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Apple took it in the shorts with antenna gate.
- Thread starter falconeight
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*runs off to go Google the reference*
Edit: GOT IT! "How do you do the clock?"
a great and very quotable movie!
The press didn't go after apple because it was a huge problem, they went after apple because jobs dragged his smug face onto a stage and said there was no problem. It was the user's fault. This follows a long line of apple's lying about problems such as failing video cards in macbook pros, batteries that fail for no apparent reason, constantly failing hard drives, scraping money off the top of company profits and not reporting it in taxes, etc. Since their market share is so low it never came to light before but a small percentage of a huge number is a lot of people so the iphone broke the ice. Apple deserved everything they got. In fact, they got off easy, they should have replaced my phone and the phone of everyone who was affected by the design fault or they should have twisted AT&T's arm to let us out of contract so we could get a phone that worked with a carrier that worked. Apple's good at twisting the truth to get what they want, why not this time?
And the only people who "took it in the shorts" are the people that still buy a line from a company who couldn't care less about their own product once they have your money. When your name is officially Jesus and you can perform miracles at will...hell, I'll make it easy. When you have a clue about how electromagnetism, RF frequency operation and antenna design you can sit in judgement of anyone else. Until then, shut it.
You're holding it wrong......take your case off.
Seriously though, I took off my case just now. Held the phone between my fingers by the glass. I've got 5 bars of service.
While still holding it by the glass between my fingers in my right hand, I put the pointer finger of my left hand on the black bar. Dropped to 3 bars. I repeated this 4 times and all 4 times it dropped.
THAT is an example of antenna detuning that very few phones suffer from. This is NOT the same as the attenuation that is experienced by wrapping your hand around the antenna (basically blocking the signal). I think the G2 or something like that is the only other phone I've seen have this issue because it also utilizes part of the case as an antenna. (Don't hold me to this, don't recall which phone it was for sure).
Read more on it here:
http://www.antennasys.com/antennasys-blog/2010/6/26/hey-hold-the-phone-like-this.html
http://www.macworld.com/article/152398/2010/06/antenna_faq.html
Do I come on this forum and rant about it? No, I've adjusted and it doesn't truly affect my daily use.
But is it true? Yes, absolutely.
Is Steve Jobs an idiot for how he handled it? Absolutely. But he'll get over it.
Did it harm Apple's sales? Not from what I can tell.
What an outrageously ridiculous comment. Apple should sue who?? And why?? They clearly had a defective product. You know how we will know it was a defective product? When iPhone 5 does not have an exposed antenna. Furthermore, I believe Apple knows who they should (should not) sue a bit more than you...
Here's the problem I have with the whole antenna issue. I can be loading a web page and simply accidentally cover the tiny little black line with my pinky finger and halt the data in it's tracks. If my finger is even touching that black line, my iPhone STOPS WORKING.
Please show me another phone that does that. Please.
Now, I have to be super careful about where I place my hand or finger if I want to receive emails or do anything that requires a data connection.
There are some towns I can go to where I can cover the antenna with my whole hand and not experience an issue. The people who do not have this issue live in places like this. It doesn't mean they have an iPhone 4 with a fixed antenna, it just means they don't live in an area where they can see the problem.
It's a very real issue and I think that the reason it has died down is because people have gotten their free cases and got tired of talking about it. Most people have cases by preference anyway. My iPhone is the only iPhone 4 I have seen in my area without a case. I simply don't like cases. Especially since my brothers iPhone is all scratched up from his bumper and mine looks brand new.
Please show me another phone that does that. Please.
Now, I have to be super careful about where I place my hand or finger if I want to receive emails or do anything that requires a data connection.
There are some towns I can go to where I can cover the antenna with my whole hand and not experience an issue. The people who do not have this issue live in places like this. It doesn't mean they have an iPhone 4 with a fixed antenna, it just means they don't live in an area where they can see the problem.
It's a very real issue and I think that the reason it has died down is because people have gotten their free cases and got tired of talking about it. Most people have cases by preference anyway. My iPhone is the only iPhone 4 I have seen in my area without a case. I simply don't like cases. Especially since my brothers iPhone is all scratched up from his bumper and mine looks brand new.
+ 1. As most intelligent people realize, the antenna issue does exist.
But what makes it worst on this phone (imo) is the LOCATION. On previous iPhones I never had the problem because it was never in an obvious location that I consistently touched. On I4, it's in a very obvious spot on the side. All they need to do is change the spot where the antenna bridges to some less obvious place (top?).
I want to sue the OP for bringing this back up.
No problems here, and I don't live in a great signal area (usually less than -100). I don't know a single person who has this problem.
No problems here, and I don't live in a great signal area (usually less than -100). I don't know a single person who has this problem.
Very good for you, but it still comes down to location.
You don't know of anyone with the problem in your area but eveyone who has an iPhone 4 in my area has the problem (whether it bothers them is another story altogether)
We all have iPhones from different weeks and productions.
Like I said before, I can litterally go into town and not have any issues at all with the reception on my iPhone, but at my work and where I live is totally different. Just touching the black line halts data completely. It's like taking a hose and squeezing it in the middle until the water stops.
I had this problem on my launch day iPhone 4 and on my recent iPhone 4.
Just because you and your friends don't see the problem, doesn't mean that you should should shrug off the people who do as if we're complaining about nothing.
I've never seen an iPhone 4 with a yellow screen but I don't go around saying (What problem? Mine isn't yellow. There is no yellow screen issue). See how selfish that sounds?
You know... apple could have avoided the whole mess if they had:
1. Put the black bar on top of the phone where few people hold it during a phone call
2. Admitted that there was an issue instead of denying when even a 3rd grader could tell you there was an issue.
3. Not made yet another device that sucks at its main purpose (to be a wireless phone)
I am not sure why people keep bringing it up. Apple got beat up, sure. You win some and you lose some. All companies have had their share of screw ups. Uncle Steve will never ever say that he is wrong, just realize that he is a lying dirtbag and go on with your lives.
If anything, you apple fans should be happy that Apple got beat up so bad over antenna-gate.... it will make Uncle Steve think twice the next time he tries to feed more of his ********* to the public when there is a problem with one of his products.
1. Put the black bar on top of the phone where few people hold it during a phone call
2. Admitted that there was an issue instead of denying when even a 3rd grader could tell you there was an issue.
3. Not made yet another device that sucks at its main purpose (to be a wireless phone)
I am not sure why people keep bringing it up. Apple got beat up, sure. You win some and you lose some. All companies have had their share of screw ups. Uncle Steve will never ever say that he is wrong, just realize that he is a lying dirtbag and go on with your lives.
If anything, you apple fans should be happy that Apple got beat up so bad over antenna-gate.... it will make Uncle Steve think twice the next time he tries to feed more of his ********* to the public when there is a problem with one of his products.
This always makes me laugh. Do people not realize that A) there is already a break at the top of the phone? and B) that the length of the antenna is very important and that it shouldn't be changed? So sure, relocate the black bar, but the other 2 will have to rotate with it (rotate the one at the bottom 3 inches, the other 2 rotate 3 inches as well)....which means always placing a black bar in a location that someone will somehow touch it.
Touching the black bar at the top or at the right does NOTHING to the cell signal. However, it's the one on the left that kills it.
How do you explain that?
It's obviously not the black bar causing the issue... that is just the point at which two antennas will be bridged if you touch it, causing detuning. The only real way to fix this is to make the antenna is internal again (which I doubt apple will do now) or coat the exterior antenna... which is the more plausible solution and one that I know Apple's been working on for a while...
In fact, a patent was just released to public... check it out here: http://gizmodo.com/5676048/apples-t...r-gadgets-extra-scratch+resistant-and-durable
The patent talks about durability and fit/finish. Of course those things are also important... but it is also non-conductive, making it possible for all future iOS devices that requires a cellular network of some sort to continue to use external antennas. The merits are there... reception IS better on a whole with the iPhone 4's external antenna when you don't detune it. This is simply a way to make a best of both worlds scenario. I'm pretty sure the iPhone 4S/5 will have this coating on it.
Apple could've started coating now if they wanted to... they chose not to because today's tech saavy public would instantly buzz about "new coated iphone 4s" and instantly start another negative media *****torm, causing many to complain and demand refunds and may even spur some genuine class action lawsuits. Sales are fine as it is... apple will just wait it out until next summer. Think about this all logically from a business perspective and it'll make a lot more sense. Why else is the "free bumper" program still covertly active? All you need to do is call... no hassles whatsoever from the phone tech. They will mail you one right away.
In fact, a patent was just released to public... check it out here: http://gizmodo.com/5676048/apples-t...r-gadgets-extra-scratch+resistant-and-durable
The patent talks about durability and fit/finish. Of course those things are also important... but it is also non-conductive, making it possible for all future iOS devices that requires a cellular network of some sort to continue to use external antennas. The merits are there... reception IS better on a whole with the iPhone 4's external antenna when you don't detune it. This is simply a way to make a best of both worlds scenario. I'm pretty sure the iPhone 4S/5 will have this coating on it.
Apple could've started coating now if they wanted to... they chose not to because today's tech saavy public would instantly buzz about "new coated iphone 4s" and instantly start another negative media *****torm, causing many to complain and demand refunds and may even spur some genuine class action lawsuits. Sales are fine as it is... apple will just wait it out until next summer. Think about this all logically from a business perspective and it'll make a lot more sense. Why else is the "free bumper" program still covertly active? All you need to do is call... no hassles whatsoever from the phone tech. They will mail you one right away.
I've just got my iPhone 4 and live in a pretty weak signal area. I couldn't manage to get the signal to drop by holding the phone but could very easily by bridging the gap with a key (as shown in an early youtube video). I know that I have high skin resistance and I guess people with lower skin resistance can probably kill the signal by bridging it with their hands (which explains why some people see the problem and some don't).
However, one thing that I have noticed is that the signal is generally better with the iPhone 4 than any other phone I've had (it's pretty much the only phone I've had where I can get a consistent signal anywhere in my house), so the external antenna is definitely helping there.
My view on this is that there is definitely a problem for some users, and hopefully Apple will find a way to get rid of that without putting the antenna back inside. However, as others have said, the biggest mistake Apple made was Steve Jobs' flippant e-mail response to users...
However, one thing that I have noticed is that the signal is generally better with the iPhone 4 than any other phone I've had (it's pretty much the only phone I've had where I can get a consistent signal anywhere in my house), so the external antenna is definitely helping there.
My view on this is that there is definitely a problem for some users, and hopefully Apple will find a way to get rid of that without putting the antenna back inside. However, as others have said, the biggest mistake Apple made was Steve Jobs' flippant e-mail response to users...
Thats funny I just touched blackberries in the verizon store and made them lose signal after my ******* friend (I mean that in a nice way) tried to tell me they don't lose signal when touched.
I used to sell cellphones for Verizon, ATT, TMobile, and Sprint back when Circuit City carried every brand. Most phones lose signal when you touch the antenna and it usually does not result in dropped calls.
He never said there was no problem, he said that it was a problem shared by all phones. (yes, there is a difference in common signal attenuation and actually detuning the antenna, but even bridging the antennae does nothing for most people. i death grip my phone while talking on the regular)
As for blaming the user, this was a big misinterpretation. Steve's email stating "just avoid holding it that way" was immediately spun to mean "you're holding it wrong." You never see people quoting what he actually said. You see them quoting something that was actually never, ever said.
There is a huge difference between telling the customer they're doing something wrong to cause an issue, and suggesting that the customer avoid a specific area (a thin line stretching less than 1 cm) in order to avoid detuning the antenna.
So if we're talking about twisting the truth, the media and public are just as guilty as anyone.
The iphone has a flawed antenna design plain and simple just accept it. It's the only phone that can be made to lose it's signal by touching a spot with one finger, but it's easily dealt with by not touching that spot.
The Samsung Galaxy phones on the other hand have an even worse defect, the display is way too dim and has a blue tint that looks awfull, but nobody mentions it. That's why I chose the Aria over the Captivate when I purchased an Android phone. The SAMOLED is supposed to be great but it looks like crap and ruins the phone.
The Samsung Galaxy phones on the other hand have an even worse defect, the display is way too dim and has a blue tint that looks awfull, but nobody mentions it. That's why I chose the Aria over the Captivate when I purchased an Android phone. The SAMOLED is supposed to be great but it looks like crap and ruins the phone.
If you say so. Uncle Steve went on the record saying that there was no antenna issue. Even during the press conference he never admitted that the detuning issue was a problem specific to the iPhone4. Instead, he tried to confuse the issue by bringing out other phones (which are all better at handling radio signals), and attenuating the signal in areas of weak strength.
Uncle Steve is a lying dirtbag. Plain and simple. Always has been, always will be (just ask the Woz). If he wasn't heading up Apple then he'd be selling used cars.
I call BS because there is no exposed antenna on the BB. You must have wrapped your hand around it, not just simply touched the sides.
And I too not only sold the phones, I was a national trainer for a major retailer. I worked all over the US with various phones on various carriers. (In case we're comparing credentials here.)
New Coating?
So, the iPhone4(S?) will have some new type of coating to address the antenna issues - is this what everyone thinks? And that'll be this coming Summer? No way there will be a change before then?
I remember reading (I think here on OS Rumors) that some exec in Mexico thought it was going to be addressed - some new hardware - by the end of the year. Anyone else remember that?
So, the iPhone4(S?) will have some new type of coating to address the antenna issues - is this what everyone thinks? And that'll be this coming Summer? No way there will be a change before then?
I remember reading (I think here on OS Rumors) that some exec in Mexico thought it was going to be addressed - some new hardware - by the end of the year. Anyone else remember that?