Aside from Signal Issue, Consumer Reports Rates iPhone 4 Highest Amongst All Smartphones

[Kadman]

Like I mentioned before, you can spend 100k on a Lingenfelter Vette and have to change the oil. It's called maintenance and protection.

Analogy fail. This is more like, "you spent 100k on the Vette but the engine stalls out regularly. Now it's up to YOU to buy a new air intake system because the manufacturer focused on design instead of function and there isn't enough air for combustion."

 

[Kadman]

You see this is the problem, I understand some people are not happy, and they want to express themselves but comments like

"eah, and except for that little gas tank problem, the Ford Pinto was a very safe vehicle! "
and
"it's a fatal flaw"
and
"It's like having your daughter bring home a young suitor who's pulling a 4.0 GPA at Harvard, is heir to a billion dollar business, is great with kids, but also happens to have murdered their last three girlfriends"

is just a mild form of insanity, it's so far over the top that it's not even funny, there is a very odd amount of hysteria around all this, I can't help but wonder what is the cause, Apple haven't hurt anyone or done anyone harm in any way, they are just a group of people that design and make things, they are very very good at it, they do make mistakes sometimes but so does every human being on the planet.

Now if you are so unhappy then take it back, stop using it and get something else, Apple give you this option freely, they don't want people to be unhappy, they try there very hardest everyday to give us all great products, there are people working there asses off everyday, and just to remind some people these are PEOPLE just like themselves, they are not super humans that owe the world in some way, they do there best, but its much much harder than you can imagine to deliver, but they do deliver in a big way a lot of the time, for me and many others they have done a great job with the iPhone4, but if you are unhappy take it back and move on, please just find something more worthwhile to attack, there are many injustices in the world that need people like yourselves to draw attention to it.

Whatever level of triviality you put this on, you've spent YOUR time defending it. Pot? Kettle? If you don't like people calling it out then go somewhere else or simply don't read threads like this. Duh!

...or maybe you just feel the urge to keep fighting it because you feel people on the Internet are wrong and you must personally make it all right.

 

[buc]

While I find that answer somewhat insulting and dumb I have purchased the bumper. Guess what? My signal still drops to no bars when holding the phone.

Don't take this personally, but you are lying.

I'm sure there is an issue, but these posts made by people who probably dont' even have the phone don't do anybody any good.

 

[jrbdmb]

Like I mentioned before, you can spend 100k on a Lingenfelter Vette and have to change the oil. It's called maintenance and protection.

But what if you take delivery of the Vette only to find there is no steering wheel. There's a stub that you can attach a set of vise-grips to to turn the car, but the steering wheel is extra.

That's the point - a $30 accessory should not be required to make the iPhone 4 work as advertised. Protecting the phone from drops is on me, but preventing dropped calls is on Apple.

 

[Swampthing]

I also have no degradation in signal strength and made a video showing that... since some folks in this thread claim that there isn't sufficient video evidence out there demonstrating it doesn't affect ALL users.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7sKyemdp4E

 

[dijisurf]

i am sorry to tell all apple haters that ip4 works fine everywhere i tried. nyc, nj, etc.. if you want me to try on top of a mountain in alaska, send me a ticket....
couple of phones go bad and everyone start slamming apple.... jealousy is such a shame....

 

[jrbdmb]

Don't take this personally, but you are lying.

I'm sure there is an issue, but these posts made by people who probably dont' even have the phone don't do anybody any good.

I and believe that those who claim to only get 2 or 3 bars of signal normally but do not experience the Death Grip don't have the iPhone 4 either.

 

[cgurr1]

You see this is the problem, I understand some people are not happy, and they want to express themselves but comments like

"eah, and except for that little gas tank problem, the Ford Pinto was a very safe vehicle! "
and
"it's a fatal flaw"
and
"It's like having your daughter bring home a young suitor who's pulling a 4.0 GPA at Harvard, is heir to a billion dollar business, is great with kids, but also happens to have murdered their last three girlfriends"

is just a mild form of insanity, it's so far over the top that it's not even funny, there is a very odd amount of hysteria around all this, I can't help but wonder what is the cause, Apple haven't hurt anyone or done anyone harm in any way, they are just a group of people that design and make things, they are very very good at it, they do make mistakes sometimes but so does every human being on the planet.

Now if you are so unhappy then take it back, stop using it and get something else, Apple give you this option freely, they don't want people to be unhappy, they try there very hardest everyday to give us all great products, there are people working there asses off everyday, and just to remind some people these are PEOPLE just like themselves, they are not super humans that owe the world in some way, they do there best, but its much much harder than you can imagine to deliver, but they do deliver in a big way a lot of the time, for me and many others they have done a great job with the iPhone4, but if you are unhappy take it back and move on, please just find something more worthwhile to attack, there are many injustices in the world that need people like yourselves to draw attention to it.

I don't understand why you care to reply? Apple released a product that has a design flaw that has been proven by enough people. When you buy something that doesn't work as it is intended then you should be able to take that back for an EXCHANGE not a refund. If it is unable to be solved via software, issue recall/fix. That's why recalls exist. If apple had said "this is the greatest phone ever. Just make sure you don't touch this part of the phone or your calls will drop and you can't download things", then it would be different. But the fact is, they ****ed up. They issued a product that had a major design flaw and they're trying to cover it up. My dad works for a major Cali Tech company and he says they always do this as well. If they can cover it up, they won't tell anybody. However this is different, b/c there's no way they can keep covering this up due to the amount of people using it, who will bring this issue to a more public light. It will eventually get really bad if this software thing doesn't cure the signal issues.

With that being said, I just bought a case and it went away. However I still think it is ****** I had to do that.

 

[jrbdmb]

I also have no degradation in signal strength and made a video showing that... since some folks in this thread claim that there isn't sufficient video evidence out there demonstrating it doesn't affect ALL users.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7sKyemdp4E

I would strongly suggest that you read a bit more on this issue. You're video proves nothing.

Summary: he has 5 bars, gives it the Death Grip, still 5 bars. Just proves he is located in a good signal strength area. BTW, you need to hold the iPhone longer - 20 or 30 seconds - to allow the bars to update.

Other videos on YouTube trying to "prove" there is no issue do exactly the same thing. If there is a video of someone with two or three bars who doesn't see this issue, we would all like to see a pointer to that.

 

[spunkybart]

Great phone!

it is an awesome phone.

Exactly. The iPhone 4 has much better reception than my 3G. It's working great for me.

I naturally hold the phone (in my left hand) in such a way that I do NOT cover the space between the antennas. So, I haven't had any issues at all. None. Zip. Nada.

Having said that -- the way Apple has responded to this is a textbook example of how NOT to respond to a customer problem. If Steve Jobs and Apple had wanted to help their competitors, they couldn't have picked a better way to respond to this situation!

1) Hold it a different way.
2) Buy one of our (pricey-but-don't-protect-the-phone-just-improve-reception) bumpers.
3) OMG, we're calculating the signal strength all wrong!
4) Return it for refund if you don't like it.

I just don't know where to start with those responses!

How about if the very first response had been "We value our customer's input and are looking into the issue."

And then if the second response had been "We have verified the issue and are looking at the best way to address the issue."

Then, Apple could have issued the recommendation of not covering the space between the antennas when holding the phone. And they might have offered free bumpers to anyone that wanted one.

I think that would have calmed the angry mob much better!

 

[OllyW]

I also have no degradation in signal strength and made a video showing that... since some folks in this thread claim that there isn't sufficient video evidence out there demonstrating it doesn't affect ALL users.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7sKyemdp4E

You have the full five bars, which means you could be in an area with very good reception. Because of the inaccurate signal display you might actually be losing your signal without it registering on the display.

The only way to prove your phone hasn't got reception issues is for you to repeat the test in an area where the phone only displays 2 or 3 bars.

 

[Poll Smoker]

I would strongly suggest that you read a bit more on this issue. You're video proves nothing.

Summary: he has 5 bars, gives it the Death Grip, still 5 bars. Just proves he is located in a good signal strength area. BTW, you need to hold the iPhone longer - 20 or 30 seconds - to allow the bars to update.)

Why are you even arguing with this idiot?

Anyone who's read about the problem knows that it depends on signal strength.

 

[rsocal]

Yeah, and except for that little gas tank problem, the Ford Pinto was a very safe vehicle!

If you've kept up with only 3% of the reports on this you'd know it doesn't take "trying" or a lab environment to make this happen. Depending on location, position, normal holding methods, etc. it happens every day in normal use for lot's of people.

The point of the rating is that it's a fatal flaw that can't be overlooked, much like the Pinto gas tank. It simply can't be overlooked. It's like having your daughter bring home a young suitor who's pulling a 4.0 GPA at Harvard, is heir to a billion dollar business, is great with kids, but also happens to have murdered their last three girlfriends.

Why do people use comparisons of products that had defects and killed people? I’m sure the antenna issue will not kill you, CR says nothing about death and in fact rates it the best smartphone with a score of 76/100 but now says it “can’t recommend it” because of one issue that can happen for some people. About the three percent, most of the negative posts I have read talk about putting your finger on the so called “sweet spot” or wrapping your hand around it to drop the signal down. I’ve tried holding with my left hand and putting it up to my ear, I don’t cover the antenna and that’s how it feels comfortable. I don’t know how you can wrap your hand around the phone and talk or hear, your fingers would be in the way. I myself as well as 2 of my friends do not have any issues, however when inside my house I can get the bars to drop but it will not drop the call or stop data. When I go outside I have a full 5 bars and cannot get them to drop even one, same goes for my way to work as well as at my work in another town. I also want to point out I have a radio App (TuneIn Radio) that I listen too every day to and from work and never drop connection and let me tell you, in some parts of the drive the bars go down to one. Bottom line is this problem is only bothering a small percentage of people and best of all it has not blown up like the “Pinto” so you can still bring it back or use one of the fix’s or if you have not purchased one don’t buy one! Btw, I don’t use a case and still have no issue with the phone on my iPhone. The iPhone 4 is clearly the best and CR rates it that way!!!

 

[3goldens]

As much as I consider the recpetion issues a design flaw, it's kind of ridiculous how much attention it's received when it can be solved by a bumper, case, or piece of tape. Most people use them anyways and it makes the problem disappear. Still the best phone on the market.

I'm afraid i have to disagree. It should get the attention because it is a flaw in the overall design, which like most of Apple's products is always superb. It was designed to be used without a case or a bumper, and some like it that way, some do not.

The point is the stand alone product is in need of some adjustment to correct an issue that is fundamental to the reception of the device and the manufacturer despite every empirical scientific test refuses to acknowledge this and fix it.

I don't know about you but I believe in companies that stand behind their products and produce products that work the way they are designed.

To ignore this or to say oh just get a case or a bumper is akin to allowing corporations to give consumers mediocre products and not be held responsible for their actions.

 

[darthvapor]

Don't take this personally, but you are lying.

I'm sure there is an issue, but these posts made by people who probably dont' even have the phone don't do anybody any good.

I have a bumper and it doesn't really help. Also, you can only use the low profile cable that came with the phone when the bumper is on. This means you will have to buy additional iPhone cables to retrofit car chargers if you have older iPod cables, etc. If you actually have an iPhone and use a bumper then you know this detail to be true. And hopefully this is helpful to others.

 

[3goldens]

Someone should do a poll about the signal issue and/or maybe there is one and didn't see it but I've had NO signal issue, well, rather, I upgraded from the 3G and I have the same signal, bad or good, wherever, or more importantly because the bars aren't real, just indicators, of signal strength and call handling quality/strength, the iPhone 4 has in terms of a phone been as good if not just a little better.So this seems like the "jump on" crap that happens or the "me too" isms where someone start perceiving something that isn't there. "Why, all these articles about the signal being weak... I think I'll start imagining my signal must be weaker too!" AT&T stinks up the joint for, well, everything, it's true, but they don't for myself and some other peeps with the new iPhone suck any more than they did before.
This whole this is being a bit blown out of proportion, and getting old.
Maybe start putting up some Mac hardware that isn't iPhone news too would be nice. No offense Arn (not that you'll read this) but you could change the site name to iphonerumors.com and it'd make more sense.

I'm sorry you feel this way perhaps you should stop reading threads dedicated to this. *I am very happy you do not have this issue, but your not alone here, there are hundreds of thousands of people who are. *This issue is not a fairy tale as you imply. *Have you bothered to even read the documentation from the various independent technical experts that have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is in fact a signal issue. *Probably not, because you don't have a problem.

Perhaps you live under a cell tower or your metabolism is different or you have no circulation in your hands, i really have no idea why or what the reason is that your one of the lucky ones that gets a signal, but I'm happy for you. *

But I'm not really sure why people go on threads and accuse people who are having trouble of making this all up, it's really kinda baffling to me.

That to me is getting old. * **

 

[buc]

I and believe that those who claim to only get 2 or 3 bars of signal normally but do not experience the Death Grip don't have the iPhone 4 either.

I have the phone. I'll be perfectly honest with you, i have no idea what to believe anymore, and that's based on my own first-hand experience.

When i first got the phone, i seemed to be able to replicate the issue in areas with weak signal, like in the bathroom in my office or in the basement of my home. It wasn't a clear-cut "touch the spot and immediately lose 3 bars" result that some people seem to be able to replicate, but generally i appeared to be able to lose a bar or two when i had a weak signal by doing the death grip. When i had 5 bars, i could never get it to drop a single bar. And i was never able to completely cut off a signal, no matter how weak it was.

After the CR "bombshell" yesterday, i tried to replicate the issue on the way to work this morning. I live in the Chicago area, and have to drive from Naperville to Glenview for work. Those of you familiar with Chicago know that's quite a hike...over 30 miles of lovely rush hour traffic. Every time i had to stop, at a stoplight, or in traffic, i checked my signal and either put my finger on the "magic spot" or used the death grip. In probably 15 to 20 attempts to reduce the signal, i was able to make the bars go down exactly 3 times. One of those times i lost one bar (started with 3 bars). Another time i lost two bars (again starting with 3 bars). The other time, I lost a bar, then actually gained 2 bars back before the light turned green. None of the other times was i able to make the bars move at all (starting anywhere from 3 to 5 bars, between 10-15 attempts).

So, again, at this point, i don't know what to think. There is obviously some kind of an issue because various independant parties have been able to verify some kind of attenuation (sp) factor that is higher than on other phones. All i know, based on my own personal experience, is that if there is an issue it doesn't affect me in any "real world" use capacity. I seem to be able to "sometimes" replicate it, but not all the time. And again, it's only when i have a weaker signal to begin with, and presumably once i get a bumper even this small issue will go away.

To those who own the I4 and have this issue and are actually adversely impacted for it, that really blows. I can't say why my phone doesn't seem to be impacted as much. And i'm far from an Apple fanboy. I once talked my parents out of buying a Mac because i thought it was too niche (Windows forever here). I do believe though that this issue is still being way overblown, even taking into consideration the report from CR that all the news outlets are picking up. I'm sorry but i can't believe all these posters coming out of the woodwork now saying that they drop calls 100% of the time bumper or no bumper, or immediately lose all signal just by merely touching the magic spot etc. I can't come close to replicating this kind of reaction no matter how hard and often i try, no matter how weak the signal is.

And the end of the day though, if the phone simply doesn't work for you, return it. I don't know what else can be done. But my experience is that the phone works great, the reception issue is negligible, and my signal strength over all is better than what it was with my 3G.

/shrug

 

[derek4484]

In the "Multimedia" or WebBrowsing category, how did the not ding them even a LITTLE bit for lack of FLASH?

HTML5 vs. FLASH vs. battery life arguments aside, lack of flash is one reason I continue to return to my desktop for the REAL internet, so it deserves at least a SMALL acknowledgment that for the TIME-BEING, lack of flash is an issue.

Absolutely valid points. I agree.

 

[ChrisTX]

If Apple comes out and admits all iPhone 4s have the problem and need replacing will you just keep the one you've got because it's working for you?

That's a tough call. I agree 100% that there is a problem, but on that note it's not affecting me. I wish it was(not really) so I could sympathize, but I see no point in giving up a device that is functioning as it should.

No, but like I said many times, there is a preponderance of evidence that points to a design flaw, so that 100% of units are affected. The burden of evidence is thus on people that want to claim the contrary to prove it is so. How can you defeat evidence with anecdotes ? Unless you master the reality distortion field, evidence trumps anecdotes, everyday of the week, for a logical person.

Again, people with the issue would be happy to learn it's a manufacturing defect. Be the one to show them if you can. That means they can get a working unit through an exchange.

I realize there legitimately is a problem, I have seen all of the proof. However, my phone works fine for me. I live in the Houston area, work up north in The Woodlands(Not the best coverage for AT&T, but I get by). The point is this, I don't live or work out in the sticks, maybe I'm just fortunate enough to be in a great coverage area, who knows. I haven't dropped any calls, and when surfing the web everything is faster than ever. I'm not trying to deny the problem in either case, I'm just saying I'm not affected.

 

[Max(IT)]

Sounds like 100% of iPhones are "affected", but whether it is actually a problem in your day-to-day use depends on your regional signal strength.

arn

And it depends also on the way you are going to hold it.
Seriously it's not a problem for me since I hold it using fingers tips and not the palm.

No, many of us don't. Many of us care about Apple computers, not Itoys.

And who the hell said that an interest in Mac computers AND iPhone/iPod/iPad is something wrong ???

So what Mac Rumors is basically saying is that "While the phone has cool stuff and looks good, go ahead and disregard the fact that is can't actually function as a phone".

Absurd.

No matter how hard you try, you can't bury the story.

Anyone ever heard of conformation bias? There have been studies that show that one is more satisfied with a given product as amount of money spent increases. Anyone who forks out excess of $200-$300 on a phone and then $100 per month is going to be hard to be pressed to unhappy with their product.

All I can see is a lot of newbie who joined the forum in June 2010 just to let us know how much they hate apple ....

 

[imwoblin]

For those of you who think Consumer Reports iPhone 4 non-recomendation doesn't hold any water with consumers or investors, AAPL is down $10 this morning based on the report. Im sure (hoping) it is a temporary fall, but still this negative info hurts stockholders and investors.

 

[aaronazevedo]

Are you kidding me

I've been using the iPhone since it came out 2 years ago; and have been using the iPhone 4 since it came out. I have not had one issue, and the iPhone 4 is by far the best phone I've ever owned.

I have just canceled my subscription to Consumer Reports. I'm furious. My issues with this liberal, socialist publication have been brewing for a while, but this is the icing on the cake. If this foolish magazine had its way, we would all make $42,500 a year, and drive a Toyota Corolla and a Prius. They would be white in color. We would have Sears Kenmore grills and Sunbeam electronics. We would eat boiled chicken and drink screw top wine. Just another example of how rarely they value true innovation! Ugh.

I've also just ordered another iPhone4 to offset some of the idiots selling the stock today. If the stock goes any lower, I'm buying more!!!

Idiots!!

 

[MMR]

Whatever level of triviality you put this on, you've spent YOUR time defending it. Pot? Kettle? If you don't like people calling it out then go somewhere else or simply don't read threads like this. Duh!

...or maybe you just feel the urge to keep fighting it because you feel people on the Internet are wrong and you must personally make it all right.

My dear Kadman I promise you I am not trying to fight anyone, honestly I'm really not, this will be my third post anywhere since the iPhone was released, all three posted today as I have a little free time, I just feel people are getting a little hysterical, but I guess that is their prerogative if they enjoy being that way, I guess for some of us it's a little difficult to understand such reaction, not because we are trying to defend Apple or anyone else but because we just can't understand why it becomes so personal, and it seems a little crazy, when you say

"...or maybe you just feel the urge to keep fighting it because you feel people on the Internet are wrong and you must personally make it all right."

I truly (and I'm not being funny or trying to score points) don't understand what you mean? You think I believe that "people on the Internet are wrong" I am on the Internet, do I think I'm wrong? Please don't take this the wrong way but you sound like your very young (that's not a criticism) Or maybe you are wanting to fight (I can understand that if it's the case and may explain things a little) but please remember there are other people that are effected by all of this, Apple haven't done anything that warrants some of the (way over the top) personalised attacks that some are expressing, and it makes me wonder why? and where it's all coming from, Sure say how you feel, but if Apple making an iPhone that you don't feel happy with and feel it's designed wrong make you go crazy then I worry for you and those around you.

 

[dbwie]

I could not reproduce the signal drop at all on my friend's iPhone 4. I'm a lefty and I gripped the heck out of the lower left hand corner.

 

[Max(IT)]

WOW...they really did score the battery life as being excellent on the iPhone 3GS... that's the main reason why I will change my 3GS for a iP4. I would say that the battery life on the 3GS is far from being excellent

Compare it with battery life of an HTC evo or a Nexus One and you can understand the rating


BTW it's just ridiculous how KnightWrx and his friends basically storms on every single thread regarding iPhone 4 speaking about the reception issue.
This thread is about CR rate of the iPhone 4, but they HAVE TO remind us about the antenna.
It's like a Mission ...
They HAVE TO save the World from Evil iPhone ...