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

[goobot]

are you serious??? yes this antenna issue is a problem for apple but anyone with half a brain knows the signal strength and dropped calls are all att's fault.

as the person above stated. and again it shows how much you like the taste of steves balls that you cant accept apple making a mistake.

any how this is false. the iphone has always shown the right thing. apple is making up bs to try to get out of the problem they are in now. it makes no sense that this would be the cause when i not holding it but it loads like 5 bars but when i do it acts like 1 bar. it apple trying to be complete a holes.

 

[BobVB]

My colleague gets 4 bars on his iPhone 4 while i get only 2 (3GS) in the same place at the same time and he is holding it in his left hand. So it not clear if they are going to lose or win.

Its not about bars, its about dropped calls - if either of you weren't experience dropped calls it has nothing to do with the class action complaints - they didn't sue because of display differences but actual real functionality differences.

 

[BobVB]

Have you ever been called as a witness in a legal case regarding a technology issue?

Actually yes, in the army. Why?

 

[BobVB]

I agree with you, that is a "normal" way of holding a phone and I would expect it to work .. however my initial points stands. It is still an uncommon requirement to hold phones in a certain way.

I agree.

 

[tatonka]

No they will only have to show that the iPhone 3GS doesn't show this drop, that other phones don't show this drop, they won't have to use numbers at all, merely past performance, advertising the iP4 as an upgrade over previous versions, and that the iP4 drop is pathologically high even among similar competing cell phones. They will lose.

At least for me, it is not so much about legal responsibility. Apple allows you to return the phone and that should be enough. You cannot hold them responsible that you sold your previous, nor due you have a "right" to an iPhone or that it works in your area.

What I am concerned about is more the public image of Apple and I am quite puzzled by their reaction. Those stupid bumpers must cost pennies to produce. Just shell them out to everybody and make some positive press instead of sticking your head in the sand and wait for the storm to go by. Acknowledge the problem and stop Mr Jobs from replying arrogantly to consumers. People are (rightfully or not) upset with their purchase and it would be really simple and relatively cheap to appease them ... but I guess Apple remain Apple after all.

T.

 

[Lord Vader]

Its not about bars, its about dropped calls - if either of you weren't experience dropped calls it has nothing to do with the class action complaints - they didn't sue because of display differences but actual real functionality differences.

Lef hand. 4 bars and no dropped calls. The point is that this issue is about to explode like ballon. I believe that some units are deffective and combine that with inflated signal level output, Anandtech test and suddenly everything makes sense.

 

[firewood]

No they will only have to show that the iPhone 3GS doesn't show this drop, that other phones don't show this drop, they won't have to use numbers at all, merely past performance, advertising the iP4 as an upgrade over previous versions, and that the iP4 drop is pathologically high even among similar competing cell phones.

Once they show the claimed worst case is above the minimum requirement for marketability, the word "drop" will no longer be allowed. Instead they will require the wording to be that you get a 24 dB boost beyond the bare minimum signal requirement for functionality by holding the phone properly.

The only open question is whether any other cell phones, incapable of a good connection around -89 dBm in some position or hold, are considered marketable. Then they will ask you why an i4 touched badly is any different from some Nokia tilted 27 degrees North, or some such, when they both drop calls in the same bad enough signal conditions.

 

[mrcadman]

Please,
then it also goes...............
Plaintiff could ask anyone in the room to hold it like the advertised pictures.
Plaintiff could inquire why they DELIBERATELY removed the Field Test App.
Plaintiff can call upon a miriad of antenna experts.
Plaintiff can also now show that the Bars were adjusted to deceive.
Intent can also be argued by all of the above.
Ya think they'll settle at the last minute before THOSE paper trails get unsealed and shock the shareholders into panic?

Meanwhile, while we wait a year for that to stew, Verizon should play it for all it's worth, scraping in all the disgruntled iphone lovers who believed the blame lay with AT&T. Yep, ip4.5 or ip5 will debut at V (fixed).
Apple makes enough off the interest alone from the previous sales to handle any kind of settlement and the shareholders remain happy.
dangit.

 

[Journojulz]

but in leu of a real solution to dropped calls I have no doubt that the class actions will continue and ultimately prevail.

Doubt it. Lawyers will get fatter, that's about all tat will happen.

A design issue cropped up, statement issued in a week and customers offered full refund.

Those stupid bumpers must cost pennies to produce.

But also take time. Its possible they are not offering them for free because they have 2 million in stock yet.

 

[BobVB]

Once they show the claimed worst case is above the minimum requirement for marketability, the word "drop" will no longer be allowed. Instead they will require the wording to be that you get a 24 dB boost beyond the bare minimum signal requirement for functionality by holding the phone properly.

But holding it properly results in you not getting that 24 dB boost. Again, there is ample evidence that proper holding of the phone results in this signal loss. Pretending after the defect's discovery that this way is no longer 'proper' won't fly.

The only open question is whether any other cell phones, incapable of a good connection around -89 dBm in some position or hold, are considered marketable.

No it is unlikely that any judge or jury would fall for that - it would take more obfuscation and spin that even you can manage. All they will have to demonstrate is holding normally cases a massive degrading of the devices advertised function. Deny all you want but it is the atypically great loss of the device's ability to perform its function that is the design flaw and will win this case. As the one article said no court is going to agree that its reasonable to expect customers to suddenly have to hold the phone like a ********** mutant ninja turtle.

 

[SockRolid]

1800th!

 

[BobVB]

Doubt it. Lawyers will get fatter, that's about all tat will happen.

Which is a punishment in itself - I mean what would the class action actors get at best? A rubber band?

A design issue cropped up, statement issued in a week and customers offered full refund.

Which isn't available to all customers - AT&T is charging a 10% restock fee - 90% isn't 'full', the design issue has nothing to do with the problem, and the statement is really just positioning for the eventual lawsuits.

Again, none of this is going to be avoided because of anything  does. They've made their bed in multiple ways and its going to be a lumpy sleep regardless no matter how it plays out.

 

[RIMiPod]

Can't believe no one has posted this yet!



http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/07/02appleletter.html

First of all, I am not sure how a software update will address this hardware design issue unless it means increasing the signal of the antenna of the phone, which means...increasing cell phone rad levels.

Since holding the iPhone the "wrong way" does indeed cause dropped calls as demonstrated in the video, as per contrary to Apple's explanation, the software will only address the measurement (bars) error and not the actual weak reception put out by the radio chip.

In other words, the response from Apple is not exactly the problem people are actually experiencing or they're not telling us the whole story.

 

[spiritlevel]

Okay, since you asked and have no retort.

Perhaps you citrate can't read. No one cares about your opinion. Do you comprehend? LOL

So with all your blustering, Apple has still won, tough cookies. Consumer Reports and PCWorld say there is no problem with the iPhone 4 antenna, in fact it's the best antenna ever.

No one is listening to MacRumors, but thousands are listening to CR and PCW. So keep posting you Apple haters, the good guys have won.

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/el...hes-os-os4-iphone4-reception-problems-in.html

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2004...iphone_4_signal_woes_overblown.html?tk=hp_blg

Consumer reports & pcworld?

I think you'll find far more people read the BBC & CNN...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/10490572.stm

http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/02/technology/iphone_update/index.htm?cnn=yes

Nice try though.

 

[wovel]

Please tell me why you think it is just ok for this to happen? How can you possibly think that this is normal and acceptable? Why should I be expected to return a phone that I spent my hard earned money on because the company that made it refuses to fix the issue. And for your information I would gladly return it and go back to my 3GS but considering I sold it the day I received my new phone that isn't really an option now is it?

Look I'm really happy for you that you are either not having an issue with your phone or that you just simply don't care that you bought a phone that does not work like it is supposed to. But I find it to be ********. Apple is playing us for fools and certainly some people maybe you included are eating it up.

I don't believe that this is the software problem!!!! It's clearly the design of "advanced antenna" problem, so that's why apple's beefing up the antenna engineering staffs!. They come to fix the hardware not the software.

I guess that Apple will quietly change the antenna part with the new one in the next release of their iPhone 4. So, don't forget to check the model number of the iPhone 4 before you purchase it.

Why doesn't it tell us the truth?

Apple has identified the problem and is preparing the fix. Just because the fix does not seem to fit what people on the Internet tell you the problem is, you decide Apple is lying. You can believe them and await the fix or return the phone. Demanding they fix something they are already fixing is not going to help you.

There's real information available about this, MacRumors just hasn't chosen to report it.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3794/the-iphone-4-review/2

That story was (in fact is) on the front page.

 

[Jimrod]

Lef hand. 4 bars and no dropped calls. The point is that this issue is about to explode like ballon. I believe that some units are deffective and combine that with inflated signal level output, Anandtech test and suddenly everything makes sense.

Just done a speedtest (speedtest.net app) - pinching phone between two fingers 3G - 2.5mbps dl / 1.8mbps ul = great! Holding phone GENTLY in left hand, naturally palm covers the black strip - test will not even start.

Apple's line is false, there is a REAL issue with the external antenna, the way the bars are reported will not resolve that - I appreciate not everyone has a problem in their LOCATION but I've still yet to see anyone prove, after all these posts that two phones display different behaviour in the SAME location, your phone will have problems, real ones, in different areas unless you hold the phone in a "special" way or use a bumper.

Apple should really be giving out free bumpers if they're required to get proper functionality of their very expensive device - this would placate most and cost them very little in comparison to the reputation damage of this issue.

 

[firewood]

Ya think they'll settle at the last minute before THOSE paper trails get unsealed and shock the shareholders into panic?

That is a serious problem with the legal system:

"Tell us Motorola executive, why did you ignore expert advice when coloring your Droid black."

"Well we had 487 expert chemists tell us the color was just fine."

"But how about these other documents we dug out from some boxes you stored away 10 years ago."

"Well, those reports are from 3 chemists who fed 227 rats 987 tons of this coloring agent, and 4 of the rats got a bit sick. But..."

"So, Motorola, how could you ignore these serious and dangerous defects in the color you chose for your Droid?"

9 million retirees with Motorola stock held in their 401K funds eat less well the next day.

Then the P.E.T.A. people will find out about those reports, and the real trouble will begin.

 

[Jimrod]

Apple has identified the problem and is preparing the fix. Just because the fix does not seem to fit what people on the Internet tell you the problem is, you decide Apple is lying. You can believe them and await the fix or return the phone. Demanding they fix something they are already fixing is not going to help you.


That story was (in fact is) on the front page.

Unfortunately many of us can't wait as we bought through carriers rather than Apple direct so only have 14 days from purchase, not 30. Mine will be going back this week so I'm not tied into a 2 year contract when a properly working product will be out next year - I love most of the phone, this is why I bought it, Apple denying a real flaw is why it's going back.

 

[wovel]

Consumer reports & pcworld?

I think you'll find far more people read the BBC & CNN...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/10490572.stm

http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/02/technology/iphone_update/index.htm?cnn=yes

Nice try though.

What was your point? (really it is hard to tell). The CNN story reports most of the facts, supports Apples position, and echos Anand's statement about it being the best antenna ever.

 

[Lord Vader]

Just done a speedtest (speedtest.net app) - pinching phone between two fingers 3G - 2.5mbps dl / 1.8mbps ul = great! Holding phone GENTLY in left hand, naturally palm covers the black strip - test will not even start.

Apple's line is false, there is a REAL issue with the external antenna, the way the bars are reported will not resolve that - I appreciate not everyone has a problem in their LOCATION but I've still yet to see anyone prove, after all these posts that two phones display different behaviour in the SAME location, your phone will have problems, real ones, in different areas unless you hold the phone in a "special" way or use a bumper.

Apple should really be giving out free bumpers if they're required to get proper functionality of their very expensive device - this would placate most and cost them very little in comparison to the reputation damage of this issue.

I refuse to believe that Apple missed this problem which is covered in physics 101. Some phones are defective and some phones are in low receptin areas and most of the people (99% lets say) are just fine.

 

[wovel]

Unfortunately many of us can't wait as we bought through carriers rather than Apple direct so only have 14 days from purchase, not 30. Mine will be going back this week so I'm not tied into a 2 year contract when a properly working product will be out next year - I love most of the phone, this is why I bought it, Apple denying a real flaw is why it's going back.

They have not denied anything. They told you they are fixing the iPhone 4 reception issues and you decided you don't believe them. Returning the phone is certainly what you should do if you are unhappy, but you not believing them is not the same as they are denying it.

 

[Veri]

A design issue cropped up, statement issued in a week and customers offered full refund.

The statement being, "There is no hardware problem, it's just a reporting issue." IOW, "Please don't return your phone, a fix is forthcoming." So people don't. And the return window passes. And they receive the fix. And they find out it doesn't fix anything.

I'd assume reporting wasn't merely cosmetic, after all. If signal strength is higher, maybe the 'phone will push for better throughput. If it's doing this when signal strength is actually low, losses are likely high. So you'd expect a 'phone which properly calculates signal strength to have more reliable performance.

 

[firewood]

But holding it properly results in you not getting that 24 dB boost.

Incorrect.

Fact:

I get a huge boost, not sure how many dB, but it's a lot, just by moving my grip up 1.5 inches.

 

[Journojulz]

Which isn't available to all customers - AT&T is charging a 10% restock fee - 90% isn't 'full', the design issue has nothing to do with the problem, and the statement is really just positioning for the eventual lawsuits.

Yup - now the only credible case is against AT&T for 10% of the phone's value.

 

[tatonka]

They have not denied anything. They told you they are fixing the iPhone 4 reception issues and you decided you don't believe them. Returning the phone is certainly what you should do if you are unhappy, but you not believing them is not the same as they are denying it.

No they have acknowledged the problematic user experience due to a faulty or inaccurate display of the signal strength. They have however not promised to "fix" the reception issue. And I don't see why you would expect them to fix that anyways.
That said. The "fix" is not going to change the reception of you device, if you have troubles making calls today, you will (after all that Apple has admitted doing) have the same issues after the patch. If that includes problematic areas of your daily life, like your desk, couch whatever .. you better get another phone.
I believe with the issued letter from Apple you should be able to return the phone without need to pay for it .. maybe you have to escalate it though.

T.