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Consumer Reports 'Can't Recommend' iPhone 4 Due to Signal Issues
- Thread starter callmemike20
- Start date
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PLEASE READ: I'm just curious if anyone else can confirm this,
The main issue is a hardware one but there is also a software glitch. If I cover the spot my 3g will drop and go to no service.....not even edge data. If I disable 3g and do the same with just edge it doesn't effect it. So something about the software doesn't seem to at least tell the phone to switch to edge which is a diff frequency that doesn't seem to be effected or only slightly.
At the very least the edge problem should be able to be fixed with an update? Anybody else notice this?
The main issue is a hardware one but there is also a software glitch. If I cover the spot my 3g will drop and go to no service.....not even edge data. If I disable 3g and do the same with just edge it doesn't effect it. So something about the software doesn't seem to at least tell the phone to switch to edge which is a diff frequency that doesn't seem to be effected or only slightly.
At the very least the edge problem should be able to be fixed with an update? Anybody else notice this?
LOL $10 to make? I'll bet its 10% of that. It's a piece of rubber that barely covers 20% of the phone's surface.
Apple becoming Toyota????
In the Apple Store in front of a Apple Genius, I demonstrated that I can take my phone from full 3G signal and make it drop out of 3G to an Edge signal. That doesn't sound like software to me.
Apple is trying to do everything it can to make excuses. Toyota finally got busted, hopefully Apple will come clean.
BTW, the bumper case has helped the signal, the Prox Sensor is my biggest issue.
In the Apple Store in front of a Apple Genius, I demonstrated that I can take my phone from full 3G signal and make it drop out of 3G to an Edge signal. That doesn't sound like software to me.
Apple is trying to do everything it can to make excuses. Toyota finally got busted, hopefully Apple will come clean.
BTW, the bumper case has helped the signal, the Prox Sensor is my biggest issue.
1) No, most (all) people do NOT have this 'problem'.
I've yet to meet an owner who DOES have it... and this in the most notoriously bad reception area in the country... SF.
Oh yeah... that's because the new antenna actually IMPROVES reception, and doing the dances to make it drop brings it down to previous levels.
Bring your phone over to my house, which has a microcell, and see if you can make a call while holding the phone in your left hand. I assure you, my wife isn't "intentionally" trying to get it not to work - it just doesn't work for her, and she doesn't want to hear about how she's holding it "wrong."
Mine doesn't work, either, but i've switched back to the 3gs which works fine (but kept my 4 for development).
Doesn't Matter
I don't think the CR story will not effect sales one bit...people who want the phone will continue to buy it....people who have it already will keep it....people who are upset about the antenna will continue to complain and return it....This reminds me of the whole Toyota thing....even though there was a issue people continue to buy them and they are doing just fine....I think people who are unhappy should just return the unit and get something different....if you can live with the signal drop than fine and if you can't than just return it....I don't think you will see a major drop off in sales because of this story....I think the whole antenna thing has been a bit over blown....as long as you have choice in the matter its a non-story....just my thoughts....
I don't think the CR story will not effect sales one bit...people who want the phone will continue to buy it....people who have it already will keep it....people who are upset about the antenna will continue to complain and return it....This reminds me of the whole Toyota thing....even though there was a issue people continue to buy them and they are doing just fine....I think people who are unhappy should just return the unit and get something different....if you can live with the signal drop than fine and if you can't than just return it....I don't think you will see a major drop off in sales because of this story....I think the whole antenna thing has been a bit over blown....as long as you have choice in the matter its a non-story....just my thoughts....
They are not accepting reception issues as a reason to return them for a replacement. You can return them for money back within you period and get another if you want to - but not like of like replacement as they still don't admit a hardware fault and considering all iPhone 4's will act the same its the same issue over and over.
I didn't say anything about being happy with a bumper. I haven't experienced this problem with my phone, despite being left-handed and being able to recreate the dropping of the bars. But I don't think that there's any way that Apple will recall these phones, so the next "best" thing (relatively speaking) would be to give away bumpers.
No matter which side of the antenna fence you are on, this is very bad news for Apple. It comes just when the bad PR was starting to settle down, and it comes from what is arguably considered the most unbiased and sensible place for consumer reviews.
There is a serious issue here but whether or not it is a dealbreaker for all of us is almost beside the point. From the point of view of the media, Apple has seriously stumbled. It's really quite sad, actually.
There is a serious issue here but whether or not it is a dealbreaker for all of us is almost beside the point. From the point of view of the media, Apple has seriously stumbled. It's really quite sad, actually.
Now it's official.
Thank you Consumer Reports for doing your job. As for Apple...
I'm not saying this is a design flaw because there are people out there whose iPhone 4s work fine, but there's obviously enough people out there now complaining about the problem to warrant looking at some kind of defect in specific batches of phones.
We need a recall based on serial number. It just can't be a software problem if some phones are working and others aren't. All of the iPhone 4s have the same software, so in theory they should all be affected, but they are not. Therefore, logic dictates that there is something physically wrong (antenna, sim card, etc.) with some of the phones.
Apple, get your head out of your ass and fix the problem. I know you're in short supply, but you owe it to your insanely loyal customer base to admit the problem and fix it.
Thank you Consumer Reports for doing your job. As for Apple...
I'm not saying this is a design flaw because there are people out there whose iPhone 4s work fine, but there's obviously enough people out there now complaining about the problem to warrant looking at some kind of defect in specific batches of phones.
We need a recall based on serial number. It just can't be a software problem if some phones are working and others aren't. All of the iPhone 4s have the same software, so in theory they should all be affected, but they are not. Therefore, logic dictates that there is something physically wrong (antenna, sim card, etc.) with some of the phones.
Apple, get your head out of your ass and fix the problem. I know you're in short supply, but you owe it to your insanely loyal customer base to admit the problem and fix it.
I have no problems with my reception. In fatc, I always have full bars!
My only problem is how slow my iPhone 4 is compared to my old 3GS ! I wont lie but It frustrates me a lot and I am thinking about returning it as much as I don't want to and maybe wait for a newer batch of iPhones to come out fixed.
My only problem is how slow my iPhone 4 is compared to my old 3GS ! I wont lie but It frustrates me a lot and I am thinking about returning it as much as I don't want to and maybe wait for a newer batch of iPhones to come out fixed.
funny
I wonder if me sending them my video had them further their testing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H795Qz-PBQc
I wonder if me sending them my video had them further their testing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H795Qz-PBQc
its not really to do with dropping calls, its where you would get signal on a 'better' phone and where the carrier network maps show you SHOULD get a signal, then on any iPhone you don't.
the level of complaints eg. O2 get about signal issues with iPhone (any) is 20 times higher than they get with all the other phones added together! (adjusted for sales volume) .... of course..they won't tell you that
I waited so long for this phone but I won't be buying any time soon until everything has been 'fixed', whatever that entails.
The worst thing an Apple fan can do now is continue to blindly defend a product that is falling short of quite a few peoples expectations.
The worst thing an Apple fan can do now is continue to blindly defend a product that is falling short of quite a few peoples expectations.
Have you used HTC Windows phones? Trust me - there are worse 'phones' on the market.
no bumper - fix phone
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.
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.
The permanent fix for the problem is direct competition which will never happen unless if the FCC forces it to happen. They have to force Verizon and Sprint to upgrade to HSPA+. LTE is a long way off. Don't believe Verizon's lies. They are just using the LTE carrot as a way of tricking people into staying with their company and they have no intention of implementing LTE in way that allows for interoperability with other carriers.
Only with direct competition will AT&T get off their arses and do something about it in San Francisco and New York.
We had the same problem in Canada a few years ago where Rogers did not have any direct competition when Bell and Telus were still on CDMA.
Serious, forget about LTE until it is ready. HSPA+ delivers speeds close to LTE anyway and is compatible with existing HSPA handsets.
Only with direct competition will AT&T get off their arses and do something about it in San Francisco and New York.
We had the same problem in Canada a few years ago where Rogers did not have any direct competition when Bell and Telus were still on CDMA.
Serious, forget about LTE until it is ready. HSPA+ delivers speeds close to LTE anyway and is compatible with existing HSPA handsets.
Doesn't Matter
I don't think the CR story will not effect sales one bit...people who want the phone will continue to buy it....people who have it already will keep it....people who are upset about the antenna will continue to complain and return it....This reminds me of the whole Toyota thing....even though there was a issue people continue to buy them and they are doing just fine....I think people who are unhappy should just return the unit and get something different....if you can live with the signal drop than fine and if you can't than just return it....I don't think you will see a major drop off in sales because of this story....I think the whole antenna thing has been a bit over blown....as long as you have choice in the matter its a non-story....just my thoughts....
I don't think the CR story will not effect sales one bit...people who want the phone will continue to buy it....people who have it already will keep it....people who are upset about the antenna will continue to complain and return it....This reminds me of the whole Toyota thing....even though there was a issue people continue to buy them and they are doing just fine....I think people who are unhappy should just return the unit and get something different....if you can live with the signal drop than fine and if you can't than just return it....I don't think you will see a major drop off in sales because of this story....I think the whole antenna thing has been a bit over blown....as long as you have choice in the matter its a non-story....just my thoughts....
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There will not be a recall. 3 weeks after launch and
I still can't get one. So I'd say these problems are not hurting sales too much. I'm not defending apple, just saying no company is going to recall a wildly successful product unless it's for some kind of health and safety issue.
Personally, I continue to believe that this is a defect and not a design flaw. Too many people can't replicate the issue, even with low signal, to say this is universal. Also, different ip4s show different behavior in the same spot with the same user (see for example the engadget mobile podcast from the 2nd or 3rd), so there's something wrong with the way some of them were made.
There will not be a recall. 3 weeks after launch and
I still can't get one. So I'd say these problems are not hurting sales too much. I'm not defending apple, just saying no company is going to recall a wildly successful product unless it's for some kind of health and safety issue.
Personally, I continue to believe that this is a defect and not a design flaw. Too many people can't replicate the issue, even with low signal, to say this is universal. Also, different ip4s show different behavior in the same spot with the same user (see for example the engadget mobile podcast from the 2nd or 3rd), so there's something wrong with the way some of them were made.