Consumer Reports Still Not Recommending iPhone 4

[Mattie Num Nums]

Actually you know what Apple should do to COMPLETELY solve the problem? They have the EASIEST solution in their hands due to their innovative design:

Apple should SIMPLY rotate the whole antenna frame a few inches in order to put that weak spot (the thin dividing line) on the top or lower part of the phone, where hardly any hand touches it - I am sure design changes would be minimal since the frame IS the antenna...there you have it, solved!

And yes, you've read this here FIRST, thank you...Apple, don't forget to credit me when you implement this idea, OK?

The whole problem could have been solved if Apple initially pointed out the dead spot and explained it. To me if Apple said hey heres the spot you risk blah blah blah from the get go, I would have accepted it and not had an issue. My issue is Apple trying to blame the user base and then dust its tracks.

 

[rhanley]

Follow me around, whatever city, lets go?

First stop, Eugene, Oregon.. I'll invite you over for tea and crumpets and you can see the issue on your own phone first hand.

 

[Robert M.]

Actually you know what Apple should do to COMPLETELY solve the problem? They have the EASIEST solution in their hands due to their innovative design:

Apple should SIMPLY rotate the whole antenna frame a few inches in order to put that weak spot (the thin dividing line) on the top or lower part of the phone, where hardly any hand touches it - I am sure design changes would be minimal since the frame IS the antenna...there you have it, solved!

And yes, you've read this here FIRST, thank you...Apple, don't forget to credit me when you implement this idea, OK?

That would be an awesome idea!! It should be at the top!!

Apple should fire Steve and hire you! (Puts on flame-suit)

 

[rsocal]

Have you seen choppy reception immediately upon holding it or a dropped call in under 10 seconds?

Why is everyone so focused on showing bars drop? I want to see videos of people on calls or running data upload/download tests while doing this.

I could care less about bars dropping if my phone stays connected. Something tells me these other phones don't have that issue, or at least not as exaggerated as I saw on my iphone 4.

Mine works great, take yours back, what more do you want? Should apple buy you a new car because you don't like your new phone?
Give me a break the iPhone 4 works great for most people, get over yourself!!!

 

[Glideslope]

I love how all the Apple fanboys are coming out and saying that Consumer Reports sucks, etc., when before this Consumer Reports was used to recommend the iPhone

Consumer Reports does not suck. I personally own the top rated Lawn Tractor, Weed Wacker, Air Compressor, Washing Machine and Dryer, Water Filtration System, Car Battery, Self Propelled 22" Mulching Mower, 28" Snow Blower, and HVAC System.

So no crap about their Antenna Experts.

 

[Digiman77]

Who, what?

Seriously! Who cares about a Consumer report? Here in Norway nobody gives a s*** about them. Maybe grandpa does, but come on?
The internet has turned the world into a major south american 80s soap tv-series. The only problem is that to many believe all the ************

Take care

 

[mack2005]

I think I wait until they come up with a product that works correctly right out of the box.

 

[davidgrimm]

No, it's because people have dropped calls and choppy reception when holding their iphone 4 -- not because they see some bars drop. I don't look at the bars when I'm on the phone, so I could care less if I have 1 or 4, as long as my call stays connected.

Can you explain why my iphone 3G didn't have this issue no matter how I held it (and yes, I retested after getting the iphone 4 in the same exact location)?

Please take it back, write a low review and QUIT WHINING ABOUT IT. I hope you enjoy your new android phone. Just think of all the porn and viruses you can go purchase at their app store.

My 3G phone drops calls frequently, but I always blame ATT for that. Its their network after all.

 

[rhanley]

I'm aware that some iPhone 4s are clearly affected, as evidence by some here who've exchanged them for working ones, but other factors are also to blame like poor at&t reception (no different from someone who had to return the original iPhone for this reason), comparing naked iP4 to cased 3G/3GS, etc.

A few users' experience doesn't change the fact that the whole issue is blown out of proportion.

I agree that the number of affected users might be blown out of proportion (not according to Apple's figures though), but for the ones that have the issue, it's a big deal.

 

[genovelle]

Ignorant comments are ignorant.

Consumer Reports is held in high regard because they don't accept "review samples" of products. They buy what they review anonymously through third parties. They also don't accept industry perks. This is exactly why you have to be a subscriber to view most reviews of their website. They have to find a way to make the money required to do all this. They aren't industry brown-nosers like Macworld, and since they are a general product-review company (not Apple or even computing-focused) they wouldn't be at an Apple event to begin with.

I guess they go out and buy all the cars they review some even before they are released huh? We used Consumer reports when I sold Hondas even though they were biased against us in their reviews at the time. They couldn't insert their bias towards Toyota and Mazda into the dependability records. In 1996 they review a the Corolla and gave it a glowing review. Then in 1997 they review the Mazda Protege and it was the same review with Protege substituted for Corolla. It was crazy. I used it to show that Consumer report's reviews meant nothing. If a customer brought them up I would pull out both of those reviews and let them read it for themselves

 

[rhanley]

Please take it back, write a low review and QUIT WHINING ABOUT IT. I hope you enjoy your new android phone. Just think of all the porn and viruses you can go purchase at their app store.

My 3G phone drops calls frequently, but I always blame ATT for that. Its their network after all.

I already took my phone back, but mature response by you nonetheless.

I can get porn on an android??? Sign me up!

It's hard to blame ATT when the only change (for me) was the phone

If you're not having issues, then quite whining about people whining about it. You're in the same boat there buddy.

 

[WozzaX]

I cannot believe some of Delusional post on this forum.

CR is standing up for consumers, and obviously after some media attention as well, but it is making a stand.
If your microwave at home could only be set to 10 minute intervals and not single minutes would you buy it? Would you recommend it?

I bet if the iPhone 5 came out and couldnt go online in GPRS mode the fanboys on here would still love the phone and slate anyone like CR for saying they cant recommend it.

Get a grip.

The phone has a defect. Apple have conceded this by allowing you to have bumpers for free.

I wanted to get the iPhone on release day, but I decided to wait, and now I am considering leaving it until the iPhone 4S (or whatever), not because of one site, but because of the amount of people saying they have problems.

I think Apple have made a few mistakes by moving away from the standard design and going for something new. The look is great but I think they have gone for looks over proper testing and functionality on this one.

 

[gorgeousninja]

This seems politically motivated, and highly dubious, would be interested to discover who's been funding them lately. As for all the whinging, pathetic, whiners clogging up these boards... TAKE IT BACK or shut up, and leave us, the majority, to enjoy our phones in peace, and not have to listen to your incessant snivellings. Seriously, stop!

 

[killertoast6]

consumer reports are gonna be banned by Apple

no apple event(s) tickets for you!

how the heck could apple ban cr?

 

[pdjudd]

how the heck could apple ban cr?

Most Apple events are invite only.

 

[cramzy]

Hi guys,
I'm writing from a third world country (Bulgaria) and we will not get any iphone 4 here at least several months more. My husband flew to Paris just to get one - I must say it's horrible to go to Paris just to buy some phone.
However, it is the best phone and I want one too. The problem is that until Apple decides to release it here it costs us more than 1000 USD just for the phone.
Why do I want it so bad? Because it's the best phone! Very simple reason. After Apple's latest invetions people started to think that the phone would eventually do the dishes, feed the kids and so on. It is not going to happen! At least for a couple of years
Do I want to buy a car which can fly around the globe? Yes, I do. Would it be the best car. Probably, yes! Does someone sell such a car? No, no one! So I can't buy such car and I will drive the best one on the market (of course if I can afford it ).
I just wanted to say that it's time to get down to Earth - some things are not completely possible yet.

Cheers,
Maria

 

[killertoast6]

Most Apple events are invite only.

oh so like the events. I thought it was referring to banning CR apps from the app store or something, which I don't think the public would like.

 

[ravensfan55]

I think there could be a good chance Apple is re-working the internals to go back to the old antenna style, while leaving the metal bands, and not saying a word. Then, everyone's happy.

 

[extraextra]

Dude, what is wrong with 95% of you guys? Your comments are ridiculous ("Apple is the best company ever" "******* CR they are useless" etc.) and you swear like CR just called iPhone4 a POS and the s**ttiest excuse for a smartphone ever. All they said was that the signal problem prevents them from recommending the phone even though it excels in all other areas - and it's obviously an issue if Apple has to hold a special event addressing it.

Anyway, I am curious about what will happen after Sept 30. And I'm sure that this has been asked - how does the case prevent the signal from dropping? What is it about a barrier between the antenna and your hand that keeps the signal from dropping? Is it a conductivity issue or what?

 

[SiskoKid]

First, some of these videos don't even RELATE to signal attenuation.

Second, show me one of these videos where touching, with ONE FINGER, the entire phone drops all signal and calls cease to function, as well as stopping data transfers?

Third, what you just showed was that any other phone being held "improperly" doesn't lose nearly as much signal as the iPhone 4 does.

Three strikes, you're out.

Is the Kool-Aid you're drinking really that tasty?

First of all all the videos relate to the signal attenuation.

And touching the iPhone with one finger doesn't drop all signal. Do you even own the iPhone 4? I'm touching mine right now and it works. He's touching his right here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMRzXKGzn0g

Also, if bridging the gap of the antennae meant it's shorting the antennae than that means the phone wouldn't work period regardless of signal strength. The thing you're failing to see is that the metal bands act as the antennae so then THAT would mean that holding the phone, but still not touching the gap, would short the antennae. It's not a hardware design issue. Sorry, buddy

 

[jeff33702]

This seems politically motivated, and highly dubious, would be interested to discover who's been funding them lately. As for all the whinging, pathetic, whiners clogging up these boards... TAKE IT BACK or shut up, and leave us, the majority, to enjoy our phones in peace, and not have to listen to your incessant snivellings. Seriously, stop!

How about you stop reading it then, if you're happy with YOUR phone. Seriously, stop! ...some people...

 

[smarch]

So you returned the highest rated smart phone because you didn't like the press conference? I'm sorry, I don't follow the logic...

I think there's a new sub-species of humans that has evolved over the last 50 years or so. They are stupid first and foremost; they think they are smart; they assume they know more than everyone else when they actually know less; logic is never an issue for them; and they hate on everything because it is that hate that helps them feel so superior in the face of a logical world.

unfortunately this new species loves blogging, posting, news reporting, theorizing, campaigning, activism, voting, running for office, telling everybody else what to do, claiming 'rights' that steal the actual rights of everybody around them, and generally making life difficult for the regular humans; humans that shut up and live their lives, understand logic, and produce things of value for their fellow humans to enjoy; things that the sub-species will hate on, all the while reaping their benefits in the long run.

 

[thetoad30]

This seems politically motivated, and highly dubious, would be interested to discover who's been funding them lately. As for all the whinging, pathetic, whiners clogging up these boards... TAKE IT BACK or shut up, and leave us, the majority, to enjoy our phones in peace, and not have to listen to your incessant snivellings. Seriously, stop!

You don't like it, then don't read it. We have every right to say something isn't working when it isn't. Just because it doesn't happen to you or you're blind to it doesn't mean we can't state what's happening or state how we dislike it. If you love your phone so much, then go enjoy it and leave us to figure out how to fix it.

 

[iceborer]

Most Apple events are invite only.

Toast's point is that CR is not a news organization-- they don't go to these events. They buy product at retail or get units from manufacturers and test them. If don't give them test units, they'll buy them (if they don't already).

 

[dogie678]

haters are going to hate.