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Antenna issue good in the long run?

R

Runt888

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 17, 2008
841
32
I personally love my iPhone 4, and haven't had any problems with dropped calls. I've owned almost every version, and each one has been better than the last. However, iPhones in general have never been all that great in terms of reception - not horrible, but definitely not best in class either.

Do you think that with all of the attention being focused on the antenna issues (regardless of whether you agree or think it's been overblown) that Apple is going to really focus on reception with the next iPhone? Any chance that reception will become the number one priority for the next version and all of this drama will result in a better phone than we would have otherwise received?

Please try to keep the discussion civil, I don't want this to turn into another "antenna sucks!" or "you people who think the antenna sucks are idiots!" thread.
 
Runt888 said:
I personally love my iPhone 4, and haven't had any problems with dropped calls. I've owned almost every version, and each one has been better than the last. However, iPhones in general have never been all that great in terms of reception - not horrible, but definitely not best in class either.

Do you think that with all of the attention being focused on the antenna issues (regardless of whether you agree or think it's been overblown) that Apple is going to really focus on reception with the next iPhone? Any chance that reception will become the number one priority for the next version and all of this drama will result in a better phone than we would have otherwise received?

Please try to keep the discussion civil, I don't want this to turn into another "antenna sucks!" or "you people who think the antenna sucks are idiots!" thread.
Click to expand...
That could be a very good possibility for iPhone 5. It would really shut the press up. :apple:
 
Maybe so.....I'm sure they will focus on fixing the antenna on the next one for sure. I have a theory on how they can do that, while keeping the same design. They could keep the exact same design, except make the antenna flush with the glass where they (the glass and steel band) meet, then put another wrap around band on top of it. That way it still looks super sexy ( :) ) but your hand won't actually be touching the antenna. I'm no hardware engineer so that may not work, but its a thought. Oh and the outer band would have to have some type of non conducive thing on the inside of it so the signal wouldn't be propagated to the outer band. Basically, like a built in bumper.


Sorry, I know I went off topic. :) :apple:
 
applefanDrew said:
Maybe so.....I'm sure they will focus on fixing the antenna on the next one for sure. I have a theory on how they can do that, while keeping the same design. They could keep the exact same design, except make the antenna flush with the glass where they (the glass and steel band) meet, then put another wrap around band on top of it. That way it still looks super sexy ( :) ) but your hand won't actually be touching the antenna. I'm no hardware engineer so that may not work, but its a thought. Oh and the outer band would have to have some type of non conducive thing on the inside of it so the signal wouldn't be propagated to the outer band. Basically, like a built in bumper.


Sorry, I know I went off topic. :) :apple:
Click to expand...
Interesting concept, though. :)
 
Apple... said:
That could be a very good possibility for iPhone 5. It would really shut the press up. :apple:
Click to expand...

Actually, it would probably make it worse - they would be vindicated, and take every opportunity to tell everyone about it :D

applefanDrew said:
Maybe so.....I'm sure they will focus on fixing the antenna on the next one for sure. I have a theory on how they can do that, while keeping the same design. They could keep the exact same design, except make the antenna flush with the glass where they (the glass and steel band) meet, then put another wrap around band on top of it. That way it still looks super sexy ( :) ) but your hand won't actually be touching the antenna. I'm no hardware engineer so that may not work, but its a thought. Oh and the outer band would have to have some type of non conducive thing on the inside of it so the signal wouldn't be propagated to the outer band. Basically, like a built in bumper.


Sorry, I know I went off topic. :) :apple:
Click to expand...

Cool idea. They might have shrunk everything down by then in order to fit it.
 
Apple will bring the pull out antenna back on the market and advertise it as "amazing"!
 
No doubt in my mind they will be focusing on reception with the next iPhone. However, keep in mind that they've kind of done this with THIS iPhone. Putting the antenna on the outside was supposed to be a good thing (external antennas are better at reception since there's less to block any signal), but obviously putting the antenna on a device where your hand is wrapped around it and bridging it with another antenna gives all the atennuation problems we've all seen and heard.

Either way, if they aren't able to make iPhone 5 better in terms of reception, they can safely fall back on that "industry challenge" bit of every smartphone having it. They win either way.
 
Unless Apple is stupid, they will make extra effort to make sure that the next phone shows marked improvement in reception over the iPhone4, or else they'll get disrespected by Consumer Reports again.

They really can't afford fiascos like this with Android, and Blackberry OS6 offering some great phones nowadays on all carriers.

Notice that Iphone upgraders already out-number new sales 3 to 1. 3 million phones sold is a great number, but its a sign that their growth has slowed waaaaaaay down.
 
I think its done good for Apple on many fronts...

Those of us in the community have long started seeing the decline (seemingly) of Apples standards of Quality Assurance and Control...

The recent launches of iMacs with cracked displays, the 09 iMac with graphics issues and now the 'antennagate' thing..

Hopefully it will refocus Apples attention to quality, its the one thing that should stand their hardware above the competition... They don't focus on budge/cut-price/low-end kit .... the standards should reflect that increase premium pricing.

Apple needed this imho, it might be painful for them in the short term but hopefully they'll come back stronger and with a renewed sense purpose in producing the best designed AND best quality products again
 
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