Still believe in Apple as the best innovators we've seen in a long while but this is a mistake in an otherwise great run of products - admit it and fix it.
I'll be buying back in when the stock market crashes later in the year - which is bound to happen and like last time, Apple won't be immune.
If you hold AAPL, get out now, take your profits and buy back in in a few months time.
So basically they are saying that they're going to update your phone to tell you that your reception is worse than it really is, bar wise. This doesn't fix anything. This isn't going to fix the people who live in lower reception areas from losing service completely or drop low enough to drop calls, where their previous iPhones or whatever they used works fine.
This is just smoke and mirrors. They also need to address the proximity sensor, although I think they are going to sneak it in. It's a real simple fix, just give it more tolerance.
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.
If I grip my original iPhone around the bottom (where the black plastic covers the antennas) I can make my reception go from 3 bars with Edge to NO SERVICE - takes about fives seconds. I have learned not to hold my phone that way in areas where signal strength is poor. I don't really consider this to be a defect in the original iPhone.
So basically, Apple is saying there is no problem with the antena, the only issue is you thought you were getting better reception thatn you were?
Even more BS that they say they've always calculated things this way. This means people should not be seeing any worse problems with the 4 than the earlier 3. Evidence does not bear this out.
This makes no sense. People's calls are dropping and data speed is much slower when portions of the antenna and touched and/or bridged. Apple's solution is to show you that you have less signal all the time?
I know all phones lose some signal when the antenna is covered, but APPLE'S IS THE ONLY EXTERNAL ANTENNA TOTALLY EXPOSED TO SKIN ETC.
If this indeed Apple's solution, ie. screw you, then I suspect they'll get a lot of phones back. When mine comes, if I have this issue I will take the opportunity to return it and go Android (not what I want to do). Apple is still in denial there there is a problem.
Whoa their pardner.
If you've been spouting off all this time WITHOUT EVEN HAVING ONE, you really need to show some intellectual honesty be returning it before you even open it.
You have NO grounds for griping.
Return it now so someone who deserves it can get their hands on it.
A software fix to only change the display behavior is a fail.
It does not fix the REAL PROBLEM of DROPPED SIGNAL!
I can reproduce the issue 100% of the time with my phone and it is truly insulting for Apple to refuse to accept this fact even after multiple independent studies.
How does is this a "solution" in any sense? It just makes it look like it has more bars but the problem is still there. This isn't a surprise to apple, they meant from the start to inflate that bars.
I'm extremely disappointed in apple, they're still denying the problem rather that doing what's best for the customers and fixing it.
Apple/Steve Jobs: 2 + 2 = 5, 5 bars means 0 bars, 1 bar means 5 bars, antenna in grip of phone where one finger kills all reception = best antenna design ever, iPhone 4's inferior reception compared to iPhone 3gs means iPhone 4 has "best reception ever".
That is unfair. The iPhone 4's antenna has been tested externally and shown to have far superior reception to previous models. It has also been shown to be more susceptible to signal loss.
They could have stuck the antenna back inside and shielded the shit out of it to prevent any loss from physical contact. That would also have resulted in it having shittier reception. Perhaps they missed the mark on balancing sensitivity and protection, but is dishonest to imply they are lying or misleading when they claim it has better reception. It does.
Yeah, a full refund IF you bought your phone from Apple. Buy it from an AT&T store, Best Buy, Radio Shack, etc. and you're stuck with restocking fees. And unless you return it in 3 days you also get stuck with ETF's from AT&T unless you get a different phone for the 2 year contract you signed with them.
Prove that the non Apple vendors will require enforcing fees when the manufacturer has indicated otherwise.
No, reception is better because of the exposed antenna.
The perception by John Q is completely due to the hysterical parroting of nonsense by ignorant bloggers and media.
It really is all semantics. If you read Anand's article technically the iPhone does get better reception but if you "hold it the wrong way" the reception drop negates the benefits of the antenna and then some.
Even Anand himself said that Apple should be giving away free bumpers with this issue being such a problem.
Everyone might as well get a case anyway since Apple decided to choose form over function and make a glass phone that can shatter from a two foot drop.
Apple's intent concerning bars, from Anand's article, was to clearly make it seem as if the iPhone was getting so much more reception than the previous generation.
Wow. A software fix for a situation that half the community here said didn't even exist. And I thought you guys knew everything!
I hate to bring you the news, but this wasn't the reported software fix Daniel Eran reported. He was talking about a frequency switch update which didn't exist. Still doesn't, and from what Apple says, won't.
I wish other people could think beyond the "oh, Apple is so great" and look at each product objectively and say "oh, iPhone 2G is so great", "oh, iPhone 3G is so great", "oh, iPhone 3GS is so great" and "BTW, something is amiss with iPhone 4". Just because the last few products were good, how can people simply ignore the complaints of thousands of other users who have genuine problems?
What do they want us to do? Fucking take a mentos and put a smile back on our faces? It is really fucked up with the AT&T signal arguments all these years and now, oh my bad, its been misleading all this time.
And that is exactly what Apple is fixing here; the actual reporting of signal strength. But, in your analogy, if it was not uncommon for some drivers to reproduce a problem where when they pressed the gas not only did the fuel gage show a sudden drop, but the gas tank actually emptied itself. In that case, the fuel gage might be faulty, but there is still no gas in the tank. The iOS might be misreporting the signal strength, but the iPhone 4 design still seems to lead to greater actual signal loss than designs with an internal antenna.
Admitting to the accuracy problem is good. Failing to address or acknowledge the actual physical problems caused by the physical design is not.
Again, we are only 8 days into the issue. And Apple must be careful how it responds.
As you say, addressing the accuracy problem is good!
Because of all the hysteria, I think they focused on that first.
If a large number of devices (above normal manufacturing defects) have additional problems, I am sure that Apple will address these, too.
I suspect they are, as we speak, looking at the hardware, cell radios, software, etc. to see if there are any other potential exposures/defects.
There are certain "fixes" that are preferred over others-- for obvious reasons (cost). Other "fixes" might involve recall, reengineering with re-submission for FCC approval if the changes are significant.
In 32 years of dealing with Apple, I have found them to do the "right thing" by their customers. That's one of the reasons that Apple's customer satisfaction ratings are among the highest.
What's your experience been like with your iPhone?
I can't say enough good things about. I won't give a review but the screen, camera and video combined with the simplicity and buttery smoothe and quick OS make this feel like everything that Apple has stuck too and improved has been all for the right reasons. I compared the screens and browsers on a couple of top of the line Androids yesterday and whilst I was impressed by them the clarity and detail of the iPhone is far superior and their jitteryness was extremely noticeable compared to the flawlessness of the ip4.
The reception issues are truly horrendous without a case, it's annoying to always have to hold the phone differently, but it's certainly possible to do so. You win some you lose some, but I'm very disappointed by Apple's stance since up till now I personally have always found them extremely helpfully, often going out of their way to not just fix an issue but to fix it and help me with any smaller issues etc too. I have no doubt that I will love using this phone for the time I own it as, I currently do. The extra effort is well worth it.
How does is this a "solution" in any sense? It just makes it look like it has more bars but the problem is still there. This isn't a surprise to apple, they meant from the start to inflate that bars.
I'm extremely disappointed in apple, they're still denying the problem rather that doing what's best for the customers and fixing it.
How can there be such a mental disconnect from their PR letter and what they are actually doing? Or perhaps is a lack of critical thinking on many of the posters here. Besides the letter clearing stating the bars fix will show less bars, not more bars, they stated "weeks" to usher in this update, which clearly means thy are altering a lot more than just the way bars are represented.
It really is all semantics. If you read Anand's article technically the iPhone does get better reception but if you "hold it the wrong way" the reception drop negates the benefits of the antenna and then some.
Even Anand himself said that Apple should be giving away free bumpers with this issue being such a problem.
Everyone might as well get a case anyway since Apple decided to choose form over function and make a glass phone that can shatter from a two foot drop.
Apple's intent concerning bars, from Anand's article, was to clearly make it seem as if the iPhone was getting so much more reception than the previous generation.
It doesn't 'technically' get better reception... it really does get better reception. I live in AT&T hell... wilderness edge in Marin, and spend time in SF.
Reception in both has greatly improved.
Frankly, if the price for most people getting better reception is that a few folks have to use a bumper (I use one simply because its a great case, btw) or have to skootch their fingers a centimeter one way or the other, then its an overall win, and the disaffected can now take theirs back if they're truly that lazy, and stop whining. (I'm really searching for another term, but its SO appropriate here.)
Comments
Not buying this as a software issue only.
Still believe in Apple as the best innovators we've seen in a long while but this is a mistake in an otherwise great run of products - admit it and fix it.
I'll be buying back in when the stock market crashes later in the year - which is bound to happen and like last time, Apple won't be immune.
If you hold AAPL, get out now, take your profits and buy back in in a few months time.
This is a sad day for Apple.
26 years ago, Apple threw the hammer at Big Brother.
Now, Apple is Big Brother.
2 + 2 = 5
That's the thing about revolutionaries, they usually become a lot like what they replace.
So basically they are saying that they're going to update your phone to tell you that your reception is worse than it really is, bar wise. This doesn't fix anything. This isn't going to fix the people who live in lower reception areas from losing service completely or drop low enough to drop calls, where their previous iPhones or whatever they used works fine.
This is just smoke and mirrors. They also need to address the proximity sensor, although I think they are going to sneak it in. It's a real simple fix, just give it more tolerance.
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.
That doesn't explain this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq4dfeSiOWw
If I grip my original iPhone around the bottom (where the black plastic covers the antennas) I can make my reception go from 3 bars with Edge to NO SERVICE - takes about fives seconds. I have learned not to hold my phone that way in areas where signal strength is poor. I don't really consider this to be a defect in the original iPhone.
So basically, Apple is saying there is no problem with the antena, the only issue is you thought you were getting better reception thatn you were?
Even more BS that they say they've always calculated things this way. This means people should not be seeing any worse problems with the 4 than the earlier 3. Evidence does not bear this out.
This makes no sense. People's calls are dropping and data speed is much slower when portions of the antenna and touched and/or bridged. Apple's solution is to show you that you have less signal all the time?
I know all phones lose some signal when the antenna is covered, but APPLE'S IS THE ONLY EXTERNAL ANTENNA TOTALLY EXPOSED TO SKIN ETC.
If this indeed Apple's solution, ie. screw you, then I suspect they'll get a lot of phones back. When mine comes, if I have this issue I will take the opportunity to return it and go Android (not what I want to do). Apple is still in denial there there is a problem.
Whoa their pardner.
If you've been spouting off all this time WITHOUT EVEN HAVING ONE, you really need to show some intellectual honesty be returning it before you even open it.
You have NO grounds for griping.
Return it now so someone who deserves it can get their hands on it.
A software fix to only change the display behavior is a fail.
It does not fix the REAL PROBLEM of DROPPED SIGNAL!
I can reproduce the issue 100% of the time with my phone and it is truly insulting for Apple to refuse to accept this fact even after multiple independent studies.
Using the 3rd grade term 'fail' is a fail.
Return to beneath your bridge.
I'm extremely disappointed in apple, they're still denying the problem rather that doing what's best for the customers and fixing it.
That's fine, but it doesn't solve this issue at all.
Simply because there IS no issue.
Keep it up. Only another 230 something posts to go and you'll beat yesterday's total.
Apple/Steve Jobs: 2 + 2 = 5, 5 bars means 0 bars, 1 bar means 5 bars, antenna in grip of phone where one finger kills all reception = best antenna design ever, iPhone 4's inferior reception compared to iPhone 3gs means iPhone 4 has "best reception ever".
That is unfair. The iPhone 4's antenna has been tested externally and shown to have far superior reception to previous models. It has also been shown to be more susceptible to signal loss.
They could have stuck the antenna back inside and shielded the shit out of it to prevent any loss from physical contact. That would also have resulted in it having shittier reception. Perhaps they missed the mark on balancing sensitivity and protection, but is dishonest to imply they are lying or misleading when they claim it has better reception. It does.
Yeah, a full refund IF you bought your phone from Apple. Buy it from an AT&T store, Best Buy, Radio Shack, etc. and you're stuck with restocking fees. And unless you return it in 3 days you also get stuck with ETF's from AT&T unless you get a different phone for the 2 year contract you signed with them.
Prove that the non Apple vendors will require enforcing fees when the manufacturer has indicated otherwise.
Prove, not whine.
No, reception is better because of the exposed antenna.
The perception by John Q is completely due to the hysterical parroting of nonsense by ignorant bloggers and media.
It really is all semantics. If you read Anand's article technically the iPhone does get better reception but if you "hold it the wrong way" the reception drop negates the benefits of the antenna and then some.
Even Anand himself said that Apple should be giving away free bumpers with this issue being such a problem.
Everyone might as well get a case anyway since Apple decided to choose form over function and make a glass phone that can shatter from a two foot drop.
Apple's intent concerning bars, from Anand's article, was to clearly make it seem as if the iPhone was getting so much more reception than the previous generation.
Using the 3rd grade term 'fail' is a fail.
Return to beneath your bridge.
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.
Wow. A software fix for a situation that half the community here said didn't even exist. And I thought you guys knew everything!
I hate to bring you the news, but this wasn't the reported software fix Daniel Eran reported. He was talking about a frequency switch update which didn't exist. Still doesn't, and from what Apple says, won't.
A wonderfully sensible statement!
I wish other people could think beyond the "oh, Apple is so great" and look at each product objectively and say "oh, iPhone 2G is so great", "oh, iPhone 3G is so great", "oh, iPhone 3GS is so great" and "BTW, something is amiss with iPhone 4". Just because the last few products were good, how can people simply ignore the complaints of thousands of other users who have genuine problems?
What do they want us to do? Fucking take a mentos and put a smile back on our faces? It is really fucked up with the AT&T signal arguments all these years and now, oh my bad, its been misleading all this time.
Put *3001#12345#* back on IOS4
And that is exactly what Apple is fixing here; the actual reporting of signal strength. But, in your analogy, if it was not uncommon for some drivers to reproduce a problem where when they pressed the gas not only did the fuel gage show a sudden drop, but the gas tank actually emptied itself. In that case, the fuel gage might be faulty, but there is still no gas in the tank. The iOS might be misreporting the signal strength, but the iPhone 4 design still seems to lead to greater actual signal loss than designs with an internal antenna.
Admitting to the accuracy problem is good. Failing to address or acknowledge the actual physical problems caused by the physical design is not.
Again, we are only 8 days into the issue. And Apple must be careful how it responds.
As you say, addressing the accuracy problem is good!
Because of all the hysteria, I think they focused on that first.
If a large number of devices (above normal manufacturing defects) have additional problems, I am sure that Apple will address these, too.
I suspect they are, as we speak, looking at the hardware, cell radios, software, etc. to see if there are any other potential exposures/defects.
There are certain "fixes" that are preferred over others-- for obvious reasons (cost). Other "fixes" might involve recall, reengineering with re-submission for FCC approval if the changes are significant.
In 32 years of dealing with Apple, I have found them to do the "right thing" by their customers. That's one of the reasons that Apple's customer satisfaction ratings are among the highest.
.
What's your experience been like with your iPhone?
I can't say enough good things about. I won't give a review but the screen, camera and video combined with the simplicity and buttery smoothe and quick OS make this feel like everything that Apple has stuck too and improved has been all for the right reasons. I compared the screens and browsers on a couple of top of the line Androids yesterday and whilst I was impressed by them the clarity and detail of the iPhone is far superior and their jitteryness was extremely noticeable compared to the flawlessness of the ip4.
The reception issues are truly horrendous without a case, it's annoying to always have to hold the phone differently, but it's certainly possible to do so. You win some you lose some, but I'm very disappointed by Apple's stance since up till now I personally have always found them extremely helpfully, often going out of their way to not just fix an issue but to fix it and help me with any smaller issues etc too. I have no doubt that I will love using this phone for the time I own it as, I currently do. The extra effort is well worth it.
How does is this a "solution" in any sense? It just makes it look like it has more bars but the problem is still there. This isn't a surprise to apple, they meant from the start to inflate that bars.
I'm extremely disappointed in apple, they're still denying the problem rather that doing what's best for the customers and fixing it.
How can there be such a mental disconnect from their PR letter and what they are actually doing? Or perhaps is a lack of critical thinking on many of the posters here. Besides the letter clearing stating the bars fix will show less bars, not more bars, they stated "weeks" to usher in this update, which clearly means thy are altering a lot more than just the way bars are represented.
It really is all semantics. If you read Anand's article technically the iPhone does get better reception but if you "hold it the wrong way" the reception drop negates the benefits of the antenna and then some.
Even Anand himself said that Apple should be giving away free bumpers with this issue being such a problem.
Everyone might as well get a case anyway since Apple decided to choose form over function and make a glass phone that can shatter from a two foot drop.
Apple's intent concerning bars, from Anand's article, was to clearly make it seem as if the iPhone was getting so much more reception than the previous generation.
It doesn't 'technically' get better reception... it really does get better reception. I live in AT&T hell... wilderness edge in Marin, and spend time in SF.
Reception in both has greatly improved.
Frankly, if the price for most people getting better reception is that a few folks have to use a bumper (I use one simply because its a great case, btw) or have to skootch their fingers a centimeter one way or the other, then its an overall win, and the disaffected can now take theirs back if they're truly that lazy, and stop whining. (I'm really searching for another term, but its SO appropriate here.)