is either or both!
Guy's that live under bridges get to fish too!
Dictionary\t
troll 2
verb [ intrans. ]
1 fish by trailing a baited line along behind a boat : we trolled for mackerel.
? search for something : a group of companies trolling for partnership opportunities.
2 [ trans. ] sing (something) in a happy and carefree way : troll the ancient Yuletide carol.
3 [ trans. ] informal Computing send (an e-mail message or posting on the Internet) intended to provoke a response from the reader by containing errors.
4 [with adverbial of direction ] chiefly Brit. walk; stroll : we all trolled into town.
noun
1 the action of trolling for fish.
? a line or bait used in such fishing.
2 informal Computing an e-mail message or posting on the Internet intended to provoke an indignant response in the reader.
DERIVATIVES
troller noun
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ?stroll, roll? ): origin uncertain; compare with Old French troller ?wander here and there (in search of game)? and Middle High German trollen ?stroll.?
Thesaurus\t
noun
the storybook trolls who live under the bridge: goblin, hobgoblin, gnome, demon, monster, bugaboo, ogre.
Presmabley you were able to get the replacement befoe Mon/Tues of this week as they now aren't giving anyone replacements for this issue. I think what happened to you is likely to happen to me too, but I'm going to get a replacement just in case it does actually improve it.
This may sound S/W, If the indicator is tied to send an event to the applications using the Data channel then differing strengths might cause your downloads to change or stop. Try sending data when scanning a Wifi channel similarly if the searching for network starts in background it should stop all data services ideally. If blocking the antennae causes drop in the signal then channel scans will be longer anyway.
I finally gave up the ghost and coughed up $150 to AT&T for a MicroCell. For what it's worth, my iPhone now works great at home! Has my fanboyism gotten the better of me? Perhaps, but I'm happy and that's what matters.
I bought a MicroCell about two months ago, but the phone would still drop calls on 3G. I then went and had the phone replaced under Apple Care and the new one was dropping calls, too. Maybe I was just holding the phone wrong
Humans are funny creatures. If I tell a client I have altered some code in their web site often they suddenly get problems, they are convinced are due to the changes ... even when I haven't made any changes...
I've experienced that from my clients, too. With the iPhone 4, do we have more dropped calls, or are the dropped calls just more noticeable because the antenna design is so different? I haven't seen a controlled test but someone must be working on that.
In any case, I hope the software revision at least makes it more clear what's happening. I found a spot in my house last night where bridging the two metal bands with the lightest touch of one finger made the bars drop from 5 to 1. That's the first time I had seen any of this on my phone. But I could still make, sustain and receive calls with no noticeable loss of quality. So at least getting the signal display to match what's really happening better (a minimal reduction, in my case) would be a step in the right direction for those of you with actual connection problems.
If I were dropping calls, though, I'd just return the thing. My old phone wasn't that bad. Wait until the next revision and then try again.
By the way, I found the part in Apple's letter about making the shorter bars a little taller to be amusingly Orwellian.
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.
Yeah, it is funny!
They should have said: they were "shocked" to discover...
If you have specific issues with any of the claims made in the article, contact the author.
If you can't demonstrate any factual basis for dismissing the specifics of the article but want to complain about it anyway, by all means that's what AI is for.
Of course you do. That would let you continue to learn nothing and just sit there dismissing the firsthand experiences of hundreds or possibly thousands of people around the world without having to lift a finger.
If you have a problem with anything those journalists wrote, each of them has provided contact info. I will not write your letters for you.
I imagine you've seen this. My contention is that Steve Jobs never meant "Avoid holding it that way" as his complete answer. The follow-up clarified his first reply. Paraphrasing, Apple said to avoid covering the lower portion of the iPhone if you experience reception problems. It should be obvious that SJ was referring to weak signals. We all know that blocking a radio signal can interfere with reception, especially if the signal is near the low end. What SJ probably wasn't aware of when he commented was the problem Apple discovered with the false indication of a weak signal being a strong signal.
I apologize if my interpretation differs from yours. But all of these negative stories that have proliferated the blogs have become tiresome. Don't get me wrong. I want Apple to fix any and all problems with the iPhone since I hope to get one thru Verizon. I know...wishful thinking.
Really? Only 300 posts on this thread so far? When I saw the headline I was sure the entire Apple-Is-Evil crowd would go berserk and descend on this thread in numbers to jam the AI server. Guess this counts as a win for Apple.
Steve Jobs has been known to respond to emails and we were able to log into Samcraig's email account to verify the authenticity of the emails, so we believe these are real.
Considering Apple is WRONG, yes. This isn't about how many bars are displayed, it's about losing the call. Literally I can touch that spot and I will go from 5 bars to "No Service".
Seems to me your comment is only about bars being displayed.
Where you used to go from 5 bars to no service, you will now go from 1 or 2 bars to no service. Apple is fixing the perceptual problem of completely dropping service in an erroneously reported 5 bar service area. It is less surprising to have a call fail with 1 bar service vs 5 bar service.
What really matters is how well the phone works in comparison to other phones in the same location.
I think you are taking what he wrote too literally. Perhaps he meant the thousands that have complained in forums around the world.
Certainly not here.
A couple of days ago, my class/lab did a count on one forum in which in the first 240 blogs, 30 of them were posted by two of the most vocal anti-Apple/Mac members and who didn't own the iPhone 4. Much of the negativism came from the same non-user.
What was equally interesting was the fact that with one exception, in all the reported 'expert reviews' there wasn't a mention or it was not a concern re 'dropped calls' while observing a drop in bars. Only later in the days did there appear to be issues re dropped calls. But again, the most vocal appeared to be coming primarily from those who did not have an iPhone 4 and even more surprising, any other iPhone.
I have found a website and forum for people interested in Appley things on which the members treat each other with respect, do not name-call, they collaborate on getting facts straight, and bring useful expertise and insights to the matters under discussion. Civility and intelligence are the rule of the day. I would love to tell you where it is, but that would only lead the hordes of trolls which bedevil other sites to it. Membership is restricted and rules are rigorously enforced. It's heaven. I may never post anywhere else again.
Comments
Just more opinions with no facts.
Whether or not you're able to substantiate your discomfort with that reporting by disputing any specific claims of fact in those articles, one fact remains unquestionable: Apple's mishandling of this issue has resulted in a significant hit to their reputation.
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.
lol!
.
Using the 3rd grade term 'fail' is a fail.
Return to beneath your bridge.
Yeah, I'd at least expect "Heck-a-Fail"
.
Whether or not you're able to substantiate your discomfort with that reporting by disputing any specific claims of fact in those articles, one fact remains unquestionable: Apple's mishandling of this issue has resulted in a significant hit to their reputation.
I agree that so far Apple is not handling this the way I would want. I am not surprised that there is no answer or resolution, as this type of investigation takes time. Where they went wrong I think is not making an announcement that they are looking into the situation. I think this is all that the practical consumer needed.
However, some of their "mis-handlings" have since proven to be those faked email responses from Steve. That definitely will influence people's opinion negatively going forward, and a lot of people will probably never learn that they were faked.
I wonder why the software bar-count calculation was wrong in the first place. Could it be that Apple intentionally exaggerated the signal strength (or maybe signal/noise ratio) and showed more bars in order to make AT&T look better? I wouldn't be surprised if Apple asked AT&T "What can we do to help your image? How about showing more bars?" ...
It's just as likely that they determined signal strength above a certain threshold made little or no difference in call quality, so, having 5 bars represent all signal strengths at or above that threshold allows your phone to give more information regarding changes in signal strength below that threshold with the remaining 5 bars (including 0) .
For example, if signal strength were measured on a scale of 0 to 100, and the values represented by the bars are equally distributed across the possible values, you get:
0 bars = 0 = no signal
1 bars = 1-20
2 bars = 21-40
3 bars = 41-60
4 bars = 61-80
5 bars = 81-100
But, if anything over 60 has equivalent call quality and you change the values to this:
0 bars = 0 = no signal
1 bars = 1-15
2 bars = 16-30
3 bars = 31-45
4 bars = 46-60
5 bars = 61-100
It gives you more information regarding how good you should expect call quality to be at a given location by having each bar below 5 represent finer gradations of signal strength.
I don't know if this is exactly what they were doing and how they were doing it, but it's not a completely off the wall way to approach it.
I'm sure there will be plenty of people who will complain about this too!
Considering Apple is WRONG, yes. This isn't about how many bars are displayed, it's about losing the call. Literally I can touch that spot and I will go from 5 bars to "No Service".
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.
Actually, it is either or both!
Guy's that live under bridges get to fish too!
Dictionary\t
troll 2
verb [ intrans. ]
1 fish by trailing a baited line along behind a boat : we trolled for mackerel.
? search for something : a group of companies trolling for partnership opportunities.
2 [ trans. ] sing (something) in a happy and carefree way : troll the ancient Yuletide carol.
3 [ trans. ] informal Computing send (an e-mail message or posting on the Internet) intended to provoke a response from the reader by containing errors.
4 [with adverbial of direction ] chiefly Brit. walk; stroll : we all trolled into town.
noun
1 the action of trolling for fish.
? a line or bait used in such fishing.
2 informal Computing an e-mail message or posting on the Internet intended to provoke an indignant response in the reader.
DERIVATIVES
troller noun
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ?stroll, roll? ): origin uncertain; compare with Old French troller ?wander here and there (in search of game)? and Middle High German trollen ?stroll.?
Thesaurus\t
noun
the storybook trolls who live under the bridge: goblin, hobgoblin, gnome, demon, monster, bugaboo, ogre.
.
Presmabley you were able to get the replacement befoe Mon/Tues of this week as they now aren't giving anyone replacements for this issue. I think what happened to you is likely to happen to me too, but I'm going to get a replacement just in case it does actually improve it.
This may sound S/W, If the indicator is tied to send an event to the applications using the Data channel then differing strengths might cause your downloads to change or stop. Try sending data when scanning a Wifi channel similarly if the searching for network starts in background it should stop all data services ideally. If blocking the antennae causes drop in the signal then channel scans will be longer anyway.
I finally gave up the ghost and coughed up $150 to AT&T for a MicroCell. For what it's worth, my iPhone now works great at home! Has my fanboyism gotten the better of me? Perhaps, but I'm happy and that's what matters.
I bought a MicroCell about two months ago, but the phone would still drop calls on 3G. I then went and had the phone replaced under Apple Care and the new one was dropping calls, too. Maybe I was just holding the phone wrong
Humans are funny creatures. If I tell a client I have altered some code in their web site often they suddenly get problems, they are convinced are due to the changes ... even when I haven't made any changes...
I've experienced that from my clients, too.
In any case, I hope the software revision at least makes it more clear what's happening. I found a spot in my house last night where bridging the two metal bands with the lightest touch of one finger made the bars drop from 5 to 1. That's the first time I had seen any of this on my phone. But I could still make, sustain and receive calls with no noticeable loss of quality. So at least getting the signal display to match what's really happening better (a minimal reduction, in my case) would be a step in the right direction for those of you with actual connection problems.
If I were dropping calls, though, I'd just return the thing. My old phone wasn't that bad. Wait until the next revision and then try again.
By the way, I found the part in Apple's letter about making the shorter bars a little taller to be amusingly Orwellian.
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.
Yeah, it is funny!
They should have said: they were "shocked" to discover...
.
If you have specific issues with any of the claims made in the article, contact the author.
If you can't demonstrate any factual basis for dismissing the specifics of the article but want to complain about it anyway, by all means that's what AI is for.
Of course you do. That would let you continue to learn nothing and just sit there dismissing the firsthand experiences of hundreds or possibly thousands of people around the world without having to lift a finger.
If you have a problem with anything those journalists wrote, each of them has provided contact info. I will not write your letters for you.
What is the URL to Apple's statement on that one?
I would like to see a link to that. Thanks.
Here's the link http://www.macrumors.com/2010/06/24/...h-a-non-issue/
I imagine you've seen this. My contention is that Steve Jobs never meant "Avoid holding it that way" as his complete answer. The follow-up clarified his first reply. Paraphrasing, Apple said to avoid covering the lower portion of the iPhone if you experience reception problems. It should be obvious that SJ was referring to weak signals. We all know that blocking a radio signal can interfere with reception, especially if the signal is near the low end. What SJ probably wasn't aware of when he commented was the problem Apple discovered with the false indication of a weak signal being a strong signal.
I apologize if my interpretation differs from yours. But all of these negative stories that have proliferated the blogs have become tiresome. Don't get me wrong. I want Apple to fix any and all problems with the iPhone since I hope to get one thru Verizon. I know...wishful thinking.
Originally Posted by RationalTroll
What is the URL to Apple's statement on that one?
Here's the link http://www.macrumors.com/2010/06/24/...h-a-non-issue/
From the link:
Steve Jobs has been known to respond to emails and we were able to log into Samcraig's email account to verify the authenticity of the emails, so we believe these are real.
Considering Apple is WRONG, yes. This isn't about how many bars are displayed, it's about losing the call. Literally I can touch that spot and I will go from 5 bars to "No Service".
Seems to me your comment is only about bars being displayed.
Where you used to go from 5 bars to no service, you will now go from 1 or 2 bars to no service. Apple is fixing the perceptual problem of completely dropping service in an erroneously reported 5 bar service area. It is less surprising to have a call fail with 1 bar service vs 5 bar service.
What really matters is how well the phone works in comparison to other phones in the same location.
I think you are taking what he wrote too literally. Perhaps he meant the thousands that have complained in forums around the world.
Certainly not here.
A couple of days ago, my class/lab did a count on one forum in which in the first 240 blogs, 30 of them were posted by two of the most vocal anti-Apple/Mac members and who didn't own the iPhone 4. Much of the negativism came from the same non-user.
What was equally interesting was the fact that with one exception, in all the reported 'expert reviews' there wasn't a mention or it was not a concern re 'dropped calls' while observing a drop in bars. Only later in the days did there appear to be issues re dropped calls. But again, the most vocal appeared to be coming primarily from those who did not have an iPhone 4 and even more surprising, any other iPhone.