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

[kdarling]

I would like to know more about those "special tests" in their "labs".

CR has a radio-frequency isolation chamber with a base station emulator in their Yonkers labs.

So, unlike all the so-called tech websites with their "let's try it in my basement" tests dependent on their local cell site congestion and arrangement, CR does repeatable scientific tests using equipment similar to what Apple showed off in their Antennagate press conference.

Personally, I'm a fan of using both lab and field tests

(The original iPhone had an audio volume problem that also should've come up in the lab, but didn't get attention until hundreds of field testers wrote reports.)

As for the iP4, Apple's problems were that 1) in their lab the phone was in a test rig, untouched by human hands, 2) test units in the field were covered by camouflage cases, and 3) Apple's penchant for secrecy meant that testers were unlikely to share coffee conversations where a common feeling that something wasn't right might've come up.

 

[foxhunter101]

I had an iPhone 4 when they first came out, I had to return it because it dropped most incoming and outgoing calls.

I've now had an iPhone 4S for about the same amount of time as I had the 4, WHAT a difference. The reception on the 4S is phenomenal for calls, data, etc!!!

I've read comments from people who said the iPhone 4 didn't have any antenna problems. If you have used an iPhone 4 and an iPhone 4S, it's not even close. It's like a comparison between two tin cans with a string and a REAL telephone!!!

 

[DiamondMac]

Can we see some stats on that? It was very rare. Many/most people who tried to make bars drop could do so (as with all other phones).

You mean outside the tens of millions of posts here by people like me who had no issues with the past iPhones until this one?

Besides those?

Or the numerous if not majority of tech blogs, magazines, forums, and just about every other living human being that had past iPhones with no terrible issues then got this phone and saw their connection just drop off a cliff when holding it certain ways or hell...most ways?

I mean, the stats seem to be everywhere if you just look.

 

[840quadra]

CR has a radio-frequency isolation chamber with a base station emulator in their Yonkers labs.

So, unlike all the so-called tech websites with their "let's try it in my basement" tests dependent on their local cell site congestion and arrangement, CR does repeatable scientific tests using equipment similar to what Apple showed off in their Antennagate press conference.

Personally, I'm a fan of using both lab and field tests

(The original iPhone had an audio volume problem that also should've come up in the lab, but didn't get attention until hundreds of field testers wrote reports.)

As for the iP4, Apple's problems were that 1) in their lab the phone was in a test rig, untouched by human hands, 2) test units in the field were covered by camouflage cases, and 3) Apple's penchant for secrecy meant that testers were unlikely to share coffee conversations where a common feeling that something wasn't right might've come up.

Agreed,

I had a coffee table debate about this issue a year ago when a friend stated that Apple must not field test their systems. I had to mention the Gizmodo leak, and the fact that their secret testing case prevented the users of duplicating the reception causing issue either intentionally or by accident.

 

[BaldiMac]

As for the iP4, Apple's problems were that 1) in their lab the phone was in a test rig, untouched by human hands, 2) test units in the field were covered by camouflage cases, and 3) Apple's penchant for secrecy meant that testers were unlikely to share coffee conversations where a common feeling that something wasn't right might've come up.

That's just baseless speculation, especially considering there were reports that Apple knew about the problem before the iPhone 4 was released.

 

[kdarling]

That's just baseless speculation, especially considering there were reports that Apple knew about the problem before the iPhone 4 was released.

Speculation, yes. Baseless, no. Besides the fact that clearly Apple had no firm prerecognition of the design's impact, I've got thirty years of bruised experience watching stupid stuff like this happen over and over again

I can't count the number of times that I've seen a problem preemptively (and accidentally) solved just because two or more people got together and happened to comment on something odd... and the other(s) say, "hey that happened to me, too, but I didn't think anything of it at the time".

Some things just slip by, especially with so much secrecy involved. It doesn't matter if one or more "knew" about it ahead of time, if they didn't recognize it as a wide problem and bring it up to the right people and act on it. (Unless you think Jobs himself knew about it and simply ignored it, which doesn't speak much for his supposed do-it-right mantra.)

 

[BaldiMac]

Speculation, yes. Baseless, no. Besides the fact that clearly Apple had no firm prerecognition of the design's impact, I've got thirty years of bruised experience watching stupid stuff like this happen over and over again

I can't count the number of times that I've seen a problem preemptively (and accidentally) solved just because two or more people got together and happened to comment on something odd... and the other(s) say, "hey that happened to me, too, but I didn't think anything of it at the time".

Some things just slip by, especially with so much secrecy involved. It doesn't matter if one or more "knew" about it ahead of time, if they didn't recognize it as a wide problem and bring it up to the right people and act on it. (Unless you think Jobs himself knew about it and simply ignored it, which doesn't speak much for his supposed do-it-right mantra.)

There were reports about an engineer bringing it to Jobs' attention early in the process when they decided to go with the external antenna. My theory has been that Apple knew about the problem, but considered it a worthwhile design trade-off to boost overall reception. Which customers seem to have agreed with, despite the media frenzy.