Apple on iPhone 4 Reception: Signal Strength Display Issue Only, Software Update Coming

[Thex1138]

I reckon...

It's just a bad batch of hardware with either dodgy [crappy] radio chip sets or crappy/dodgy manufacture process that got passed QA testing.

Take it back and swap it.

 

[Nieval]

Well I've just received my Apple Bumper and the instant improvement in reception after installation is dumbfounding.
I was, deep inside, hoping that there would be a viable fix in the future (not just signal bar redecoration) but now I surrender to the notion that Jobs put design over functionality.
Yes the iPhone antenna works exactly the way Apple intended, but they intended it to function like poo. Heartbreaking really..

 

[tivoboy]

define

Well I've just received my Apple Bumper and the instant improvement in reception after installation is dumbfounding.
I was, deep inside, hoping that there would be a viable fix in the future (not just signal bar redecoration) but now I surrender to the notion that Jobs put design over functionality.
Yes the iPhone antenna works exactly the way Apple intended, but they intended it to function like poo. Heartbreaking really..

by "dumbfounding" do you mean,

"it is dumbfounding how WELL it makes the phone actually work"

or,

"it is dumbfounding that even putting on thie 30$ bumper it doesn't make the antenna issue ANY better"

 

[RHatton]

by "dumbfounding" do you mean,

"it is dumbfounding how WELL it makes the phone actually work"

or,

"it is dumbfounding that even putting on thie 30$ bumper it doesn't make the antenna issue ANY better"

It works. Plain and simple. I never had any drop calls prior to the bumper but I could easily simulate the bar dropping. With the bumper, no issues whatsoever.

 

[bfar5]

Hey... I've been reading this thread but I couldn't read through all the pages so if this has been brought up before, I didn't find it. I'm wondering if this Phone is going to be sellable when the next generation comes out or is this going to be Apple's biggest loser?

I've been doing way too much playing than calling on mine so I better test that out more before the 24th. I will take it back with a heavy heart because I love the display and the other new features are really cool. I got it on AT&T's early upgrade so I'm not sure if that applies to their other phones, including the 3Gs. I gave mine to my husband and I can't ask him for it back.

But I think we need to send Apple a message that they can't just rest on their reputation.

A question. Was there similar uproar over the 3Gs? I didn't get one until it was out for a while and I had nothing but love for it.

Yup, retuned my iPhone 4 at ATT store today evening and they charged 10% restocking fees.

It's funny now when I think back on it... The Apple employee volunteered the information that it was refundable within 30 days which prompted me to ask him if there was a restocking fee and he said there was NOT. I was surprised at the time that this was part of an obviously scripted process of selling me the IP4... but I was also caught up in all the hype. Now I'm paranoid that this was significant on Apple's part to tell me that. I cant remember if they volunteered this info when I bought two of my kids MBP's, my daughter's 3Gs or my IMac.

 

[Nieval]

by "dumbfounding" do you mean,

"it is dumbfounding how WELL it makes the phone actually work"

This.
Without the bumper, the phone drops calls and sometimes doesn't receive calls, forwarding them to voicemail.
With the bumper my signal bars jump from 2 to 5, no dropped calls and I'm getting all calls, no worries.

I'm stumped, how can this be anything but a hardware issue?

 

[iEdd]

A question. Was there similar uproar over the 3Gs? I didn't get one until it was out for a while and I had nothing but love for it.

No but there was a lot of uproar when the original came out. (This is the biggest change since then, so it makes sense.)

It's a combination of trolls, other companies who want to discredit Apple, sites who make money from hits, and emotional, insecure consumers who really like and want an iPhone but are worried that something will take that away from them, like the antenna problem. That of course ranges from general disappointment to complete frustration, which is completely understandable for those in fringe areas.

Same thing (albeit not as big) happened when the first PSP came out and people realised the square button hit the side of the LCD screen. Fix was to try to hit the button more towards the right side. Not a big deal.

 

[bfar5]

Seems to be an awful lot of people here espousing their longtime use of Apple products, now bashing the iP4....who have joined this forum as of, oh, June 2010.

Right.

Personally, I read the boards a lot before now but didn't have much reason to post. That's why I just now registered. I don't understand why Apple supporters think that people just want to bash Apple for no good reason. You might not like it, I certainly don't like it either. Apple was my favorite company... loved their products and reputation. My husband is a day trader and we always talk about Apple's stock. With the release of this product and Apple's embarrassing response to the problems, this changes everything, again.

No but there was a lot of uproar when the original came out. (This is the biggest change since then, so it makes sense.)

It's a combination of trolls, other companies who want to discredit Apple, sites who make money from hits, and emotional, insecure consumers who really like and want an iPhone but are worried that something will take that away from them, like the antenna problem. That of course ranges from general disappointment to complete frustration, which is completely understandable for those in fringe areas.

Same thing (albeit not as big) happened when the first PSP came out and people realised the square button hit the side of the LCD screen. Fix was to try to hit the button more towards the right side. Not a big deal.

What was the uproar over the original? I know there was an issue about them dropping the price but were there other issues? Was there so much negativity in the news? Did the Ipad bring about such controversy? I didn't get one of those yet. Sorry for all the questions. This just can't simply be trolls and Apple naysayers or it would not just be this version. Thanks.

This.
Without the bumper, the phone drops calls and sometimes doesn't receive calls, forwarding them to voicemail.
With the bumper my signal bars jump from 2 to 5, no dropped calls and I'm getting all calls, no worries.

I'm stumped, how can this be anything but a hardware issue?

Well, if the bumper works and is really the fix, then I'm ok with the IP4... EXCEPT that, to quote a previous poster "they sold us the disease and then the cure." That is deceitful and it was a big mistake by Apple to think we are dummies and would not figure this out. Apple's reputation suffered. Will it damage them? I hope only to the extent that they rethink how they treat their consumers. They need us but their behavior over this is quite dismissive. Not cool Apple. I wrote a letter to them about this and I hope lots and lots of people did.

It works. Plain and simple. I never had any drop calls prior to the bumper but I could easily simulate the bar dropping. With the bumper, no issues whatsoever.

YOURS works. Is that all that matters? Isn't that kind of short sighted?

I would say the so-called "fanboys" are the ones who refuse to return their iPhone 4's. They are willing to put up with fixes by using cases and such. Weird thing is they will keep on ranting and calling Apple liars but STILL KEEP THE IPHONE4, those are the fanboys!!

*sigh* I don't want to return it. I want it to be wonderful but I don't want to be duped. Apple is the one who made this all so confusing, with their bumper and ridiculous letter.

 

[Tonewheel]

Are you kidding? At least have the decency to recommend Android.

I looked at my nephew's Android over the weekend. Had an ages-old slide out keyboard...something out of the 90s. And the screen; perhaps it's how he has arranged everything but what a mess! Icons all over, no rhyme or reason, and just plain messy.

 

[Evilution]

It works. Plain and simple. I never had any drop calls prior to the bumper but I could easily simulate the bar dropping. With the bumper, no issues whatsoever.

Well of course the bumper works.. that's what apple designed it for.

 

[Tonewheel]

*sigh* I don't want to return it. I want it to be wonderful but I don't want to be duped. Apple is the one who made this all so confusing, with their bumper and ridiculous letter.

Oh, the drama. It's SO confusing!

bfar5
macrumors newbie
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: NYC

 

[wovel]

If you are dropping calls, you should take your phone to the store and see about an exchange. Others have had theirs exchanged and report they now worked flawlessly. This announcement was about the bar display issue; it does not say customers with other problems should ignore normal support channels.

The iPhone 3GS can, and as the iPhone 4 was sold as an upgrade to that, it really doesn't matter what the others can do. This is about a phone that reduces the usable signal strength by 99+% when held normally. That is the defect, indefensible when compared with the immediate predecessor of its line.

As to the -85 figure I have no idea if that's what the unheld signal strength is at my house or not. The AnandTech article you got that number from says "With a few exceptions, signal power as low as -107 dBm is actually perfectly fine for calls and data, and below that is where trouble usually starts."



Prove me wrong - show a $600 cell phone that by its design causes a loss of 99+% of usable signal by just being held normally? I know you are trying to cobble together a defense but you won't succeed focusing on the wrong problem - why did  design a very expensive phone that squanders 99+% of the available signal with normal use? That is the design defect and one merely has to compare it to the performance and holding signal degradation of its immediately preceding model to show this.

Trying to coach they argument in absolutes when the defect is in how it relatively handles signals will get you no where.

AGain,  is going to get raked across the coals on this one particularly if they do ANYTHING like coat the metal on the white models when they arrive.

Guess we'll see.

 

[kdarling]

So, like you said, what are the bands really for? Ground planes?

Yes sir, that's what I was thinking.

As you say, there's clearly a coax going to the bottom assembly. You can see it in AbsoluTC's photo, and you can see it around 1:14 and 1:40 in this time lapse disassembly video.

Again, not an RF engineer by any means (altho have designed and built my share of digital circuits), but I found a bezel-using antenna patent. After reading it several times, I realized that the bezel was being used as a ground plane for some kind of IFA or slot antenna... and pieces of that might be what's hidden in that plastic microphone assembly at the bottom of the phone.

 

[Alonzo84]

It's funny now when I think back on it... The Apple employee volunteered the information that it was refundable within 30 days which prompted me to ask him if there was a restocking fee and he said there was NOT. I was surprised at the time that this was part of an obviously scripted process of selling me the IP4... but I was also caught up in all the hype. Now I'm paranoid that this was significant on Apple's part to tell me that. I cant remember if they volunteered this info when I bought two of my kids MBP's, my daughter's 3Gs or my IMac.

They are only waiving the 10% fee for the iPhone 4 because of all the complaints. This does not apply to the rest of their products.

 

[gazter]

Not if you've purchased the phone in the UK from Phones4U via a 24-month contract!

"Sorry sir, we have a no-refund policy".

Uh, so I'm stuck with it simply because I didn't buy it outright, even though its the same phone, with the same problem?

They can't just have a no refunds policy (it is unlawful to display signs that say so). If the product doesn't work demand a replacement or cancellation of your contract. If you are in doubt contact your local trading standards department of your council who will explain the law for you and even help you seek redress.

Utterly absurd.

 

[DiamondMac]

It's a combination of trolls, other companies who want to discredit Apple, sites who make money from hits, and emotional, insecure consumers who really like and want an iPhone but are worried that something will take that away from them, like the antenna problem.

Actually, it seems like a lot of actual iPhones customers are the ones angriest the most.

I have had no issue with my iPhone4 but to simply dismiss those angry as trolls or other companies is simply laughable

 

[HLdan]

Can someone please point me to a YouTube video where someone that thinks they have an iPhone 4 that always works tries the test right next to someone with a bad iPhone 4, in a location which is known to cause the bad iPhone to fail?
I need to see with my own eyes if there are any iPhone 4's that do not exhibit the same behavior when placed right next to a known "bad" iPhone 4 in a "bad" location...

Thanks!

I created this thread yesterday but it got lost to the second page. Not sure if many people noticed it. I posted this video showing 2 iPhone 4's next to each other inside the Apple store. One of them had no problems retaining signal no matter which way I held it or covered it with my bare hands. The other iPhone did easily drop signal when holding it my left hand and placing my thumb over the top left area where the buttons are. Check it out, hopefully this will put aside the myth that ALL iPhone 4's are defective.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/960731/

 

[bfar5]

They are only waiving the 10% fee for the iPhone 4 because of all the complaints. This does not apply to the rest of their products.

So do you think that Apple anticipated this and that employees were given the instruction to mention the 30 full refund? Interesting? Was that Apple's way of covering themselves legally? Geez, this little gadget has caused quite the uproar hasn't it? People are so passionate about it. I was just on my phone for an hour with no drop. I text more than I talk so I'm going to talk a lot on it before the 24th. I still have an open mind but Apple needs to do some dramatic PR work here I think to satisfy its customers. Apple is enjoying a nice bubble with the Iphone but public opinion is finicky and consumers trust is a gigantic issue.

If you are dropping calls, you should take your phone to the store and see about an exchange. Others have had theirs exchanged and report they now worked flawlessly. This announcement was about the bar display issue; it does not say customers with other problems should ignore normal support channels.

Maybe you should have written that letter for Apple. Geez, why didn't THEY think of that? Curious?

 

[Macuser1628]

I created this thread yesterday but it got lost to the second page. Not sure if many people noticed it. I posted this video showing 2 iPhone 4's next to each other inside the Apple store. One of them had no problems retaining signal no matter which way I held it or covered it with my bare hands. The other iPhone did easily drop signal when holding it my left hand and placing my thumb over the top left area where the buttons are. Check it out, hopefully this will put aside the myth that ALL iPhone 4's are defective.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/960731/

Not that I don't believe you but your video does not show you having the good IP4's lower left corner against your palm for the test duration. You show only the top part of the good IP4 until you're about to grip the top. Why bother gripping the top in the first place when the issue is with the bottom left corner?
At any rate your video is inconclusive. Sorry.

 

[-aggie-]

Not that I don't believe you but your video does not show you having the good IP4's lower left corner against your palm for the test duration. You show only the top part of the good IP4 until you're about to grip the top. Why bother gripping the top in the first place when the issue is with the bottom left corner?
At any rate your video is inconclusive. Sorry.

He explained all that in the thread.

 

[Alonzo84]

So do you think that Apple anticipated this and that employees were given the instruction to mention the 30 full refund? Interesting? Was that Apple's way of covering themselves legally? Geez, this little gadget has caused quite the uproar hasn't it? People are so passionate about it. I was just on my phone for an hour with no drop. I text more than I talk so I'm going to talk a lot on it before the 24th. I still have an open mind but Apple needs to do some dramatic PR work here I think to satisfy its customers. Apple is enjoying a nice bubble with the Iphone but public opinion is finicky and consumers trust is a gigantic issue.

I take it you didn't read the first page of this thread. This letter was posted on Apple's website and was quoted in the very first post in this thread.

Dear iPhone 4 Users,

The iPhone 4 has been the most successful product launch in Apple’s history. It has been judged by reviewers around the world to be the best smartphone ever, and users have told us that they love it. So we were surprised when we read reports of reception problems, and we immediately began investigating them. Here is what we have learned.

To start with, gripping almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by 1 or more bars. This is true of iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, as well as many Droid, Nokia and RIM phones. But some users have reported that iPhone 4 can drop 4 or 5 bars when tightly held in a way which covers the black strip in the lower left corner of the metal band. This is a far bigger drop than normal, and as a result some have accused the iPhone 4 of having a faulty antenna design.

At the same time, we continue to read articles and receive hundreds of emails from users saying that iPhone 4 reception is better than the iPhone 3GS. They are delighted. This matches our own experience and testing. What can explain all of this?

We have discovered the cause of this dramatic drop in bars, and it is both simple and surprising.

Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong. Our formula, in many instances, mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength. For example, we sometimes display 4 bars when we should be displaying as few as 2 bars. Users observing a drop of several bars when they grip their iPhone in a certain way are most likely in an area with very weak signal strength, but they don’t know it because we are erroneously displaying 4 or 5 bars. Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place.

To fix this, we are adopting AT&T’s recently recommended formula for calculating how many bars to display for a given signal strength. The real signal strength remains the same, but the iPhone’s bars will report it far more accurately, providing users a much better indication of the reception they will get in a given area. We are also making bars 1, 2 and 3 a bit taller so they will be easier to see.

We will issue a free software update within a few weeks that incorporates the corrected formula. Since this mistake has been present since the original iPhone, this software update will also be available for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G.

We have gone back to our labs and retested everything, and the results are the same— the iPhone 4’s wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped. For the vast majority of users who have not been troubled by this issue, this software update will only make your bars more accurate. For those who have had concerns, we apologize for any anxiety we may have caused.

As a reminder, if you are not fully satisfied, you can return your undamaged iPhone to any Apple Retail Store or the online Apple Store within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.

We hope you love the iPhone 4 as much as we do.

Thank you for your patience and support.

Apple

 

[Macuser1628]

He explained all that in the thread.

In that thread's reply #7, He explained why he gripped the top, but did not explain why his camera was not showing the good IP4's bottom left corner being gripped for the test duration. He said that he believed the issue was with the top of the phone, and hadn't heard anything about the bottom. He then proceeded to hold the bad IP4 on the bottom immediately after holding the good IP4 from the top.
That video is inconclusive at best. Sorry.

 

[-aggie-]

In that thread's reply #7, He explained why he gripped the top, but did not explain why his camera was not showing the good IP4's bottom left corner being gripped for the test duration. He said that he believed the issue was with the top of the phone, and hadn't heard anything about the bottom. He then proceeded to hold the bad IP4 on the bottom immediately after holding the good IP4 from the top.
That video is inconclusive at best. Sorry.

On the first few seconds of the video on the first iPhone I show the sides of it to prove there's no bumper on it and then I place my finger on the bottom left side of the phone seam of the metal is. This part and the top part are where the iPhones tend to fail and it didn't. If you're talking about the very bottom of the phone I haven't heard of anyone mention that before.

What's not to get here?

 

[bfar5]

Oh, the drama. It's SO confusing!

bfar5
macrumors newbie
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: NYC

Did you post that signature for me because you think I'm just starting trouble? I guess there might be those on here that do it for just that reason. Honestly, I'm just a 50 year old mom who is an Iphone lover. I also love Macs and try to convert all my PC friends. So if you're trying to insinuate that I am a troll, you're wrong about that. My Iphone seems ok by the way with a case on it that I refused to buy from Apple on GP.

I take it you didn't read the first page of this thread. This letter was posted on Apple's website and was quoted in the very first post in this thread.

Of course I read it. I hope it's legit. I want my Iphone to be the exquisite device that I was promised and for which I waited on line because I loved my 3gs so much and this one was supposed to better. I just can't settle down with the bumper. I can't believe it is a coincidence that it fixes a reception issue by coincidence, rather than by design.

I also can't help but be concerned with so may IP4 users complaining and all the hype in the news. My phone does seem to be ok but I hope it doesn't go down in history as a lemon in Apple's koolaid

Believe me, I'm just very interested, not freaking out or anything. Just disappointed in Apple too at the moment but hoping they can convince me that they are trustworthy and don't think its custies are stupid.

 

[rhanley]

Did you post that signature for me because you think I'm just starting trouble? I guess there might be those on here that do it for just that reason. Honestly, I'm just a 50 year old mom who is an Iphone lover. I also love Macs and try to convert all my PC friends. So if you're trying to insinuate that I am a troll, you're wrong about that. My Iphone seems ok by the way with a case on it that I refused to buy from Apple on GP.

Yeah, I'm not sure why Tonewheel is making such a big deal about this. I have been using MacRumors for a couple of years now, mainly reading the front page for items and occasionally hitting the forums to see what's going on, but never posted, so I never created an account.

I've had 10 Apple Products over the last 5+ years (and currently have 6) and this was the first issue I was ever compelled enough to post on. I have been 100% satisfied with all my Apple products up until this point.

I understand there may be others out there with bad intentions, but whose to say there aren't Apple employees that browse these boards and try to quiet the storm? These employees have probably been around for years, so should I be shady about anyone with too many posts?

I just don't think that is a very valid representation of how long someone has been an Apple fan or any indication that they are just trying to raise a ruckus for personal gain/benefit.