Apple Addresses iPhone Signal Strength Display in iOS 4.0.1, iPad Wi-Fi in iOS 3.2.1

[Yebot]

my bars still drop when covering the bottom left side... grrrrr

Guess you'd better return it before it's too late.

 

[Radical24]

as of july 12 i am on my second iphone with a case since the first one of june 24, 2010. always had signal issues both on calls and data nothing has changed with the second unit, this update only shows that now for example i have three bigger bars in a plcae where i had 5 smaller bars thirty minutes ago prior to update. eschhhhhhhhh really apple what a waste of an update, they could have waited to release 4.1 and call it a day

 

[ast03]

Ok they never said this update would fix the "death grip" problem, who the hell
IS going to fix it then? You people are letting apple off the hook just because they admitted their patch wouldn't fix the problem. They are still responsible for the problem.

they are going to fix the problem and have the manufacturer start cranking out fixed ones and they could either recall the old ones or just let those customers "suffer". either way the new iphones being manufactured will soon not have this problem.

 

[ilovemyibook]

I think it's funny now I can really see the "1" bar much better. Thanks Apple for allowing me to see clearly how crappy your network really is!!! What a fricking joke.

I told my wife when the iphone came out 3 years ago that this would hurt all of their product lines.

You should be complaining about AT&T's network...Apple doesn't provide cell phone service.

 

[Kris400]

What's it do for the people who have microcell now? Does it lower their bars as well?

I have a femtocell in my house (Vodafone UK) and previously always had 5 bars. Now it fluctuates between 5 and 4. When I touch and bridge the antenna it drops to 2 bars... even in the room next to the femtocell. This does nothing to stop the antenna issue.

 

[Yebot]

At home i got 2/3 bars before the update. im getting the same after the update.


I can still get the signal to drop to nothing and get 'searching' appear just the same as before the update. All i did was just place my left thumb over the black strip as before. Fix this isnt.

just return it.

now.

 

[coolfactor]

So this update basically cosmetic update. Not an actual fix update. Bar you see now are more accurate and thats it?

It may be both. If the software *thinks* that the signal has degraded below a set point, due to the incorrect formula, then it may drop the call. Now, with the new formula, that weak signal may be sufficient to hold a call, so the phone won't disconnect.

It may not be as simple as it seems on the surface.

 

[unclejuicyjoe]

Joe,

Apple doesn't own/operate a cellular communications network. FYI.

You know what I mean, geeesh!!!

 

[ripkord]

death grip seems less effective, if I REALLY squeeze it then I can get it down to 1 bar. Guess the whole central belt in scotland must have good coverage.

 

[trekkie604]

New bars just look odd heh...

 

[Wegee]

It works on 3GS

It works on 3GS: the signal representation in 4.01 is the same ad the old 3.1.3 (here in my house), so for me it's really more precise than the 4.0.

In brief (only over 3g, in edge displays full bars):

3.1.3 displays 3 bars
4.0 displays 5 bars
4.01 displays 3 bars

Make sense to me.

 

[coolfactor]

16 pages so far of a 50/50 mix between ignorance and common sense. Diversity finds its way into everything.

 

[wrlsmarc]

I am using iOS 4.1 beta all morning. Two observations:

1) the signal strength bars reflect accurately the signal I receive so my expectations of connectivity and speed are realistic to the signal. I know my signal strength in db because I have my 3GS on with available field test mode still running.

2) the proximity sensor issue is no longer. it appears that they have made some adjustments that keeps the screen dark for an additional half second or more to make sure the sensor acknowledges its location. From my experience the proximity sensor would act up especially when I was moving the phone around my ear, etc. Now if I move it around it does not light up the screen and more importantly when I take the phone away from my ear, it waits that short half second before lighting up.

Still more testing to do but my one observation from the beginning has been this iPhone does not drop calls. I have to be in a very difficult coverage area to lose the call. So, I am amazed at the vocal response of the blogger community. I am also a left handed talker so go figure.

 

[TonyLukes3]

Wow, are there really that many stupid people on here that cannot read and do a little research prior to hastily hitting the reply button, thinking of some angry response and hitting enter before proof-reading and spell-checking?

Like MANY others have already stated, this is meant to more accurately reflect your signal strength at any given location, instead of inflating it to make it look better. Simple as that, it was never slated to fix dropped calls, poor data or any other issues. Hence the single line of information in the download box regarding what it will update.

Good lord...

 

[taco1231]

The update messed up the phone and couldn't complete it. I now have to restore the damn thing.

 

[unclejuicyjoe]

speed test

my upload and download have gotten better:

 

[Anuba]

I can't even imagine the s##t storm of angry internal memos, yelling and screaming meetings and all night "get it fixed" sessions. It's at times like this that I'm very happy to not work at Apple.

I've worked at a company in a similar situation (on a MUCH smaller scale, though), and it actually has the opposite effect. No yelling and screaming at all, instead the noise level drops. Everyone starts speaking more quietly and during meetings they're even whispering, as if the walls were hearing them. I bet Apple HQ is quiet like a library these days.

 

[Eriden]

iPad issue?

After applying the 3.2.1 iPad update, I now find that my iPad refuses to charge when connected to my Macbook Pro. Before the update, it would charge (albeit more slowly than when connected to the wall charger) from a USB port on my MBP. Now however, I simply get a message which replaces the battery indicator which says: "Not Charging."

Anyone else with an iPad experiencing the same thing after applying the 3.2.1 update?

 

[END3R]

best thread ever

This is the first thread where I've gone through and read all of the viscious remarks... too funny.

 

[KarlOlsson]

Mine won't update )

Mine just says...

"This Version of the iPhone software (4.1) is the current version."

 

[Journojulz]

Nice try Apple...Now what?

"stay tuned"

 

[Satanic Goat]

O2 UK. Signal seems the same, which is good. New bars are ugly which is bad. Can still completely kill my signal holding in left hand which I expected.

 

[billyjoegibsonx]

Jeezo this 4.0.1 is taking ages to download! 579.3MB.
Can't be too bad, I guess theres nothing wrong with having accurate signal displayed. Aslong as it lets me still use the phone for data/calls!

Unlike the iPad updated to 3.2.1, I cant use my WiFi now thanks to the WiFi "FIX" Performing a restore in iTunes, and syncing music, videos, apps over to the iPad. Will reset internet router and see if problem persists. If not I think I might have to make a genius appointment...

 

[lllll]

Big deal!! So let me get this straight. First, Apple thought the bar formula was 2X+2= 4, which equal 4 bars and thus a full signal strength. But now Apple realize that 2x+2 doesnot equal 4 and decides to add 2 to 4 = 6 then divide by 2x, which equal 3. So the real signal strength is really 3, not 4. LOL

Big Deall!@!! It still doesn't remove the fact that if you put your finger on the antenna, the signal dies.

 

[jayducharme]

UPDATE: iTunes is now downloading the 378 mb file for 4.0.1

Interesting. Mine is 579.3 mb. Ouch!