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Apple took it in the shorts with antenna gate.

falconeight

falconeight

Guest
Original poster
Apr 6, 2010
1,866
2
I am now using a Blackberry for work, I was interested to see if I could get the bars to drop and it is very easy. I have tried it with every phone I have come across and same thing. And its not a death grip its simply holding the phone in a manner that you would when talking. I think the only thing apple did wrong was to tell people and I use that term people lightly were the antenna was. I think they should sue companies that benefited from it and charge everyone for the free cases.
 
And the video demos released by Apple that showed the same thing you did didn't sway you. There have been thousands of pages on "antenna gate". Public image is everything, and in order to preserve it Apple provided the bumpers to quiet the critics. Once the smoke has cleared, the reality is very few, while they could reproduce the phenomenon, had real-world problems associated with the issue. Now that hundred of thousands of iPhone 4's are in the wild, the issue is not as significant as it was when it was sensationalized.

As for Apple suing...um, not going to happen.
 
I'm confused, who do you want Apple to sue and why do you care?

and if you think that the Antennagate was a PR nightmare, can you imaging the backlash Apple would get for sending every customer who ordered a free case a bill for $29 + shipping, because they determined that all along this was not an issue and they feel they are owed that money back, really, is that what you want?
 
The evidence is clear: the iPhone 4 DOES drop more signal on average when compared to other smart phones, but every smart phone does experience some drop depending on how its held.

What is even more clear though is that 15 million people aren't experiencing any issues, or at least anything significant, or they do and just want to complain about it rather than return it.

When you're in the spotlight, your flaws will be identified and publicized much more than others.

But the OP is right; Apple got put through the ringer for something that has proved to be insignificant for a record number of iPhone buyers.


** For the record, I've never dropped a call or completely lost signal when using my iphone, and I've tried to death grip the crap out of to test it. But when using the Signal app in Cydia, I can demonstrate a 20dBm drop in signal, however, I the bars don't drop and connection isn't affected.
 
It is an issue. It is/was news. And the newspapers you want sued did their duty to report on it. Apple's CEO handled responses to customers poorly. The Press release which revealed an issue with the reporting of signal strength was a poor smokescreen and caused a bigger PR nightmare for them. Get over it. Most other people have.

This thread is very Summer '10
 
darkside flow said:
The evidence is clear: the iPhone 4 DOES drop more signal on average when compared to other smart phones, but every smart phone does experience some drop depending on how its held.

What is even more clear though is that 15 million people aren't experiencing any issues, or at least anything significant, or they do and just want to complain about it rather than return it.

When you're in the spotlight, your flaws will be identified and publicized much more than others.

But the OP is right; Apple got put through the ringer for something that has proved to be insignificant for a record number of iPhone buyers.


** For the record, I've never dropped a call or completely lost signal when using my iphone, and I've tried to death grip the crap out of to test it. But when using the Signal app in Cydia, I can demonstrate a 20dBm drop in signal, however, I the bars don't drop and connection isn't affected.
Click to expand...

Sure is a bitch if you were one of those people tho, not to mention all the smug "It didn't happen because it didn't happen to to me" types around whom the universe apparently revolves.
 
mgamber said:
Sure is a bitch if you were one of those people tho, not to mention all the smug "It didn't happen because it didn't happen to to me" types around whom the universe apparently revolves.
Click to expand...

Totally agreed. Which is why I didn't minimize the issue at all. It exists. It's real. But it's nowhere near the scale that it was represented to be.

For those people with weaker coverage where a 20dBm drop meant the difference between some service and no service, yeah.. it's a bitch.
 
Exactly just people talking that refuse to accept that all phones have antennas and all drop signal when you touch them. $30.00 for a case for you equals a lot of money when you multiply it by millions. Their was nothing wrong with the iphone that is not wrong with other phones.
 
falconeight said:
I am now using a Blackberry for work, I was interested to see if I could get the bars to drop and it is very easy. I have tried it with every phone I have come across and same thing. And its not a death grip its simply holding the phone in a manner that you would when talking. I think the only thing apple did wrong was to tell people and I use that term people lightly were the antenna was. I think they should sue companies that benefited from it and charge everyone for the free cases.
Click to expand...

A) Didn't really seem to affect their sales
B) Who would they sue and for what?
C) When are people going to start realizing there were 2 issues here:
1) Signal attenuation that all phones have when their antenna is obscured (not really unique to Apple as you have demonstrated)
2) Antenna detuning that only phones with an exposed metal antenna suffer from (touch the black band....this only happens on a handful of phones.....most notably, the iPhone 4)
 
falconeight said:
I am now using a Blackberry for work, I was interested to see if I could get the bars to drop and it is very easy. I have tried it with every phone I have come across and same thing. And its not a death grip its simply holding the phone in a manner that you would when talking. I think the only thing apple did wrong was to tell people and I use that term people lightly were the antenna was. I think they should sue companies that benefited from it and charge everyone for the free cases.
Click to expand...

I used to cell cell phones for Verizon, ATT, T-Mobile and Sprint way back in the day when all brands were available at Circuit City. When the alleged non-existant "iPhone issue" cropped up I wondered why people made such a big deal. Any phone, even older ones back when I was selling them dropped signal if you touched the antenna. Its why the booklets tell you not to do it for most phones.

If this was Motorola, or the google phone, or anyone else no one would have noticed, but since its Apple everyone made an enormous stink about it. I don't know a single person with an iPhone 4 who ever had an issue and there are now 26 iPhone 4's registered under my developers profile.
 
chrono1081 said:
I used to cell cell phones for Verizon, ATT, T-Mobile and Sprint way back in the day when all brands were available at Circuit City. When the alleged non-existant "iPhone issue" cropped up I wondered why people made such a big deal. Any phone, even older ones back when I was selling them dropped signal if you touched the antenna. Its why the booklets tell you not to do it for most phones.

If this was Motorola, or the google phone, or anyone else no one would have noticed, but since its Apple everyone made an enormous stink about it. I don't know a single person with an iPhone 4 who ever had an issue and there are now 26 iPhone 4's registered under my developers profile.
Click to expand...

Exactly thank you! That's what I am saying. I have had many phones and remember that sometimes when I put the phone to my ear signal would drop. Phone companies use to put pull out antennas to combat that problem. Apple lost millions for no good reason what soever. I use a blackberry torch and it has the same issues that are inherent in every modern phone.
 
Geckotek said:
A) Didn't really seem to affect their sales
B) Who would they sue and for what?
C) When are people going to start realizing there were 2 issues here:
1) Signal attenuation that all phones have when their antenna is obscured (not really unique to Apple as you have demonstrated)
2) Antenna detuning that only phones with an exposed metal antenna suffer from (touch the black band....this only happens on a handful of phones.....most notably, the iPhone 4)
Click to expand...

They should sue for false accusations. Consumer reports did a half arse test and destroyed them by not recommending a really nicely manufactured phone.
 
stock closed at just under 308.....tripled in last 18 months.....Apple not too worried about much right now.
 
falconeight said:
They should sue for false accusations. Consumer reports did a half arse test and destroyed them by not recommending a really nicely manufactured phone.
Click to expand...

Consumer reports stated up front why they didn't recommend the phone despite thinking it was one (if not the) best phone on the market. The accusations weren't false. Apple even stated that the issue exists - and is extreme for a small few but that overall it's the best phone they've built.

I think you're a little "sue" happy. Or maybe people should sue Apple for false advertising of a white iPhone? Or do they get a free pass in your sue-happy-world?
 
samcraig said:
Consumer reports stated up front why they didn't recommend the phone despite thinking it was one (if not the) best phone on the market. The accusations weren't false. Apple even stated that the issue exists - and is extreme for a small few but that overall it's the best phone they've built.

I think you're a little "sue" happy. Or maybe people should sue Apple for false advertising of a white iPhone? Or do they get a free pass in your sue-happy-world?
Click to expand...

Uh no! The issue appears in all phones. If consumer reports did a more thorough accurate test of many phones on the market they would of seen that its common. I don't know if you know this but if you touch or move or cover any antenna it degrades the signal. Just block a tv dish, or a gps, or touch a radio antenna and see what happens. I don't think apple knew that their was such a big community of un-educated people in the world when they told us where the antenna was. It was like painting a button red and telling someone not to touch it.
 
falconeight said:
They should sue for false accusations. Consumer reports did a half arse test and destroyed them by not recommending a really nicely manufactured phone.
Click to expand...
How exactly have they "destroyed them"? From what I can see there are still stock shortages and people on waiting lists to get their hands on the phone all over the world. Months after release apple are still struggling to keep up with demand.

At the end of the day, I doubt apple have lost very many sales at all. Most of the people who bought into the negative hype were probably those who were always going to buy an android device anyway. Those who wanted an iphone 4 may have held off for a few months to see how it played out and when it clear it wasn't a big issue bought one (this is what I did).
 
abc123 said:
How exactly have they "destroyed them"? From what I can see there are still stock shortages and people on waiting lists to get their hands on the phone all over the world. Months after release apple are still struggling to keep up with demand.

At the end of the day, I doubt apple have lost very many sales at all. Most of the people who bought into the negative hype were probably those who were always going to buy an android device anyway. Those who wanted an iphone 4 may have held off for a few months to see how it played out and when it clear it wasn't a big issue bought one (this is what I did).
Click to expand...

Im not talking about stock I am talking reputation and the fact that the gave out cases for free.
 
falconeight said:
Uh no! The issue appears in all phones. If consumer reports did a more thorough accurate test of many phones on the market they would of seen that its common. I don't know if you know this but if you touch or move or cover any antenna it degrades the signal. Just block a tv dish, or a gps, or touch a radio antenna and see what happens. I don't think apple knew that their was such a big community of un-educated people in the world when they told us where the antenna was. It was like painting a button red and telling someone not to touch it.
Click to expand...

Read my C-2 again. NOT all phones suffer from antenna detuning due to an exposed metal antenna. Stop ignoring the fact that there were 2 issues here.

falconeight said:
Im not talking about stock I am talking reputation and the fact that the gave out cases for free.
Click to expand...

Cry me a river, Apple has 50 BILLION in the bank.
 
Geckotek said:
Read my C-2 again. NOT all phones suffer from antenna detuning due to an exposed metal antenna. Stop ignoring the fact that there were 2 issues here.



Cry me a river, Apple has 50 BILLION in the bank.
Click to expand...

Read my words I have a phone and have tried it on phones without an exposed antenna and it still detunes. And it was a big deal if it involved every major news agency, consumer reports, and people complaining but not returning their phones for a refund.
 
falconeight said:
Im not talking about stock I am talking reputation and the fact that the gave out cases for free.
Click to expand...
But if their reputation was really destroyed, people wouldn't still be lining up to buy the damn thing. Apple are laughing to the bank on this one.
 
falconeight said:
Read my words I have a phone and have tried it on phones without an exposed antenna and it still detunes. And it was a big deal if it involved every major news agency, consumer reports, and people complaining but not returning their phones for a refund.
Click to expand...

I read your words, now read mine. Try just touching the side of the Blackberry and making it loose signal. You can't. But you can on the iPhone.

IT'S 2 SEPARATE ISSUES!!!
 
Geckotek said:
I read your words, now read mine. Try just touching the side of the Blackberry and making it loose signal. You can't. But you can on the iPhone.

IT'S 2 SEPARATE ISSUES!!!
Click to expand...

"Shut up! Just shut up! He doesn't get it! He'll never get it! It's been 4 hours! The cows can tape something by now! Forget about it please!"

Seriously Falconeight. Give it a rest. Ignorance is clearly bliss. Or in your case - litigious.

Apple deserved the "attention" it got the moment the CEO (or someone from his team on his email account) stating there was no issue - just hold it different. In fact - that email - it was sent to me. And a few others based on reports and articles when the iPhone was released.

Everything after that - pure (and poor) damage control from a PR perspective. From a sales perspective - no one can say how much BETTER the iPhone would have sold. But I don't think Apple cares as it's seen unprecedented sales DESPITE the negative press.

So - regardless - they would have a very hard time proving "damages."

The fact that you're so wound up is "funny." Even without Antennagate - Apple still hasn't fixed the proximity issue and deserves the press they get on that. They also just yanked the white iPhone most likely from production and no doubt has ruffled feathers.

But keep blaming Consumer Reports... and I'll go buy you the required tin foil hat
 
There is just _one_ reason for "Antennagate".

That reason is the overwhelming arrogance of Steve Job's now famous & condescending "You're Holding It Wrong" comment.

If Jobs would have expressed a desire to look into the issue and get back to us in a specified period of time, most users would have been satisfied with that response.

No phone is perfect.

When there's a problem there's an opportunity to step up and show your customers you care.

All one must do is look at how other companies have handled challenges. The ones that did the right thing came away stronger. In addition they built more trust in their company.
 
wirelessmacuser said:
There is just _one_ reason for "Antennagate".

That reason is the overwhelming arrogance of Steve Job's now famous & condescending "You're Holding It Wrong" comment.

If Jobs would have expressed a desire to look into the issue and get back to us in a specified period of time, most users would have been satisfied with that response.

No phone is perfect.

When there's a problem there's an opportunity to step up and show your customers you care.

All one must do is look at how other companies have handled challenges. The ones that did the right thing came away stronger. In addition they built more trust in their company.
Click to expand...

Well said.
 
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