the labs yes. But they don't just do lab testing. Remember it was an engineer with a phone off campus for real world testing that led to the great Gizmodo "theft"
Yes. But that phone was disguised in a case intended to look like a 3GS model. It was not bare. The user was not touching the actual phone. Ergo, the problem was not revealed.
Update:
Just in case you were confused about the phone Gizmodo revealed, this is how they described it:
"The place was great. The beer was excellent. "I underestimated how good German beer is," he typed into the next-generation iPhone he was testing on the field, cleverly disguised as an iPhone 3GS"
Perhaps using the dummy bodies is prudent, but maybe the antenna issue would have been found before the iPhone 4 was released?
I think it's been proven rather conclusively (except for the conspiracy theorists), that there wasn't any issue with the iPhone 4 antenna. That being said, the fact that they had those rubber bands available ahead of time (to fix the perceived problem), tells me that they knew all about it.
In other words I think the evidence suggest that they knew the bars would go down if you gripped it tightly in a certain way, knew that this wasn't really a problem but that people would see it as one, and had the fix ready for it. So the oft-repeated assumption that the testing procedure masked the "problem" is really unsupported and more in the realm of pop-culture legend than fact IMO.
Agreed. Australian and European Telcos have recommended the iPhone 4 for use in fringe reception areas because it's one of the best performing phones with weak signals. Mr. Jobs accurately characterized the problem as being one of "perception" not reality. I don't sigh though. The "unwashed masses" who've consistently made the iPhone 4 a best seller seem to have a better grip on reality than the geek-tech experts.
I ordered an iPhone 4 before any of the antenna stuff came out. I started to read about antenna problems but I was so skeptical about a 'real' antenna issue, I went ahead and bought the 4 (an outright buy @ $699). After all, Apple couldn?t make a bad or flawed phone, I said. I was so excited to have my new 4, it was so cool, it was so fast, it was so pretty, it did everything better than my 3GS. I dismissed all the antennagate talk as ?bunk?; Apple wouldn't knowingly produce a product that had problems.
Now I understand how the problem antenna got by the tests, the dummy bodies, so as not to show their (Apples) hand to the competition.
Back to my story. My iPhone 4 ecstasy was slowly (but steadily) replaced with disappointment as call after call after call was dropped. People would ask why I kept hanging up on them. I finally had no choice but to return the phone and get my money back.
Next time I hear of an iPhone problem, I won't be so quick to dismiss it as 'bunk' as I did with the iPhone 4 antenna issues. Even Apple can produce a 'flawed' phone.......
Oh yeah, some of the reasons the iPhone 4 has 'consistently' been a best seller:
1) Outstanding Apple marketing, Apple could sell ice to someone at the North Pole...!
2) People were tired of the same design, 2 years of the 3G and 3GS created a pent-up demand for something new.
3) Apple gave the 4 so many 'WOW' features, the retina display, the fast processor, the 5MP camera, the 'Facetime' front camera, etc.
4) When the 4 came out, it was so far ahead of everyone else; it had to be a success.
Well, HSPA+ networking for starters. Mature cellular data technology well deployed throughout the world (the U.S. are the stragglers again) plus the Qualcomm Gobi chip doesn't kill the battery like current LTE chips do.
The dual-core A5 SoC is a vast improvement over the A4 SoC, plus the former runs cooler (I've used both in the iPad 2 and the original iPad, the latter I gifted to a family member). The A4-powered original iPad had overheating issues when used under direct sunlight; the A5-powered iPad 2 has no such issues.
A better camera, particularly one with superior low-light video recording performance would be excellent. I don't really think Apple can do much about lens attachments for a smartphone camera module. It's not get a 28-200 super-zoom like for dSLRs. The laws of optical physics and economies of consumer electronics manufacturing pretty much preclude anything like that. A telescoping zoom lens would have a high risk of getting damaged in something as roughly handled as a cellphone.
No electronic wallet (or at least, not yet). The world needs to get their ducks aligned in terms of standardized payment systems before NFC will be widely adopted. It's not like insular Japan where NTT DoCoMo can say, "here's a NFC payment system; you will use this." In particular, Europe probably needs widespread adoption of one system by various transit agencies.
Don't know about the value-add of a universal remote. You'd still need another one around anyhow. After all, if the person with the iPhone isn't home, how will others operate the system? With another cheapo universal most likely. There might be some value add from an iPhone or iPad app with a graphical interface for content selection, but it would have to have more functionality than a $50 Harmony remote.
I can't walk out the front door keyless, I still have other physical keys (to operate the car, office and home keys, etc.) so keyless car entry would be a novelty at best, not anything that promotes efficiency. And it's far more laborious to swipe an iPhone, enter your PIN, fire up an app to open a car door. I know which button to press on the car key fob blindfolded: far simpler.
Perhaps using the dummy bodies is prudent, but maybe the antenna issue would have been found before the iPhone 4 was released?
Do you think Apple didn't do internal testing without the dummy body? Doubtful, and it's also doubtful that they would have identified it as an "issue" anyway. They've already made their case to the public that it wasn't a problem per se, and sales of the iPhone 4 seems to confirm that consumers agree.
Agreed. Australian and European Telcos have recommended the iPhone 4 for use in fringe reception areas because it's one of the best performing phones with weak signals. Mr. Jobs accurately characterized the problem as being one of "perception" not reality. I don't sigh though. The "unwashed masses" who've consistently made the iPhone 4 a best seller seem to have a better grip on reality than the geek-tech experts.
So because it isn't a major issue, you don't think it was an issue? An issue could be something as inane as a logo with a bad color, but if customers don't like it then it is a problem.
"Perception" is reality when those you are trying to sell you product to make it so.
Why do you think the iPhone 4 was never tested without the 3GS-esque cover on it? Is this based entirely on 'a' engineer being given 'an' iPhone 4 in a disguised case in the final stages of tweak testing before launch and well after the design was finalized? Do you really think that the iPhone 4 was never tested outside that case for the years it was in development and before its release?
Obviously whomever was testing the 4 missed it. In the QC world the saying goes "the more eyes the better".
I think it's been proven rather conclusively (except for the conspiracy theorists), that there wasn't any issue with the iPhone 4 antenna. That being said, the fact that they had those rubber bands available ahead of time (to fix the perceived problem), tells me that they knew all about it.
In other words I think the evidence suggest that they knew the bars would go down if you gripped it tightly in a certain way, knew that this wasn't really a problem but that people would see it as one, and had the fix ready for it. So the oft-repeated assumption that the testing procedure masked the "problem" is really unsupported and more in the realm of pop-culture legend than fact IMO.
Gotcha. So they KNEW it was something that happened BEFORE they shipped the phone and made all those "rubber bands" as you call them. THEN, they sent Mr Jobs out there and look like a fool by first claiming it didn't really happen, and then by claiming it is an AT&T issue, and FINALLY admitting that it is an iPhone 4 specific "feature". RIGHT! Because Mr Jobs loves looking like he has no clue what is going on.
IF they knew it happened before hand, they would have immediately admitted it. Steve would have come out and said "look, we saw this happening, it doesn't affect calls, and if you would like a fix we have one". That isn't how it went, and you know it.
Disclaimer: I own the 4, and I will be one of the first with the 5/4S. The phone is great, and I have NEVER said it was a failure or the antenna thing was a problem. I simply said that the more viewpoints you can take on a new product, the more thorough the testing.
I'll be interested to see if the "non-flaw" is propagated in the iPhone 5. I suspect there will be some design feature that prevents skin bridging of bare antennas. But we'll see.
Comments
the labs yes. But they don't just do lab testing. Remember it was an engineer with a phone off campus for real world testing that led to the great Gizmodo "theft"
Yes. But that phone was disguised in a case intended to look like a 3GS model. It was not bare. The user was not touching the actual phone. Ergo, the problem was not revealed.
Update:
Just in case you were confused about the phone Gizmodo revealed, this is how they described it:
"The place was great. The beer was excellent. "I underestimated how good German beer is," he typed into the next-generation iPhone he was testing on the field, cleverly disguised as an iPhone 3GS"
http://gizmodo.com/5520438/how-apple...he-next-iphone
Perhaps using the dummy bodies is prudent, but maybe the antenna issue would have been found before the iPhone 4 was released?
I think it's been proven rather conclusively (except for the conspiracy theorists), that there wasn't any issue with the iPhone 4 antenna. That being said, the fact that they had those rubber bands available ahead of time (to fix the perceived problem), tells me that they knew all about it.
In other words I think the evidence suggest that they knew the bars would go down if you gripped it tightly in a certain way, knew that this wasn't really a problem but that people would see it as one, and had the fix ready for it. So the oft-repeated assumption that the testing procedure masked the "problem" is really unsupported and more in the realm of pop-culture legend than fact IMO.
Agreed. Australian and European Telcos have recommended the iPhone 4 for use in fringe reception areas because it's one of the best performing phones with weak signals. Mr. Jobs accurately characterized the problem as being one of "perception" not reality. I don't sigh though. The "unwashed masses" who've consistently made the iPhone 4 a best seller seem to have a better grip on reality than the geek-tech experts.
I ordered an iPhone 4 before any of the antenna stuff came out. I started to read about antenna problems but I was so skeptical about a 'real' antenna issue, I went ahead and bought the 4 (an outright buy @ $699). After all, Apple couldn?t make a bad or flawed phone, I said. I was so excited to have my new 4, it was so cool, it was so fast, it was so pretty, it did everything better than my 3GS. I dismissed all the antennagate talk as ?bunk?; Apple wouldn't knowingly produce a product that had problems.
Now I understand how the problem antenna got by the tests, the dummy bodies, so as not to show their (Apples) hand to the competition.
Back to my story. My iPhone 4 ecstasy was slowly (but steadily) replaced with disappointment as call after call after call was dropped. People would ask why I kept hanging up on them. I finally had no choice but to return the phone and get my money back.
Next time I hear of an iPhone problem, I won't be so quick to dismiss it as 'bunk' as I did with the iPhone 4 antenna issues. Even Apple can produce a 'flawed' phone.......
Oh yeah, some of the reasons the iPhone 4 has 'consistently' been a best seller:
1) Outstanding Apple marketing, Apple could sell ice to someone at the North Pole...!
2) People were tired of the same design, 2 years of the 3G and 3GS created a pent-up demand for something new.
3) Apple gave the 4 so many 'WOW' features, the retina display, the fast processor, the 5MP camera, the 'Facetime' front camera, etc.
4) When the 4 came out, it was so far ahead of everyone else; it had to be a success.
SPAM
Is this an advertisement......???
Electronic Wallet (NFC or BT)?
Universal remote?
Keyless car entry?
Better Camera and case with lens attachments?
I have yet to feel held back with the iP4 and think that the A5 may be overkill for a phone.
Any thoughts?
The dual-core A5 SoC is a vast improvement over the A4 SoC, plus the former runs cooler (I've used both in the iPad 2 and the original iPad, the latter I gifted to a family member). The A4-powered original iPad had overheating issues when used under direct sunlight; the A5-powered iPad 2 has no such issues.
A better camera, particularly one with superior low-light video recording performance would be excellent. I don't really think Apple can do much about lens attachments for a smartphone camera module. It's not get a 28-200 super-zoom like for dSLRs. The laws of optical physics and economies of consumer electronics manufacturing pretty much preclude anything like that. A telescoping zoom lens would have a high risk of getting damaged in something as roughly handled as a cellphone.
No electronic wallet (or at least, not yet). The world needs to get their ducks aligned in terms of standardized payment systems before NFC will be widely adopted. It's not like insular Japan where NTT DoCoMo can say, "here's a NFC payment system; you will use this." In particular, Europe probably needs widespread adoption of one system by various transit agencies.
Don't know about the value-add of a universal remote. You'd still need another one around anyhow. After all, if the person with the iPhone isn't home, how will others operate the system? With another cheapo universal most likely. There might be some value add from an iPhone or iPad app with a graphical interface for content selection, but it would have to have more functionality than a $50 Harmony remote.
I can't walk out the front door keyless, I still have other physical keys (to operate the car, office and home keys, etc.) so keyless car entry would be a novelty at best, not anything that promotes efficiency. And it's far more laborious to swipe an iPhone, enter your PIN, fire up an app to open a car door. I know which button to press on the car key fob blindfolded: far simpler.
Perhaps using the dummy bodies is prudent, but maybe the antenna issue would have been found before the iPhone 4 was released?
Do you think Apple didn't do internal testing without the dummy body? Doubtful, and it's also doubtful that they would have identified it as an "issue" anyway. They've already made their case to the public that it wasn't a problem per se, and sales of the iPhone 4 seems to confirm that consumers agree.
I am trying to think of what compelling feature the iP5 could have to make it a must have...
Electronic Wallet (NFC or BT)?
Universal remote?
Keyless car entry?
Better Camera and case with lens attachments?
I have yet to feel held back with the iP4 and think that the A5 may be overkill for a phone.
Any thoughts?
Nothing says you have to buy the iPhone 5 if you already have an iPhone 4
But Apple keeps making new phones because that's what companies do.
It's the same reason Canon releases 10 new point-n-shoots every year... certainly they don't expect you to replace a camera every year...
Apple sold 20 million iPhones last quarter from April to June 2011.... and those iPhones came out in 2010 and 2009 !!!
People buy iPhones all the time... but Apple needs to make a new one every once in a while.
(same curves, metal back)
I guess the Apple logo on the back will be plastic, and will emit.
Or there may be a plastic insert above the logo, along with the camera/flash modules.
Agreed. Australian and European Telcos have recommended the iPhone 4 for use in fringe reception areas because it's one of the best performing phones with weak signals. Mr. Jobs accurately characterized the problem as being one of "perception" not reality. I don't sigh though. The "unwashed masses" who've consistently made the iPhone 4 a best seller seem to have a better grip on reality than the geek-tech experts.
So because it isn't a major issue, you don't think it was an issue? An issue could be something as inane as a logo with a bad color, but if customers don't like it then it is a problem.
"Perception" is reality when those you are trying to sell you product to make it so.
Why do you think the iPhone 4 was never tested without the 3GS-esque cover on it? Is this based entirely on 'a' engineer being given 'an' iPhone 4 in a disguised case in the final stages of tweak testing before launch and well after the design was finalized? Do you really think that the iPhone 4 was never tested outside that case for the years it was in development and before its release?
Obviously whomever was testing the 4 missed it. In the QC world the saying goes "the more eyes the better".
I think it's been proven rather conclusively (except for the conspiracy theorists), that there wasn't any issue with the iPhone 4 antenna. That being said, the fact that they had those rubber bands available ahead of time (to fix the perceived problem), tells me that they knew all about it.
In other words I think the evidence suggest that they knew the bars would go down if you gripped it tightly in a certain way, knew that this wasn't really a problem but that people would see it as one, and had the fix ready for it. So the oft-repeated assumption that the testing procedure masked the "problem" is really unsupported and more in the realm of pop-culture legend than fact IMO.
Gotcha. So they KNEW it was something that happened BEFORE they shipped the phone and made all those "rubber bands" as you call them. THEN, they sent Mr Jobs out there and look like a fool by first claiming it didn't really happen, and then by claiming it is an AT&T issue, and FINALLY admitting that it is an iPhone 4 specific "feature". RIGHT! Because Mr Jobs loves looking like he has no clue what is going on.
IF they knew it happened before hand, they would have immediately admitted it. Steve would have come out and said "look, we saw this happening, it doesn't affect calls, and if you would like a fix we have one". That isn't how it went, and you know it.
Disclaimer: I own the 4, and I will be one of the first with the 5/4S. The phone is great, and I have NEVER said it was a failure or the antenna thing was a problem. I simply said that the more viewpoints you can take on a new product, the more thorough the testing.
Is this an advertisement......???
Please don't quote spam posts. Just report them using the little red exclamation mark found near the bottom left of every post.
Please don't quote spam posts. Just report them using the little red exclamation mark found near the bottom left of every post.
Ok, sorry. I didn't know what the little red exclamation mark was....