the weird thing I notice is that when they guy "lost" his iPhone 4 months ago - it even had the bumper round it, they classed it as a 3GS disguise, but a close look shows it was a design for the bumper. Makes you think they did know about problems early on in my view.
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Consumer Reports 'Can't Recommend' iPhone 4 Due to Signal Issues
- Thread starter callmemike20
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What makes this news from CR so important is that they don't accept advertising. They have no need to buddy-up with the advertisers and say good things about bad products. I should pay for a CR subscription and have it sent to 1 Infinite Loop, ATTN: Steve Jobs.
Initially I was affected by the shortage so I was unable to purchase. However, I think I will wait until this serious issue is resolved before upgrading. 
I just got one. As far as the issue yes it does happen. If I am in an area of low reception. What I mean by low reception is something that would have been -85 dbm on my 3gS but is full bars on the iPhone 4, then yes it will drop to 1 bar. However at 1 bar I can still receive email and make calls so its tough to say. That said apple should come up with a fix, not a case thats ********. I think they should clear coat the antenna.
Fortunately , this can be remedied easily.
Not a big deal, except perhaps for trouble makers who make it one
That's what I think. People should stop complaining and start looking for solutions. Many solutions have already been said, so I'm not going to bother going through them, but if this gets quoted by someone saying "ZOMG WHAT SOLUTIONS?!?!?" I'll quote a few, just for you.
Reciption
I just got my iPhone 4 last week. Great phone, and the reception is much better then my previous iPhone as long you are not bridging the antennas with your skin. If you are touching the antenna's the signal drops and calls and connections disappear.
Overall this phone is much better then any previous phone I've used. They should be giving out free bumpers though.
I just got my iPhone 4 last week. Great phone, and the reception is much better then my previous iPhone as long you are not bridging the antennas with your skin. If you are touching the antenna's the signal drops and calls and connections disappear.
Overall this phone is much better then any previous phone I've used. They should be giving out free bumpers though.
That is a pretty damning report, especially if they have evidence that the signal DOES drop, just by touching that one spot on the antenna, and alternate phones do not experience similar symptoms.
It looks like they also had diagnostic equipment / software that could measure the actual signal the phone was receiving.
Apple has been pretty quiet about all these things the past few weeks. I will be interested to see what their next move is.
It looks like they also had diagnostic equipment / software that could measure the actual signal the phone was receiving.
Apple has been pretty quiet about all these things the past few weeks. I will be interested to see what their next move is.
Exactly. I am willing to buy a phone that lacks a key functional feature (wi-fi hot spot) in exchange for the slim design and exceptional display...but if the antenna can short out due to a design flaw...then I will continue to wait. As terrible as some of the features are on my blackberry when compared to the iPhone...at least it doesn't fail to do its basic function depending on how I touch it.
Pocket change or car keys???????
Apple will probably hit them with a cease and desist!!!!!! I can't wait for Apple's response, they can't get away from this one!!!!!!
Has anyone seen this gap on the iPhone 4 shorted with metal??? Like having change or your car keys in the same pocket, that would be interesting.
I'm keeping my iPhone 3GS it's value has just jumped up, I hope the new Droids come to Canada soon unlocked
Apple will probably hit them with a cease and desist!!!!!! I can't wait for Apple's response, they can't get away from this one!!!!!!
Has anyone seen this gap on the iPhone 4 shorted with metal??? Like having change or your car keys in the same pocket, that would be interesting.
I'm keeping my iPhone 3GS it's value has just jumped up, I hope the new Droids come to Canada soon unlocked
The thing that is the most infuriating to me is that these bumpers likely cost about .50 cents to make!!! The fact that Apple is selling them for $30 is unreasonable. Especially now that it's essentially a requirement for ownership for us Lefties!
1. A car crash often will kill you or others (40,000 a year in the USA alone). A cell phone losing a few bars of signal rarely will kill someone.
2. Toyota took almost 5 months to acknowledge a problem and issue a recall. Then the recall was for the floor mats and not the actual problem. The iPhone 4 has been out less than 3 weeks.
3. Toyota has been investigated by the government and found to have been dragging their feet and trying to cover up evidence, and has been fined the maximum amount possible.
4. Toyota's "recalls" ended up performing a software fix, something that you HAVE to take your Toyota to a dealer to have performed. Apple will release a software fix which you can perform at home - without needing a "recall".
I wouldn't want a free bumper since i wouldn't use it. I'd want a refund check of some kind for the money i spent on a decent case. I'd say a hundred would cover the expense and the frustration of the proximity sensor..which i hope can be fixed with a software update.
Exactly. That's usually how it works. Company releases product. Consumer uses product. Consumer contacts support for any issues. Company makes note of issues, tests them. Company makes changes to product so future versions don't have same issues.
How did Apple handle this? Public said touching the phone would reduce signal strength, bars drop, call fails. Apple says "no problems on our end," but we'll change the way we calculate signal strength, so you guys seeing 5 bars drop to one when holding the phone, well, you really only had 1 bar to begin with, and when you touched the phone, your poor signal made it impossible to hold a call. Thank you.
So Apple's software update coming up in the near weeks will solve what current issue exactly?
Serves apple right. How could they release such a crappy product to us? Don't they do their own testing?
CR is doubtful that a software patch will fix the hardware issue...and so am I.
I wish this were true, but no, it really isn't.
"The entire signal process is digital, and is controlled by software."
Not quite. The signal transmission and reception circuitry is analog. At some point, the incoming signal is converted to digital, at which point software can manipulate it. But when the incoming (analog) signal is too weak, the digital values degrade in accuracy. At some low level of signal, the digital data cannot be corrected to the point where communication can be maintained no matter how you tweak the software.
This is true at both ends -- at the cell site and at the phone. If you degrade either receiver or either transmitter enough, communication will cease. And surely Apple has already optimized the software as much as they can.
While I acknowledge that it is possible that a software change can help, I consider it highly unlikely. It is my opinion that it is the cell phone's transmitter that is being most affected by touching the antenna. I surmise this from many years of experience with radio communications systems (which is what the cellular network is) in which I have observed that transmitters are generally much more affected by de-tuned antennas than are receivers.
That wont happen. We will get a darn update. People will still buy. Company will still make millions. People will bitch. Update. Company will make millions. Its a never ending cycle and we cant stop it. In the end APPLE WILL ALWAYS WIN
I don't want a free bumper. I want a phone that works. My signal loss is almost instantaneous when I cover the left corner.
really? almost instantaneous? You must be in a *really* bad at&t coverage area when that happens....
I can lick my finger and cover that gap and not lose any bars most of the time, sometimes one bar..... maybe I should upload a video of that to youtube
If your phone doesn't work as you state, you should return it for your money back.....
Well, I guess that settles it. Buy an iPhone 4 and march off to Home Depot for duct tape. Apple not only saw this coming, they arrogantly stand behind their $29.00 factory fix.
Regards,