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ACTUAL Antenna Expert Speaks: iPhone 4 Woes Overblown

SiskoKid said:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2004...iphone_4_signal_woes_overblown.html?tk=hp_blg

Unlike peeps here who pretend to know what they're talking about, this guy actually DOES. There is NO iPhone reception issue.
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He himself admitted the tests were subjective and brief....we'll see what his actual tests reveal, but anandtech has done some review of the antenna as well, as part of the overall iphone review. While both 3gs and 4 suffer from higher SNR when "cupping" the phone, it seems 4 suffers more than 3gs. Could argue that its the flawed software showing bad calculations, but Apple claims that the same flawed software exists in 3gs as well.

So what the antenna guy in the PC world article is saying is a no brainer. Of course, SNR suffers when you change the characteristic of the antenna (by holding it). But question is how much? Apparently, with the iphone 4 design, it suffers lot more than others... However, having said that, supposedly iphone4 is able to remain in call, without dropping, in lower SNR than 3GS.
 
Every time I call someone, I keep cutting out. I thought this was brcause of the iPhone, but many it is AT&T? Either way, the antenna issue is real. Other experts have proved it. If I cant make a clear call, there is a problem with the phone.
 
I know several people with the iPhone 4, as I was thinking at one point of getting one myself. They're dropping calls where they never used to drop calls before, and their data is timing out / dying on them when they're using 3G. Those are real world results. It doesn't matter what Steve Jobs says, or some "antenna expert" says.
 
SiskoKid said:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2004...iphone_4_signal_woes_overblown.html?tk=hp_blg

Unlike peeps here who pretend to know what they're talking about, this guy actually DOES. There is NO iPhone reception issue.
Click to expand...

Ah, but some of us do have reception issues (and others to boot), and on top of that we own iPhone 4's as well, and hence your statement that there is no iPhone 4 reception issue is of course dismissed.

Here's an analogy for you: not every human being has cancer. Does that mean there's NO cancer problem?

Funny how that works.
 
Damn Straight!

When are people going to learn that attaching your iPhone 4 onto a piece of PVC pipe and using a blue-tooth headset will solve all the "so-called" reception problems of the iPhone 4?

iphone-pvc.jpg
 
There is a horrible problem with this phone. Completely unuseable as a Phone. I really wanted to love it, and so, but I'm notsuchablind apple fanboy I can admit is blows. The way they are reacting to this issue makes me wish i didn't buy a MacBook, iPad, and iphone in the last 3 months. F you, apple. My iPad keeps losing wifi and my iPhone keeps making my calls cut out. Thanks for making such reliable products.
 
thetexan said:
I know several people with the iPhone 4, as I was thinking at one point of getting one myself. They're dropping calls where they never used to drop calls before, and their data is timing out / dying on them when they're using 3G. Those are real world results. It doesn't matter what Steve Jobs says, or some "antenna expert" says.
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Did they perform a thorough study with controls to make sure it's not something else that's causing the difference in reception? For instance, try with and without a case perhaps or even try without holding the bottom antenna? Without the necessary controls, one can't say with certainty that the problems were due to iPhone 4 antenna. I'm not saying that it wasn't due to antenna, but it could've been from other signals issues like weak AT&T signal.
 
Godzirra! said:
There is a horrible problem with this phone. Completely unuseable as a Phone. I really wanted to love it, and so, but I'm notsuchablind apple fanboy I can admit is blows. The way they are reacting to this issue makes me wish i didn't buy a MacBook, iPad, and iphone in the last 3 months. F you, apple. My iPad keeps losing wifi and my iPhone keeps making my calls cut out. Thanks for making such reliable products.
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Have you tried duct taping it onto a piece of 8' piece of PVC pipe and sticking it up in the air?
 
I tested the reception on the iPhone 4.

When I tested it in my home, I could not replicate the antenna issues.

When I was out doing something else, it happened in some places.

Did any of you experience this?
 
xXMaxxyXx said:
I tested the reception on the iPhone 4.

When I tested it in my home, I could not replicate the antenna issues.

When I was out doing something else, it happened in some places.

Did any of you experience this?
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For me, It happens at home and not really anywhere else. I'm able to drop calls when holding it the wrong way.....
 
This article is hilarious. I am an engineer and I would never test anything in my field of expertise so subjectively and publish this type of conclusion, this gu is a joke. A 5 year old would have developed a better testing protocol. It is hilarious that he claims by looking at the bars, which Apple has stated do not reflect the signal strengh accurately, sitting in one place this type of conclusion is drawn.
 
doboy said:
Did they perform a thorough study with controls to make sure it's not something else that's causing the difference in reception? For instance, try with and without a case perhaps or even try without holding the bottom antenna? Without the necessary controls, one can't say with certainty that the problems were due to iPhone 4 antenna. I'm not saying that it wasn't due to antenna, but it could've been from other signals issues like weak AT&T signal.
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I can put my finger over the seam and after a minute I will go from 5 to 0 bars and loose my data connection. How's that for a real world test of the antenna?
 
Webb and a colleague decided to run their own tests, which he admits were brief and subjective. "This was a non-scientific test, but it was done by two engineers who deal with RF devices for a living," he says.
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Riiight
 
diabolic said:
What happens when you try that with a case on it?
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I'm sure that will fix it, but no one should have to pay extra money to fix a hardware design flaw. This thread is whether the antenna issues are overblown, having to insulate the phone with a case basically proves that there is an issue with the antenna design**.

**The percentage of phones affected is uncertain, but its not all of them.
 
i have the antenna issue and have yet to have a dropped call. I've talked an hr+ straight with no problems at all.
 
There may very well be a problem with the Iphone 4.....but don't say it's happening to everyone either. Some do and some don't. Mine doesn't but I'm sure some do have it.
 
I'm wondering if it was a design choice rather than a design flaw. I don't think it's a coincidence that Apple only now started selling a case for the iPhone.

I'm not sure I believe that only some of the phones have an issue.
 
diabolic said:
I'm wondering if it was a design choice rather than a design flaw. I don't think it's a coincidence that Apple only now started selling a case for the iPhone.

I'm not sure I believe that only some of the phones have an issue.
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Its was a design choice that resulted in a flaw. While I have a hard time believing that all phones are affected I'm not calling anyone a liar.
 
darngooddesign said:
Its was a design choice that resulted in a flaw. While I have a hard time believing that all phones are affected I'm not calling anyone a liar.
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I don't personally have any reception problems. If I intentionally bridge the antenna seam, I do see a drop of 2 bars. When I hold the phone in normal use it doesn't lose signal, even with no case. Once I was able to get a bumper, I put it on immediately, mainly since it has so much glass.

I've had great reception as I've used the phone over the past week and a half. I've had only 2 dropped calls since launch day. For me, it's undeniably better than my 3GS was.

I personally think the problem is being overblown, even if some people might be forced to use a case.
 
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