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

Jason-Houghton said:
I really wish people will stop saying this. Everyone loves the phone, no one wants to return it. Its the fact that it is flawed, no one knew when they purchased it and customers feel cheated. We shouldn't have to return it. People spent their hard earned money on this things and its apples responsibility to keep their customers satisfied. So cut it with this "all you have to do is return it" crap.
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Do you live in the real world? Either the phone works for you or it doesn't. If it doesn't work for you, then how can you say you love it? You cannot have it both ways. You show them your displeasure by returning the phone that does not work for you. You can buy it again if and when they fix it to your satisfaction.
 
Have there been any videos posted of someone doing a speed test (over 4g) with a 3GS or 3G and an iphone 4 sitting next to each other on a desk or whatever?
 
Unless the number of bars displayed at any given time is used by the baseband to stay connected.

I mean, if the phone is displaying two bars and the user covers the antennae and the misreporting bars drop all the way off, the baseband then kicks the user off and tries to search for a network when in actual fact, the connection is still there. Think I've explained that for if it's not that, then people who actually drop calls wiill be raging. :p
 
fruitbat04 said:
I don't really see how it can just be a misrepresentation of the signal strength if people are reporting dropped calls and data grinding to a halt.
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and that is exactly why that statement is an embarrassing one for Apple to make, and the reason they're just digging themselves deeper and deeper with this story.

It's like they're oblivious to the fact that there are dozens of youtube videos we've all seen where people simply touch the "spot", and their entire 3G signal is interrupted. They even keep saying things like "gripped tightly". No *******s. I've seen several dudes on youtube videos simply touch their finger to the famous "spot" and their signal is instantly chopped to bits.


I guess this is what happens to companies when they get this successful. They just begin to believe they're untouchable, and even in the fact of indisputable evidence they'll lie and get away with it. Sad day as a fan of this company.
 
phpmaven said:
You have always been able to return the phone for any reason for the first 30 days. And it's not a "major design flaw". I really wish people would stop spouting this nonsense.
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Well that’s not what Orange told me (if you read my post).

I can’t make any calls from home when I touch the phone, every other phone on the same network has no problem in the same location. I would say that’s a massive flaw.
 
Return Question

I predicted this when I heard it would be a software fix.

I am wonder what happens to the iPhone when it is returned by one of these angry line hogging customers. Is it sent back to be cleaned up and sold as new? Or does it go to the refurbished bin for someone waiting to buy the iPhone 4 can get it early for a discount?
 
krUnIzZlE said:
LoL, i call ********. no matter how tightly i grip my Nokia 5800 XpresMusic. NO bars drop :|


Apple = FAIL
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@krUnIzZIE - Take both your hands and make a sandwhich over the bottom half of your phone. I'm going to bet that you will see the bars drop. I'm not saying that Apple's issue isn't worse, but every phone's antenna can be interfered with by your hand, it is just a matter of amount and figuring out where your antenna is.
 
Small White Car said:
I'm guessing that they'll extend the return period until after the fix comes.

They're getting enough bad press, they won't want to add more on top of that. Companies tend to get extra friendly at times like these.

I'd be surprised if that doesn't happen.
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I don't know about that. In the press release today, it seemed a bit odd that they tacked on at the end that we have 30 days from purchase to return the phone. Kind of like a reminder that the clock is ticking and they won't accept returns after 30 days.
 
za9ra22 said:
The difference between the two is that the 3GS doesn't have antennas on the surface. It's contact with the skin directly on the antenna, and the affect that has, which causes the iPhone 4 to be more sensitive to the problem.
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If this is Apple's answer, then I'll accept that the iPhone 4 is worse than the other iPhones. Apple, however, is still shucking the fact it's the best reception on the market. So, either they're out right liars or something is wrong with my phone.
 
uberamd said:
How does this fix the problem where my 3G data completely stops the second I touch the corner (as seen in my sig vid)? Oh right, it doesn't.
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Return it. It is NEVER going to work in the area you use it. The antenna design attenuates more than the prior designs. ALL ANTENNA ATTENUATE.

This is physics. Put you hand on any phone and it will happen. The only thing that differs is the degree. Most phones attenuate less than the iPhone 4. Some attenuate more.

Phones with antenna designs that attenuate a lot require a stronger starting signal to work. iPhone 4 falls into that category. This is a HARDWARE issue. It cannot and will not be solved with software.

So if you are unfortunate enough to live in an area where the signal is not strong enough to overcome the antenna attenuation characteristics inherent in the iPhone 4 then return the darn thing.

That's the only option you have.
 
This is ridiculous.

Based on the testing posted earlier, there's obviously a real issue. Covering it up with a different grading scale is not a real fix. I'm pretty disappointed that this is what they came up with...
 
BornAgainMac said:
I am wonder what happens to the iPhone when it is returned by one of these angry line hogging customers. Is it sent back to be cleaned up and sold as new? Or does it go to the refurbished bin for someone waiting to buy the iPhone 4 can get it early for a discount?
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Apple use the refurbished phones for warranty replacements.
 
phpmaven said:
It's obviously because the phone was erroneously indicating that you had more signal that you really had. Then when people held the phone in such a way as to cause the signal to drop a little, they were actually dropping the signal down to where it was almost gone even though the bars were still high. Continuing to hold it that way would cause the bars to drop down to where they actually should have been all along.

It makes perfect sense to me and was along the lines of what I figured the problem was going to turn out to be. Sitting at my desk at home, I always had very marginal signal with my other phones. With the iPhone 4, I would often look down and see 4 or 5 bars and thought "wow, this new phone gets much better reception here". The reality is, it was just as weak as before but was being displayed erroneously. Then when I would hold the phone in the bottom left corner, I would see the bars drop down to show the signal accurately.

It also explains perfectly why when you are in a strong signal area, the bars won't drop at all when held at the left corner.
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Then explain to me how I had perfect reception at my home and my office with my old iphone but now I hold the iphone 4 and the call drops.

Complete BULL****
 
I am biased as an RF wireless enginneer:

This is complete BS on the bars.

Some points from the inside:

They have been lying about the signal bars since day one.
This will buy them time to sort things out.
This is a hardware issue
Look for them to redesign the lower left side of the phone, which just might me a clear sticker to start with.
FYI, people will only see performance dropping in weak to mild coverage, not strong.
They are correct in saying it is the best performing phone they have made. Let's see if it catches up to the industry standard for drops finally.
The case will help with reception and cracking of the back - as i have done already.
 
Oh, you're having trouble trying to use those signal bars to communicate? Well now you have no signal bars! Problem solved.

Mine works fine, but it's still funny to me.
 
zub3qin said:
I don't know about that. In the press release today, it seemed a bit odd that they tacked on at the end that we have 30 days from purchase to return the phone. Kind of like a reminder that the clock is ticking and they won't accept returns after 30 days.
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Well, then the converse: They'll make sure the fix comes out before then.

I don't know which way they'll do it, but I'd be surprised if the fix comes after the return date.
 
How could it be just mis-calculating my bars when if I put my finger over the gap, my data stops in its tracks?
 
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