AppleCare Training Document on iPhone 4 Signal Issues Revealed

[Steve Ballmer]

I've seen the so-called "reception issue" on my iPhone 4 only when I grip it in a certain way, but even then, it seems to be a software bug. I was able to make and receive calls, with normal, typical call quality, on both one bar and "NO SIGNAL" when holding the phone in the "death grip." Therefore, I feel that, at least with my phone, there isn't an issue and iOS 4.0.1 will remedy the overly-sensitive signal bars.

I will take a free Bumper if Apple offers it to me, though.

 

[derek4484]

THis is a hardware issue and clearly unfixable with firmware/softwore.

Exactly, its a piss poor design. Putting the antennae on the outside so your hands can short them out. How dumb are apple's engineers?

FAIL!

 

[wovel]

Stop whining and hold the phone differently or buy a bumper. I've had mine since Thursday and haven't had any problems at all.

Thats cause there IS NO ISSUE, ive had my i4 for 5 days, the reception is not much but slightly better than my 3gs, wtf are these people talking about. it HAS to be certain batches of phone cause if not for dumbass people on you tube 99% of people wouldnt even know about this isolated antenna thing

You know you are both about to be told you are either:

• Not Doing it Right
• Using it in the Wrong Places
• A Blind Fanboy

Welcome to the world of good is bad and bad is good.

 

[MacPhilosopher]

Are you brain dead? He said he's never had a dropped call based on how he HELD the phone. That is in no way like saying he has never had a dropped call.. This is not an issue of dropped calls because of AT&T.. we're talking about a very obvious design flaw.

Wouldn't a very serious design flaw effect every iPhone 4? How come it only effects some of the phones in some areas? Sounds like something between a problem with some batches of phones(manufacturing not design), or internet created mass hysteria.

 

[firewood]

I hold my cell phone like I hold every square shaped object of roughly the same size. The fact that it's a cell phone and not a box of raisins is a fairly recent development, however humans holding an object that large and roughly that shape is not.

Binoculars. I have a squarish set of compact travel binoculars. Have never seen someone palm the lens and then complain they couldn't see anything. They hold them between thumb and fingers, careful not to cover the lens or eyepiece, even on a rocking boat in the wind. Simple learned behavior.

The lens of a pair of binoculars is analogous to the antenna for an RF device.

 

[Evilution]

Return Phone?

There's not a single person reading this who's outside of their return window (at least in the US). If you're unsatisfied with the product or its performance, why don't you return it to the retailer?

Wouldn't that be easier than falling into spasms of outrage all over the internet? Just return it.

I'm tired of people telling us to return the phone. That doesn't solve anything. I want the phone that I bought to work as advertised. So for those who are saying return the phone, you either don't have the phone or you have it and you haven't (but you will) experience the dropped calls, internet drop outs.
I just had a friend try the "death grip" on his phone and he swore it worked and nothing was wrong, then he tells me now he's having issues too. Everyone has a well duplicated flawed device. You're not from a special batch or anything, its flawed plain and simple.

Keep complaining. If they want to keep their customers happy, they will fix it. Or do they care anymore?

 

[Gasu E.]

But why not say there is a software fix? What's wrong with saying they are aware of the problem and intend to fix it with a software update? That's already what they told Walt Mossberg of the WSJ.
.

Very simply, this is a customer support script. Right now, if there is a fix in the works, no one at Apple can say with any precision when the fix would be available. It is just a bad, bad idea for customer support reps to be making vague promises-- "well there is a fix coming, but I don't know when exactly or what's in it, etc.". Customer support has a very specific role, which is to help the customer address the problem (either through a fix or workaround). What you most certainly don't want to do is have first-line support reps opening up new cans of worms by planting new sources of anxiety in the customer's minds that are not there already.

Apple's guidelines for their reps are pretty much what any large, well-run company would provide their reps in this situation.

Boy Genius Report is clearly not written by anyone with any appreciation of large company processes. Apple is currently managing a (fairly moderate, except in MacRumors) crisis, and it unfortunate that in addition to dealing with the core technical and public relations problems they have the extra burden of having to put up with the fallout from stolen copies of their internal procedures.

 

[jbondkicks]

You could definitely be onto something there. I know that I don't have great reception at my house here, but my iphone 3G worked here... just a little choppy at times.

In this environment where there is already a weak signal, it is very obvious that the iphone 4 is far worse, especially when holding the phone as I always have, which unfortunately puts my ring finger in the 'sweet spot'.

When I go to my office (only 2.3 miles away), I can get my signal to drop from 5 down to 3, but calls are still good and I'm not concerned with that. As long as my calls work and my browsing speed is decent, I'm happy.

It's the choppy reception and dropped calls that peeves me.

I think the issue is probably not as big as it seems now, but I can assure you the ones that do experience it are not exaggerating, or at least I'm not.

I know there's no exaggeration -- I can place one finger on the little black band and get no service in about 45 seconds or so. It just donned on me that this proximity sensor issue might be making the reception issue seem a lot larger than it is to some. That is to say, they have issues with reception, but generally aren't holding the phone in a problematic way while talking on it and are still dropping calls (or perhaps more likely in these situations, face dialing the end call button).

 

[dj jammie]

if this statement is true

"although a number of users have already reported receiving bumpers from Apple as a means of addressing the signal issues."

im way annoyed as i only the other day spent £25 yes £25 for the smallest bit of rubber/plastic Apple have ever come up with. i love Apple products to bits but the price tag on the Bumper is insulting to say the least.

after the 5th call drop due to signal lose i had nothing but to try one of these so call bumpers (as there meant to help the signal Apple say) in fact they do but now if there giving away to people for FREE this is beyond a JOKE!!!!!

 

[firewood]

Wouldn't a very serious design flaw effect every iPhone 4? How come it only effects some of the phones in some areas?

Some people have a weak signal, barely enough for 5 bars. Some people have a stronger signal, maybe up to 10,000 times stronger. There are also 2 3G frequency bands with two different antenna requirements.

 

[rhanley]

Binoculars. I have a squarish set of compact travel binoculars. Have never seen someone palm the lens and then complain they couldn't see anything. They hold them between thumb and fingers, careful not to cover the lens or eyepiece, even on a rocking boat in the wind. Simple learned behavior.

The lens of a pair of binoculars is analogous to the antenna for an RF device.

Very mature response there -- Sounds like something a 12 y/o would respond with.

Way to dissect a post and grasp at a flaw in logic.

10 Cool Points for you!

 

[Woogaloo]

when will this retarded "FAIL" meme go away?

Better yet, when will this "holding it the wrong way" meme go away. It was funny the first few thousand times (and yes even it's true) it gets old quick.

 

[Amdahl]

The free bumper idea opens apple up to giving everyone a bumper when maybe only a few actually deserve one.

I wasn't going to respond on this thread, just reading it is enjoyment enough.

But this quote, right here, is the entire problem, and even the fanboys don't get it. Apple makes a fancy toy. It has a major problem; it doesn't work when people use it in a typical use scenario. It can be ameliorated with a cheap piece of rubber or plastic. Apple says "NO."

Nintendo makes a cheaper toy. It includes a strap, which customers are supposed to use so they don't throw their toy through a window or TV, or hit another person. The strap is a little weak. It might break. What does Nintendo do? They offer to mail anybody who asks up to four replacement straps. Then what do they do? They offer to mail anybody who asks up to four rubber bumpers for the Wii-mote controllers they MIGHT own.

Nintendo == Win. Nobody even thinks about this today.

Apple == FAIL. Dirty dealing is remembered.

 

[appleoracle]

i went to an apple store for fun and did the death grip to each one on display. they all lost some bars.

Don't even try to argue against these people. The are called apple fanboys for reason.

 

[Rooftop voter]

Binoculars. I have a squarish set of compact travel binoculars. Have never seen someone palm the lens and then complain they couldn't see anything. They hold them between thumb and fingers, careful not to cover the lens or eyepiece, even on a rocking boat in the wind. Simple learned behavior.

The lens of a pair of binoculars is analogous to the antenna for an RF device.

What if the lenses where placed exactly where you usually put your hands and have been doing it that way since you got your first phone?

 

[firewood]

Exactly, its a piss poor design. Putting the antennae on the outside so your hands can short them out.

Putting the antenna outside where it can get the very best signal in weak signal conditions, provide the user is smart enough not to cover it up. Very smart engineering.

Intelligent people have already learned not to stick their fingers over the lens when using the camera. It will eventually be the same with the antenna.

 

[rhanley]

Putting the antenna outside where it can get the very best signal in weak signal conditions, provide the user is smart enough not to cover it up. Very smart engineering.

Intelligent people have already learned not to stick their fingers over the lens when using the camera. It will eventually be the same with the antenna.

Your posts are so lame and ridiculous..... Is your email *@apple.com?

 

[derek4484]

Maybe some people are exaggerating their problems, but I am dropping about 90% of my calls... I am not doing anything unusual with the phone, I'm just holding it normally like I have held every phone I've ever owned... I paid way too much money for this phone to not work properly..
I understand some people are in denial about their precious Apple God failing them, but the product has issues. Sorry to burst the bubble.

I purchase all of Apple's products.. I love Apple, but this is a major fail.

Yea, thats what I find funny. The problem is clearly documented. Start loading a webpage and just touch your finger to one spot and it immediately stops downloading data. Yet some of these steve jobs-butt-kissing fanboys still wont admit that there is a legit problem.

I think this could be a serious opening for android phones, namely the Droid X and Droid 2 coming out next month. They have superior hardware and they dont have reception issues.

The absolute worst part is apple clearly knew about the problem. Why do you think they suddenly came out with a little rubber antenna cover for 29.99. This pushes me over the edge. You know the product has a flaw and then you try to get people to spend an additional 30 bucks to half ways remedy it? Apple/Steve Jobs you suck balls!

 

[wovel]

Very simply, this is a customer support script.

I agree with everything you said but this. This is nothing but a bunch of text typed in a box on BGR (not even a screenshot). They claim this text was relayed to them by someone inside Apple.

Don't even try to argue against these people. The are called apple fanboys for reason.

I went into 3 Apple stores and tried to make the Bars drop and none of them did on any phone! My evidence is 3x stronger than yours!

Yea, thats what I find funny. The problem is clearly documented. Start loading a webpage and just touch your finger to one spot and it immediately stops downloading data. Yet some of these steve jobs-butt-kissing fanboys still wont admit that there is a legit problem.

I think this could be a serious opening for android phones, namely the Droid X and Droid 2 coming out next month. They have superior hardware and they dont have reception issues.

The absolute worst part is apple clearly knew about the problem. Why do you think they suddenly came out with a little rubber antenna cover for 29.99. This pushes me over the edge. You know the product has a flaw and then you try to get people to spend an additional 30 bucks to half ways remedy it? Apple/Steve Jobs you suck balls!

And you ignore the countless other people who do just that and nothing bad happens. Maybe you don't know everything there is to know about the issue. So if you have an iPhone you are unhappy with, return it. Enjoy your droid.

 

[firewood]

What if the lenses where placed exactly where you usually put your hands and have been doing it that way since you got your first phone?

The iPhone camera lens in landscape mode is where I used to put my hands to hold a gameboy for gaming. Didn't take long to realize that I had to move my hand to take a photo in landscape mode.

 

[derek4484]

Putting the antenna outside where it can get the very best signal in weak signal conditions, provide the user is smart enough not to cover it up. Very smart engineering.

Intelligent people have already learned not to stick their fingers over the lens when using the camera. It will eventually be the same with the antenna.

Funny how that Swedish PhD saw the phone one time and immediately wrote an article predicting poor reception. What happened to Steve Jobs and the thousands of apple engineers? Maybe Jobs should try and hire some real engineers from Google.

 

[dmelgar]

Sad sad day.

Apple has been a model company. A great study of a successful business. Their core value has always been creating the best possible user experience.

How the mighty have fallen.

Jobs decides to filter apps on the app store to meet his unknown criteria. Apple and Apple alone decides what you are allowed to run on your iPhone or iPad.

Jobs/Apple dictates to developers how they must "originally" write their programs (to lock out cross platform tools), regardless if the result is good or not.

Jobs/Apple dictates which ads can be delivered on your iPhone (Apple's) and which ads cannot (Google's/AdMob).

Now Jobs/Apple dictates how you must hold your phone.

The most basic user experience using a phone is simply holding it. No longer caring about a good user experience, Jobs has the audacity to tell people they are simply holding it wrong.

It is amazing. It is even more amazing that ANYONE can defend this.
I have LOVED Apple products. But I cannot remotely defend such actions. They have become so full of themselves that they make Microsoft look good.

If its not obvious yet, THERE IS NO SOFTWARE FIX. This is a fundamental hardware design problem. Not reasonable to fix. Apple seems to be trying to sweep it under the rug.

 

[tfskora]

i still don't understand how this doesn't affect the wifi antenna. if it's causing the cellular antenna to short, shouldn't they both short?

i have seen many people ask this, but i have not been able to see anyone attempt to respond. I agree that it's an issue, but why isn't the issue replicated on the wifi antenna?

 

[rhanley]

I went into 3 Apple stores and tried to make the Bars drop and none of them did on any phone! My evidence is 3x stronger than yours!

You went into 3 Apple stores that all had excellent reception. I can take my iPhone 2 miles away and I don't have a single issue -- I can still get it to drop from 5 bars to 3, but my phone connection and web browsing is still top notch.

I come to my house that doesn't have great reception (but still was good enough that I never had dropped calls with my 3G which is 2 years old), and now, I get dropped calls, and I can clearly see the bars drop from 3 to 0 within 20 seconds of holding the phone naturally as I have held an iphone for the past 3 years.

 

[appleoracle]

I went into 3 Apple stores and tried to make the Bars drop and none of them did on any phone! My evidence is 3x stronger than yours!

A quick calculation reveals that you must have measured ~36.000 iPhone 4 units with a high-end RFA. True, then your evidence is 3x stronger than mine. I admit defeat.