AppleCare: The iPhone 4 Update Won't Solve the Antenna Problem

[phpmaven]

I see no reason to doubt Gizmodo here.

Are you serious? I wouldn't believe a word they say about anything at this point. Especially anything Apple related. This whole story on their site (I can't believe I actually read something on Gizmodo) is total bunk. There's no way that anybody at Apple would make the statements that they claim the made. Also, this nonsense that Apple just screwed up and didn't really think things through when it came to the antenna, is laughable.

 

[Jazerai]

can always call applecare yourself and find out...

 

[Kahnyl]

Or just, you know, read the press release again.

 

[node808]

Are you serious? I wouldn't believe a word they say about anything at this point. Especially anything Apple related. This whole story on their site (I can't believe I actually read something on Gizmodo) is total bunk. There's no way that anybody at Apple would make the statements that they claim the made. Also, this nonsense that Apple just screwed up and didn't really think things through when it came to the antenna, is laughable.

You're absolutely right, it is laughable. They certainly thought things through...thats why they created the bumper case.

It works like this....you find a problem late in the game and since it would be too costly to resolve the problem, you figure out a quick fix (bumper case) and just send it out anyway. Oh..and then you charge 29.99 for the case. Now that's laughable. What you fail to realize is that apple has a long history of releasing flawed products.

 

[rwilliams]

Also, this nonsense that Apple just screwed up and didn't really think things through when it came to the antenna, is laughable.

So it's just coincidence that Apple is suddenly selling "bumpers" for their phones, and that the bumpers magically resolve the antenna issues? Come on now, do you really think that people are that stupid?

 

[darngooddesign]

So it's just coincidence that Apple is suddenly selling "bumpers" for their phones, and that the bumpers magically resolve the antenna issues? Come on now, do you really think that people are that stupid?

By all of a sudden do you mean coinciding with the launch of the iPhone 4. This wasn't something invented after launch day and it isn't backwards compatible, so why would they sell the bumper prior to launch day.

Just because they didn't make 3GS accessories doesn't mean the bumper is proof of an antenna conspiracy. In this case, its just coincidental.

 

[tuatha]

Isn't this exactly what every rational non-apple-zealot has been saying since the day the phone was released?

Nice to have confirmation, I suppose. At least there won't be any more blinkered people starting threads with titles like "this is why I think it's a software problem"

 

[Jazerai]

Or just, you know, read the press release again.

actually the press release makes it sound like the signal bars 'bug' is the source of the problem. at the very least, it's rather vague.

---------

Dear iPhone 4 Users,

The iPhone 4 has been the most successful product launch in Apple’s history. It has been judged by reviewers around the world to be the best smartphone ever, and users have told us that they love it. So we were surprised when we read reports of reception problems, and we immediately began investigating them. Here is what we have learned.

To start with, gripping almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by 1 or more bars. This is true of iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, as well as many Droid, Nokia and RIM phones. But some users have reported that iPhone 4 can drop 4 or 5 bars when tightly held in a way which covers the black strip in the lower left corner of the metal band. This is a far bigger drop than normal, and as a result some have accused the iPhone 4 of having a faulty antenna design.

At the same time, we continue to read articles and receive hundreds of emails from users saying that iPhone 4 reception is better than the iPhone 3GS. They are delighted. This matches our own experience and testing. What can explain all of this?

We have discovered the cause of this dramatic drop in bars, and it is both simple and surprising.

Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong. Our formula, in many instances, mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength. For example, we sometimes display 4 bars when we should be displaying as few as 2 bars. Users observing a drop of several bars when they grip their iPhone in a certain way are most likely in an area with very weak signal strength, but they don’t know it because we are erroneously displaying 4 or 5 bars. Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place.

To fix this, we are adopting AT&T’s recently recommended formula for calculating how many bars to display for a given signal strength. The real signal strength remains the same, but the iPhone’s bars will report it far more accurately, providing users a much better indication of the reception they will get in a given area. We are also making bars 1, 2 and 3 a bit taller so they will be easier to see.

We will issue a free software update within a few weeks that incorporates the corrected formula. Since this mistake has been present since the original iPhone, this software update will also be available for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G.

We have gone back to our labs and retested everything, and the results are the same— the iPhone 4’s wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped. For the vast majority of users who have not been troubled by this issue, this software update will only make your bars more accurate. For those who have had concerns, we apologize for any anxiety we may have caused.

As a reminder, if you are not fully satisfied, you can return your undamaged iPhone to any Apple Retail Store or the online Apple Store within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.

We hope you love the iPhone 4 as much as we do.

Thank you for your patience and support.

Apple

--------

i wouldn't exactly call the line in bold type an admission of a hardware problem that can't be fixed by the coming patch. what applecare said (at least according to the article) is the most clear admission of a hardware problem given so far.

if there's another press release that i haven't seen and you're referring to, my bad.

 

[Kahnyl]

I have noticed a software bug related to this issue. When I lose 3G while gripping the phone, it won't come back when I let go. I have to toggle Airplane Mode to get it back. I actually think that's the most annoying part.

 

[diabolic]

actually the press release makes it sound like the signal bars 'bug' is the source of the problem. at the very least, it's rather vague.

My guess is that the update will fix people seeing signal dropping from 5 bars to none because they never really had 5 in the first place. After the fix, it will drop from 2 or 3 to none instead.

It won't fix all signal attenuation when you bridge the antenna seam. Apple will say don't bridge the seam, and stand by their design, telling people to return the phone if it doesn't work well enough for them.

They'll say this is "as designed" and that people should move on.

 

[rwilliams]

By all of a sudden do you mean coinciding with the launch of the iPhone 4. This wasn't something invented after launch day and it isn't backwards compatible, so why would they sell the bumper prior to launch day.

Just because they didn't make 3GS accessories doesn't mean the bumper is proof of an antenna conspiracy. In this case, its just coincidental.

Of course it is.

 

[dagomike]

My guess is that the update will fix people seeing signal dropping from 5 bars to none because they never really had 5 in the first place. After the fix, it will drop from 2 or 3 to none instead.

It won't fix all signal attenuation when you bridge the antenna seam. Apple will say don't bridge the seam, and stand by their design, telling people to return the phone if it doesn't work well enough for them.

They'll say this is "as designed" and that people should move on.

Honestly I hope they either do say that or exchange the phone for a working one. Apple has been in limbo whether there is even a problem vs people misinterpreting what's going on. As if you can misinterpret a dropped call.