Apple Beefing Up iPhone and iPad Antenna Engineering Staff

[Gallomimia]

Eight new people showed up in the unemployment line today, wearing apple t-shirts

eight antenna-related positions over the past two weeks naturally leads to speculation that it is beefing up its staff to investigate and deal with signal issues being experienced by iPhone 4 users.

No. It leads to speculation that they fired the idiots what screwed that one up.

 

[OtherJesus]

All they had to do was give everyone a free 5 cent bumper at the time of purchase with a little note that said the bumper helps improve the signal in some areas and also helps protect the phone.

But instead they try to sell a 5 cent piece of rubber for $30 and pretend the phone works perfect everywhere and tell us we don't know how to hold a phone.

Epic.

 

[JonB3Z]

Actually, 700 Mhz is close to 850 Mhz which ATT uses for HSPA+ so no major redesign required. Remember the iPhone supports 850 / 1900 / 1700 (Japan) / 2100 for HSPA and 850/900/1800/1900 for GSM which this current Antenna supports. I wonder actually if the issue with the antenna is more prevalent when your device is camping on 1900 which is known to provide a much poorer signal based on the same location as a 850 transmitter. In building is especially different, and since ATT offers both frequencies, it could explain why some are seeing it and others aren't.

You still have to evaluate and measure the pattern on each band. (Plus, I'd say 700 MHz is substantially different from 850 MHz. An antenna designed for one of those frequencies will radiate significantly differently at the other.)

Consider, too, that they may want to design and evaluate a number of different antenna approaches, then field-test them. (Hopefully, not in bars!) Such a project would indeed take a team of engineers.

 

[H.B.I.C]

You would have thought that Apple thoroughly tested the iPhone4 before releasing it. I guess they were too busy counting their money and trash talking Adobe.

+1

 

[NT1440]

All they had to do was give everyone a free 5 cent bumper at the time of purchase with a little note that said the bumper helps improve the signal in some areas and also helps protect the phone.

But instead they try to sell a 5 cent piece of rubber for $30 and pretend the phone works perfect everywhere and tell us we don't know how to hold a phone.

Epic.

@ the underlined: Can we PLEASE just stick to the facts and reality without embellishment for once on these damn forums??

You people are ****ing ridiculous, making statements to just whip yourselves into a frenzy.

 

[Steviejobz]

well, i hope Apple gives us a $100 rebate for upgrading to the new iPhone in 6 months.

iPhone 4 will be a relic and go down to $99. The joy of being an early adopter.

 

[sk8er1]

Truthfully I'm not worried about the problem. I haven't got my iPhone 4 yet but I hold my 3GS and notice that rarely do I hold it with my left hand on the bottom left corner. I hold it with my right hand while navigating through apps, same with using apps. I talk on the phone while holding it in my right hand and surf the web holding the phone sideways. No problems for me. 

 

[SSDGUY]

Glad I'm waiting for the 5 (whatever the next gen. will be). My 3GS is just fine for another year.

 

[_Refurbished_]

@ the underlined: Can we PLEASE just stick to the facts and reality without embellishment for once on these damn forums??

You people are ****ing ridiculous, making statements to just whip yourselves into a frenzy.

His statement hasn't been ruled "false". If the issues don't get resolved, I'd like to think his solution is the ideal one.

 

[MacMan67]

You still have to evaluate and measure the pattern on each band. (Plus, I'd say 700 MHz is substantially different from 850 MHz. An antenna designed for one of those frequencies will radiate significantly differently at the other.)

Consider, too, that they may want to design and evaluate a number of different antenna approaches, then field-test them. (Hopefully, not in bars!) Such a project would indeed take a team of engineers.

I agree, but its another frequency and hopefully the existing engineers would add that to their regiment, probably the extra engineers would be needed to deal with Verizon and their demanding set of unique requirements if that is indeed true. CDMA and HSPA (even though it is CDMA based) are 2 totally different beasts when it comes to engineering and design and that is probably why they are hiring.

 

[franswa za]

No. It leads to speculation that they fired the idiots what screwed that one up.

no, for me it leads to the conclusion that  never employed/had the idiots to screw up... form follows function or vice versa or vice versa or or or.........


i get confused, my antennas are bridged, i'm losing signal

 

[aristotle]

There is an issue with all phones with an integrated antenna when held by a death grip. Full stop. This effects several Nokia and HTC models as well.

Guess what? Almost nobody ever talks about it because Gizmodo is not on a war path against those companies. If you don't hold it like a mouth breather, there is no issue when you are actually on a call OR if you have a strong signal coming from multiple towers nearby.

We have not seen big stories about the HTC or Nokia devices because most people don't hold it that way in normal call usage and most of the people who own those devices do not live in areas of bad service.

The only reason this is getting hyped up is because of the concentration of iPhone buyers in San Fransisco which happens to be where many of these tech bloggers live.

Apple will release a fix that changes how the towers are selected but any other issues are the result of over subscription of the network in some areas. When you have oversubscription, the number of bars does not guarantee that a call will go through or that you will have any data access.

 

[cvaldes]

I agree, but its another frequency and hopefully the existing engineers would add that to their regiment, probably the extra engineers would be needed to deal with Verizon and their demanding set of unique requirements if that is indeed true. CDMA and HSPA (even though it is CDMA based) are 2 totally different beasts when it comes to engineering and design and that is probably why they are hiring.

Indeed, this surge of hiring might indicate a ramp toward CDMA based iDevices.

All of the various Verizon iPhone rumors (over months) have shortsightedly ignored the fact that Apple needs to bring on CDMA specialists to get any CDMA prototype to steady state production quality.

This rumor is the first plausible hint that Apple might indeed be planning to release one or more iDevices on a CDMA network.

Since hiring and training people takes time, as well as the entire design process (proto, DVT, EVT, PVT/ramp, steady state production), my thought is that a CDMA iDevice is about 9-12 months away.

 

[Poll Smoker]

Truthfully I'm not worried about the problem. I haven't got my iPhone 4 yet but I hold my 3GS and notice that rarely do I hold it with my left hand on the bottom left corner. I hold it with my right hand while navigating through apps, same with using apps. I talk on the phone while holding it in my right hand and surf the web holding the phone sideways. No problems for me. 

Why would you think that this would be of interest to anyone?

 

[BullyBully]

Verizon?

Not having gone through all 6 pages of comments, but you might give consideration to the Engineers being hired to work with Verizon for a speculated/rumored January announcement. Possibly the Engineers would be dedicated to the Verizon account, leaving in place the current teams to continue the good work they are doing.

Yes, I said "good" work, because they are. Apple has to design and manufacture with FCC regulation in mind. This problem is not unique to Apple, but to many brands because of FCC regulation requiring the antenna in the bottom of the phone, further away from the brain (I know, retarded). No other company on this planet has ever in history sold so many handsets in such a short time. And with the media hype surrounding all of Apple's product releases, it is easy for bloggers, under the generous umbrella of "journalist", have an easy target to generate page hits.

Let's take another brand of phone, Motorola or Nokia lets say, and reproduce the same issue. Problem is, it won't generate many page hits for your blog because you won't be able to find so many users of that handset.

The problem is not unique to Apple, but what is unique to Apple are the sales volumes and the exaggerated publicity with every move they make.






EDIT: Damn, in the time it take to write this, and grab a coffee from the kitchen before hitting POST, the Verizon topic has been brought up. Wow, how quickly this went from a couple of pages to over 6 pages...

 

[andy721]

How bout you just fix the damn issue in the beginning instead of going through all this complicated BS giving us BS and headache it's simple. Surprised they never tested this before selling to consumers or they did but AT&T is f---ing up ****

 

[Reed Rothchild]

You are banging your head against a brick wall.

The typical MacRumors commenter has little common sense and an utter disregard to the basic laws of physics as well as the economics of consumer electronics design, manufacturing, and sales.

A logical commenter is a very rare species in these technology rumor sites.

Hey, instead of attacking the reasonable comments in this thread as being "illogical", why don't you (and nt440) apply your logical powers of deduction to the matter in hand? I'm sure I'm not the only one who seeks enlightenment from your goodselves. If such enlightenment is not forthcoming then you should cease making comments that continue to expose your arrogant ignorance.

 

[chrmjenkins]

Not having gone through all 6 pages of comments, but you might give consideration to the Engineers being hired to work with Verizon for a speculated/rumored January announcement. Possibly the Engineers would be dedicated to the Verizon account, leaving in place the current teams to continue the good work they are doing.

There's not enough lead time for a January release. Even if they were all hired today, it'd be months before they were up to full potential.

 

[JonB3Z]

I agree, but its another frequency and hopefully the existing engineers would add that to their regiment, probably the extra engineers would be needed to deal with Verizon and their demanding set of unique requirements if that is indeed true. CDMA and HSPA (even though it is CDMA based) are 2 totally different beasts when it comes to engineering and design and that is probably why they are hiring.

The antenna design isn't especially influenced by the baseband signal scheme. Coding and modulation method don't impact propagation of the RF signal, although they do determine how much signal is needed to achieve a usable BER.

 

[BornAgainMac]

I am surprised they need PhD level staff. Someone with a High School Degree could figure how to resolve the antenna. Common sense should be the only qualification.

 

[Blacklabel34]

Wow, so release a product, almost 2 million sold then come up with a solution.

 

[dgree03]

Not having gone through all 6 pages of comments, but you might give consideration to the Engineers being hired to work with Verizon for a speculated/rumored January announcement. Possibly the Engineers would be dedicated to the Verizon account, leaving in place the current teams to continue the good work they are doing.

Yes, I said "good" work, because they are. Apple has to design and manufacture with FCC regulation in mind. This problem is not unique to Apple, but to many brands because of FCC regulation requiring the antenna in the bottom of the phone, further away from the brain (I know, retarded). No other company on this planet has ever in history sold so many handsets in such a short time. And with the media hype surrounding all of Apple's product releases, it is easy for bloggers, under the generous umbrella of "journalist", have an easy target to generate page hits.

Let's take another brand of phone, Motorola or Nokia lets say, and reproduce the same issue. Problem is, it won't generate many page hits for your blog because you won't be able to find so many users of that handset.

The problem is not unique to Apple, but what is unique to Apple are the sales volumes and the exaggerated publicity with every move they make.






EDIT: Damn, in the time it take to write this, and grab a coffee from the kitchen before hitting POST, the Verizon topic has been brought up. Wow, how quickly this went from a couple of pages to over 6 pages...

My EVO doesnt drop signal when my finger covers any one part or the phone. Neither does my BB9700... sorry!

 

[NT1440]

His statement hasn't been ruled "false". If the issues don't get resolved, I'd like to think his solution is the ideal one.

No company in the world is stupid enough to claim any product to work perfectly under all conditions everywhere, especially when dealing with things that they can't control (cell coverage). Apple certainly has never said anything of the sort. Just because you guys want to put words into others mouths such as "it works perfectly" when that has never been stated doesn't mean it was said by apple.

I'm just trying to keep you guys honest here. Apparently that equates not jumping to conclusions that aren't scientifically based (isolated variables for one thing) with ignorance. What a world.

 

[MacMan67]

How bout you just fix the damn issue in the beginning instead of going through all this complicated BS giving us BS and headache it's simple. Surprised they never tested this before selling to consumers or they did but AT&T is f---ing up ****

Actually ATT would have tested this device, as they do any device that gets sold on their network. The issue is that they cannot test every scenario, where the hand is positioned, whether the hand is sweaty or not, whether you wear gloves, whether your left handed or not.

This isn't the only phone with this issue. For the record, in the CDMA world (which HSPA is) the bars represent the quality of the signal , not the strength. There are may factors that influence this, for example, noise has a huge impact, you could be setting under a cell tower and getting a -50 dBm signal with another device next to you coughing up crap, causing your bars to fluctuate like crazy and your battery to drain quickly as your phone powers up to compensate. CDMA and HSPA devices always manage power based on location, noise floor, frequency etc.

 

[Apple Corps]

My iPhone 4 provides the best voice performance that I have experienced. Build quality is outstanding.

iPhone 5 will be new and have its own set of real or perceived issues. IMO - the rev A / B / C "refinement" argument is no longer as valid as it may have been in a more evolutionary era.

So far my iPhone 4 =

BTW - we live in an area with historically poor reception.