Antennagate 2

[applefanDrew]

Not without a significant board redesign. The other problem is that you generally want the transmitted (from the phone) radiation to emit from a point on the phone as far away as possible from the human head. The FCC doesn't exactly require this, but most every manufacturer does so to meet the SAR requirements. Another issue is that the antenna lengths matter to some degree. (Though not as much as some think, because the antennas are by design, very broadband. They're not the old-fashioned "resonators" that some might imagine).

In short, there were a lot of engineering challenges that had to be overcome in developing the iP4. The antenna is in large part, an engineering tradeoff most likely with the benefit of a much bigger battery. Apple is probably reevaluating these tradeoffs and determining how to make the antenna less susceptible to touch. But, any change is going to require quite a bit more engineering time.

Oh, well I hope they don't change the design to much. I like the look and feel of the phone. Maybe they can resolve the antenna thing w/out changing the overall design...

 

[Ryan1524]

Seeing this behaviour.

Wow, Apple. Wow. I'm very surprised.

 

[theautopilot]

I have mentioned his on other forums, only to be dismissed as a nut job.

But it's true - if I hold my iPhone 4 in landscape mode so the top black band is covered my wifi drops from full bars to 1 bar. Sometimes it will stay connected but no data will get through. I have even seen it drop off my wifi network completely (about 20 feet from my router). It's no big deal but it's not well designed IMO. When I say it's not well designed, I don't have a massive issue with the antenna being external, but they should have designed it so the 'black bands' were not in a position so likely to be touched in normal holding positions.

 

[Sherifftruman]

I have mentioned his on other forums, only to be dismissed as a nut job.

But it's true - if I hold my iPhone 4 in landscape mode so the top black band is covered my wifi drops from full bars to 1 bar. Sometimes it will stay connected but no data will get through. I have even seen it drop off my wifi network completely (about 20 feet from my router). It's no big deal but it's not well designed IMO. When I say it's not well designed, I don't have a massive issue with the antenna being external, but they should have designed it so the 'black bands' were not in a position so likely to be touched in normal holding positions.

I guess part if the problem is defining "normal" holding positions. I just tried and I can get the top bar to drop on my wifi also but I never really touch it there in landscape or portrait so I never noticed. I also don't hold the phone to talk in a way that kills the cell signal but I do normally hold it there with my thumb when in landscape mode.

I reality the external antenna, while a stroke of genius in some respects like space utilization has plenty of shortcomings like the touching issues.

 

[clarknick67]

I guess part if the problem is defining "normal" holding positions. I just tried and I can get the top bar to drop on my wifi also but I never really touch it there in landscape or portrait so I never noticed. I also don't hold the phone to talk in a way that kills the cell signal but I do normally hold it there with my thumb when in landscape mode.

I reality the external antenna, while a stroke of genius in some respects like space utilization has plenty of shortcomings like the touching issues.

are u sure for that?

 

[theautopilot]

are u sure for that?

I assume you mean "are you sure about that?".

Are you referring to his first or second paragraph?