Apple's Signal Strength Display Changes in iOS 4.0.1 and 4.1 Detailed

[VulchR]

Did anyone check the iPhone bar changes back when Apple increased them the first time?

Apple's new bars are still more optimistic than some phones. For instance, they show 2 bars where a Blackberry would show 1. And they show 3 bars where a Blackberry would show 2. They're more in sync at 4 and 5 bars.

Signal bars are mostly meaningless for WCDMA-3G anyway. The overall noise floor is much more important than the pilot channel signal strength.

So why use bars at all? Some have suggested Yes-No flags. I think the reason is that it provides at least some feedback on signal-vs-location. For good example, if you move around a little and make a call from a much higher signal reception area, it's probably a good thing for you and other users of that cell, since your phone might not have to artifically raise the noise level for no good reason.

+1 - hallelujah! Somebody gets it.

What we need is an indicator of performance from the end-user's perspective. The rate at which data is being successfully communicated would be a good possibility (I note that for MacOS X one can see the rate at which data flows to and from a network). Another possibility would be the ratio of the signal to the noise (S/N ratio, SNR). Or better yet, a reading that indicates the empirically derived probability (from real user data from volunteers) of a dropped call.

The only way Apple can weasel its way out of this mess is pure, unadulterated honesty and transparency, and the fix for the display of bars smacks of nonsense (if you believe it, perhaps you'd be interested in Spinal Tap's '#11' guitar). I hope Apple will say, 'Yes, we fixed this minor bars issue, which we explicitly recognize does not change the quality of reception, but we are working to optimize the software and future hardware designs to maximize reception'.

 

[JAT]

The American public can tolerate quite a bit, but they will not tolerate being played for a fool.

And yes, the ***** will hit the fan tomorrow at 10AM.

LOL!! You have a much higher opinion of the American public than I. Blind leading the blind, I say.

I wish someone would update T-Mobile or my RAZR2 with something like this, because my bars are basically pointless. On/Off as suggested above would be better than what I am dealing with right now. Most of the time at work I have 2-3 bars, yet never receive phone calls. I can't even count the number of messages that suddenly appear, yet the phone never rang.

 

[Jamie 360]

I liked my old, lying bars better. They looked complete. There, I said it.

Seriously. I downloaded 4.1 to my 3GS today, and now I don't know what the hell my signal is. I've known from June 2007 (1st iPhone release) up until today. The bars just go up and down for no reason at times. Better not be affecting battery life. Doesn't AT&T have to change their logo now? How about turning the bars into little question marks.

 

[JAT]

The bottom line is that customers were significantly mislead.

Oh, please. Like a significant portion of customers even know what the word attenuation means. If you didn't know that EVERY cell phone's meter is little more than a guideline, you're an idiot, or you just don't care.

But please, base the next decade of your expenditures for communication devices and services off iOS 4.0.1's adjustment to the signal bars. Take your free will and use it!! Use it hard!

 

[VulchR]

Perhaps there should be an 'honesty-in-bars' law... no, not those kinds of bars.

 

[mrelwood]

The bottom line is that customers were significantly mislead.

By a visual meter that's whole purpose is to be only give a hint? That wouldn't go through even if there were standards how to display network quality in five bars. That's like saying that I should get my money back because my bars have been too short for two years. Or I return my iPhone because it was shinier than the box made me think.

You made the decision not to buy products for AT&T network because the calls get cut off at your place. Now you know they cut of because AT&T's network is not that good at your place. What has changed?

If one had five bars and now have four or three, I don't find it very misleading. Nobody knows how other manufacturers show their bars, their algorithm might be even worse than iPhone's one used to. It has never been smart to compare different phones because of the bars display anyway. Can't accuse Apple, AT&T, RIM, HTC or Samsung for that.