Earlier today, Apple posted a video of today's press conference addressing antenna issues with the iPhone 4, also adding to its website a section dedicated to antenna design and testing as highlighted during the press conference.
While the new section of Apple's site provides an interesting glimpse into the company's $100 million investment in antenna design and testing labs, Apple went one step further and invited 11 members of the media on a brief tour of the previously-secret labs following today's event. Macworld reports on the tour, which was led by Apple engineer Ruben Caballero, who was the subject of a Bloomberg report yesterday claiming that he had warned Apple CEO Steve Jobs early in the iPhone 4 design process that the antenna design could cause reception problems, a claim Jobs today called a "crock" and "total ********".
The report highlights the secrecy of the facility, noting that even Apple's PR representatives on the tour had never visited it before and that the lab's workbenches were covered with black cloths, a security procedure followed even when other Apple employees enter the facility.
Apple's tests, which can take up to 25 hours to run across all frequencies, are conducted in a variety of settings in the company's testing chambers, including positioning the device on styrofoam blocks, in human hands, and in the vicinity of realistic "phantom" mannequin body parts.
Finally, Apple showed off its CT scanner purchased for scanning products for defects without requiring them to be opened and changing their electromagnetic properties, as well as a field-testing van that allows engineers to test reception in real-world settings.
Article Link: A Look Inside Apple's Wireless Testing Facilities
