IPad 2 wifi death grip / antennagate issue

C-Dub · Mar 13, 2011

IPad 2 is suffering the death grip issue. I'm used to landscape mode, holding with my left hand. When holding near the speaker grille, the wifi signal strength drops instantly. I guess I never noticed this for the iPad 1 since it was always in a case.

Anyone else have this problem?

brentsg · Mar 13, 2011

You'll have to ask Consumer Reports.

JasonHiccup · Mar 13, 2011

C-Dub said:
IPad 2 is suffering the death grip issue. I'm used to landscape mode, holding with my left hand. When holding near the speaker grille, the wifi signal strength drops instantly. I guess I never noticed this for the iPad 1 since it was always in a case.

Anyone else have this problem?

Not here.

oplix · Mar 13, 2011

C-Dub said:
IPad 2 is suffering the death grip issue. I'm used to landscape mode, holding with my left hand. When holding near the speaker grille, the wifi signal strength drops instantly. I guess I never noticed this for the iPad 1 since it was always in a case.

Anyone else have this problem?

Maybe you are just holding it wrong.

/troll

Surf Monkey · Mar 13, 2011

Not seeing it.

falconeight · Mar 13, 2011

Damn jobs is going to have to give us free cases again.

C-Dub · Mar 13, 2011

Member greengdog has posted a video demonstrating it.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1115913/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmLnOPulEfA

gr8tfly · Mar 13, 2011

Just finished this post in a similar thread. I don't know if it helps, other than comparing iPad 1 vs. 2.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/12143250/

Gbtex · Mar 13, 2011

I can replicate this same issue. If I block the speaker corner with my hand, I can kill the wifi signal. I've tested this with a speedtest app and can drop the throughput to zero by covering that corner.

For now, I am flipping the iPad 180 degrees to keep this from happening.

hwu182 · Mar 13, 2011

Please. Every tablet suffers from signal degradation when held a certain way. Just hold it a different way, and you'll be find.

admanimal · Mar 13, 2011

Every small radio device is going to have some scenario where you can block the signal with your body. "Antennagate" should have been over and done with about 100 years ago, the first time somebody touched a radio antenna and lost their channel.

Gbtex · Mar 13, 2011

hwu125 said:
Please. Every tablet suffers from signal degradation when held a certain way. Just hold it a different way, and you'll be find.

This is signal death, not degradation. Watch the video in the link a few posts above.

C-Dub · Mar 13, 2011

Gbtex said:
I can replicate this same issue. When I am in a fringe wifi area, if I block the speaker corner with my hand, I can kill the wifi signal. I've tested this with a speedtest app and can drop the throughput from 2mbps to zero by covering that corner.

For now, I am flipping the iPad 180 degrees to keep this from happening.

Good point! I feel stupid forgetting you can just flip it 180 degrees.... Where the death grip side is on the right side. Now I can hold it with my left hand on the lower left hand corner!

dmaul1114 · Mar 13, 2011

It's not ideal if they're all like that--maybe put the antenna in the middle of the device so there's no easy way to block it while holding it, but it's easy enough not to hold it in a way that totally blocks that one side like in the video IMO.

advan031 · Mar 13, 2011

Hold it a different way

blen · Mar 13, 2011

Wow why does everyone have to troll Apple so hard?

You want them to manufacture 'magic' antennas too?

hwu182 · Mar 13, 2011

Gbtex said:
This is signal death, not degradation. Watch the video in the link a few posts above.

sorry about that. you are right. this is significant.

maclook · Mar 13, 2011

Crap.
I've been having this problem too. For the record, my iPhone 4 never had death grip problems. I thought it was just my wifi acting up, but for the last few minutes I've been watching my signal go from 3 bars to 1 bar (but it's actually 0) just from holding the iPad in landscape mode with my left hand. It's cuts off to the point where pages stop loading but once I release my left hand, it starts back up. My fingers aren't really gasping the device. The corners and sides are naturally resting in my palms. Turning the iPad upside down doesn't work for me because my smart cover is rolled up on that side but I wouldn't accept that as a solution anyways.
Naysayers might want to hold off on judgement as this could be a legit problem. The video shows how easy it is to cut off the wifi. I'm wondering if any iPad 1 owners can replicate this or if it is unique to the 2.

iRabbit · Mar 13, 2011

I can replicate the problem also. Turning it around 180 degrees is only a semi-solution (though I do find with the smart cover rolled up, on a lap in bed it actually works quite while flipped the "wrong" way - other than maybe for a lot of typing).

I wonder what the solution could even be for this... It's not like you can put a bumper on it like the iPhone 4...

JRoDDz · Mar 13, 2011

Gbtex said:
I can replicate this same issue. If I block the speaker corner with my hand, I can kill the wifi signal. I've tested this with a speedtest app and can drop the throughput to zero by covering that corner.

For now, I am flipping the iPad 180 degrees to keep this from happening.

Mine doesn't do that. Yours must be busted. Go return it.

zenio · Mar 13, 2011

C-Dub said:
IPad 2 is suffering the death grip issue. I'm used to landscape mode, holding with my left hand. When holding near the speaker grille, the wifi signal strength drops instantly. I guess I never noticed this for the iPad 1 since it was always in a case.

Anyone else have this problem?

Yes I have experienced this exact same scenario.

However the reason I don't see it as a problem, is I do understand that Apple is having a problem learning how to build the proper antenna for it's devices.

I do believe that at some point Apple will finally figure out how to implement antennas, and this issue will be behind us.

romeo.xk · Mar 14, 2011

admanimal said:
Every small radio device is going to have some scenario where you can block the signal with your body. "Antennagate" should have been over and done with about 100 years ago, the first time somebody touched a radio antenna and lost their channel.

^
what he said...

That is why I have never pay attention to this... Is like wondering whynyou can't see when you cover your eyes...

Lotso · Mar 14, 2011

I'm not able to replicate it. In fact my signal went up when I did it

Bizzways · Mar 14, 2011

dmaul1114 said:
It's not ideal if they're all like that--maybe put the antenna in the middle of the device so there's no easy way to block it while holding it, but it's easy enough not to hold it in a way that totally blocks that one side like in the video IMO.

They can't the battery is in the way.

I can't replicate the degradation to the degree you are experiencing. I've tried several times, and can only get the wifi to drop by one bar. Connection still strong. Flipping the device 180 degrees seems like a simple and effective solution. I doubt this is going to get any attention from apple. Seems like a non-issue if you ask me.

PS 20 down and 5 up, that's some good numbers man. Wish we had Internet service with that type of bandwidth here. . . Jealous.

Gbtex · Mar 14, 2011

3G worse?

I wonder if the issue is worse on 3G models. I have a 3G and have this problem. Do others of you who do not have the problem have a Wifi only model?

IPad 2 wifi death grip / antennagate issue

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