Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Antenna issue!!!

B

backbraker25

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 9, 2007
71
1
I got my iPhone 4 on Friday (launch day here in Canada)
While at the Apple store, I made sure to check that my phone didn't suffer from the antenna issue. Held it with my left hand towards the button (death grip) for about 5 minutes... nothing happened, no bars disappeared, had full strength!

Got home where i have no reception issues, decided to check out my new toy, held it in my left hand as most right handed folks would. I get a call on my landline and my friend tells me that he tried to call my cell however it went straight to VM. I took a look at the iphone and realized I had no bars at all!

I put the phone down and all the bars comeback, I grabbed it again (death grip style) and the bars started disappearing immediately. Within 6 second I had no signal.

I decided to go to the apple store the following day to get the phone replaced, however i could not reproduce the signal drop. I decided not to exchange and keep it for a few days to see if things would change.

During the last 2 days, I realized that at home the phone held in my left hand will automatically loose all signal within seconds. When I'm outside it's difficult to replicate the signal issue however when indoors, the signal drops but at a slower pace than at home and when I'm downtown (Montreal) i can't get the bars to drop at all.

I'm confused here... if my phone has the antenna issue, shouldn't it be everywhere?
Why I'm experiencing the problem in some locations but not others?

Is anyone else experiencing similar situation?

Thanks

-S
 
backbraker25 said:
I got my iPhone 4 on Friday (launch day here in Canada)
While at the Apple store, I made sure to check that my phone didn't suffer from the antenna issue. Held it with my left hand towards the button (death grip) for about 5 minutes... nothing happened, no bars disappeared, had full strength!

Got home where i have no reception issues, decided to check out my new toy, held it in my left hand as most right handed folks would. I get a call on my landline and my friend tells me that he tried to call my cell however it went straight to VM. I took a look at the iphone and realized I had no bars at all!

I put the phone down and all the bars comeback, I grabbed it again (death grip style) and the bars started disappearing immediately. Within 6 second I had no signal.

I decided to go to the apple store the following day to get the phone replaced, however i could not reproduce the signal drop. I decided not to exchange and keep it for a few days to see if things would change.

During the last 2 days, I realized that at home the phone held in my left hand will automatically loose all signal within seconds. When I'm outside it's difficult to replicate the signal issue however when indoors, the signal drops but at a slower pace than at home and when I'm downtown (Montreal) i can't get the bars to drop at all.

I'm confused here... if my phone has the antenna issue, shouldn't it be everywhere?
Why I'm experiencing the problem in some locations but not others?

Is anyone else experiencing similar situation?

Thanks

-S
Click to expand...

in my opinion, they all have the issue...however it does make a difference like all radiowaves...if there is a strong signal...it's harder to replicate.
 
Buddy,

I'm just going to be nice and warn you that you're going to get slammed for this post. A billion posts like this already exist.

Have a nice day.
 
when i do the death grip, my bars will drop to two bars, and will not drop further, im on telus.
 
I think that is part of the problem. Low/poor signal areas where you may have as many bars, but the signal just isn't as good.... death grip causes a loss in signal.

I know I have a similar issue. When at work, I preform the "death grip" and my service went from 5 bars to 1. When at my home, I preformed the same test, and no loss of service at all. I have never got my phone to drop a call or go to no service. Unfortunately I think it all depends on the signal strength in your area.
 
Heres why:

500x_the-effect-of-holding-the-iphone-4.jpg


When you have full strength, the signal attenuation caused by the grip is not enough to drop you to the next bar display level. In weaker signal areas, it will take you down to lower bar display areas.
 
The death grip is not caused by a manufacturing defect. The phone is what it is. Exchanging it for this issue is a waste of time.
 
backbraker25 said:
Well... I hope I don't get slammed! Thanks for the warning.
Click to expand...

apple generally has signal repeaters in all stores.. so if u are near a tower or a place with full signal u cant replicate that issue.. however if u do have dropped calls and stuff, the guys in the genius bar will know when they run a diagnostic on the phone.. however if u aren't satisfied i'd suggest u get ur phone exchanged.. they'll replace it...
 
rotobadger said:
Buddy,

I'm just going to be nice and warn you that you're going to get slammed for this post. A billion posts like this already exist.

Have a nice day.
Click to expand...

So far no slamming. People must be getting bored with arguing about the same thing all the time. ;)

To the OP, have you tried using a case? It completely solves the problem for me.
 
Yeah the signal problem needs to be compounded by less than perfect signal... I would assume in downtown Montreal you get better signal...
 
macpro2000 said:
in my opinion, they all have the issue...however it does make a difference like all radiowaves...if there is a strong signal...it's harder to replicate.
Click to expand...

+50000
Every single iPhone 4 responds in the exact same way. They all have the "signal issue" but where you live and how strong your signal is will decide whether or not you encounter problems because of it.

Welcome to MacRumors ;)
 
My iPhone has the antenna problem too. It doesnt do it when I'm home and theres a superstrong signal, but when I go to a weaker area, I can really notice it drop when I hold it.
 
My iPhone has the antenna problem too. It doesn't do it when I'm home and there's a super strong signal, but when I go to a weaker area, I can really notice it drop when I hold it.

^^^^^^^^^^Uhh... How do I rid of a double post?^^^^^^^^^^^

Whoops...
 
The Apple store is the worst place to try and replicate it. I don't know what is going on in there (microcells embedded in everything??) but every phone has 5 bars and it will never drop. I swear you could bury a phone underneath the store and the signal would still be going strong. In my opinion they have a stronger signal than the AT&T store does :eek:
 
Chunkycat said:
So far no slamming. People must be getting bored with arguing about the same thing all the time. ;)

To the OP, have you tried using a case? It completely solves the problem for me.
Click to expand...

I'm shocked! LOL! I guess you're right...:p
 
Here are your options: return the phone, don't hold it in a death grip, hold it in your right hand, get a case on it.

Come on Homer if what you are doing is not working don't do it.
 
Let me start by saying I love the iphone 4, and am going to keep it, just because in my option, It is still the best phone out there FOR ME. I live in a weak signal area and can say without a doubt, my 3g iphone got a lot better signal everywhere, compared to the iphone 4. My wife and I both want from iphone 3G to Iphone 4. Both on 4.0.1 , they show one or two bars here, and will receive or make a call maybe 2 out of 10 calls. We both have calls dropped continuously, even driving down the interstate highway where there are 4 and 5 bars. We never had problems with drop calls on the iphone 3G. I sent my back because of the proximity sensor problem, the replacement phone has the same problems. I hear people say the problem is only in weak signal areas, like it is suppose to not work in weak areas, even if the iphone 3G did. Like I said, here where I live, at&t is the network that is most available. In the choices of smart phones, for at&t, my iphone 4 is king, just has some problems, like making calls.
 
It's easy to get wrapped up with the hype. And I understand if the problem is completely unbearable.

And it's a shame it's there because it seems like it should have never happened.

But it's there. And every phone has its drawbacks.

If I can say this not as a smartass, but rather someone who tries to be chill and not let things get him down...if you can learn to move your finger an inch higher, you might be really happy with your phone.

Like I said. I understand that some people find it unbearable.
 
southernpaws, I agree 100% I bought a cover for mind, and have no problem with the fact that if I touch the gap, signal will drop, just don`t touch the gap. But still I hope there is future updates that might help with drop calls. I should have stated that both of our iphone 4 are in covers. Doid phones are making fast gains on the iphone, and my next upgrade might be an Doid, but for now, FOR ME, I have the best phone on the market.
 
I just got my iP4 yesterday, and in the process of backing up my iP3Gs and syncing the new phone, I noticed that while my old iPhone gets bars and reception on my desk in my basement office, the new phone complains about no signal, asking me to join the wifi network. Then, while I was sitting there, I heard the familiar email beep on the old phone and saw that it indeed had a couple of new emails. Nothing on the iP4 until I joined my home network. Is this going to be typical? These two phones were within 10" of each other and they were simply flat on the desk... I wasn't even holding the iP4.

This has me a little concerned. I did order the free bumper, but that's not going to make it get a signal any better when its laying on a desk, untouched.
 
backbraker25 said:
I got my iPhone 4 on Friday (launch day here in Canada)
While at the Apple store, I made sure to check that my phone didn't suffer from the antenna issue. Held it with my left hand towards the button (death grip) for about 5 minutes... nothing happened, no bars disappeared, had full strength!

Got home where i have no reception issues, decided to check out my new toy, held it in my left hand as most right handed folks would. I get a call on my landline and my friend tells me that he tried to call my cell however it went straight to VM. I took a look at the iphone and realized I had no bars at all!

I put the phone down and all the bars comeback, I grabbed it again (death grip style) and the bars started disappearing immediately. Within 6 second I had no signal.

I decided to go to the apple store the following day to get the phone replaced, however i could not reproduce the signal drop. I decided not to exchange and keep it for a few days to see if things would change.

During the last 2 days, I realized that at home the phone held in my left hand will automatically loose all signal within seconds. When I'm outside it's difficult to replicate the signal issue however when indoors, the signal drops but at a slower pace than at home and when I'm downtown (Montreal) i can't get the bars to drop at all.

I'm confused here... if my phone has the antenna issue, shouldn't it be everywhere?
Why I'm experiencing the problem in some locations but not others?

Is anyone else experiencing similar situation?

Thanks

-S
Click to expand...


Where have you been for the past 2 months? This antenna problem is in every phone, more so in areas with bad signal.
 
I guess Pacific Center must be the exception to this Microcell rule. When I was in the store, I even joked with the rep that it must suck trying to demo a phone to a customer when there's only one bar of service available.

In Vancouver, I have seen my bars drop occasionally, at most 1-2 bars, but I haven't gotten to the point of no coverage from the death grip.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back