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Consumer Reports 'Can't Recommend' iPhone 4 Due to Signal Issues
- Thread starter callmemike20
- Start date
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Bottom line is - until I hear reports of consumers flooding Apple with exchange/refund requests there is NO issue here. It's just FUD. 
Steve Jobs is a boss. A very Big boss. He wants his minions, uh, his drones, uh, his employees doing their work at a computer, 24/7, where he can keep 24/7 hour tabs on all his busy little worker bees. He wants them never to be able to leave their work.
Steve Jobs wants to kill desktops, because people often only do their work for him there, at their desks. He wants them plugged into himself and Apple 24/7, so they can never leave their work. At a desktop somewhere. At the office. Steve likes to follow his employees home. Figuratively speaking.
He also wants to give this wonderful gift to all the other corporate bosses on the planet.
Line up!
Next on his Todo list? The iBrain chip implant.
Better answer that iPhone call. It's YOUR boss. On a stealth line.
Although I can't speak for anyone else, that lower left corner is exactly where one of my fingers makes contact when I hold the phone in what to me is a natural position. As I'm relatively confident I'm not too far off base from a reasonable portion of the cell phone holding population, this makes it a problem with the design.
I purchased a bumper because I was sick of trying to balance it on my hand without dropping it. That doesn't mean I'm happy about being forced into that position by shoddy product design. I expect more from Apple.
In every bit of marketing, and many of their keynotes and developer resources they stress the importance of sweating the details. Everything down to faint, opaque background textures on small UI buttons are stressed as important. If they really think this level of refinement and polish is essential, then they should at the very least demonstrate it themselves with the aspects of their products that affect their core functionality.
12 billion can go unbelievably quick with enough lawsuits.
Or even just a handful of the RIGHT lawsuits.
Steve Jobs is a boss. A very Big boss. He wants his minions, uh, his drones, uh, his employees doing their work at a computer, 24/7, where he can keep 24/7 hour tabs on all his busy little worker bees. He wants them never to be able to leave their work.
Steve Jobs wants to kill desktops, because people often only do their work for him there, at their desks. He wants them plugged into himself and Apple 24/7, so they can never leave their work. At a desktop somewhere. At the office. Steve likes to follow his employees home. Figuratively speaking.
He also wants to give this wonderful gift to all the other corporate bosses on the planet.
Line up!
Next on his Todo list? The iBrain chip implant.
Better answer that iPhone call. It's YOUR boss. On a stealth line.
Aren't you a bit paranoid? I'm sure Steve Jobs has an iMac. I doubt he does ALL his work from an iDevice.
Not really justified. The hundred updates to PC machines are very incremental. The last big leap up (for Intel machines) was Nehalem. The Mac Pros were the first in line for that. The next big leap up will be Sandy Bridge. As a long-time owner of Mac Pros (and their "Power" predecessors), I don't really care about the incremental refinements in the intervening years.
And seriously, I paid $6,000 for my Mac Pro, and I put another $7,000 in upgrades. Even for people who aren't working on student budgets, that's a pretty big investment for a computer. You really need a new model every year?
And anyway, I actually have no problem with people wanting a refresh of the Mac Pro. I have a problem with that insane piece of **** xbjllb that's been spamming this forum all day long with his "iToy store", "bubble, bubble, bubble", and "Steve Jobs is Satan" ranting...
34,000 automobile accident fatalities last year in the USA. Why oh why wasn't he one of them?
Holy crap. Holy crap. Holy crap.You believe that it's up to you to save Apple by smearing them? You're kidding me. You're on a mission? You are the Apple messiah? There's tin-foil hat crazy, and then there's I-am-Jesus crazy. You, sir, are a completely different crazy than I had first assumed. I had thought you were just a give-me-attention type. At worst, a government-is-trying-to-control-our-minds crazy. But it's far worse than that. You are dress-up-in-robes and bomb-the-abortion-clinics-to-save-the-babies crazy.
Two points, in light of your declared "mission" to save the world:
1) You are not making a bit of difference by posting here. At least not in the way you claim to want. You are just annoying a bunch of people, and causing widespread hatred of your insufferable guts. I might have been sympathetic to your plight, but you are so goddamn obnoxious, it makes me hope that Apple discontinues the Mac Pro altogether (and I was even planning to buy the next one). Do you really think Apple is going to change because of what you write here, you ******* crazy lunatic? No one here takes you the least bit seriously, posting photoshopped pictures of Steve Jobs as Osama bin Laden and ranting about "bubbles" that never seem to burst (but like the apocalypse, are perpetually "just around the corner", "coming any day now", and "eagerly anticipated"). What makes you think Apple execs are going to think you're anything but what you are? A ****ing lunatic.
2) It is not your goddamn responsibility to "save" Apple. If you don't like what they're doing, then switch to MS or Linux. Seriously. You are just creating noise. It is neither your responsibility nor your privilege nor your place to irritate everyone just because you aren't getting what you want. No one "appreciates" your little messianic efforts. We resent you.
And you've been posting here all day long for what? Because Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro? Seriously? This warrants your I-microwaved-my-baby-to-save-the-whales caliber insanity? They updated Mac Pro last year. Must you really have a new one every year? Failing that, do you really feel that you must "take matters into your own hands"? It's a business. They're out to make money. They don't owe you ****. They will very likely get the first batch when Intel steps up to "Sandy Bridge", and you'll get your refresh in Q1 of 2011.
They're a business. They sell a lot more iPods than Mac Pros, and they don't owe you anything. You are a ****ing craaaaazy piece of ****. Seriously.
I also make far more people laugh than you do.
And you also smell bad. No, I mean really, really gag me to death rotten bad.
P.S. Once again, sorry about those stock losses. OK. So I'm not, really.
Of course he does. He's got the only Mac Pro that plays Blu-rays out of the box. With a matte screen display.
He also has iPads that display flash.
But mostly he likes to follow people around and make sure they earn their money.
Which makes them screw up all the more. He'll never learn.
I also make far more people laugh than you do.
And you also smell bad. No, I mean really, really gag me to death rotten bad.
You think that you can... smell me... through your computer?
Whoa. How many layers of crazy have you got over there?
Some people have "magical" abilities. When there's all that magic floating around
it's easy to think different! 
Finally, tens of thousands of people who continue to experience this problem to then be ridiculed by Steve Jobs arrogant comments finally have a powerful alley confirming the iPhone 4s flawed design. I think the iPhone is one of the greatest inventions of the past decade, but its also created an arrogant culture within Apple and across their stores. Apples needs a good humiliation slap across its face. They need to own up to their mistakes and fix the problem.
Really? I actually watched that entire show. If anything, he was a bit cynical about the idea of killing the desktop that quickly. The interviewer was almost more ready to say that himself, than Steve. Jobs was actually a bit slow to even entertain the possibility of a change that drastic, so quickly. He also gave the impression that he wouldn't even be able to guess a time when the casual computing person would move away from the desktop/laptop environment. Content creators always know who they are, and of course they'll need their trucks. If anything, the interview pretty much went on to say that the trucks (PCs) will always be around, because they still handle some important tasks not otherwise possible.
Of course, some internet reviewer and blogger blew that out of proportion. Now Steve may have said some things that were silly. (Holding the phone wrong, etc.) But I also check to make sure folks aren't just putting words in people's mouths. Words they never said in the first place. And the fact the articles used a still picture from that very same interview I saw kind of destroyed the credibility that Steve may have said it somewhere else.
The thing is the bumper is a solution, BUT Apple has always touted themselves as a company that produces products that "just work". These kludge-fixes are something that is reserved for ****** Dell/Nokia/Palm products. Not the mighty
For anyone that thinks this is NOT a real issue, just look how quickly this thread has grown. I'm sure this will end up being too long for others to read, but I need to vent
The main things I'm tired of hearing:
1. I don't have an issue with my phone no matter how I hold it, so this is obviously a conspiracy and this issue A) Doesn't exist or B) is being blown way out of proportion.
Response: No Issues? Good for you, and I'm happy for you -- no sarcasm. However, this does NOT mean that others aren't having an issue. Just because you live in a specific area with a strong signal and don't venture out of that area, or if you do, it's to other 'strong signal' areas, doesn't mean this is not an issue for others or that there is a bad batch of phones. I can travel 2 miles from my house and I'm not affected by this issue, but at my house, it's a major issue. These are issues I never saw with my 3G, so yeah, it is a big deal to me. It's not like I'm sitting there holding my phone like a gorilla and I see a couple bars drop. I'm dropping calls and getting choppy reception just by holding my phone like normal (ring finger touching the sweet spot) and this was NOT an issue with my 3G.
I guarantee many naysayers will experience this issue at some point in the future, unless they really do stay local and never travel out of your normal area.
2. Just learn to hold your phone a different way, how hard is that?
Response: It's ********** hard. I'm very aware of the issue when I first make a call, but after a minute or so (call me crazy), I start to focus on the conversation and lose site of the fact that I have to hold my phone a different way. After several seconds of my hand moving back to its comfortable position, reception drops so I'll be mid-sentence and the person I'm talking to will interrupt me because they can't hear a word I'm saying.... If I'm lucky enough, I'll catch it and move my finger, if not, the call drops. Maybe over time, I'll learn a new comfortable way, but we're talking about a method I've used for 3+ years - It's not as easy to change as people make it out.
3. Just use a case, I use a case and everyone should.
Response: Good for you! I'm sorry you drop your phone or put it in your pocket with keys -- I don't!. I have never used a case, I have never dropped my phone, and my phones look brand new when I upgrade (I use bodyguardz, but this doesn't resolve the issue on iphone 4, as I have it on there too). Just because you use a case and feel like everyone else should, doesn't mean I should.
Apple flaunts its style and in their promos there is NEVER a case on the GD phone, so drop this please. I'm even willing to put an ugly case on my phone if Apple offers it for free (I know a lot aren't). At this point, Apple won't even acknowledge this is an issue, and that sucks for us frustrated by it. So, just go out and buy a new case for $20+, or give apple $29 more for a bumper case is not reasonable. If that were the case (no pun intended), Apple should have stated "Case required", just like a "batteries not included" disclaimer.
4. Just return it!
Response: I am, but I can still complain. In fact, I sold my iphone 3G already but I'll be going to a crappy free phone for the time being because I'd rather hold out for this issue to be resolved, or for the iphone 5 without getting sucked into another 2 year contract.
Unfortunately, a lot of people already sold their phone, and returning isn't an easy option. Sure, maybe they should have held onto their phone longer (as I should have), but c'mon.. we're talking about the 4th version of this phone -- how could anyone have seen this issue?
5. You just hate Apple and work for some competitor and trying to stir things up.
Response: No, I'm a 31 y/o dude that works in the tech industry and has a few ipods, an Apple TV, an imac, a mac mini, a macbook, and on my 3rd iphone. I love Apple products because they "just work" and I feel like a lot of time/effort goes into their products and I'm willing to pay the premium. No matter how you slice it, Apple screwed me on this purchase. I paid premium dollars for an upgrade from my 3G for a product that "just works", and it is far from an upgrade in regards to phone quality at the location I use my phone a great deal of the time (my home) - It is worse than my 3G in the exact same environment so you can't argue that fact.
6. Apple is going to fix this, so just wait.
Response: No, they are fixing a GUI issue that incorrectly displays too many bars. Most likely, my phone now will show no reception at my house when I hold it normally, even though my 3G would show 2-3 bars and would carry a phone call without issue.
Furthermore, the 'update' is well after the return window... coincidence, or Apple's ploy to get some to hold out past the return window? I vote the latter, but in all fairness, their response stated that it would just be a GUI fix --- but they also stated this is not a real reception issue
The main things I'm tired of hearing:
1. I don't have an issue with my phone no matter how I hold it, so this is obviously a conspiracy and this issue A) Doesn't exist or B) is being blown way out of proportion.
Response: No Issues? Good for you, and I'm happy for you -- no sarcasm. However, this does NOT mean that others aren't having an issue. Just because you live in a specific area with a strong signal and don't venture out of that area, or if you do, it's to other 'strong signal' areas, doesn't mean this is not an issue for others or that there is a bad batch of phones. I can travel 2 miles from my house and I'm not affected by this issue, but at my house, it's a major issue. These are issues I never saw with my 3G, so yeah, it is a big deal to me. It's not like I'm sitting there holding my phone like a gorilla and I see a couple bars drop. I'm dropping calls and getting choppy reception just by holding my phone like normal (ring finger touching the sweet spot) and this was NOT an issue with my 3G.
I guarantee many naysayers will experience this issue at some point in the future, unless they really do stay local and never travel out of your normal area.
2. Just learn to hold your phone a different way, how hard is that?
Response: It's ********** hard. I'm very aware of the issue when I first make a call, but after a minute or so (call me crazy), I start to focus on the conversation and lose site of the fact that I have to hold my phone a different way. After several seconds of my hand moving back to its comfortable position, reception drops so I'll be mid-sentence and the person I'm talking to will interrupt me because they can't hear a word I'm saying.... If I'm lucky enough, I'll catch it and move my finger, if not, the call drops. Maybe over time, I'll learn a new comfortable way, but we're talking about a method I've used for 3+ years - It's not as easy to change as people make it out.
3. Just use a case, I use a case and everyone should.
Response: Good for you! I'm sorry you drop your phone or put it in your pocket with keys -- I don't!. I have never used a case, I have never dropped my phone, and my phones look brand new when I upgrade (I use bodyguardz, but this doesn't resolve the issue on iphone 4, as I have it on there too). Just because you use a case and feel like everyone else should, doesn't mean I should.
Apple flaunts its style and in their promos there is NEVER a case on the GD phone, so drop this please. I'm even willing to put an ugly case on my phone if Apple offers it for free (I know a lot aren't). At this point, Apple won't even acknowledge this is an issue, and that sucks for us frustrated by it. So, just go out and buy a new case for $20+, or give apple $29 more for a bumper case is not reasonable. If that were the case (no pun intended), Apple should have stated "Case required", just like a "batteries not included" disclaimer.
4. Just return it!
Response: I am, but I can still complain. In fact, I sold my iphone 3G already but I'll be going to a crappy free phone for the time being because I'd rather hold out for this issue to be resolved, or for the iphone 5 without getting sucked into another 2 year contract.
Unfortunately, a lot of people already sold their phone, and returning isn't an easy option. Sure, maybe they should have held onto their phone longer (as I should have), but c'mon.. we're talking about the 4th version of this phone -- how could anyone have seen this issue?
5. You just hate Apple and work for some competitor and trying to stir things up.
Response: No, I'm a 31 y/o dude that works in the tech industry and has a few ipods, an Apple TV, an imac, a mac mini, a macbook, and on my 3rd iphone. I love Apple products because they "just work" and I feel like a lot of time/effort goes into their products and I'm willing to pay the premium. No matter how you slice it, Apple screwed me on this purchase. I paid premium dollars for an upgrade from my 3G for a product that "just works", and it is far from an upgrade in regards to phone quality at the location I use my phone a great deal of the time (my home) - It is worse than my 3G in the exact same environment so you can't argue that fact.
6. Apple is going to fix this, so just wait.
Response: No, they are fixing a GUI issue that incorrectly displays too many bars. Most likely, my phone now will show no reception at my house when I hold it normally, even though my 3G would show 2-3 bars and would carry a phone call without issue.
Furthermore, the 'update' is well after the return window... coincidence, or Apple's ploy to get some to hold out past the return window? I vote the latter, but in all fairness, their response stated that it would just be a GUI fix --- but they also stated this is not a real reception issue
2/3 of it consists of juvenile rants and personal attacks. Suggesting that a [long winded] thread on a subject gives it any more merit is faulty logic. A good portion of this thread can be attributed to one poster in particular, who appears to have 6-7 posts per page. A tad ludicrous.
Scratch that, it's closer to 10-12 posts per page, which means roughly 10% of this thread is based around one individuals fanatical hatred of Apple.
That one cracks me up. It's actually almost what I'm expecting. I'll have zero bars on a phone that holds a call better than any previous iPhone, however. I'd also say it's a toss-up about fixing anything that actually needs to be fixed. Apple seems pretty content to give it's user base the middle finger and move on. Which is pretty fitting, it's Apple.
Excellent response! I have my ring finger touching the sweet spot when holding my phone and have held it that way for 3+ years. No matter how hard I try not to, eventually during my 5-10 minute phone call, I'm going to move my hand back to its comfortable position and down slides my ring finger. Perhaps others focus strictly on their hand position when on phone calls, but I try to pay attention to the actual conversation. I think others need to try holding their phones in an awkward way, and see if they are still holding it that way after a couple of minutes.
I think happy21 needs to learn some grammar skills and maybe share some of those happy pills before he tries to post on here insulting others
As many have already pointed out, we could be wrong. I am/was under the impression that this is a hardware issue, however this individual seems to have demonstrated more logic regarding the issue. Refreshing as most of the posts are merely anecdotal ramblings not based on fact but based on subjective "reasoning" (meaning personally biased for those who don't know). It amazes me that some people will believe the propaganda of others as truth.*
* and for the record, I'm growing tired of the immature rants. People are using the term "fanboy" as if it's going out of style. It's juvenile, on both sides, and demonstrates a lack of factual based reasoning. What IS the average age on this forum? 16???
(and yes I did post a pic of a "fanboy" to demonstrate how immature this whole thread had become)
I returned my iPhone 4.
Well said.
I'm one of those people who actually returned their iPhone 4 for a refund.
Simply because it doesn't work as advertised for me.
I understand a simple plastic or silicone case solves the issue.
Yet if I'd wanted a plastic phone I'd have bought a Nexus One.
Apple takes so much care in selecting and using specific materials - it is a real joy to hold their products 'as is'. So I don't want to hold a plastic case.
I prefer to store the iPhone 4 while not in use in a leather sleeve like the Sena Ultraslim yet handle the original materials when in use.
In areas of weak signal strength (my work area is one of them unfortunately) I had to hold the iPhone with just two fingers, pinching on the glass only, avoiding any metal-skin contact, or the signal would just drop too much. (My 3G would still work - though barely.)
For me it was not merely the lower left corner. Although touching that antenna gap is quite impressive (in a negative way) literally functioning as an ON/OFF switch during web page loading...
What killed the iPhone for me was that I never felt comfortable holding a phone made of mostly glass with just two fingers or balancing it on my palm - which I had to do in areas of weak signal.
If on the street someone would bump into me, I'd easily drop it if I don't firmly grasp it.
And we have seen the YouTube videos of people cracking iPhone 4s easily by dropping them from a standing height...
Particularly when holding the iPhone 4 in landscape orientation I had a hard time grasping it firmly without touching that lower left corner.
In landscape orientation you'd want to grasp it with both hands on both ends.
With two times two fingers pinching just on the glass it was very inconvenient, and unsafe to hold.
So it boils down to this:
Get an always-attached case - or return it.
Most people don't mind full-body cases. I do.
I prefer a leather sleeve and touching the original materials when in use, as the materials and finish is so nice.
Yet like Steve Jobs I don't compromise.
So I returned it.
I'll try again if/when Apple fixes that design flaw. Let's hope they can fix it via new antenna software.
[Though I still can't believe this one slipped by Apple's QA...]
In 20+ years of buying Apple products, this is the first time I returned one.
It is that bad.
Well said.
I'm one of those people who actually returned their iPhone 4 for a refund.
Simply because it doesn't work as advertised for me.
I understand a simple plastic or silicone case solves the issue.
Yet if I'd wanted a plastic phone I'd have bought a Nexus One.
Apple takes so much care in selecting and using specific materials - it is a real joy to hold their products 'as is'. So I don't want to hold a plastic case.
I prefer to store the iPhone 4 while not in use in a leather sleeve like the Sena Ultraslim yet handle the original materials when in use.
In areas of weak signal strength (my work area is one of them unfortunately) I had to hold the iPhone with just two fingers, pinching on the glass only, avoiding any metal-skin contact, or the signal would just drop too much. (My 3G would still work - though barely.)
For me it was not merely the lower left corner. Although touching that antenna gap is quite impressive (in a negative way) literally functioning as an ON/OFF switch during web page loading...
What killed the iPhone for me was that I never felt comfortable holding a phone made of mostly glass with just two fingers or balancing it on my palm - which I had to do in areas of weak signal.
If on the street someone would bump into me, I'd easily drop it if I don't firmly grasp it.
And we have seen the YouTube videos of people cracking iPhone 4s easily by dropping them from a standing height...
Particularly when holding the iPhone 4 in landscape orientation I had a hard time grasping it firmly without touching that lower left corner.
In landscape orientation you'd want to grasp it with both hands on both ends.
With two times two fingers pinching just on the glass it was very inconvenient, and unsafe to hold.
So it boils down to this:
Get an always-attached case - or return it.
Most people don't mind full-body cases. I do.
I prefer a leather sleeve and touching the original materials when in use, as the materials and finish is so nice.
Yet like Steve Jobs I don't compromise.
So I returned it.
I'll try again if/when Apple fixes that design flaw. Let's hope they can fix it via new antenna software.
[Though I still can't believe this one slipped by Apple's QA...]
In 20+ years of buying Apple products, this is the first time I returned one.
It is that bad.
My whole problem with the signal issue is it seems like it happens in random places at least it does for me.
At home I get 4 bars on avg even when death gripping the phone I never had a bar drop and if it did I couldn't get it to repeat. Now I was in another location with 5 bars and it did drop but only to 1-2 bars.
My issue is if you lose signal when you have lower bars to begin with then why does it only seem to affect me when I'm only in a 5 bar area. I almost think it could be software issue or glitch.
Do I have a bumper case? Yes, I do because I don't want to scuff my $300 phone that I normally slide into my jeans or shorts.
Do I think Apple should give away bumpers? Yes. Hell I think it should've came with a cheapo one anyways just for folks that don't like scuffs.
At home I get 4 bars on avg even when death gripping the phone I never had a bar drop and if it did I couldn't get it to repeat. Now I was in another location with 5 bars and it did drop but only to 1-2 bars.
My issue is if you lose signal when you have lower bars to begin with then why does it only seem to affect me when I'm only in a 5 bar area. I almost think it could be software issue or glitch.
Do I have a bumper case? Yes, I do because I don't want to scuff my $300 phone that I normally slide into my jeans or shorts.
Do I think Apple should give away bumpers? Yes. Hell I think it should've came with a cheapo one anyways just for folks that don't like scuffs.