'Consumer Reports' Satisfied that iPhone 4S Fixes Antenna Issues

[daxomni]

I'm sure this will be a real boost to the sales of the 4s in the same way their last report was a real drag on sales of the 4! Is CP really that "Influential" any more?

Only to those of us who favor actual testing and objective scoring over proud-to-be-biased rumor mills.

 

[TWSS37]

This your thesis on the decline of the relevance of print media? Tighten it up and go in 3000 words or less next time.

I say this as a lifetime subscriber of Consumer Reports, Consumer Reports stopped being relevant years ago for just about everything. They were good when there was no internet, and no specialized reporting on different products. These days, they just don't measure up against most of the alternatives.

Consumer Reports uses flawed testing methodology and always has, but that used to be the only methodology available. Basically they get a single product and then test it however they think they can, then give it a score in various attributes. They don't, and can't, take into account individual variation between devices due to a single broken device. Most of their tests are highly subjective, and done in an unrepeatable fashion, based on the particular likes and dislikes of a single individual. They do not run tests over a long enough time to show long-term reliability or real world use.

Ultimately, Consumer Reports is unscientific and very subjective. Just because you hire engineers does not mean you're getting useful data and evaluating without bias. Nor does it indicate you have particular expertise and understanding of what you are reviewing in order to evaluate different products on an equal footing based on differing consumer need.

Consumer Reports does do some things right. I trust their safety ratings for vehicles (I don't know a lot of car websites that have their own crash test dummies). I trust they have accurate information about manufacturing costs and dealer costs, to help you negotiate with a car dealership (but that doesn't help you pick what model to buy, though). I trust they will properly analyze the sugar and fat contents of various ice creams (their food lab no doubt has the proper testing equipment to determine these things), and give a reasonable, if subjective, description of their tastes. I trust they'll give accurate, if simplistic, comparisons between different types of television screen technologies, camera lenses, or the difference between the three kinds of clothes washers (all of which I could find online easily enough). I will not, however, trust their individual brand or model recommendations for televisions, cameras, or washing machines in each of those categories.

For large appliances or technology purchases, and yes, even cars, I trust many different reviewers, from specific websites dedicated to discussing those products, backed up by thousands of ordinary customer experiences. I routinely see Consumer Reports getting things very, very wrong, recommending products that are universally reviled, and criticizing products for things ordinary customers don't care about or never encountered. Yes, there is self-selection bias, and only the most upset and most ecstatic customers will review a product online, but it's in those extremes you get a fairly accurate picture of what you can expect, both the good and the bad. For all the stuff in the middle, there are specialized product reviewers on specialized sites that have far more expertise in real-world use and the market as a whole.

The one thing Consumer Reports does really well is their yearly survey where they do actual, scientific, statistical analysis on a host of different product categories to determine reliability and customer satisfaction. This is the only way to do it, and Consumer Reports can tout their credentials in that. For everything else, there's specialized reviewers who know what the heck they're talking about, and the internet for long-term and real life use reviews from thousands of actual customers.

I've never found their single-test technology or appliance reviews all that insightful, in any category, and have thankfully always found much better reviews elsewhere. They're good to look at, just for brand information, but for specific models? Forget about it.

The iPhone 4 debacle was, quite simply, a desperate attempt at getting some attention to a dying business model of single expert reviews. Luckily, those days are behind us, and have been for many years. I'm sure it had very little impact, as will this new report on the 4S. I don't think they have an anti-Apple bias. They've always rated Apple products pretty highly, though they've never liked Apple's prices. This was, I'm quite certain, an editorial decision made for business and attention-seeking reasons. The bias was in wanting to get mentioned on TV and blogs a lot, and nothing more.

Consumer Reports will hopefully be around for many more years, and their own current efforts at pooling consumer data online may help them to achieve relevance again, but anyone relying solely on their reviews for information is a fool. A good starting point, yes, and a place to find a comprehensive list of models to see what's out there, but best taken with a grain of salt and always double-checked from the real experts and real consumers.

Again, this from a lifetime subscriber. Consumer Reports just isn't relevant anymore.

 

[BaldiMac]

Oh look, someone else who doesn't understand the actual issue. At least we know Steve's deflection worked. A lot of people are now confused about the actual issue.

So, you are just going to pretend that all of the press about a "death grip" issue was just Apple spin. The confusion comes from the fact that there were two issues. And the one played up by the media, and then Apple, was actually not the one unique to the iPhone 4.

 

[rockrigo]

death grip on other phones != death touch on iphone 4

 

[Rodimus Prime]

And this happens with all phones, including the original iPhone. They were just part of the media hysteria.

You are confusing death grip with death touch. I could make an iPhone 4 drop calls with 5 bars with just touching my pinky to the phone and it was very repeatable.
Other phones require a death grip.

IPhone 4 had a death touch issue.

 

[BC2009]

Apple's handling of the antenna issue didn't hurt my opinion of Apple or the iPhone. But how Consumer Reports handled it completely and forever changed my perception of that organization. I will never think of them the same way again. It should have been a minor caveat attached to a strong recommendation - instead they went with childish attention whoring.

I now have to question their other reviews and recommendations, which is very sad.

I cancelled my CR subscription when I realized that epinions.com, Amazon reviews, CNET, and general web searches tended to produce better information on products I was interested in buying.

Regarding their iPhone 4 antenna video, it was unprofessional and childish and clearly biased. Not to mention they only produced it after the press latched on to Antennagate as a "me too". In practice, iPhone 4 held calls better than iPhone 3GS, and if you had a Verizon iPhone 4, it was much much better.

Now CR ranks some lame phone from LG that can shoot 3D video higher than iPhone 4. They are basically just going down a spec checklist.

iPhone has repeatedly topped the customer satisfaction ratings year in and year out and leads the next competitor by a huge margin. Somehow, CR thinks that some crappy (and some good) Android phones are better because of a spec sheet. More power to them as they walk that path to irrelevance. As soon as our senior citizens pass away then all the CR subscribers will be gone.

My non-technical wife see's that commercial where the Dad stops the kids playing ping-pong to shoot a video and declares it "3D Gold" and thinks its the most idiotic thing she has ever seen. Even the kids in the video roll their eyes at their Dad because they, like everybody else, don't care about 3D video on their phone.

What I would LOVE is for CR to rate methods for obtaining product reviews and let the public vote on the same scale that CR provides. Let's see where CR finishes when compared to other sources of reviews like Amazon. I'm betting CR might find they don't finish very high at all.

 

[wrinkster22]

the only part of consumers reports I like anyway is goof, glitches, and gotchas the reviews are really biased.

 

[the8thark]

Consumer report has an issue with the antenna (MacRumours writes article about it), Apple finally fixes it (MacRumours writes article about it), Consumer report doesn't have an issue anymore (MacRumours writes article about it).

In other news, the sky is blue.

Just fixed up your post.

 

[alphaod]

People who read Consumer Reports before they buy things are people who sign 2 year contracts, pay $150 a month for service, and go for the free lesser phones thinking they are somehow saving money. Oh they never listen, because they trust "Consumer Reports said…" Sorry, that's the way I've seen it. And I'm talking about people I know and I know they are not alone.

 

[samcraig]

So, you are just going to pretend that all of the press about a "death grip" issue was just Apple spin. The confusion comes from the fact that there were two issues. And the one played up by the media, and then Apple, was actually not the one unique to the iPhone 4.

Are you also leaving out how Apple originally had fewer bars than other phones so during one of their updates - suddenly they were seeing the same bars as other phones. Then "magically" during the press conference - with all the amazing technology and testing they do - they somehow "realized" that they were using the wrong "math" to display bars.

Spinning is spinning is spinning.

 

[kas23]

The evidence is mounting that "antennagate" was not a manufactured controversy.

As pointed out in his bio, Jobs knew about the problem, but was too smug to realize the potential problems. Then, when the stuff hit the fan, he was still to arrogant to address the issue like a man. Instead of taking responsibility, he pointed fingers at Google. Poor baby, it must've ruined his Hawaiian vacation. Luckily for us, it took the urging of Cook for him to accept responsibility (yet they still didn't do anything about it).

What gets me is how Apple came out with these butt-ugly bumpers. Fanboys were gushing over them, but at that time no one suspected the real reason for these un-Apple rubber bands - to mask the antenna's poor performance. And they had the nerve to charge $30 for them initially! Where are these rubber bands now?

Then, people accused CRs of a smear campaign, even though they gave highly favorable recommendations for all other Apple products. And since Apple has actually fixed this problem, as they should have done last year, CRs have adjusted the iPhone rating. See...no smear campaign.

 

[BaldiMac]

Are you also leaving out how Apple originally had fewer bars than other phones so during one of their updates - suddenly they were seeing the same bars as other phones. Then "magically" during the press conference - with all the amazing technology and testing they do - they somehow "realized" that they were using the wrong "math" to display bars.

Spinning is spinning is spinning.

I didn't leave that out. It was completely irrelevant to what we were talking about. I try to avoid conspiracy theories when the simplest explanation is human error. No magic involved.

Apple's antennagate press conference was full of spin. No denying. But KnightWRX's condescending post ignored the fact that the major issue played up in the media was actually the "death grip" issue, not the unique-to-iPhone-4 "death touch" problem.

 

[needa]

sure. it fixes the death grip. but live in an area where 3g and edge are both weak, you have no reception 50% of the time. your battery drains in a matter of a few hours. and the iphone 4 is sitting next to you making phone calls and surfing the web.

 

[Risco]

Let's be honest, the only consumer report Apple are interested is sales numbers of consumers who have bought an iPhone.

 

[BaldiMac]

The evidence is mounting that "antennagate" was not a manufactured controversy.

As pointed out in his bio, Jobs knew about the problem, but was too smug to realize the potential problems. Then, when the stuff hit the fan, he was still to arrogant to address the issue like a man. Instead of taking responsibility, he pointed fingers at Google. Poor baby, it must've ruined his Hawaiian vacation. Luckily for us, it took the urging of Cook for him to accept responsibility (yet they still didn't do anything about it).

What gets me is how Apple came out with these butt-ugly bumpers. Fanboys were gushing over them, but at that time no one suspected the real reason for these un-Apple rubber bands - to mask the antenna's poor performance. And they had the nerve to charge $30 for them initially! Where are these rubber bands now?

Hey, look! More conspiracy theories! Reception problems on a mobile phone that make national news for multiple weeks is a manufactured controversy, despite the fact that the problem was real.

Then, people accused CRs of a smear campaign, even though they gave highly favorable recommendations for all other Apple products. And since Apple has actually fixed this problem, as they should have done last year, CRs have adjusted the iPhone rating. See...no smear campaign.

First, most people didn't accuse them of a smear campaign, the accused CR of taking advantage of the publicity. Second, it appears from their news release on the iPhone 4S that they still are.

 

[PeterQVenkman]

First, most people didn't accuse them of a smear campaign, the accused CR of taking advantage of the publicity. Second, it appears from their news release on the iPhone 4S that they still are.

Bad review = looking for publicity
Good review = looking for publicity

That makes perfect sense in crazy world.

 

[needa]

Bad review = looking for publicity
Good review = looking for publicity

That makes perfect sense in crazy world.

when you fill youtube with videos on auto reviews and within those reviews you blatantly talk about what other reviews are saying and then call it your own review then are your really making a review?

talk about bat **** crazy! i agree with the guy you were replying too. the only reason for cr to talk about it at all os for the press. the fact that they didnt bother to talk about how crappy the new antenna system is only reinforces that point in my mind.

 

[BaldiMac]

Bad review = looking for publicity
Good review = looking for publicity

That makes perfect sense in crazy world.

Why are the two mutually exclusive? Did you read the news release about the iPhone 4S?

http://news.consumerreports.org/electronics/2011/11/consumer-reports-recommends-the-iphone-4s.html

Two paragraphs about antennagate. Two paragraphs about the battery issues that they could not duplicate. One sentence about new features. And two paragraphs about Android devices. Does not seem to fit the pattern of their other news releases.

(And I'm curious to see how they justify rating the LG Thrill over the iPhone 4S. I can understand the Galaxy S2 and the Droid Bionic even if I don't agree.)

 

[rockrigo]

so you guys think CR did the review then begged all the media outlets reporting on their review to give them publicity?

 

[KnightWRX]

Just fixed up your post.

That's not what I meant. It's ok for Macrumors to report about it, I was just commenting that it was the evident conclusion to the whole thing.

I guess my point went over your head uh ?

----------

The evidence is mounting that "antennagate" was not a manufactured controversy.

Was there even any doubt ? The evidence was out there. Apple's reaction only made it worse. If they had simply admitted to the problem instead of deflecting the issue, they would have been spared a lot of bad press.

 

[Xian Zhu Xuande]

Why are the two mutually exclusive? Did you read the news release about the iPhone 4S?

http://news.consumerreports.org/electronics/2011/11/consumer-reports-recommends-the-iphone-4s.html

Two paragraphs about antennagate. Two paragraphs about the battery issues that they could not duplicate. One sentence about new features. And two paragraphs about Android devices. Does not seem to fit the pattern of their other news releases.

Someone gave him a negative for this? Someone considers this Consumer Reports article to be good reporting on the iPhone 4S? This is spot on. I'm not sure why, but the article reads like something typed, painfully, by someone who is offended and upset that they must say even one positive thing about the product. If you read their reviews about other products you'll find that those reviews tend to actually feature the products in question.

(And I'm curious to see how they justify rating the LG Thrill over the iPhone 4S. I can understand the Galaxy S2 and the Droid Bionic even if I don't agree.)

Hard to argue with video recording in 3D! Killer feature, that. :roll eyes:

Was there even any doubt ? The evidence was out there. Apple's reaction only made it worse. If they had simply admitted to the problem instead of deflecting the issue, they would have been spared a lot of bad press.

They could have admitted to more than they did because there was some small issue. But they should not have gone along with the accusations leveled by the press. They were overblown and nonsensical. Additionally, from a business perspective, I have a feeling what you suggest would have been far worse for their products than the course of action they followed.

 

[MacAudioPro]

What antenna issues?

Oh, yes "What antenna issues"??

I know that's a standard fanboy joke, but if you would get your head out of the sand, you would know that it is in fact an issue..

I have to go to a facility 2 times a week and my iPhone 4 has No bars and No service. For times like these, I also carry my old 3GS (Which is unlocked and has a gophone SIM in it) and it has 2 1/2 bars in the same area and I can make and receive calls with no problem. And before you say it, ... No, it's not just my iPhone 4... My son's iPhone 4 and an associate have the same issue in this location...

 

[cwerdna]

ignorant media

The annoying part sometimes is the ignorant media. Today on Nightly Business Report (will post transcript URL when it's available) they said that CR said "the 4S doesn't have the reception problems that plagued its predecessor".

 

[Habakuk]

Just for the records.

I have the iPhone 4 since one year. Here in Austria we have the highest iPhone density in the world (behind Switzerland) and I personally know 15 people with iPhones 4 and I am meeting them almost every day.

There are enough areas with "low signal strength" of our official iPhone providers (four of them since years) and NOT ONLY ONE person of my friends had EVER something like an "antenna issue". (BTW everybody will stay with the iPhone in future.) I just wanted to confirm that.

 

[Mr Bigs]

Just for the records.

I have the iPhone 4 since one year. Here in Austria we have the highest iPhone density in the world (behind Switzerland) and I personally know 15 people with iPhones 4 and I am meeting them almost every day.

There are enough areas with "low signal strength" of our official iPhone providers (four of them since years) and NOT ONLY ONE person of my friends had EVER something like an "antenna issue". (BTW everybody will stay with the iPhone in future.) I just wanted to confirm that.

Ok and what's your point ?