Apple Beefing Up iPhone and iPad Antenna Engineering Staff

[ChrisJSNh]

The biggest Problem is Apple isn't Directly saying a word either way to anyone on the antenna issue, and forums and blogs are barely read by the people who care.
But CNN took the BG article and did a web page on it, and the caption under the picture cnn used, will ruffle apple's feathers a little, so may be apple might say something officially either way
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/06/30/leaked.apple.docs.mashable/index.html?hpt=T2

the link is also on their main web page, well links move off as news comes in to them it was on cnns main page at 7:45 pm edt

 

[iEdd]

I don't think this is related. Not to the iPhone 4, at least. They have obviously started working on the iPhone 5 and are probably looking for new ideas. (Or modifications to the iPad.)

It's too late to be redesigning the iPhone 4 by getting a new batch of engineers up to speed, changing the manufacturing plant, seeking necessary approvals and sneaking it to market.

The only hardware change that I can see happening is a coating, eg. lacquer or powder coat on the antenna. If that coincided with the white iPhone release, that would be nice. [Then everyone with the initial batch exchanges their phones for replacements, and the returned phones get coated and put into the refurb store.] Or the bit in brackets doesn't happen and early adopters are SOL.

 

[Thex1138]

iPhone Stumbles...

Stinkin' little antennae...

 

[Apple-NoEscape]

So what do you lot think, realisticly, of this? Do you really think that it's too fix the iPhone 4?
I'm doubtful.

 

[Chwisch87]

I wouldn't read much into this other than they are probably getting ready to make an LTE iPhone.

You wouldn't hire 8 full time positions if you were just going to try and fix a current issue. That would be more like something you might hire a consultant for..

Plus Steve Jobs has said in an email that they is no signal issue. If there truly was an issue beyond just software, this would constitute lying, which could get apple in trouble.

All this really confirms is likely a Verizon/CDMA iPhone. They didn't have any staff familar with the technology and needed to hire some new staff to get it done.. this is FAR more plausible than trying to fix the current reception issue with iPhone 4.

 

[LobsterDK]

This is too little, too late. At least for the 4th generation.

Way to finally acknowledge that there is a problem, Steve.

A problem that turns out to be not nearly as serious as it initially appeared.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/30/iphone-4s-antenna-problem-looks-worse-than-it-is-but-its-stil/

And beyond the inaccurate and completely skewed logarithmic bar scale, there is a second, independent bug that is causing it to stall and fail to find a new frequency/tower like it is supposed to when the signal drops below a certain threshold. Because it fails to switch frequencies, it thinks it's lost all signal (it hasn't) and drops the call. When these 2 events happen back to back (inaccurate starting frequency and exaggerated attenuation in the bar display followed by failed frequency switch), it appears, to the user, like a single catastrophic event that goes "5 bars, signal cut to 1 bar, dropped call." When in fact it is simply a 20db attenuation on a signal that is already weaker than what the bars are telling you and then failing to fall back to EDGE or find a stronger tower thereby dropping the call/halting the data connection.

EDIT: Fix the scale so it accurately displays signal strength and figure out why it's failing to change frequency and the entire mess will be solved.

 

[iEdd]

LobsterDK, what you say sounds plausible. I think the fact that the bars slowly decline down to zero increases our chances of a software fix. Otherwise I would expect shorting the antennae to result in instant loss of signal and ultimate doom.

 

[LobsterDK]

LobsterDK, what you say sounds plausible. I think the fact that the bars slowly decline down to zero increases our chances of a software fix. Otherwise I would expect shorting the antennae to result in instant loss of signal and ultimate doom.

I forgot to mention that to. The bars slowly decrease downward, but the 20db attenuation happens immediately. The bars are on a moving average of around 10 seconds I think, so what appears like a slow drop in signal is just the moving average display catching up.

The display is obviously software fixable. The fact that it's not properly switching frequencies is almost certainly a software fix. This whole mess is likely to get resolved quicker than people have feared and indeed, with just a software update.

EDIT: Think of it happening like this. It shows you at five bars, but it's actually only 3. Grab the phone and the signal is attenuated by 20-25db. On the bar display, that looks like it dropped from full 5 bars to 1 or nothing. It didn't, it only dropped 2 bars from 3 to 1. The signal is then weak enough the it starts hunting for a better signal. While it's doing this, transmission stops. Fails to switch or reconnect to original signal and drops the call. That's why the speed test transfer stops immediately when you touch like a paper clip to that gap. Signal drops 20db and immediately goes into search mode. The data transfer stops completely while it's searching. Remove the paper clip, it reconnects to old signal, and starts up again.

 

[Apple-NoEscape]

I forgot to mention that to. The bars slowly decrease downward, but the 20db attenuation happens immediately. The bars are on a moving average of around 10 seconds I think, so what appears like a slow drop in signal is just the moving average display catching up.

The display is obviously software fixable. The fact that it's not properly switching frequencies is almost certainly a software fix. This whole mess is likely to get resolved quicker than people have feared and indeed, with just a software update.

Just like the ipad wifi fix right

 

[SeVeN]

I bet the whole iPhone4 engineering team was fired.

I lol'd

 

[LobsterDK]

Just like the ipad wifi fix right

I think they are under a fair bit more pressure to fix this one

 

[RBR2]

Just like the ipad wifi fix right

It seems plainly evident that the iPhone group has given Apple two black eyes, a bloody nose, and a busted lip in what should have been a bright shining moment.

The antenna design team (and the software team dealing with it) should be shown the door. The team that tests the iPhone should be right behind them headed out the door.

The "you're holding it wrong" position is untenable when the company is still running TV commercials showing people holding it the very way they now say you should not hold it. Not only that, but every right handed person is going to hold the phone the way they now say not to hold it. It is a simple matter of ergonomics/human factors.

 

[Mr. Gates]

It seems plainly evident that the iPhone group has given Apple two black eyes, a bloody nose, and a busted lip in what should have been a bright shining moment.

The antenna design team (and the software team dealing with it) should be shown the door. The team that tests the iPhone should be right behind them headed out the door.

The "you're holding it wrong" position is untenable when the company is still running TV commercials showing people holding it the very way they now say you should not hold it. Not only that, but every right handed person is going to hold the phone the way they now say not to hold it. It is a simple matter of ergonomics/human factors.

What ??????? Oh yeah ........ Well ,

...Hmmm ,....

Well ,. Um


No ,...you are totally correct

I see that now as ANYONE WITH a Friggin BRAIN Would !!!!

 

[Apple-NoEscape]

It seems plainly evident that the iPhone group has given Apple two black eyes, a bloody nose, and a busted lip in what should have been a bright shining moment.

The antenna design team (and the software team dealing with it) should be shown the door. The team that tests the iPhone should be right behind them headed out the door.

The "you're holding it wrong" position is untenable when the company is still running TV commercials showing people holding it the very way they now say you should not hold it. Not only that, but every right handed person is going to hold the phone the way they now say not to hold it. It is a simple matter of ergonomics/human factors.

I wasn't disagreeing with that. Apple has majorly f'ed up, a phone that doesn't work as a phone when held a certain way? I still don't know how it got past the initial design stage... Didn't someone stand up and point out that having two live antennas right next to each other, in a place where 89% of people with touch no matter how they hold their phone, would cause major problems?
People were pointing this out on here after the conferance showing off the iPhone 4, however the common reply was something along the lines of 'Apple isn't stupid, they will have ovbiously put something in place to stop that.' Seems Apple may be stupider than we think.

I was just pointing out apple likes to sweep problems under the rug and hope we forget about them.
I still remain doubtful that these new engineers are there to fix it, however I would love to be proven wrong by Apple.

 

[Slip Jigs]

The team that tests the iPhone should be right behind them headed out the door.

They were too busy getting drunk and forgetting their phones in bars.

 

[dtubin]

Do you guys think there is a pattern:

Lost iphone in a BAR
and lost iphone signal BAR

This could all be a way of engineer to tell the world that disaster with reception is coming...
...joking a bit of course

 

[spiritlevel]

Do you guys think there is a pattern:

Lost iphone in a BAR
and lost iphone signal BAR

This could all be a way of engineer to tell the world that disaster with reception is coming...
...joking a bit of course

or as someone else elegantly put it earlier in another thread...

First they lost a phone in a bar, now they're losing bars on a phone!

 

[CubusX]

Nice

Isn't it a little late???

Anyway, what kind of engineers does Apple have working for them???

Really, not one of them said: Hey, we should not put the antenna there. The hand will cover it up and affect the signal.

 

[iGrip]

Those were all posted before the iPhone 4 even came out, so clearly it's not "in response" to user complaints.

Likely you are correct. Their first-time-ever rubber band sales, combined with these ads which were probably running the HR system pre-release together indicate that Apple knew full well that their design was defective.

And they sold them anyways.

 

[centone]

Prototype Specialists as well...

saw this job listing posted on the 24th over on coroflot (industrial design site). Looks like Apple either fired the iphone 4 development team or they're gearing up for something new.

Job Details
Company: Apple
Location: US – Cupertino, California
Job Level: Senior Staff
Field: Industrial Design
Job Functions: Engineering, Model Making & Prototyping
Description

Apple is looking to connect with senior-level prototyping specialists. Specialists will have an expertise in electrical engineering, firmware development, rapid electro-mechanical prototyping, analog and digital circuit design, sensing technologies, programming in various languages, and preferably mechanical 2D and/or 3D cad.

Ideal individuals will also have a background in developing/building working prototypes amongst interdisciplinary teams of designers and engineers, and leadership in conducting research and investigating innovative technologies.

Apply Via Email
prototype@apple.com

 

[res1233]

Steve Jobs gets embarrassed in front of everyone at the WWDC when the phone can't connect = Bye Bye iPhone staff, at least the antenna people. Also, did you guys see how nervous the guys standing up at the end of the WWDC vid looked? Lol...

 

[res1233]

Ok so here goes my possible scenario:

Since they were using the look-alike 3GS cases never realised the antenna problem.
They noted it for the first time when Steve was on stage presenting the iPhone 4 and couldn't load the page (the 3GS did even if it did it slow due the all those wifis). Steve fired the whole team and they posted the ads.

But still one problem with the scenario. How come all devices dont have the antenna issue?

+1
iAgree with that iStatement.

 

[Slip Jigs]

What else might they use antennas for?

Maybe new iPad designs, maybe notebooks, maybe nanos, who knows what they have planned?

 

[scottylans]

Between this post and Anandtechs in depth analysis, clearly showing the phone has worse signal than a 3GS, how can they continue to deny?