Don't fool yourself into believing that all the whining and negative press isn't having a big effect. I expect iPhone 5 will actually be usable as a phone.
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Apple on iPhone 4 Reception: Signal Strength Display Issue Only, Software Update Coming
- Thread starter fruitbat04
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Don't fool yourself into believing that all the whining and negative press isn't having a big effect. I expect iPhone 5 will actually be usable as a phone.
While there have been reports of this signal loss issue from UK, France, Japan and Germany, it's also a known fact that American cellular networks are, shall we say, not up to the standards we're used to on the other side of the pond.
I just read this on a Swedish tech blog...
"For potential iPhone 4 buyers in Sweden it should be noted that it might be a good idea to see how well the new model works in Sweden before we start ranting and raving. Apple's partner in the US, AT&T, has a 3G network that sucks major @ss. Think Swedish 3G A.D. 2005.
When I was in San Francisco 3 weeks ago I lived smack in the middle of the city and not even near my hotel room window could I get 3G, only GPRS/EDGE. At the giant O'Hare airport in Chicago you can't get 3G in the international terminal 5 used by Lufthansa, SAS and others. So even if the Americans are having reception problems it doesn't mean we will."
So hopefully this is mainly a Yankee problem... I'll know after July 23 when the phone is launched here.
Funny, all the complaining about dropped calls, no Flash support and cracked screens on previous generations didn't seem to drive away the complaints with each new model.
Who is fooling who here?
This is the first reasonable theory behind the signal issue that I have read, however, Apple has confirmed that it is a firmware issue.
They practically guaranteed a fix in the next few weeks, I can't imagine that Apple would be this confident if it weren't actually the issue.
Fink
Idk how it fixed it, but it did.
I have no idea how this could have fixed the problem but now it seems like it has. I put my iPhone 4 sim car in my iPad 3G just to see what would happen. When I put my sim card back in the phone i noticed I'm not having the issue anymore. I have no idea if it will work for everyone, but it seems to have for me. No matter what way I hold my phone I don't get the drop of bars I did before.
I have no idea how this could have fixed the problem but now it seems like it has. I put my iPhone 4 sim car in my iPad 3G just to see what would happen. When I put my sim card back in the phone i noticed I'm not having the issue anymore. I have no idea if it will work for everyone, but it seems to have for me. No matter what way I hold my phone I don't get the drop of bars I did before.
I haven't seen apple scramble like this based on past complaints. I also haven't seen CNN, BBC, etc. Reporting on how the phone sucked in the past.
Resetting the SIM card temporarily switched your phone to a stronger signal or tower. Or the RF field varied. That's happening all the time.
The connection is automatically controlled by the cell towers (if there are too many calls already on one tower or frequency band, you might get switched to another tower or frequency).
For "celebrities", this type of seemingly negative coverage often helps far more than it hurts. All these reports are not only spelling Apple's name correctly, but also publishing lots and lots of photos of their attractive looking product.
Someone in their PR agency is probably crying, but someone else is probably laughing and trying to figure out if this type of hype can be packaged and sold.
Paris Hilton and Apple, Inc.
Maybe if Apple had let those Gizmodo guys keep the "stolen" iPhone 4, this problem would've been discovered earlier.
In all seriousness, we all know that Apple was secretly testing the new iPhone in "real world" situations. I find it likely that one of the reasons this signal issue wasn't discovered was probably due to the fact all these iPhones had fake bumpers to make them look like old iPhones. With those fake bumpers, all the testers didn't get the chance to "bridge the antennas" and experience the signal issues.
In all seriousness, we all know that Apple was secretly testing the new iPhone in "real world" situations. I find it likely that one of the reasons this signal issue wasn't discovered was probably due to the fact all these iPhones had fake bumpers to make them look like old iPhones. With those fake bumpers, all the testers didn't get the chance to "bridge the antennas" and experience the signal issues.
I just upgraded my 3GS to the OS4.0 reluctantly (Log story), and noticed that if I am in a location that I know for certain has 5 bars 3G, i'll stand there and it'll say 5 bars. A few moments later, it'll drop to nothing and I will lose all network connectivity, and then a few moments later, it'll go back to 5 bars. It'll constantly do this and is really irritating. Is this the same issue that is going on with everyone else?
I haven't noted scrambling in the public venue from Apple. A couple of emails from Steve denying an issue and a letter published on Apples web site saying there is no problem with the phone, its just the software telling you something is wrong is not what I would call scrambling.
The reason for CNN and BBC coverage is that its news when a product sells out in the volume the iPhone has been sold and the need to fill a 24hr news cycle when the biggest news story is an oil leak thats over 70 days old and a sports event that few in the US care about.
This is the first reasonable theory behind the signal issue that I have read, however, Apple has confirmed that it is a firmware issue.
They practically guaranteed a fix in the next few weeks, I can't imagine that Apple would be this confident if it weren't actually the issue.
Fink
Its not a theory in any specific case, but its mainly me venting my frustration. The fact that apple are claiming that it is just a software issue displaying the bars incorrectly is a bald faced lie, as they must very well know. To clarify by the way, I mean a strong, loud sound next to speakers. Instantaneously, on touching the divider, it will cease. Well, not cease but the sound will almost be muted- like turning down the volume AND holding your hands over your ears. Thats quite obviously not just an issue to displaying the signal bars.
The fact that apple has lied has 1, got me wound up, and 2, is concerning cause if they're lying about the problem, then that probably means there isnt going to be a solution. The lying just exacerbates my disappointment as it means apple are going to try denying the issue when nothing fixes it.
Sorry, you don't know that for certain. The carrier will switch you between towers and frequencies for load balancing, and the RF field will vary due to things such as your exact position, rain, passing trucks, wind blowing tall trees, and etc.
All of those previous issues were hot topics on tech sites for a week or two, then died off. It never hit the mainstream media, at least not in any way that gained traction. The average iPhone buyer never heard about those issues, only tech geeks did. And it sure as hell never went so far that Apple PR had to write letters to the public about it.
This antenna issue has been reported by e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e. NY Times, LA Times, ABC, WSJ, FT, CBS, MSNBC, Fox, CNN (it was the #1 news item on CNN's front page for several hours). It also made headlines locally in many countries in Europe. BBC was all over it too.
If you google "iPhone 3GS" you have to look for a while before you find any hits about problems with it.
If you google "iPhone 4" you have to look for a while before you find any hits that *aren't* about the antenna problem or the Gizmodo leak.
Time is not your friend. Google spots trends and when it generates more business moves it up the list. 3GS issues are old news. In addition Google does have a horse in this race, so issues with competitors products would be of interest to them.
As Apple moves up the food chain events relating to it will be considered more news worthy. When you sell 1.7 million of anything costing as much as an iPhone in a few days its an event. Do that and have an issue with it and the news media will flock to it like moths to a flame.
Fubar!
No. It's not. That is a terrible response from Apple. They used the same formula since the original iPhone and there is no industry standard formula.
They put this crap statement out there to make it seem like there is nothing wrong.
They don't want to admit there is a true issue here.
The software update will probably make it so the iPhone can tell when you are holding it incorrectly and "adjust" the bars.
No. It's not. That is a terrible response from Apple. They used the same formula since the original iPhone and there is no industry standard formula.
They put this crap statement out there to make it seem like there is nothing wrong.
They don't want to admit there is a true issue here.
The software update will probably make it so the iPhone can tell when you are holding it incorrectly and "adjust" the bars.
Its not a theory in any specific case, but its mainly me venting my frustration. The fact that apple are claiming that it is just a software issue displaying the bars incorrectly is a bald faced lie, as they must very well know. To clarify by the way, I mean a strong, loud sound next to speakers. Instantaneously, on touching the divider, it will cease. Well, not cease but the sound will almost be muted- like turning down the volume AND holding your hands over your ears. Thats quite obviously not just an issue to displaying the signal bars.
The fact that apple has lied has 1, got me wound up, and 2, is concerning cause if they're lying about the problem, then that probably means there isnt going to be a solution. The lying just exacerbates my disappointment as it means apple are going to try denying the issue when nothing fixes it.
I suggest calm.
If this is a design flaw. And I think that it is. It would be unrealistic to expect Apple to immediately acknowledge it. There would be mayhem.
The software fix buys Apple time to start to address the underlying problem.
It's likely that new inventory is on it's way. But it will be slow. So the very last thing Apple want is a mass panic. They will want an orderly transition to the fixed hardware and an opportunity to switch devices for any unhappy customers.
Calm and measured statements will emerge from Apple. They will put it right in a measured and controlled way . Any other course would be more damaging and more expensive.
Of course, I could be 100% wrong. Perhaps Apple will offer a software bandaid to a serious hardware defect. And will still be asserting that the phone is flawless in 12 months time.
But if you honestly believe that, you have no alternative than to return your phone immediately.
C.
But he DID say "No matter what way I hold my phone I don't get the drop of bars I did before."