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Finally got a case - Reception WORSE!

Mad Mac Maniac

Mad Mac Maniac

macrumors 601
Original poster
Oct 4, 2007
4,808
2,110
A little bit of here and a little bit of there.
So I just got a case while I'm waiting for my free one to come in, and I just slipped it on. What did I discover? Improved reception? Hardly...

In my dining area my iPhone shows 4 bars max. I take off the case and it goes up to 5 bars. I put the case back on and the bars fluctuate between 1-4 even without touching it. ***This could just be random because sometimes not holding it without case causes similar reception issues, but it did seem to have very possible negative effect. And I have been unable to reach 5 bars with the case at all so far.***

Also, I still seem to have signal degradation when I hold the left side of the iphone. I can slowly watch the bars go from 4 to 1 when I hold it and slowly rise again when not holding it... ***This is the part that in unacceptable. I thought cases were supposed to prevent this behavior....***

Is anybody still having such poor reception with a case? My 3G held a signal far better. :mad: I am an iPhone fanboy, but this is something that will continue to cause increased dropped calls and poor quality calls I will really rethink my unnaturally strong love for the device.
 
I am using a bumper on mine and there is no difference in signal strength with or without it. What kind of case are you using
 
If you can reproduce the issue, I suggest taping it and posting a video. I'm interested to see what's happening, but simply reading about it is unsatisfying :p
 
I am using one of these http://www.handhelditems.com/luxmo-iphone-flexi-graphic-skin-case-clear-check-p-137236.html

and I will try to see if I can find my old camera, but it has terrible quality. I just use my iphone for all the camera stuff now :p

Also the drop isn't as pronounced as without the case, and it attenuates more slowly, but definitely drops down to 1 bar most of the time. I'll see if I can make a vid for you

edit: So I found it but just remembered that I gave all the memory cards to my fiancee. I don't think it has enough internal memory for a video. Also the battery is dead and I don't have any triple A's. But I'll see what I can come up with.
 
Get a replacement. There's a ton of us without the issue or at least the case does prevent the issue. Sorry you're having problems.
 
Givmeabrek said:
A crappy case affects reception and you want him to change the phone??
Click to expand...

The case is made of TPU and plastic, same material as many of the cases Apple is offering through it's free case program. I don't think it's the case causing the problem, since he had reception issues before.

To the OP, I would suggest going to Apple. If you can replicate the issue at the Genius Bar, they should give you a new phone.
 
Mad Mac Maniac said:
So I just got a case while I'm waiting for my free one to come in, and I just slipped it on. What did I discover? Improved reception? Hardly...

In my dining area my iPhone shows 4 bars max. I take off the case and it goes up to 5 bars. I put the case back on and the bars fluctuate between 1-4 even without touching it. ***This could just be random because sometimes not holding it without case causes similar reception issues, but it did seem to have very possible negative effect. And I have been unable to reach 5 bars with the case at all so far.***

Also, I still seem to have signal degradation when I hold the left side of the iphone. I can slowly watch the bars go from 4 to 1 when I hold it and slowly rise again when not holding it... ***This is the part that in unacceptable. I thought cases were supposed to prevent this behavior....***

Is anybody still having such poor reception with a case? My 3G held a signal far better. :mad: I am an iPhone fanboy, but this is something that will continue to cause increased dropped calls and poor quality calls I will really rethink my unnaturally strong love for the device.
Click to expand...



Try this :

Do a factory reset of ur iphone.. backup ur contacts.. DO NOT USE a OLD backup.. setup ur phone as a new device. it'll help... mine was doing the same thing till i reset it


IF IT DOESN'T WORK :

Walk into a apple store, they'll gladly replace it :)
 
I have the exact same TPU case that you have and I have no problems here. I only get two bars at home and it is the same if I have the case on or off.
 
I've had only one dropped call since I had my phone for about a week. . .
I'd replace it, if I were you.

When I had my 3Gs my reception in my apartment was horrid. . . with the iP4 it seems to have gotten better.
 
Yeah so this morning as I lay in bed I repeatedly watching my bars go up and down from 3/4 bars to 1 bar as I held it in my left hand (gently resting, no squeeze at all) and laid it on the bed. It seems to take longer for the bars to go back up to 3/4 than to go down while I hold it, but there definitely was a correlation. I might try to go to the Apple store soon, but I'm still on 4.0 and I have a feeling they will just say "go upgrade and come back". So I might have to do that before I go. I know 4.0 isn't the issue because my iphone (in these conditions) won't even show 5 bars, which is supposed to be the exaggerated bar level.
 
Personally, I couldn't care less if I am getting one or ten bars! So long as the 'phone works!!

Methinks you're getting paranoid about bars!

Are you dropping calls? Getting "no signal"? If the answer is "No", forget it, enjoy your new toy and get on with life.
 
John T said:
Personally, I couldn't care less if I am getting one or ten bars! So long as the 'phone works!!

Methinks you're getting paranoid about bars!

Are you dropping calls? Getting "no signal"? If the answer is "No", forget it, enjoy your new toy and get on with life.
Click to expand...

well I have had my case now for about 12 hours so I haven't had much real life experience yet. But since I have gotten my iPhone 4 I have had to develop new workaround to prevent reception loss. For example while lying in my bed, I usually put my iPhone on speaker and lay it down next to my head. It works, but is it really a permanent solution??
 
John T said:
Personally, I couldn't care less if I am getting one or ten bars! So long as the 'phone works!!

Methinks you're getting paranoid about bars!

Are you dropping calls? Getting "no signal"? If the answer is "No", forget it, enjoy your new toy and get on with life.
Click to expand...

In my experience the fewer the bars the slower the internet connection, so while the phone may work for calling, for surfing fewer bars result in a less satisfying phone.
 
Mine makes no difference... Have you tried using another case? See if its your phone or if its the case itself..
 
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