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Bumper Doesn't help Reception Issue

G

gregnauman

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 25, 2010
115
2
I live in an area where I would get around 4 bars or so BEFORE the update. After the update its more like 2-3 bars.

Before and After the update I tried the death grip with and without the bumper and it still drops the signal off.

Im OK with it though as I don't hold the phone that way but the bumper is NOT a fix for the issue at all.

If I am in a good reception area it doesnt seem to drop at all.

I like my iPhone so no plans to mess with it but I think in the future I will not be standing in line for the first run of a new one. Ill just keep mine about 3-4 months longer and get it when more of the bugs are worked out.
 
Bumper or no bumper, do you have voice degradation or dropped calls with your normal use? If not, who cares what the little bar indicator says?
 
If you are getting the the death grip signal drop issue then the bumper WILL help that BUT you may still drop some bars.

Also some aftermarket cases might help better.
 
gregnauman said:
I live in an area where I would get around 4 bars or so BEFORE the update. After the update its more like 2-3 bars.

Before and After the update I tried the death grip with and without the bumper and it still drops the signal off.

Im OK with it though as I don't hold the phone that way but the bumper is NOT a fix for the issue at all.

If I am in a good reception area it doesnt seem to drop at all.

I like my iPhone so no plans to mess with it but I think in the future I will not be standing in line for the first run of a new one. Ill just keep mine about 3-4 months longer and get it when more of the bugs are worked out.
Click to expand...

Yes, bumper or other cases will not fully prevent antenna attenuation, but will help with detuning effect caused by physically touching the "weak spot." The attenuation is the similar to other smartphones once it's inside a case.
 
Yes it does help.
I havent had any issues since I put mine on.
Before It would drop from 5 to 2 bars when I touched the right spot. Now I can touch the phone anywhere and signal never drops or fluctuates.
 
I have used the bumper since I have received the phone and have not had any problems and my iPhone 4 holds on to weaker signals better then my 3GS and my wife's 3G. I am left handed so can do the death grip, but I am only seeing 1 bar drop at the most with a death grip using the bumper. I am happy with the phone.
 
I never had any problems with my naked phone. Bought the bumper and still havent had any problems. I could force the deathgrip issue naked, can't with a bumper.

People need to stop looking for things wrong with their lives.

If you look hard enough for imperfections, you'll find them in anything.
 
If the bumper doesn't fix it, then it's AT&T to blame. The bumper prevents the two antennas from being bridged. It's made of rubber/plastic, both non-conductive materials.
 
Ryeno said:
If you are getting the the death grip signal drop issue then the bumper WILL help that BUT you may still drop some bars.

Also some aftermarket cases might help better.
Click to expand...

Mine drops at my home the same amount with or without the bumper
 
Applejuiced said:
Yes it does help.
I havent had any issues since I put mine on.
Before It would drop from 5 to 2 bars when I touched the right spot. Now I can touch the phone anywhere and signal never drops or fluctuates.
Click to expand...

It didnt help mine at all, hence the reason I posted
 
gregnauman said:
I live in an area where I would get around 4 bars or so BEFORE the update. After the update its more like 2-3 bars.

Before and After the update I tried the death grip with and without the bumper and it still drops the signal off.

Im OK with it though as I don't hold the phone that way but the bumper is NOT a fix for the issue at all.

If I am in a good reception area it doesnt seem to drop at all.

I like my iPhone so no plans to mess with it but I think in the future I will not be standing in line for the first run of a new one. Ill just keep mine about 3-4 months longer and get it when more of the bugs are worked out.
Click to expand...


Then why grip it to death? Did you always squeeze your phone like that? Or now that you are conscious of it are you trying to make bars fall?

Oh and pics or it didn't happen.
 
VeNoMiZeD said:
You forgot to add "confirmed" or "official" to your title. Please do so when you have a chance. Thanks!
:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Tell the media and steve jobs about this thread, they dont seem to know, then maybe they will make it official for you.

Just one example of the many....

"Today, as expected, Steve Jobs announced that Apple would offer free rubber "bumpers" to anyone who bought an iPhone 4 in order to fix the problem caused by the antenna's design flaw. However, Jobs did not promise a hardware fix which would alleviate the problem without marring the phone's aesthetic"

And Jobs even mentioned that the 3GS possibly didnt see the attenuation as much because of the cases.


Take your poisonous self back to the hole you crawled out of.
 
Steviejobz said:
Then why grip it to death? Did you always squeeze your phone like that? Or now that you are conscious of it are you trying to make bars fall?

Oh and pics or it didn't happen.
Click to expand...

You didnt read my initial post did you, didnt think so!

Here maybe this will help

"Im OK with it though as I don't hold the phone that way but the bumper is NOT a fix for the issue at all.
"
 
gregnauman said:
It didnt help mine at all, hence the reason I posted
Click to expand...

I dont see how or why it wouldnt help with the antenna attenuation issue.
It works with everyone else and according to Apple and many experts it is a fix/patch. If you cant touch the metal part and its covered with plastic how is it going to effect it unless you live in an area with poor AT&T reception and thus the signal might go up and down on its on.
Maybe just return the phone and move on thats all.
 
gregnauman said:
You didnt read my initial post did you, didnt think so!

Here maybe this will help

"Im OK with it though as I don't hold the phone that way but the bumper is NOT a fix for the issue at all.
"
Click to expand...

There are two things going on here. One is the bridging of the antenna which only the iPhone suffers from since its external. People could place one finger on the gap and drop the signal. This should be fixed by the bumper. The second thing is holding the phone in the deathgrip and blocking a lot of the antenna. This is a problem that affects ANY phone to some extent. With a case, the iphone should perform similarly to other phones when fully deathgripped.
 
News Flash - 3gs Does It Too!

Here's a parlor trick... give the 3GS the death grip, but in your right hand. What happens? Bars drop to 1 or zero. Just like the iP4. Just like HTC and Samsung and RIM and everyone else. But you have to be in a weak signal area. Gee... hmmm... maybe it's not really a problem?

Nobody screamed at Apple to recall the 3GS when it behaves in exactly the same manner as the iP4, except in your right hand instead of the left. I can't believe people are still talking about this NON-ISSUE.
 
gregnauman said:
I live in an area where I would get around 4 bars or so BEFORE the update. After the update its more like 2-3 bars.

Before and After the update I tried the death grip with and without the bumper and it still drops the signal off.

Im OK with it though as I don't hold the phone that way but the bumper is NOT a fix for the issue at all.

If I am in a good reception area it doesnt seem to drop at all.

I like my iPhone so no plans to mess with it but I think in the future I will not be standing in line for the first run of a new one. Ill just keep mine about 3-4 months longer and get it when more of the bugs are worked out.
Click to expand...

I trust AnandTech more than I trust you:

"Using a bumper the iPhone 4 behaves no differently than the 3GS. Hold the phone as tightly as you want with a bumper and it’ll lose as much signal as a 3GS or Nexus One."

"If you add a bumper case to the iPhone 4, the signal strength drop from holding the device is on par if not better than other phones."
 

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futbalguy said:
There are two things going on here. One is the bridging of the antenna which only the iPhone suffers from since its external. People could place one finger on the gap and drop the signal. This should be fixed by the bumper. The second thing is holding the phone in the deathgrip and blocking a lot of the antenna. This is a problem that affects ANY phone to some extent. With a case, the iphone should perform similarly to other phones when fully deathgripped.
Click to expand...

You're talking about only one problem - shielding the antenna with your body. There is no "bridging of the antenna" problem. When you think you're bridging the antenna, the antenna is really only responding to attenuation caused by your finger's surface area and proximity to the antennal. I think Apple explained it pretty well.

If it was merely a bridging issue, why don't you lose bars when you touch the black gap at the top of the phone? You're still bridging the same two antennas, but somehow there is no signal loss when touching this particular area. Also, simply putting my finger on the "deathgrip" spot does nothing to negatively affect my signal.
 
The amount of bars vary in a weak signal area. In my apt. I get anywhere from 1 to 3 bars. Most of the time I get 1 bar. This is without touching the phone at all. If I touch the weak spot, it takes time but does drop signal to zero. With a case, it does not drop at all. It may drop but not by me. The signal fluctuate on its own.
 
Stop obsessing over bars. Just use the phone and enjoy. If you're in a weak signal area that's life. If you're not happy with the phone return it.
 
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