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

[BadMoon]

For example watch some football. Great first match today.

Let's be clear. There is ONLY one Football. And that sir starts in September.

 

[hackum]

Do YOU really think that they had no idea that their algorithm for displaying signal strength was wrong?

For 3 years ... If they had overlooked that, what are the chances of their overlooking a design flaw on a brand new product?

 

[rob1]

My 3 cents

I'm no rocket scientist, but I'm smart enough to know:

A: Using the little bars on the screen as the sole basis of any analysis of the iPhone 4's reception capabilities is bad science

B: Real life experience with the iPhone is all that matters

C: Unfortunately, perception is stronger than reality. For some, they will likely blame dropped calls and/or bad reception on the new design - and declare it as worse than previous iPhones or other mobile phones

For me, I'm one week in, works great, loving it!

 

[Chimpware]

what is the "issue" exactly?

Dropped calls??

You are 27 pages deep in a topic about the issue and you are asking what it is? Really? Why not read the prior 26 pages, or just read my posts, it's all pretty clear.

 

[robotmonkey]

I guess I'll try it out and if I don't like it, I'll return it. Smart move with the return policy.

 

[Evangelion]

Do you really think that Apple would have knowingly launched a new product that is fundamentally defective and then advertised new job opportunities to fix the issue even before the product is launched?

That is all.

So you think that because Apple is hiring antenna-engineers, it means that they are scrambling to fix this problem? So, by your logic, when a company hires programmers, it means that they are scrambling to fix some major flaws in their software. Or if some factory hires a new nurse, it means that the entire workforce has been exposed to some poisonous chemical and they are scrambling to fix it? OR when a city hires new police-officers, it means that the city is in a middle of massive crime-wave?

Or could it be that Apple ships a tons of products with various kinds of antennas in 'em, and those antennas require engineers to design them? I would be very surprised if Apple did NOT hire antenna-engineers....

Seriously, your logic is flawed.

 

[hackum]

Here's another fact: review after review has said that iPhone 4 is A LOT better than previous iPhones when it comes to signal-strength. That is a FACT.

Unless you are holding it.

 

[pic620]

Go and RETURN THE PHONE! Switch to Verizon and quit crying like a little girl. You want a tissue?

jeeze dude all you do is sit here and defend a corporation against real people who are having actual problems with an extremely expensive device they shelled money out for, and should work properly from the beginning. wouldn't your time be better spent giving jobs a handy ? seriously, hop off.

 

[Lord Vader]

Let's be clear. There is ONLY one Football. And that sir starts in September.

For sick people sure.

 

[Chimpware]

For example watch some football. Great first match today.

If you are Dutch I guess...

 

[JamesKay32]

I'm no rocket scientist, but I'm smart enough to know:

A: Using the little bars on the screen as the sole basis of any analysis of the iPhone 4's reception capabilities is bad science

B: Real life experience with the iPhone is all that matters

C: Unfortunately, perception is stronger than reality. For some, they will likely blame dropped calls and/or bad reception on the new design - and declare it as worse than previous iPhones or other mobile phones

For me, I'm one week in, works great, loving it!

Doubt you even have one.

 

[thatguysmells]

She is not crying, she is merely pointing out that there are issues with some iPhone 4s.

Get over yourself and stop being a short sighted fanboy.

Fanboy? I am NOT a fanboy. You are right there crying with her. What's wrong? Sponge Bob didn't come on this morning? ::sniffle sniffle:: Here's a tissue. Stop whining, moaning, complaining, and CRYING. YOU and HER both sound like a couple of infants who need a bottle.

Apple gave you the opportunity to RETURN THE PHONE! Utilize it and then grow up and try thinking for a change.

 

[samcraig]

Go and RETURN THE PHONE! Switch to Verizon and quit crying like a little girl. You want a tissue?

Well according to Steve and several people in this thread - all phones have this problem. So returning the phone won't solve anything right? Or do you have another smart remark to make?

 

[zoman504]

It really is quite simple: Gripping the phone will reduce the signal-quality. Same thing happens to all phones. If your signal-strength is low enough, you might drop the call. Now, due to the way iPhone calculates the signal-strength-bars, it might seem that you have full bars, even though your signal-strength isn't that good. So when you grab the phone, the signal degrades, and you might lose your connection. Due to the algorithm used, the bars might drop from 5 to 0, even though the actual reduction in signal-strength isn't that big.

With the update, iPhone will only show 4-5 bars if your signal-strength really is great, otherwise you get less bars. So you get more realistic representation of the signal.

Here's another fact: review after review has said that iPhone 4 is A LOT better than previous iPhones when it comes to signal-strength. That is a FACT. So yes, there really is no problem.

Seriously people: move on with your lives.

Too bad the data halts and calls are dropped even while not gripping the phone....and of course they claimed it had better signal strength in the reviews, the algorithm was wrong, dumb ass!

 

[JamesKay32]

Fanboy? I am NOT a fanboy. You are right there crying with her. What's wrong? Sponge Bob didn't come on this morning? ::sniffle sniffle:: Here's a tissue. Stop whining, moaning, complaining, and CRYING. YOU and HER both sound like a couple of infants who need a bottle.

Apple gave you the opportunity to RETURN THE PHONE! Utilize it and then grow up and try thinking for a change.

Sorry, have you hit puberty yet ?

 

[Chimpware]

So you think that because Apple is hiring antenna-engineers, it means that they are scrambling to fix this problem? So, by your logic, when a company hires programmers, it means that they are scrambling to fix some major flaws in their software. Or if some factory hires a new nurse, it means that the entire workforce has been exposed to some poisonous chemical and they are scrambling to fix it? OR when a city hires new police-officers, it means that the city is in a middle of massive crime-wave?

Or could it be that Apple ships a tons of products with various kinds of antennas in 'em, and those antennas require engineers to design them? I would be very surprised if Apple did NOT hire antenna-engineers....

Seriously, your logic is flawed.

Uhhh so by your logic who has been designing the antennas before this?

 

[jsnmao]

So you would exchange a product that you claim to be defective by design, for the same product?

no because some people have been claiming they have no signal loss no matter how they hold it, so i want one of these models.

 

[jontucker]

So you think that because Apple is hiring antenna-engineers, it means that they are scrambling to fix this problem? So, by your logic, when a company hires programmers, it means that they are scrambling to fix some major flaws in their software. Or if some factory hires a new nurse, it means that the entire workforce has been exposed to some poisonous chemical and they are scrambling to fix it? OR when a city hires new police-officers, it means that the city is in a middle of massive crime-wave?

Or could it be that Apple ships a tons of products with various kinds of antennas in 'em, and those antennas require engineers to design them? I would be very surprised if Apple did NOT hire antenna-engineers....

Seriously, your logic is flawed.

I suggest you read my post again because you're describing the opposite of what I think. That's why I started with the words "Do you really think".

 

[egret]

Please, give me a break! My husband and I both had an iPhone 3G, and they both worked just fine. Now, we have upgraded to the new iPhone. My husband's phone all but grinds to a halt when he picks the thing up and that's with a case on it!!!!! He can't check his e-mai, he can't play words with friends, he can't do anything! Meanwhile, I do not have the problem with my new iPhone.

Don't try and give me this signal strength crap. We haven't moved or changed jobs or started shopping at different stores! There's no reason all of the other iPhones we have work but his! There is definitely a bigger problem with some of these phones that Apple is failing to acknowledge.

So is he going to return it or is he just going to get you to cry about it on this forum for no purpose and zero result? Is it making you feel better to get your frustration out here?

 

[jordanbramlett]

I haven't had any problems with my iPhone 4 signal strength.

...

 

[law guy]

If you're not going to return it, shut up. It's kind of asinine to complain about having a defective product that you, yourself, choose to keep.

Is it? The person would like the features of an iPhone - the OS, the screen, the size, the integration with the Macintosh, MobileMe, etc. He/She just doesn't like that the signal is impacted by the hand contacting two separate parts of the metal enclosure / antenna, which would appear to be a design issue.

Think of a design issue as: does the device perform as expected under conditions that a person would normally utilize the device? In other words, when used as a reasonable person would be expected to use it, does it work? It's reasonable to have an expectation that Apple is going to hit that minimal threshold for device functionality. In fact, Apple usually hits and then far exceeds mere functionality with excellent design and stellar interfaces.

 

[Russell L]

OK, admittedly Apple's explanation does sound like a PR move, and perhaps there's a bit of smoke-and-mirrors in it as well, but it does sound believable to me. Regardless (and FWIW), my iPhone 4's reception (with bumper) is markedly better than the original iPhone that I upgraded from. I'm not using the number of bars to make this judgment--I've been able to make/receive calls (without drops) in very weak signal areas (like my office) with my new phone, which I wasn't able to do at all with my old phone (which dropped calls a lot in such areas). I've yet to experience a dropped call with my iPhone 4. Others I know with the iPhone 4 report similar improvements over their previous iPhones. Again, FWIW.....

 

[potaco]

I'm no rocket scientist, but I'm smart enough to know:

A: Using the little bars on the screen as the sole basis of any analysis of the iPhone 4's reception capabilities is bad science

B: Real life experience with the iPhone is all that matters

C: Unfortunately, perception is stronger than reality. For some, they will likely blame dropped calls and/or bad reception on the new design - and declare it as worse than previous iPhones or other mobile phones

For me, I'm one week in, works great, loving it!

Well, if it works great for you, then why is this such a big deal??

Everyone, Rob isn't having any problems. We're good now. No need to complain anymore about our made-up issues!

 

[fuzion]

I'm keeping my phone.

1) I already hold it in a manner [and i'm a lefty] that doesn't cause signal issues
2) I was able to replicate the signal loss once at home.. but trying it right now, nothing happens to my bars at all.
3) I use a clear case on the phone for damage protection which also has the added benefit of negating the possibility of signal attenuation, even if I do hold it like a monkey




/shrug

works fine for me.

 

[dijisurf]

how can this be a design problem when majority of ip4s are all fine.
some phones go bad(manufacturing or software) and people find opportunity to bash apple and some people even go as far as wanting Jobs to die... who are you guys?