AppleCare Training Document on iPhone 4 Signal Issues Revealed

[tofa.nheu]

People are missing the point with the whole "return your iphone thing" and with the comparisons to other companies with flawed products.

This issue is about principle.

How many other companies set out with the boldness to say that a phone "changes everything"? And then hide/ignore the fact that it has severe design flaws.

User expectation are higher with Apple, and Apple knows this and expects this in the way they present themselves and their products, they are MEANT to have better products, and we DO have higher expectations thats why we shop Apple. This is not some ****** phone with bad reception. This is the iPhone 4 with ****** reception.

Well you've done it Apple, this really does change everything.

 

[carmenodie]

look how many of us would tell Apple to go to hell with their BS if there was another tech company that could do it the way they could? I know I would but there ain't. Meh!
Apple has awesome sh** and I want it. LOL!
Have you seen the 27 inch imac?
OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!
And the iphone 4 I know has hidden stuff. I have the 3GS and I couldn't believe it when after I downloaded the iphone 4 OS that the 3 mega pix camera could zoom.DAMN!

 

[GSPice]

I love my Incipio Feather iPhone 4 case.

 

[NoExpectations]

So, all those dropped calls on the 3GS were also due to Apple (and not AT&T)? This is bad....very bad for Apple.

 

[LagunaSol]

The problem with the iPhone 4 has nothing to do with muffling the signal, it has to do with making the antenna go haywire by bridging the two antennas. You can do it with a fingertip, a coin, a drop of water, anything reasonably conducive really.

The former is only a problem if you're hell bent on holding your cellphone with boxing gloves on.
The latter is a problem if you have hands.

Interesting, because here I sit, bridging the two antennas with my finger, my palm, even a coin as you suggested, yet I can't make it lose bars, drop a call or stop loading data.

Yet in another part of town I was able to do this by holding the phone in the grip of death.

There's more to this issue than a simple bridging of antennas.

 

[firewood]

Apple should just give out free bumpers to those who have prob at the very least. or make them half off!!!

They should have priced the bumpers at $40, then reduced the price to $20 after people started complaining. They would probably would have made even more money off of the bumpers that way.

 

[firewood]

Interesting, because here I sit, bridging the two antennas with my finger, my palm, even a coin as you suggested, yet I can't make it lose bars, drop a call or stop loading data.

Yet in another part of town I was able to do this by holding the phone in the grip of death.

There's more to this issue than a simple bridging of antennas.

You had a much weaker 5 bars (up to 10,000X less signal) in that other part of town.

 

[chrmjenkins]

Interesting, because here I sit, bridging the two antennas with my finger, my palm, even a coin as you suggested, yet I can't make it lose bars, drop a call or stop loading data.

Yet in another part of town I was able to do this by holding the phone in the grip of death.

There's more to this issue than a simple bridging of antennas.

Correct. There may be a switching issue, for instance. There are potentially things to be addressed by a software update, but it won't magically make all the issues disappear.

 

[Stink Star]

so everybody is getting upset at a company document that teaches CS how to help a customer? i dont understand the logic in that.... lets say they get 50 calls a shift about a phone losing reception, the human thing to do would be after 25 calls just start rambling on about bumpers, when maybe the #26 callers phone has a legitimate other concern not having to do with the lower left corner. they are trying to be systematic about this.... i see no fault

 

[lilo777]

Interesting, because here I sit, bridging the two antennas with my finger, my palm, even a coin as you suggested, yet I can't make it lose bars, drop a call or stop loading data.

Yet in another part of town I was able to do this by holding the phone in the grip of death.

There's more to this issue than a simple bridging of antennas.

You wish. First Steve Jobs and then the official Apple document told us - do not touch the antennas this way. I guess you are smarter than them then.

 

[EagerDragon]

For best reception stick your thumb up your ____Pick place________ While keeping elbows elevated and speak on the phone.

 

[JoJoCal19]

Not likely since everybody has the option of returning their phones to Apple.

Not without paying restocking fee for returning a defective product.

 

[nxent]

humorously ironic that apple's insistence on having a veil of secrecy around their new products with design and testing got them into this...

and it's also ironic that iphone 4's launch success pretty much rules out any hardware design fixes (1.6 million sold in 3 days... with an untold # in production...good luck)

kind of reminds me of icarus and that 'thing' with toyota's brake pedals. (something about being weary of too much success)

hoping apple learns from this... glad i'm sticking with my 3gs a little while longer. and peeps with the iphone 4 should really stop whining and just get the iphone case. i mean, how many folks out there really were planning on carrying that pretty phone naked, au natural ?

and yeh, if no software fix is available, the least 'painful' thing is for apple to simply include a complimentary case with each new iphone.

 

[chrmjenkins]

You wish. First Steve Jobs and then the official Apple document told us - do not touch the antennas this way. I guess you are smarter than them then.

And prior to this, they also mentioned that there is a known error in the phone's reporting of reception bars. The problem has always been associated with perceived reception as it has been actual reception degradation.

 

[madmax_2069]

I can't believe people are even getting into arguments or not... whether you hold the phone in your left hand or your right hand, it's a stupid error on Apple's part... they can do better than this. And the fact that people who hold it in their right hand are using that to try and feel superior and degrade each other, well, that's pretty pathetic.

+1

I do not think anyone should be telling people to hold their phones period. Each person is different and would hold the device a little different. It is a blunder on Apples side and most fanboys fail to see it.

 

[wirelessmacuser]

Apple really needs to become proactive on this one or they could lose a lot of money,reputation,consumer confidence and a CEO.

I too am an Apple enthusiast with a lot invested in their computers, iPhones & the like. I agree with all you've said. Unfortunately Apples current CEO has lost his grip on reality. He's got too many people under his spell. Hanging on his every word. Drunk on power & control, he's on a tear.

 

[bathysphere]

Because the Internet told them to.

It's like the old, common sense joke:

Patient: "Doc, it hurts when I press right here."

Doctor: "So don't press right there."

It's funny because it's true.

Heck, I can find a lot of spots on my body that hurt if I press them just right. I doesn't mean there's something wrong with me or that I'm dying.

But Steve Jobs comes out and tells people not to bury the corner of their phone in the palm of their hands (which is unnatural for most people anyway when holding a phone up to the ear) and everyone screams "WHY NOT??? OMG, WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY PHONE???"

Weird.

um, i don't think you understand the significance of that joke. however, it does apply to apple's response to the situation at hand. if i went to my doctor and said, "doctor, my foot hurts every time i take a step," and the doctor replied, "well, maybe you should walk differently," i would sure as hell go to a different doctor.

 

[scwinsett]

Don't hold it like normal people hold phones

 

[BobVB]

You don't need to put the beautiful device in a bumper or case, if you are not so old and inflexible that you can still learn to "hold different".

Well yes I am older thsn you having programmed on ARPNET and PLATO. And yes I have had a broken neck with nerve damage in my left hand. So no I'm not going to hold a $600 phone other than in a firm grip with it's center of gravity in the center of the grip...

Fortunately every other phone I've ever owned had absolutely no problem with that, that is until last Thursday.

So old people or any one who can't hold their phone like a princess just shouldn't get an iPhone anymore?

 

[firewood]

Unfortunately Apples current CEO has lost his grip on reality.

You can make bets on this hypothesis by buying or shorting Apple stock. Have you put your money where you mouth is?

 

[antbikerjl]

What I think is funny is that they admit that cell phones lose signal when you hold them, which is the truth. But yet, they then tell you to buy a case to fix this issue. So not ONLY are you having your hands still grip AROUND the phone, which they say results in signal lose, they also have another barrier such as a case to even further interfere. Wow Apple, just wow! Just admit your amazing design is flawed and get off your high horse. My iPhone 4 has been returned and never looking back to another ever again. I couldn't make a call unless I held the phone "their way" or let them make more money off me by making me buy a case to use a damn phone. I hope the DoJ rips them apart on their upcoming probes and such, and hope this class-action lawsuit puts this darn company out of business and fast...

 

[lilo777]

And prior to this, they also mentioned that there is a known error in the phone's reporting of reception bars. The problem has always been associated with perceived reception as it has been actual reception degradation.

Nope. It's all unofficial. I get it that you are referring to Walt Mossberg review. Never has Apple said officially anything about software fix.

 

[Andreafea]

Lefty discrimination

I was at the apple store today playing with the iPhone 4... I placed it in my left hand and yup the bars seemed to disapear right before my eyes! I have my first generation phone still and I was going to break down & buy the new iPhone, but how do I buy a phone that isn't meant to work for left handed people? BAD APPLE!

 

[skellener]

The most interesting thing about this issue is that Apple makes a case called the "Bumper" that wraps around the metal part of the phone that fixes the problem.

Think they knew about the antenna issue before release?

OF COURSE THEY DID!!!!!

 

[lilo777]

I too am an Apple enthusiast with a lot invested in their computers, iPhones & the like. I agree with all you've said. Unfortunately Apples current CEO has lost his grip on reality. He's got too many people under his spell. Hanging on his every word. Drunk on power & control, he's on a tear.

Good one