This is what I'm reading and if so Apple's software "fix" might actually be useful though will regardless piss off numerous AT&T customers. Since I'm hearing that it can go either a) from 5 bars to drop or b) from 4 bars to 2, Apple's fix may result in a) from 1 bar (or even 2 bars) to drop and b) from 3 bars to 2, which wouldn't be all that unrealistic in terms of attenuation.
The problem I have with Apple's "fix" is that it doesn't make any sense. From where I'm sitting right now, the 3G showed 4 or 5 bars which was total nonsense because it couldn't hold a call more than a couple of minutes. Then Apple "fixed" it and it was 2 or 3 bars after that. The 3GS has always indicated 1 or 2 bars. The iPad right now is showing me 5 bars. To be fair, however, the iPad is bigger, undoubtedly has a better antenna and while I doubt it's really 5 bars strong, it's probably 2 or 3, the point being that it works pretty well. Now the iPhone 4. Right now I have 1 bar. According to Apple that 1 or 2 bars too high which means I should have zero to -1 bars. That will be a neat trick. But from where I'm sitting, I've had 20-30 minute conversations with the iPhone 4 while the 3G and 3GS would NEVER....I repeat...NEVER have made it past 5 minutes. In two years I've NEVER had a conversation from where I'm sitting at home more than 5 minutes because the call would be dropped. So as I see it, the iPhone has noticeably superior reception when compared to any other iPhone to date yet it indicates a weaker signal than any other iPhone to date. Given this, I fail to see how changing the math is any kind of fix to anything. All that aside, the AT&T Fuze is small enough that I can completely envelop it with both hands and when I do that, the signal strength drops considerably but it keeps working. It's just really slow. This is in contrast to when I short across the seam of the iPhone 4 with a wire, a finger, my hand, a car key, anything that conducts, and the signal is immediately and completely lost.
I was initially upset about this but a case fixed the problem, I would have bought a case anyway because it's a phone, not "art" and it actually works better than previous iPhones with the case. And Apple does fix problems. The real problem, as I mentioned elsewhere, is that they appear to be throwing darts and missing the board and they should muzzle Jobs from now on and not allow him to reply to anyone outside of the company for any reason. This would still be a serious problem but people wouldn't be hysterical if Jobs hadn't shot off his yap with bad, pointless one-liners.
I wouldn't go calling this "antenna expert" (or anyone else) an idiot or a moron, primarily because I made it past the 5th grade and it's rude, but it doesn't make any sense and neither does the "fix" Apple has so far announced.