so the bottom line is no one here knows for a fact what the issues is or how to fix it. why sit here and bicker back and forth?
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Detailed Analysis of iPhone 4 Signal Strength Dropoff
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We do know what the issue is:
Bridging the two antennas by touching the lower left corner changes the effective length of the 3g antenna and thereby detunes it leading to signal attenuation of around 20-25 db.
How to fix it:
hmmm
Uh?
How much have you read about this? Do you have an iPhone 4?
As spiritlevel says, we know exactly what the issue is.
We also know how to fix it (mostly) spend more money with Apple (or someone)
As to the bickering back and forth? I guess that is called human interaction, you know, conversation.
Kev
Signal varies
Ok, I'm experiencing the same dropouts that everyone else is having. But the weird thing is it depends on my location significantly. If I'm at home I will get 5 bars, but as soon as I grip it naturally, the bars start to go down to 1 bar gradually. Then they go back up when I release it. Now, when I go to my workplace I get 5 bars also, but when I grip it and try as best as possible to make the signal go down, the best I can do is make it drop 1 bar, and sometimes not even that. And tried it with speedtest gripping and not gripping both the same speed very fast. So either It must greatly depend on maybe how well the signal is depending on location, to determine if their is a problem when you grip it. Anyone else experiencing the same thing?
Ok, I'm experiencing the same dropouts that everyone else is having. But the weird thing is it depends on my location significantly. If I'm at home I will get 5 bars, but as soon as I grip it naturally, the bars start to go down to 1 bar gradually. Then they go back up when I release it. Now, when I go to my workplace I get 5 bars also, but when I grip it and try as best as possible to make the signal go down, the best I can do is make it drop 1 bar, and sometimes not even that. And tried it with speedtest gripping and not gripping both the same speed very fast. So either It must greatly depend on maybe how well the signal is depending on location, to determine if their is a problem when you grip it. Anyone else experiencing the same thing?
Everyone else is experiencing the same thing. It's a location/signal strength problem.
I suggest you read the Anandtech article that this thread is about.
Well, well, so here we have the first detailed analysis of the 'catastrophic' iphone 4 'issue', and the results blow all the naysayers out the window! Quick G-bots better uplink to the motherbrain for some new attack strats... You've been rumbled.
I hear what you are saying, and it was the Anandtech review that made me feel much better about the whole issue, and decide not to return the phone (it would have only been a temporary return anyway!)
BUT
Its not US that Apple should be thinking about. Very few if any normal mobile buyers will read this site or Anandtech.
All 7 of the people at my workplace with a 3G or 3GS have simply asked me,
"hey, I hear the new iPhone 4 can't make calls"
Its that effect that Apple should be concerned about, but it seems so far they are getting just a *little* bit too big to care.
2 years ago, maybe less, the response to this would have undoubtably been to simply send people *who complained* a free bumper.
Kev
The article seems to be a Rorschach test: the results found totally vindicate the people who say there is something seriously wrong with iPhone 4, I mean less than a 2 decibel drop on the previous model, almost 10x more drop on the latest? And decibels are logarithmic so its really a massively huge new signal drop.
If you need a bumper to make the thing work properly there should be one in the box or a voucher to pick on up in the color of your choice in the box. Charging an additional 10-15% of the price of an 'use as is' device to make it even as work as a phone when held normally is illegal in most states.
@spiritlevel & kev wright
I don't make a habit of suing under the SoGA but let's just say I've done it a few times and I am yet to lose. If a retailer aggravates me enough I'm quite prepared to invest a bit of time for little return to make a point. IMHO, if I were to show the court the Steve Jobs "you're holding it wrong" stuff they would be laughed out of it. It's a slam dunk. A phone can't be said to be of merchantable quality or fit for purpose if a consumer has to pay £25 for a special case manufactured by the retailer/producer; it's defective without it. I'm due to go back to the store later to replace my phone because the mic doesn't work on video recordings. I'll make the point again emphasising that I will quite happily drop some cash on a MoneyClaimOnline just to make the point and see what happens.
Cheers,
jahman
Hi, well you sound much more committed to it than me, I am going to try for a free Bumper, but will wait a while longer as I think there is much more to run on this story before its done.
I am off sick today, and feel ****, not sure if that is putting me in a different mindset, but I sat back and thought this through today.
At home, I have a signal that I did not used to have with my 3GS. Yes, if I hold the phone over a 1cm spot, I lose that signal. You know, the signal I never used to have before.
At work, I can hold my finger over that 1cm spot, and lose BARS. I can still make calls and get data at speeds similar to the 3GS. I have tried lots of other places, where I know signal to be good, and it does nothing, no dropped calls, data, or even bars.
I have decided that BARS are complete nonsense, thanks to the Anantech story, even though I kinda thought they were before, just did not know why.
So, I do still feel your moral outrage on one hand, on the other, if I did not keep the iP4, I would have to go buy another 3GS, and as that would not give be a better signal anywhere so far.......well, go figure.
Kev
Detailed reception in db's on iPhone 4
I previously had an iPhone 3G 8G and jailbroke it right before getting the new iPhone 4. I changed the carrier settings to show the actual reception in db's. I backed up my phone, while it was jailbroken, and everything backed up just fine. I went to swap everything over to the new iPhone 4 and when it was done I noticed that the carrier settings carried over from the jailbroken phone to the new iPhone 4. Now I can just tap the bars and switch them to show actual db reception or tap it again and the bars will reappear. I will include an actual photo. Anyone else have this happen to them.....?
I previously had an iPhone 3G 8G and jailbroke it right before getting the new iPhone 4. I changed the carrier settings to show the actual reception in db's. I backed up my phone, while it was jailbroken, and everything backed up just fine. I went to swap everything over to the new iPhone 4 and when it was done I noticed that the carrier settings carried over from the jailbroken phone to the new iPhone 4. Now I can just tap the bars and switch them to show actual db reception or tap it again and the bars will reappear. I will include an actual photo. Anyone else have this happen to them.....?
Attachments
What a great article. Although it's written in the first person (and the author obviously likes Apple products) his scientific method and attention to detail are laudable.
Comparing my first gen 2G with the 4 (I'm currently switching to unlimited data via the 2G) I notice that the 4 is equal if not better in low level signals. I work in an underground concert hall and service is 1-2 bars if any as we're surrounded by cement walls. The iPhone 4 was pulling full 3G with 1-2 bars. I was impressed. The 2G managed Edge with 1-2 bars but I've never had 3G in such a weak signal area.
Comparing my first gen 2G with the 4 (I'm currently switching to unlimited data via the 2G) I notice that the 4 is equal if not better in low level signals. I work in an underground concert hall and service is 1-2 bars if any as we're surrounded by cement walls. The iPhone 4 was pulling full 3G with 1-2 bars. I was impressed. The 2G managed Edge with 1-2 bars but I've never had 3G in such a weak signal area.
Why Doesn't Anyone Ever Talk About the Nexus One Dropping Bars While being Held?
Here's a video from back in February where a guy clearly shows bars dissipating on his Nexus One while being held with the grip of death. This was circling the N1 community a while back but never got blown out of proportion like the iP4 situation has.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEIA_lMwqJA
It's sad that some people have jumped ship based on all of this media hype. Who even holds their phone like that while talking?? I've tried and it's uncomfortable, unnatural, and kind of silly to hold a phone like that while talking. Let's be real here guys.
Here's a video from back in February where a guy clearly shows bars dissipating on his Nexus One while being held with the grip of death. This was circling the N1 community a while back but never got blown out of proportion like the iP4 situation has.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEIA_lMwqJA
It's sad that some people have jumped ship based on all of this media hype. Who even holds their phone like that while talking?? I've tried and it's uncomfortable, unnatural, and kind of silly to hold a phone like that while talking. Let's be real here guys.
Because the nexus has bigger issues than that, like screen sensitivity. Also, it didn't sell very good, so not much people would know.
They don't talk about it is because the droid/nexus/htc phones are not mainstream like the iPhone is.
Sure you may have thousands of tmobile users using these devices or verizon folks, but it's not as popular as iPhone. So you don't hear about their problems.
Everyone cares about the quarterback only. When you lose a game, it's the quarterbacks fault. iPhone is the quarterback.
Sure you may have thousands of tmobile users using these devices or verizon folks, but it's not as popular as iPhone. So you don't hear about their problems.
Everyone cares about the quarterback only. When you lose a game, it's the quarterbacks fault. iPhone is the quarterback.
I totally second that. I never hold the phone in death grip whilst talking - and if surfing - learning to hold in right hand always 5 bars. Great. Problem solved.
I totally second that. I never hold the phone in death grip whilst talking - and if surfing - learning to hold in right hand always 5 bars. Great. Problem solved.
come on, that's nonsense.
Death grip or no death grip, how do you expect to text message on the iPhone? Landscape wasn't an option until 3.0. I don't hold the phone on my right hand and I do hold the phone cupping the left side lower corner. It's always been like this since my 1st iPhone 3G.
And with landscape available, I don't use it. How do you hold it to surf the internet? I use my left thumb to scroll the pages. Bottom line is, it's an issue and perhaps not as bad as it should be (before this software update coming), but it's clearly a design issue.
It's not taking 3 steps back, but it could've been 4 steps forward!
Because the iPhone does do it worse than the Nexus does.
That's pretty much it.
But I do agree with what Gruber said. In terms of reception, the i4 is two or three steps forward and one step back. Yes, the signal drops more, but it holds onto calls far better at those low numbers.
So it's kind of a wash.
BUT that "one step back" is pretty big and very real! Bigger than the Nexus' problem. So that's why it gets more attention. It makes sense that it would work out that way.
That's pretty much it.
But I do agree with what Gruber said. In terms of reception, the i4 is two or three steps forward and one step back. Yes, the signal drops more, but it holds onto calls far better at those low numbers.
So it's kind of a wash.
BUT that "one step back" is pretty big and very real! Bigger than the Nexus' problem. So that's why it gets more attention. It makes sense that it would work out that way.
Apple gets more attention to this issue because they brought up the antenna in the first place.
The more of a big deal you make about anything, the more of a big deal it becomes if it fails.
OTOH, if you don't claim something is the best, then you can't get nailed if it isn't.
The more of a big deal you make about anything, the more of a big deal it becomes if it fails.
OTOH, if you don't claim something is the best, then you can't get nailed if it isn't.
Lets see. Nexus one has sold what, 200-300k phones?
iPhone - almost 2 million in a week.
The more phones out there, the more people will complain. Its a simple numbers issue.
iPhone - almost 2 million in a week.
The more phones out there, the more people will complain. Its a simple numbers issue.
Becase like only 5 people bought the phone.
Okay maybe it's more like 200,000 but that's still far less than the 2 million apple has sold thus far.
Okay maybe it's more like 200,000 but that's still far less than the 2 million apple has sold thus far.
What? How I the world can you cup the phone, covering the bottom 1/2 of the screen, and text at the same time. I just tried that and got a brief bout of carpal tunnel syndrome. I challenge you to record a video or take a picture of that in action. Really dude?
Edit: I do realize that you may be speaking on holding the phone with 1 hand and one finger typing with your other...but if you haven't learned how to type with 2 thumbs on this phone..you don't deserve to own one. You'll never see anyone from Apple demonstrating the two thumb typing, simply because it's more prone to errors. It doesn't demo well but is sure is sweet as hell when no one is around to make fun of you.
dude - not everyone has giant a_ss banana hands like yourself. Whether I am texting or talking, the damn antenna issue is affecting both voice and data.
Just because the glove fits you don't mean it fits everyone and apple is in no position to dictate how the hell I choose to hold my phone. Steve's EGO is getting so big, he's making bill gates look like a saint.