My bumper arrives tomorrow so I will see. My friend got his last week and he said that it only helps the issue, not solve it. Fingers crossed I guess.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple on iPhone 4 Reception: Signal Strength Display Issue Only, Software Update Coming
- Thread starter fruitbat04
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
My bumper arrives tomorrow so I will see. My friend got his last week and he said that it only helps the issue, not solve it. Fingers crossed I guess.
Were these polls on here? Because if so throw them out. This forum is full of so many people who hate apple or just joined and don't even own an iphone and just dislike apple. And it's sad because it makes it hard to see how many people are really having an issue.
Especially since their observations were simply from "looking at the bars." I'd have a lot more respect for them if they:
Took the two external antennas out of the phone.
Tested the 3G antenna's tuning, see how well it receives 3G frequencies.
Tested the tuning when it's bridged to the wifi antenna (both by fingers, and by conductive wire, just to compare)
Or, enabled the numberic signal strength dB meter and subjected the phones (iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and various Android phones) to known, calibrated 3G signals under various conditions and reported the results.
Looking at bars doesn't really tell us much.
We already know they're somewhat unreliable.
(For what it's worth though, using Field Test on my first-gen iPhone shows a -20 dB signal attenuation when being held, similar to what Anandtech saw on the iPhone 4.)
yes the iPhone for has an excellent 3G radio and can continue to function properly even with 1/80 the signal in many places. Unfortunately many places where the 3GS worked can't withstand that much of a signal strength drop and that's what's got people pissed off - they can't reliably use the phone in places they could use the previous version and Apple lies to them about it being about 'bars' when its about dropped calls.
Since the 'full refunds' aren't really that at all I just bit the bullet and got Ghost Armor on mine which might be only cutting that 1/80 back to 1/40 but however much it does, I can now hold my phone and not have the calls drop at my home.
But like I said that doesn't change my desire that Apple gets burned over this bit of deceit as much as is legally possible and bravo to all those who are trying to do just that.
If they don't tell us, we can't state it as fact. What I am stating as fact is what they are telling us, which is what I have evidence to support.
Why would I speculate on anything else ? The evidence available makes the facts clear : "Don't hold it like that", "Get a bumper", "Get a refund", "We're fixing a bar display issue".
Anything further than that is wishful thinking. The facts are there is no fix coming.
I'm not defending Apple. Look at the first line of my post describing how I felt about Steve Jobs suggestion about holding the phone. What I AM doing is seeing it from both sides and customers should see it from both sides as well. Stock holders ARE customers too ya know. Apple is a very high profile company and if their stock plummets and they end up a loser company you can best believe that we will be living in Microsoft LA LA land, do you want that? The reason for the existence of the Android phone and it's store is because of Apple showing competition to Google, Microsoft has been no competition for goodness sake.
Of course Apple needs customers to stay alive just like any company, they have actually made a statement and said they are fixing the issue. Many people here refuse to give them a chance saying that Apple is lying and there's no way to fix the problem, that's inhuman and it shows from a customer standpoint people are just acting like whiny babies stamping their feet and throwing a tantrum.
My issue with this whole thread is that many of the same people (sorry, but you're included in this Citrate) repeatedly rant in disbelief and call Apple liars but refuse to return their iPhone 4's. I know for a fact that if I'm unhappy with the company I spent money with and I have zero belief that they will fix what they said they would and I'm not happy with the statement they put out I will return my product and buy from a competitor.
So funny how many people PRAISED the Android, Droid, DroidX (whatever they are called) but after the iPhone 4 the praises went sorta quite. Well, if the iPhone 4 sux, and you have disbelief in Apple then why not return the iPhone 4 and go buy the Android???Is it suddenly not worth you returning your defective iPhone for, or is it just the usual trolls on this forum that just want to stir things up on MR and were never even considering the Android?
I think it's probably my decision if I want an Android or not really.
I want the iPhone 4 that I paid £599 for. One that will make calls however I hold it. Everything else is perfect so forgive me for wanting the last issue fixed so that I can keep it.
Apple aren't getting the benefit of the doubt from many (me included) because they came out and said there wasn't a problem and that we must be holding the phone wrong. They now appear to be fixing an issue which doesn't really relate the actual problem.
Almost 100 pages!! I wonder if it'll make it
Just in case anyone out there was interested -- I put a bodyguardz protector on my phone. For the piece on the side where the 'issue' is, I made sure to cover the antenna separator, but my signal still drops to nil at my house.
So, it looks like a real case is my only option if I want to use my phone at my house and continue to hold the phone like I always have.
I still think Apple should provide a free case for those impacted by this issue. I know they would end up having to provide a case to whoever wanted them (since there would be no way to prove/disprove if they were having an issue), but that's a small price for Apple to pay considering the obvious issue.
Just in case anyone out there was interested -- I put a bodyguardz protector on my phone. For the piece on the side where the 'issue' is, I made sure to cover the antenna separator, but my signal still drops to nil at my house.
So, it looks like a real case is my only option if I want to use my phone at my house and continue to hold the phone like I always have.
I still think Apple should provide a free case for those impacted by this issue. I know they would end up having to provide a case to whoever wanted them (since there would be no way to prove/disprove if they were having an issue), but that's a small price for Apple to pay considering the obvious issue.
You actually have no idea of either the scale of the problem or the possibility of a fix. Perhaps you should check on the definition of "facts".
Yes they were on here and I would argue the complete opposite. There are more fanboys on here unwilling to accept the truth more than anywhere else on the net.
The facts established by the evidence presented thus far by Apple is that there is no fix coming.
Better for you Mr. Semantics ?
I did this with the speedtest, but think this video shows it more clearly in that I simply have to lightly TOUCH the black bar and the connection is throttled, slows whatever. On the upload side, again I just TOUCH the black bar and the upload is COMPLETELY STOPPED, let go, it starts again, touch again and boom it STOPS DEAD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H795Qz-PBQc
It's amazing to me how many people on here think they know the exact problem with the phone and how to fix it.
If it was that easy to find the issue and fix it I wonder why the engineers at Apple had such a hard time?
Maybe you guys found your calling...
Fink
If it was that easy to find the issue and fix it I wonder why the engineers at Apple had such a hard time?
Maybe you guys found your calling...
Fink
It's amazing to me how many people on here think they know the exact problem with the phone and how to fix it.
If it was that easy to find the issue and fix it I wonder why the engineers at Apple had such a hard time?
Maybe you guys found your calling...
Fink
Is this the same Apple that the released the product with the defect, said there wasn't a problem and has hired at least 4 Antenna Engineers in the past week?
If there is a general problem, which there may be although I personally have not experienced it, and if it is related to bridging the antennæ, then I would imagine that all forthcoming iPhones will acquire a discreetly-applied clear coating to the metal band before they leave the factory, which will not necessarily be announced at all, enabling the software "fix" to appear more effective.
What puzzles me is how Apple could have failed to notice such a dramatic fall-off in signal if it is as bad as has been reported. We know they were field-testing it, or Gizmodo would not have acquired one.
What an unbelievable mess this has become ... I still believe that this debacle will be what iPhone 4 is remembered for, not it's many outstanding features.
Shame.
Shame.
It doesnt matter what kind of members we have. The poll is not scientific and thus shows only that of the 20,000 (last time I looked) members who took the poll in the U.S., around half may have had the problem and the other half may have not had the problem. Disregarding the possibility that these results are probably skewed due to most members being on here to research problems and some members being trolls, the poll can not be extrapolated outside the MacRumors population having the iPhone 4. In other words, you cant use it to suggest anything about the % of iPhone users in the U.S. having problems.
The field tests were in cases.
And plural of antenna is antennas, unless you are referring to insects.
Uncalled for.
It makes it worthless, if that’s the word you want to use, to suggest anything about all owners in the U.S. based on the poll, which is what was being suggested.
Its not an opinion. Its how you can use a scientific poll vs. a non-scientific one. You cant do with this MR poll what you suggest. Thats just a fact. Anyway, this is what I do for a living. If you want to keep believing in this data to support your wrong conclusions, at least read about how polls are performed and statistics are used.
Since I was not impolite, I can only assume your objection is to the revelation of truth. The truth is never uncalled for.
Well according to this forum (who knows more than Apple does about Apple's own product), you're not going to get THAT phone that you paid so much money for, why? Because this forum says that there will be no fix and according to many of your posts, you agree with the rest of the naysayers so why keep the iPhone 4? Really, WHY??
Right or wrong, Apple's statement is just bizarre
I read it here first, and honestly thought it was fake until I clicked the link and verified the URL.
It sounds like like it was written by some summer intern or something. It wasn't just in the claims that they made, but the verbiage they used.
I think Apples is being run by a bunch of kids. Look at the iTunes U iPhone developer courses. Those "teachers" look like they're barely out of high school. Yes, I'm sure that many of them are perhaps brilliant, so no offense to any on the younger people here.
But, if I had to guess, I would say that Apple is in the midst of a cultural shift that we're just now beginning to see. Jobs is probably regarded as a loose cannon to some, and he may not have confidence in his PR people, feeling the need to take it into his own hands at times.
I read it here first, and honestly thought it was fake until I clicked the link and verified the URL.
It sounds like like it was written by some summer intern or something. It wasn't just in the claims that they made, but the verbiage they used.
I think Apples is being run by a bunch of kids. Look at the iTunes U iPhone developer courses. Those "teachers" look like they're barely out of high school. Yes, I'm sure that many of them are perhaps brilliant, so no offense to any on the younger people here.
But, if I had to guess, I would say that Apple is in the midst of a cultural shift that we're just now beginning to see. Jobs is probably regarded as a loose cannon to some, and he may not have confidence in his PR people, feeling the need to take it into his own hands at times.