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The iPhone 5 Should Again Deliver an Improved Antenna

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,547
30,864



The iPhone 5's slight increased in height, combined with Apple's other design changes, should improve signal reception according to Spencer Webb, antenna expert and owner of AntennaSys. Webb wrote extensively about the AntennaGate issues with the original iPhone 4.

Because the iPhone 5 is taller, Webb explained to MacRumors, it has "increased antenna spacing and thus the antenna diversity will work better." Antenna diversity allows both the upper and lower antennas to send and receive signals -- a feat that the iPhone 4S was the first to accomplish. "The probability that one of the two antennas has a better signal is higher."

iphone5frontback2.jpg


Ergonomically, the taller phone means the average hand won't be able to cover both antennas. It's harder to hold "wrong". Also, since LTE operates at a lower frequency, 700 MHz, the additional separation is even more valuable.

The aluminum body of the new iPhone 5 will also help the antenna performance, and the hand sensitivity issue will be further diminished. The key word is sensitivity. In other words, changes in performance due to changes in "how you hold it" will be diminished. The antenna will see less change in the "ground mass" of the device.
Click to expand...
Webb also noted that LTE support could actually help with network congestion in some cases. "The higher speed may have more to do with relieving network congestion than the requirements in the apps -- it gets the traffic out of the way faster."

Many tasks that are normally performed on the iPhone -- Google searches, fetching email -- will still be performed on the LTE-equipped iPhone, but won't be using the carrier signal for as long. Additionally, LTE gets data users off of the traditional cellular network, so 3G data connections and voice calls may be more reliable.

Article Link: The iPhone 5 Should Again Deliver an Improved Antenna
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/12/the-iphone-5-should-again-deliver-an-improved-antenna/
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Wildog27

macrumors member
Jun 10, 2008
87
2
This is actually my biggest concern about potentially switching from AT&T to Verizon. I know that on VZW's 3G network you can't talk and be on data at the same time, but you should be able to do that on LTE. but what if you leave a 4G area and go back to 3G? Do you lose that capability for that time?

I'm not a big fan of AT&T's coverage area, but the ability to be on data and talk simultaneously is a huge plus for me and my family. We use it all the time.
 
chrmjenkins

chrmjenkins

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2007
5,325
158
MD
He makes some good points. By this device having the aluminum back, it's much harder for your hand to not be touching chassis ground, meaning it's harder to present a vastly different impedance to the antenna. And if you're using a case, that already wasn't an issue.
 
ghostface147

ghostface147

macrumors 601
May 28, 2008
4,167
5,140
This guy isn't totally correct. Antenna diversity has always been a CDMA spec. However Apple was the first to do it for both voice and data.
 
Diode

Diode

macrumors 68020
Apr 15, 2004
2,443
125
Washington DC
Here's to hoping LTE will finally help with AT&T's bloated network in the DC area.

My latest speed tests: .05~.35 down and about the same up. Pathetic.
 
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abhishake

macrumors regular
Jul 14, 2005
155
16
I'm gonna order one of these, but I would've liked to see more (e.g. NFC, up the base to 32GB).

But i'm sure those will come along on the iPhone 5S.
 
Battlefield Fan

Battlefield Fan

macrumors 65816
Mar 9, 2008
1,063
0
Glad to hear. It's been over two years with my iPhone 4 and it's problem prone antenna. Hello iPhone 5!

Also, It'll be nice not to have to hear people knock the iPhone for it's antenna problems. I'm glad to see Apple is starting to be an industry leader in antenna design.
 
jacg

jacg

macrumors 6502a
Jan 16, 2003
975
88
UK
Battlefield Fan said:
Glad to hear. It's been over two years with my iPhone 4 and it's problem prone antenna. Hello iPhone 5!

Also, It'll be nice not to have to hear people knock the iPhone for it's antenna problems. I'm glad to see Apple is starting to be an industry leader in antenna design.
Click to expand...

Shame they can't say how much better it is since they are still selling the old phone with their inferior antennae.
 
ixodes

ixodes

macrumors 601
Jan 11, 2012
4,429
3
Pacific Coast, USA
When I read the opening statement...

"The iPhone 5's slight increased in height, combined with Apple's other design changes, should improve signal reception according to Spencer Webb, antenna expert"

It brought me right back to the Antennagate Special I was so eager to dump in favor of an iPhone that could make reliable calls.

Enter the 4S, a much improved model. The product of some of the new Antenna Engineers that Apple had advertised for, and hired after the Antennagate Debacle.

Steve denied it, blamed it on us, but in the end we are seeing a refreshing confession on Apple's part that indeed the antenna is not one of their strong suits.

Since I have no desire to buy the elongated phone, I will be interested in reading the reviews to see if this antenna is indeed one more incremental improvement.
 
Mr Bigs

Mr Bigs

macrumors 6502a
Jan 28, 2010
500
7
Bklyn N.Y
Wildog27 said:
This is actually my biggest concern about potentially switching from AT&T to Verizon. I know that on VZW's 3G network you can't talk and be on data at the same time, but you should be able to do that on LTE. but what if you leave a 4G area and go back to 3G? Do you lose that capability for that time?

I'm not a big fan of AT&T's coverage area, but the ability to be on data and talk simultaneously is a huge plus for me and my family. We use it all the time.
Click to expand...
Educate yourself a little more,the fault isn't Verizon's but the phone manufacturer. If the manufacturer adds SVDO then the phone can do simultaneous voice and data on 3G & 4G. I have 2 phones on Verizon which have this the HTC Rezound and the Galaxy S3.

----------
ixodes said:
When I read the opening statement...

"The iPhone 5's slight increased in height, combined with Apple's other design changes, should improve signal reception according to Spencer Webb, antenna expert"

It brought me right back to the Antennagate Special I was so eager to dump in favor of an iPhone that could make reliable calls.

Enter the 4S, a much improved model. The product of some of the new Antenna Engineers that Apple had advertised for, and hired after the Antennagate Debacle.

Steve denied it, blamed it on us, but in the end we are seeing a refreshing confession on Apple's part that indeed the antenna is not one of their strong suits.

Since I have no desire to buy the elongated phone, I will be interested in reading the reviews to see if this antenna is indeed one more incremental improvement.
Click to expand...
Oh their was definitely a problem and Steve lied his ass off and many believed him.
 
A

albusseverus

macrumors 6502a
Nov 28, 2007
744
154
Diode said:
Here's to hoping LTE will finally help with AT&T's bloated network in the DC area.
Click to expand...

I fear this is the real advantage. Getting customers off overcrowded 3G networks. Data is data, you still have to supply it when it's requested, whether it's 3G or LTE. The congestion is in the towers, not the backbone. Backbones are easy to upgrade. New cells and towers are the tricky part.

At some stage, Apple's going to have to put the antennas back inside the phone, like early iPhones and every other manufacturer. I thought a metal back would have signalled this to have occurred. I look forward to the analysis of the antennas when the 5 is released.
 
T

tkhan456

macrumors member
Jun 9, 2008
88
0
Just so everyone can be outraged

Just saw the new dock connector adapter is ~$30. Go ahead and rage.
 
nagromme

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
Despite the media storm over the iPhone 4 (always on behalf of us poor iPhone 4 users, who themselves rarely had a complaint!), the iPhone 4 antennas were a step up form the already good iPhone 3G/S antennas. They were tested and got better signals and even could make calls in borderline areas the 3G/S could not. The iPhone 4 was like 2 steps forward and 1/2 step back in certain specific situations.

Then the iPhone 4S improved even further, and now this!
 
Rocketman

Rocketman

macrumors 603
Dec 2, 2001
6,191
1,186
Claremont, The intellectual capitol of the world.
Note the emphasis on the move to data. When all "phones" send all messages digitally via IP including voice (VoIP) and text (SMS), there will be more bandwidth devoted to higher bandwidth data only lines. That alone will make a huge difference in network capacity.

In have been posting about the transition to data only for years now and I believe the fact we still have "voice handsets" is a nod to carriers who get to triple charge for voice, text and data that way.

Those plans cost $120/mo and a data only plan costs $30/mo. Guess which one carriers and revenue sharing handset makers prefer?

See, supply side is really how the economy works!! Stop mocking it.

Rocketman
 
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