"Consumer Reports' engineers have just completed testing the iPhone 4, and have confirmed that there is a problem with its reception. When your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone's lower left side?an easy thing, especially for lefties?the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you're in an area with a weak signal. Due to this problem, we can't recommend the iPhone 4."
IF YOU'RE IN AN AREA WITH A WEAK SIGNAL.
How weak, and how much weaker does it need to be before other phones also lose the connection? In other words, we need the problem quantified.
All Essentially Irrelevant, As It Shouldn't Be Happening At All... Especially as the result of an obviously flawed design.
Well, they are good if you need to buy a lawn sprinkler or a washing machine
For hi-tech - cameras, cell phone - agree, don't even bother to read them.
But a lot of hi-tech gadget manufacturers are hyping stuff that consumers will never see a difference. Maybe a dog can hear the difference between CD and SACD, normal people can't.
I would rather spend a few hundreds dollars less on a no-name LCD HDTV and use that saving to buy myself a spyder color calibration puck. If you want the best calibrated home theater system, you are supposed to turn off all those useless enhancements.
I hope a number of people take Consumer Report's recommendation. That means I will have a better chance of getting my IPhone faster. I was going to buy a case anyway. The reception deception will be no problem for me.
CR's conclusions still don't make sense as RF does not behave like electrical current. A simple piece of tape shouldn't make a difference.
Besides, all that matters for me is real world performance vs. theoretical pontificating. The iPhine 4 beats the pants off of the 3Gs in actual usage - without a case. I haven't used on before and I have no intention of bulking up my phone now with useless plastic or rubber.
Not electrical so there is no short circuiting, but it can alter the length of the antenna which I know can cause added attenuation and interference.
What isn?t clear is if this can be dealt with a SW update that allows for a powerful radio transmission to counter any issues one might have, a driver update that allows the chip to understand variances better, or some other SW resolution.
All we know is that a lot of people are having an issue when they do certain thing. Note that this doesn?t seem to happen with ?2G? and it?s apparently better for WiFI when you do bridge the antennas. This tells me that a SW update is still an option.
CR's conclusions still don't make sense as RF does not behave like electrical current. A simple piece of tape shouldn't make a difference.
Besides, all that matters for me is real world performance vs. theoretical pontificating. The iPhine 4 beats the pants off of the 3Gs in actual usage - without a case. I haven't used on before and I have no intention of bulking up my phone now with useless plastic or rubber.
If you were completely right, why would apple even separate the two antennas? Aren't they separate and insulated from each other for a reason?
The seams are very un-Apple and I would think if you were right there would be no need for them.
I usually trust Consumer Reports but the flip-flopping makes me call into question their "buyer beware" message. Has anyone experienced real time issues with the reception and call quality of the iPhone 4?
I am glad I am not an early adopter. It seems to me that Apple will have to do a recall...
To date, I haven't had a problem. I'm quite happy with iPhone 4.
Yes it is. Again, while a real problem, it isn't like you can't still use the phone.
Aside from the antenna problem (real and serious) the 4 is just so much better a device. All I am saying is to weigh the options available. Both have merit.
Apparently, thinking an issue through and thoughtfully considering all options is 'irresponsible' to you.
Whatever.
Yes, both have merits if given all the caveats are listed --- but in your initial post, you never talked about these options or the seriousness of the problems. You merely said that "just buy a case". You even said that returning the phone is a trouble.
Nah, Steve was probably 100% behind Jonny Ives on this one and they were both loving it. Get my drift?
Loving my iPad though, hey, Apple's not perfect, they just went one design step too far on the iPhone4.
What does the random homophobic remark add to anything? Even if Steve Jobs was gay (I know he isn't), and even if him and Jonny Ive were a couple, what would that have to do with anything?
This isn't 1974, the mere mention of gays is neither funny, risque, nor relevant all by itself. You've done this about five times that I can recall already, please stop. It's just not funny to chime in with some cryptic, off-topic reference to anal sex on a tech blog unless you are basically twelve years old or, (as I said above), still living in 1974.
I get it, OK? Your a homophobe, or maybe just a gay-hater, that much is crystal clear. It just doesn't have any relevance to this forum or any of the discussions we have on it.
I hope a number of people take Consumer Report's recommendation. That means I will have a better chance of getting my IPhone faster. I was going to buy a case anyway. The reception deception will be no problem for me.
Totally in agreement. I've been waiting over a week now and hoping it won't actually take 3 weeks. My 3G battery is damaged and it's pretty much useless unless it is plugged in... So I'm hoping for sooner rather than later.
Comments
Here's the full quote:
"Consumer Reports' engineers have just completed testing the iPhone 4, and have confirmed that there is a problem with its reception. When your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone's lower left side?an easy thing, especially for lefties?the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you're in an area with a weak signal. Due to this problem, we can't recommend the iPhone 4."
IF YOU'RE IN AN AREA WITH A WEAK SIGNAL.
How weak, and how much weaker does it need to be before other phones also lose the connection? In other words, we need the problem quantified.
All Essentially Irrelevant, As It Shouldn't Be Happening At All... Especially as the result of an obviously flawed design.
Do they have a reliable methodology or not?
Just look at the results they obtained. The answer should be obvious.
Will they retest once the software is updated? This is a non issue.
Well, they are good if you need to buy a lawn sprinkler or a washing machine
For hi-tech - cameras, cell phone - agree, don't even bother to read them.
But a lot of hi-tech gadget manufacturers are hyping stuff that consumers will never see a difference. Maybe a dog can hear the difference between CD and SACD, normal people can't.
I would rather spend a few hundreds dollars less on a no-name LCD HDTV and use that saving to buy myself a spyder color calibration puck. If you want the best calibrated home theater system, you are supposed to turn off all those useless enhancements.
I'd guess that probably 95% of people are really happy with their new iPhone.
More like 99.9%.
Buy a bumper. Update the software.
Then it will be 100%.
No issues here. For those that have issues, return it. - Get whatever flavour of droid that takes your fancy. just STFU and get on with life.
Spend your time doing something about the gulf spill. Contact your reps in congress, put your fat mouth to work for something worthwhile!
Suggestion: Look in the mirror, and recite these very words to the reflection you see...
Good for you little wussies. Return, boycott, do what you want.
That may eventually shorten waiting lists in zones of decent reception.
i'm a wussie because the iPhone 4 get poor reception?? you are a complete moron.
The good thing about this CR piece is that it forces Apples hand.
They will have to respond. Shareholders will demand it.
They have ALREADY responded. The "problem" will be fixed in software.
But in the meantime, the media will be in a frenzy.
really like using Apple's products but cant see getting the new phone
CR's conclusions still don't make sense as RF does not behave like electrical current. A simple piece of tape shouldn't make a difference.
Besides, all that matters for me is real world performance vs. theoretical pontificating. The iPhine 4 beats the pants off of the 3Gs in actual usage - without a case. I haven't used on before and I have no intention of bulking up my phone now with useless plastic or rubber.
Not electrical so there is no short circuiting, but it can alter the length of the antenna which I know can cause added attenuation and interference.
What isn?t clear is if this can be dealt with a SW update that allows for a powerful radio transmission to counter any issues one might have, a driver update that allows the chip to understand variances better, or some other SW resolution.
All we know is that a lot of people are having an issue when they do certain thing. Note that this doesn?t seem to happen with ?2G? and it?s apparently better for WiFI when you do bridge the antennas. This tells me that a SW update is still an option.
CR's conclusions still don't make sense as RF does not behave like electrical current. A simple piece of tape shouldn't make a difference.
Besides, all that matters for me is real world performance vs. theoretical pontificating. The iPhine 4 beats the pants off of the 3Gs in actual usage - without a case. I haven't used on before and I have no intention of bulking up my phone now with useless plastic or rubber.
If you were completely right, why would apple even separate the two antennas? Aren't they separate and insulated from each other for a reason?
The seams are very un-Apple and I would think if you were right there would be no need for them.
I usually trust Consumer Reports but the flip-flopping makes me call into question their "buyer beware" message. Has anyone experienced real time issues with the reception and call quality of the iPhone 4?
I am glad I am not an early adopter. It seems to me that Apple will have to do a recall...
To date, I haven't had a problem. I'm quite happy with iPhone 4.
No one told CR that the consumer's grip is the issue, not the iPhone4?
Apparently not.
The real question, however, is whether CR will retract this story once the software fix is released?
Yes it is. Again, while a real problem, it isn't like you can't still use the phone.
Aside from the antenna problem (real and serious) the 4 is just so much better a device. All I am saying is to weigh the options available. Both have merit.
Apparently, thinking an issue through and thoughtfully considering all options is 'irresponsible' to you.
Whatever.
Yes, both have merits if given all the caveats are listed --- but in your initial post, you never talked about these options or the seriousness of the problems. You merely said that "just buy a case". You even said that returning the phone is a trouble.
I would seem a shame to get locked in a contract if an r2 is going to turn up in a couple of months.
Nah, Steve was probably 100% behind Jonny Ives on this one and they were both loving it. Get my drift?
Loving my iPad though, hey, Apple's not perfect, they just went one design step too far on the iPhone4.
What does the random homophobic remark add to anything? Even if Steve Jobs was gay (I know he isn't), and even if him and Jonny Ive were a couple, what would that have to do with anything?
This isn't 1974, the mere mention of gays is neither funny, risque, nor relevant all by itself. You've done this about five times that I can recall already, please stop. It's just not funny to chime in with some cryptic, off-topic reference to anal sex on a tech blog unless you are basically twelve years old or, (as I said above), still living in 1974.
I get it, OK? Your a homophobe, or maybe just a gay-hater, that much is crystal clear. It just doesn't have any relevance to this forum or any of the discussions we have on it.
All Essentially Irrelevant, As It Shouldn't Be Happening At All... Especially as the result of an obviously flawed design.
DaHarder, you're a known troll. Everything you post is "essentially irrelevant".
I hope a number of people take Consumer Report's recommendation. That means I will have a better chance of getting my IPhone faster. I was going to buy a case anyway. The reception deception will be no problem for me.
Totally in agreement. I've been waiting over a week now and hoping it won't actually take 3 weeks. My 3G battery is damaged and it's pretty much useless unless it is plugged in... So I'm hoping for sooner rather than later.