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AppleCare Training Document on iPhone 4 Signal Issues Revealed

I can't believe anyone is surprised or bothered by this.

They simply need a consistent message for their troops to repeat while they work out the resolution. The damn phone just came out.

People have wacky expectations. Problems happen, and when they do.. it takes a bit of time to work them through.
 
Question

I know almost nothing about how antennas work.

Is this something that could even be fixed with software? I was under the impression that it wasn't an issue of the software not handling the hardware properly, but an issue of using your hand to turn to separate antennas into one.

Can anybody with experience on this subject confirm that this could be fixed by software.

Thanks.
 
BobVB said:
I've warned everyone on my Facebook page to cancel their orders, and return their phones before their return window closes. We all know a fixed version is in the works and who wants to waste their upgrade credit on a POS?

My 3GS will be fine until iPhone 4.1 comes out.

Boo Apple
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Total over-reaction!

I've had mine since the 23rd and have 0 dropped calls, and I really don't care what the signal strength is if it's not dropping calls and I can still access the services I use throughout the day. For the VAST majority of people who aren't having a problem, this is another forum fueled storm in a teacup.

If you are having a real (not perceived) problem with your 4, then buy a case, exchange it or return it......
 
...their flagship product is potentially suffering from an unfixable flaw. But does anyone else find it interesting, if not troubling, that there is no mention of an impending software fix?
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It's not unfixable. It's easily fixable actually. But it is a flaw in the physical design and will require a physical fix: a case or other means of covering the antennae so that your hand doesn't connection them. A software fix seems unlikely.

Mactagonist said:
when will this retarded "FAIL" meme go away? :confused:
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Eventually it will, but a new one will spring up in its place. Unfortunately some people will always feel the need to respond to internet posts with zero thought. "FAIL" is the current negative variant and "+1" or "this" are the positive variants.
 
tallyho said:
I keep the phone in a case - a nice leather one. This protects it from keys, coins or getting dropped. It comes out of the case when I make a call. I'm not wrapping any iPhone in an ugly piece of rubber.
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Fortunately, my iPhone fits perfectly into the leather case that came with my old Samsung Instinct, so there goes any worries about scratches. Now if I can just avoid dropping it. :cool:
 
Eddyisgreat said:
So you'll be returning your phone? What will you replace it with?
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Already have. I loved the phone, but the signal fault was too much of an issue for me. I will wait with a sim only / old 3GS until Apple get their **** in order.

As I say, apart from the signal issues, the phone was great. BUT, if Apple refused to do anything about them within a month or so, i'll just buy a Evo X or something. Or just keep my 3GS...

I won't however buy another Apple product if they don't address this - out of principle.
 
I just emailed this to steve this is a true story...

So i am having this reception issue when holding the phone to use the internet. I called tech support about it and the guy's advice was...

"Yeah, i'm going to use mine as an ipod touch and not going to worry about the phone part because AT&T sucks and the reception issue."

I'm not making this up. My name is .............. i called at 4:19 pm today. Then he put me through to a Tier 2 person who just said.. "Don't hold it that way." and "Use a case."

I've purchased all 4 iphones so far and waited in line for two of them. I have apple computers at my house and 8 at the music studio i work at. Honestly that's the worst customer service i've ever heard. I'm not going to return the phone, but i'm surprised at how i was treated. I love the way the phone looks and don't want to use a case but if i have to i guess i have to. Just hate that now i have go spend 30 more dollars on a ********* piece of rubber.


Your loyal apple customer,
......
 
Chic0 said:
No tests so far have shown that a hardware issue is to blame for reception problems on iPhone 4. In my own testing, I could not isolate any hand placement that prevented calls from working or lowered the reported data rates available, nor even could I force down the signal bars with a "death grip."
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It makes sense that bridging the antenna would cause a problem. Else, why did apple put the non-conductive spacers between them?

Admittedly though, what makes sense on the surface often doesn't translate to engineering issues.
 
I am satisified with my i4. I do get the reception issue from time to time, but it never degrades my voice quality. I even forced it to go to GPRS with one bar and it sounded the same as my 3G with 3 bars. No static, no garbled voice, just rock solid.

My question continues to be is how much of it is really all antenna. I know there are issues and there is no doubt about it. However at my apt, I can leave the phone on the table and it gets 1 3G bar or it will have 5. I can pick it up and do the death grip and I've actually had it gain 2 or 3 bars.

My guess, and it's just a guess, is that some of the issue is due to how AT&T hunts for a clear signal. I've had phone calls with 5 bars and it sounded like garbage. Then I've had the exact same phone call with two bars after I called back and it's way ahead of the previous call in terms of voice quality. Same goes for data speeds. 2 bars sometimes has given me better speeds than 5 bards. I think the software doesn't know how to dynamically hunt for a more clear signal properly. I have nothing to base this on and at this point, just more of how I think of it.

Could a software update fix the issues 100%? No, of course not. Physics won't allow it to. Can it help improve the situation? I think so. I'm going to give Apple and AT&T a chance to improve the reliabilty that so many are having with the new iPhone. I have never used a case/bumper or any kind of protection and don't plan to, even if it's free.

Personally, I always give AT&T a margin of 1 or 2 bars in signal fluctuation based upon my experience using their service for the last few years.
 
Chic0 said:
So far, the reports of the iPhone 4's antenna issues have been based entirely upon unscientific testing by users who don't understand how their signal bars work.
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Ah a straw man - this isn't about the bars, its about dropped calls. The declining bars is just a warning you are going to drop a call in a situation the 3GS never did.
 
If this indeed is true I will be done with Apple as a company. There is no reason on earth I should pay premium prices for a sub premium product. I might as well go buy a ****** plastic PC and a regular ol Blackberry at half the price and be ok with sub-standard products.. I can't begin to tell you how much this angers me. oh and for those of you who hate the phrase...........FAILFAILFAILFAILFAILFAIlFAIL

Steve....you really need to be ashamed of your self on this one! All of those who are not rich by any means that scrimped and saved to buy this product on your false promises that where full of bull ****....we will speak with our wallet!!!
 
1) I'm calling bollocks on the memo. A little more perspective than a screen cap of what ostensibly is a text document with a border will be required for me to just that hurdle of skepticism, and 2) Yes, this can be fixed with a software update. These are very high gain antennae, and by dropping their strength, you can make them less likely to conduct through skin and the problem will likely go away. Oh, I forgot to mention that the software fix will decrease antenna reception. So those of us who don't have a problem are going to suffer through mediocre reception thanks to these whining *******s.
 
It's obvious Apple knew about this prior to release.

Look at the problem the phone is having and the issues being reported. Look at the part of the phone that is causing the issue.

Now, look at the design of the "bumper". Too coincidental for me.

They KNEW about the issue and this bumper crap is the "fix" based on another product we need to buy.

Utterly ridiculous.
 
HiRez said:
What I don't understand is, why not put the break on the top of the phone instead of the bottom? Who holds their phone from the top? Even on the right side would be better as most people are right handed and hold the phone in their left hand so they can tap with their right hand fingers.

But anyway yeah, this is starting to look really bad for Apple. It definitely seems to be a design flaw that is widespread in who it effects and that amazingly no one caught before it was released.
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FCC rules require antenna on the bottom
 
Guys, let's just move on. This is crearly a hardware issue that can't be fixed in software.

Get a case, which most people do anyway, or just 'don't hold it like that'

Apple screwed this one and they know it. If you like the iPhone 4, and there is plenty to like, you'll have to overlook this issue.
 
This isn't even my major concern with iP4. Have you noticed that native iOS 4 apps (that take advantage of the high-res display) look great, but using other apps, and certainly browsing the web looks pretty bad.

Using Safari looks great until you zoom in on something. All the text looks great, but all images look really lousy with minimal zoom. The high-res screen might be too "high res" for its own good. Since images on web pages are not high-res, the higher the resolution on our 3.5 inch screens, the worse the web images are going to look, even partially zoomed the higher the resolution gets.

There really is no fix for this because web sites would have to use high-res images and then size them down in the HTML code, but this takes longer for pages to load, thus more bandwidth and not going to happen.

Anyway, might not be a big deal, since many websites are creating their own apps... Safari on iPhone may be used less and less often in the coming years, until "there's an app" for all the websites you visit.
 
The real memo reads like this:

"Tell the effing donkeys to stop holding the phone like a sissypants and get on with their lives."

But it was put through PR and spin school and that is how it came out.
 
Shhh...Apple replacing demo display phones in retail stores...

I was in the Apple store today and was trying to recreate this signal loss issue. I picked up one iPhone4 and called the one to the right of me. On the two phones I tried, no signal loss! (Face Time is very cool though!) I then looked to my right and an Apple employee was replacing the iPhone4 right next to me...hmmm? He had some sort of diagnostic looking cable - not sure what it was - but when I asked him what he was doing, he scurried away like a blue shirted oompa-loompa. I swear I heard a little flute sound in the background! ;)
 
Apple really doesn't have paying customers, at&t does.

I see nothing wrong with the memo as it comes to dealing with the hysteria until the software fix comes out.

I feel sorry for those of you who have truly defective units, but too many people are freaking out simply from seeing bars dropping when holding the unit when this phenomenon has existed since (and before) the original iPhone.
 
mrfriggz said:
Interesting. I think that this "issue" will be cleared up once the dust from the launch settles. IMO I believe people are slightly over-reacting, especially here on macrumors. The few friends and co-workers who happened to get their new iPhones already haven't made a peep about reception. Makes me think it isn't as big of a deal as a lot of people are making it. Just my 2c :apple:
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Your friends probably still believe that all those dropped calls are AT&T fault :D
 
I heard Apple will no longer invite left handed journalists to any of its events from now on hehe
 
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