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Apple Takes on Droid X With Latest Smartphone Antenna Video
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How is this playing dirty? If I was trying to prove a point that no one would believe me on then what better then physical evidence to prove your point?
They are simply showing that other cellphones have this issue. Also note, like in the video, that it only occurs in areas where there is poor service.
They are simply showing that other cellphones have this issue. Also note, like in the video, that it only occurs in areas where there is poor service.
Really... I beg to disagree!
I did the same thing with 3 Blackberries, my wife's iPhone 3Gs, my son's LG, and my sister-in-law's Samsung... they attenuated their bars from 4 or 5 to 2 or 1 or even none! Be reasonable and fair about your hatred... and if you really hate Apple so much, quit visiting sites specifically for Apple products... you will avoid a heart attack... seriously.
I did the same thing with 3 Blackberries, my wife's iPhone 3Gs, my son's LG, and my sister-in-law's Samsung... they attenuated their bars from 4 or 5 to 2 or 1 or even none! Be reasonable and fair about your hatred... and if you really hate Apple so much, quit visiting sites specifically for Apple products... you will avoid a heart attack... seriously.
Let go Apple!
I too am disappointed that Apple have to resort to using other manufactures products to make a point which was done adequately at the press conference.
Why is this necessary - Apple should be above all that...
It will certainly not make them any friends and likely loose them in the process.
The media hype is to blame and Apple cannot cope....
I too am disappointed that Apple have to resort to using other manufactures products to make a point which was done adequately at the press conference.
Why is this necessary - Apple should be above all that...
It will certainly not make them any friends and likely loose them in the process.
The media hype is to blame and Apple cannot cope....
Why should they? The media, trolls, and subversive forces from the competition has tried to seize on this issue as a way to attack Apple. Although people of actual knowledge knew this was a silly issue from the very moment the first stupid video was posted about the iPhone 4.
Anyone who has had more than 1 cell phone knows cell phone reception is iffy and dependent on a large assortment of things. Anyone who has had a cell phone for any period of time knows of times where they have stood with one leg on a stool while pressing their phone backwards against an exterior window trying to get a signal... It is what cell phones. It is not perfect, and this was nothing new, or nothing worse.
The reality of it was someone drew a little circle to a part of the phone and a bunch of OCD chuckleheads kept touching it and filming it with their flip cameras or whatever.
The competitors have been claiming they don't have these problems and it is not true. The media is also falsely accusing Apple of being the only one with this problem. What would you have them do? The facts are the facts.
As for Android eating anyone's lunch haha. Also if you think Android is going to eat Apple's lunch in the tablet market you are dreaming. Apple cut their entry level pricing to the bone. Even with a free OS it is unlikely any android using company is going to be able to release a comparable device for less than $500.
I agree 100%. I thought the story would die when the ignorant people just gave up. Instead more ignorant people started telling other ignorant people and it spread.
wow... apple is more and more becoming one of the lamest companies out there...
Why? Because they posted videos demonstrating how other phones lose signals too? That is the whole reason why this whole firestorm started. Some nimrod posted a faulty test on youtube and people that do not know any better flipped their lids.
Apple has no other choice since enough ignorant people seem to be stuck on to their ignorance.
LOL... you are so funny... do you open for Leno?
Okay, 4 million happy users and owners beg to differ with a high satisfaction rating. It's amazing how sad it must be that you have tear your competitor down to make you feel better about the less than capable product you bought and are probably kicking yourself in the butt for getting in lieu of the iPhone 4.
This throwing tomatoes at Apple because they are the king of the hill is quite funny. People did this with Sony, IBM, HP, Dell, Microsoft, etc. and stopped once they fell or were over taken... I guess because Apple is remaining there for now, it is more tempting to throw bigger tomatoes. Amusing, but sad.
Apple's losing battle... they'd better be working on iphone 5, fast!
Okay, 4 million happy users and owners beg to differ with a high satisfaction rating. It's amazing how sad it must be that you have tear your competitor down to make you feel better about the less than capable product you bought and are probably kicking yourself in the butt for getting in lieu of the iPhone 4.
This throwing tomatoes at Apple because they are the king of the hill is quite funny. People did this with Sony, IBM, HP, Dell, Microsoft, etc. and stopped once they fell or were over taken... I guess because Apple is remaining there for now, it is more tempting to throw bigger tomatoes. Amusing, but sad.
Last comment is plainly wrong. Serious testing showed the opposite
http://www.antennasys.com/antennasys-blog/2010/7/14/iphone-4-meets-the-gripofdeathinator.html
I suggest you to read that link from beginning to end
The release of this video only goes to further show the pickle Apple finds itself in with the iPhone 4. Think about it. . .in the past, Steve Jobs didn't have to spend 20 minutes of a media event telling the audience how bad the competition's products were. Everybody already knew it. All Steve had to say was, "look at our stuff" and people would instinctively say to themselves, "wow, that works so much better than my <insert competitor's name here> computer, cell phone, etc."
Enter iPhone 4. Now Steve and company have done nothing but go on the attack against the media and various handset companies who have already been attacking Apple in various ways for years -- nothing new there. Apple doesn't normally sling the mud back, they normally just show the competition up by making a product that more people want to buy. This time, things seem different, though.
My own personal experience: I had an iPhone 4 for three weeks. I never had a problem with the death grip issue (I had the phone in an Incipio case designed for the iPhone 4 from day one.) However, I had a maddening problem with the iPhone 4 proximity sensor. I couldn't be on a call for more than about two minutes without either putting the call on speaker, muting myself, conferencing in a third party from my contact list, or hanging up the call -- all with my cheek. The reality for me was that I couldn't use the phone to conduct business -- which means that I simply couldn't use the phone. I gave Steve and company three weeks to fix the proximity sensor issue. When it seemed clear to me that a fix was not necessarily imminent, I voted with my wallet and returned the phone for a full refund.
I went to Verizon on launch day and purchased the Droid X. The bottom line for me is that despite Apple's little video showing the death grip, I have no case on the Droid X (and don't plan to purchase one anytime soon) and haven't had a single dropped call since I purchased the phone on July 15. I'd like to see what the percentage of iPhone 4 users is that can say the same.
More importantly for me, though, is that the Droid X's proximity sensor works flawlessly (much as my old iPhone 3G's sensor did.) I have been on hour-long phone calls with the Droid X and have not had to think twice about how I'm holding the phone so as to keep the screen from activating while it's next to my face. THIS is the way a phone needs to work. THIS is the way my Droid X does work. THIS was the critical flaw that made me return the iPhone 4. I don't care if it's a hardware or a software issue with the iPhone 4 that causes the proximity sensor problem. The reality is that the device is a phone first in my world and if Apple's QA testing isn't testing the usability of the device as a phone first and foremost, they are clearly dropping the ball.
Apple shouldn't be spending the money that they're spending defending themselves with these PR videos. They need to be investing some bigger bucks in QA to make sure a debacle of this sort doesn't happen again anytime soon. I hope -- for Apple's sake -- that Steve doesn't have to take the stage at the next product launch only to spend 20 minutes showing demonstrations of how much everybody else's product sucks. Apple's marketing "brilliance" seems much more amateur in my book when they have to call out the competition by name and slam them instead of just showing how Apple makes the better product.
In my opinion, everyone in Apple's current PR department needs to be fired. I, however, certainly wouldn't hire them to work for me.
Enter iPhone 4. Now Steve and company have done nothing but go on the attack against the media and various handset companies who have already been attacking Apple in various ways for years -- nothing new there. Apple doesn't normally sling the mud back, they normally just show the competition up by making a product that more people want to buy. This time, things seem different, though.
My own personal experience: I had an iPhone 4 for three weeks. I never had a problem with the death grip issue (I had the phone in an Incipio case designed for the iPhone 4 from day one.) However, I had a maddening problem with the iPhone 4 proximity sensor. I couldn't be on a call for more than about two minutes without either putting the call on speaker, muting myself, conferencing in a third party from my contact list, or hanging up the call -- all with my cheek. The reality for me was that I couldn't use the phone to conduct business -- which means that I simply couldn't use the phone. I gave Steve and company three weeks to fix the proximity sensor issue. When it seemed clear to me that a fix was not necessarily imminent, I voted with my wallet and returned the phone for a full refund.
I went to Verizon on launch day and purchased the Droid X. The bottom line for me is that despite Apple's little video showing the death grip, I have no case on the Droid X (and don't plan to purchase one anytime soon) and haven't had a single dropped call since I purchased the phone on July 15. I'd like to see what the percentage of iPhone 4 users is that can say the same.
More importantly for me, though, is that the Droid X's proximity sensor works flawlessly (much as my old iPhone 3G's sensor did.) I have been on hour-long phone calls with the Droid X and have not had to think twice about how I'm holding the phone so as to keep the screen from activating while it's next to my face. THIS is the way a phone needs to work. THIS is the way my Droid X does work. THIS was the critical flaw that made me return the iPhone 4. I don't care if it's a hardware or a software issue with the iPhone 4 that causes the proximity sensor problem. The reality is that the device is a phone first in my world and if Apple's QA testing isn't testing the usability of the device as a phone first and foremost, they are clearly dropping the ball.
Apple shouldn't be spending the money that they're spending defending themselves with these PR videos. They need to be investing some bigger bucks in QA to make sure a debacle of this sort doesn't happen again anytime soon. I hope -- for Apple's sake -- that Steve doesn't have to take the stage at the next product launch only to spend 20 minutes showing demonstrations of how much everybody else's product sucks. Apple's marketing "brilliance" seems much more amateur in my book when they have to call out the competition by name and slam them instead of just showing how Apple makes the better product.
In my opinion, everyone in Apple's current PR department needs to be fired. I, however, certainly wouldn't hire them to work for me.
Apple's losing battle... they'd better be working on iphone 5, fast!
have we heard something similar before? Someone called Dell perhaps?
Difference is that not one knows who you are...
I love how the media and commenting ragers on their sites have been trolling apple for a while now, and now Apple is trolling just about everybody, good stuff good stuff.
You may not have missed it, but you may have missed the point. The previous poster said Apple focused on the strong points on Apple. They focused on the fact that Apple (due to whatever reason, valid or other) are not plagued with the same problems as others. Whereas in this video all they are doing is saying we are bad *because* others are bad.
If Apple would have placed the black strip (the "weak spot") along the top of the phone this would be a non-issue. Can't help but think that Apple royally screwed up on this one.
BTW, the overly stiff separate volume buttons suck too (form trumps function once again). Glad my 3GS is still going strong.
BTW, the overly stiff separate volume buttons suck too (form trumps function once again). Glad my 3GS is still going strong.
I completely agree. There's a lot of childish commentors at MacRumors lately. Reminds me of Digg, which I stopped going to because it's so depressing.
Agreed. I have no idea why they couldn't have put the strip next to the headphone jack where the SIM card tray used to be. Presumably that would've cut down on the death grip issues.
I'll be very interested to see if Apple opts to keep the "revolutionary" antenna design that's the "best we've ever made" on the iPhone 5. My bet is that the stainless steel band won't be running around the outside of the iPhone that's released next year. Heck, maybe it won't even be visible on the white iPhone 4 -- whenever that phone actually hits the shelves.
When I walked out of the Apple store with my iPhone 4 yesterday, the signal strength plummeted when I held the phone on the lower left corner.
SO, I RIPPED THE RUBBER CASE (REAL RUBBER; NOT SILICON) OFF OF MY IPHONE 3G AND INSERTED MY IPHONE 4 AND WHAAAAAAAAALLLLLLAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!! FIVE BEAUTIFUL BARS!!!!!!!!!!
SO, I RIPPED THE RUBBER CASE (REAL RUBBER; NOT SILICON) OFF OF MY IPHONE 3G AND INSERTED MY IPHONE 4 AND WHAAAAAAAAALLLLLLAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!! FIVE BEAUTIFUL BARS!!!!!!!!!!
You MUST be joking. Only because, if Apple were lying, they'd be sued by all those companies you listed.
The reason other CEOs have come out mad at Apple is because they know they can't do anything about it. The media and those companies fanned the flames, now Apple is defending themselves.
You'd do the same if you were in Apple's shoes.
Ok, that's enough for now....
Apple is way over-reacting to this whole issue. I understand the initial motivation on Apple's part to provide some perspective on mobile phone antenna limitations, but I think they should be careful not to overdo it. The other manufacturers could easily post videos on their own websites depicting the fact that a single finger on the bottom left of their phone(s) does essentially nothing to the "bars." The iPhone 4, however, drops several bars or loses the connection completely when it's in a marginal signal strength area (which is where all of Apple's videos are recorded).
Now, to those who cry that nobody holds their phone with a single finger — you're missing the point. Most people don't death grip their phones, either. They usually hold it with three or more finger tips. The problem with the iPhone 4 is that you have to constantly be aware of whether or not your finger is near the notorious gap. I've been on a number of calls with an iPhone 4 and as I switch the phone back and forth to either ear, I inadvertently place one of my fingers on the gap, and the call drops, or the person on the other line can no longer hear me.
If Apple keeps adding more of these videos, I think it won't be long before the other manufacturers start to point this out. Yes, yes, "Get a case," blah, blah, "You're holding it wrong," and so on. Regardless, you have to be somewhat irrational to deny that there is a qualitative (though not catastrophic) difference between the iPhone 4 and pretty much any other smartphone as regards this antenna uproar.
Apple is way over-reacting to this whole issue. I understand the initial motivation on Apple's part to provide some perspective on mobile phone antenna limitations, but I think they should be careful not to overdo it. The other manufacturers could easily post videos on their own websites depicting the fact that a single finger on the bottom left of their phone(s) does essentially nothing to the "bars." The iPhone 4, however, drops several bars or loses the connection completely when it's in a marginal signal strength area (which is where all of Apple's videos are recorded).
Now, to those who cry that nobody holds their phone with a single finger — you're missing the point. Most people don't death grip their phones, either. They usually hold it with three or more finger tips. The problem with the iPhone 4 is that you have to constantly be aware of whether or not your finger is near the notorious gap. I've been on a number of calls with an iPhone 4 and as I switch the phone back and forth to either ear, I inadvertently place one of my fingers on the gap, and the call drops, or the person on the other line can no longer hear me.
If Apple keeps adding more of these videos, I think it won't be long before the other manufacturers start to point this out. Yes, yes, "Get a case," blah, blah, "You're holding it wrong," and so on. Regardless, you have to be somewhat irrational to deny that there is a qualitative (though not catastrophic) difference between the iPhone 4 and pretty much any other smartphone as regards this antenna uproar.
Apple's playing with fire here and they're betting they're going to win. It wouldn't surprise me at all if any of the other handset makers threaten to sue Apple for trade libel.
In my mind (and I'm not an attorney), showing the competition's actual phone in a video that you produced (without disclosing the specifics of the environment that the "test" was done in) is worse in terms of libel than releasing a full page ad in the New York Times proclaiming "You can hold our phone any way you want." The iPhone's competitors aren't coming out and naming names with their ads. They're doing what Apple has usually done in the past -- make sure everyone knows who you're referring to without actually referring to them by name. Apple, on the other hand, is going a few steps further and overtly showing the competition's products in a video solely produced by and controlled by Apple.
I just wonder how many handsets (if any) Apple has started filming the videos for only to find that they don't have the drop in signal bars? Only Apple knows the answer to that one. If that's actually happened, my guess is that the iPhone 5 will closely mimic the antenna design of those phones.
What a bunch of crybabies. I bet Apple fudged the videos, like they do the rest of their propaganda. They probably did it in their fancy cell blocking laboratory. What a joke. Quit whining and put MORE QUALITY into YOUR phone. How about something like a FULL Exchange Sync with Tasks and Notes. The fact that after 4 major iterations it still won't do that simple thing is pathetic.