Has a 3rd party addressed the REAL reason for the iP4 reception issue?

[justyntime]

I dont even understand the logic behind apples response seeing as how the previous 3 iPhones did not have this problem even though they all had the same "signal calculation" algorithm...

Has someone torn it down and given a detailed description of what the REAL problem is?

 

[omizzle]

the real problem has been the antenna from day 1

 

[mgamber]

It's not rocket science, antenna theory, math and design has been around for a long, long time. Here's the three issues:

1. If you bridge the gap in the metal band, you effectively lengthen the antenna which detunes it instantly and, if you have less than perfect reception, the connection is dropped almost instantly. This is the problem Apple lies about and why Consumer Reports gave the phone a failing grade.

You can buy a 3rd party "fix" in the form of a case, but it doesn't actually fix the problem. No one outside of Apple can really fix this one properly.


2. If you put your hand close enough to the antenna of almost any cellphone, the capacitive effect of your hand detunes the antenna to some degree which causes reception to suffer. Usually cellphone antennas are so poor to start with that this doesn't have that much of an effect, but it could cause a call to drop if you have poor reception to start with. This is the problem Apple and Consumer Reports said happens to all phones and that Apple used to try to explain away problem #1.

There's really no "fix" for this as you have to hold the phone in your hand and it's only so big so you can only move the antenna so far away.


3. Apparently the math used to computer the bar displayed on the screen has been incorrect. This doesn't make any sense to me as my previous iPhones all displayed more bars yet had far worse reception than the latest which shows 1 bar and actually holds a call. This is the problem I figure Apple made up in hopes that it would placate the masses. Obviously they failed pretty miserably.

Again, Apple made it up, Apple has to fix it. It won't make any difference in where or how you use your phone anyway, it's purely academic.

 

[justyntime]

I understand whats happening but I was wondering if a reputable industry source has scientifically shown that it is NOT software beyond any argument. Its the scientific part Im interested in, not just a hand and a look watch. See, told you. lol

 

[Vertigo50]

I understand whats happening but I was wondering if a reputable industry source has scientifically shown that it is NOT software beyond any argument. Its the scientific part Im interested in, not just a hand and a look watch. See, told you. lol

It will never be beyond argument. In my opinion, the Consumer Reports article and others are pretty irrefutable, but there are a lot of people constantly refuting it here and everywhere else.

Again, I think AnandTech and CR have nailed it, but if you're waiting for something "beyond argument" you will never get it, so stop waiting.

 

[justyntime]

Its not like Im sitting in a chair staring at a screen waiting for a magic definitive answer from jesus himself lol. I curious as to whether anyone has hooked the thing up to a dB meter and taken readings with and without holding it the "Wrong way." Seems like someone would have done something like that by now. Thats all Im asking.

 

[br0adband]

"It's the antenna, stupid... always has been... still is... probably always will be..."

 

[8CoreWhore]

Define "problem". I use my phone all day all over the city and have no problems. If you mean staring at bars while running experiments, I don't consider that a problem. That's for people who don't actually own the phone and pretend they do because they are trolls and bored with life.

 

[clborden]

The definition of the word problem...well how about any time I hold my phone with my left hand...no "death grip", no attempt to watch my bars disappear, just holding it in my left hand, after about 15-20 seconds my call disconnects. I look at the phone and all of my 5 bars are gone and my phone says call failed with the option to call back. Now, like all of you guys, I absolutely LOVE this phone, so I bought a bumpers case & I'm actually willing to deal with it. But lets be honest, it's a problem none the less.

 

[DAMNiatx]

it seems weird but it happen on me. i have reception issue while i'm at home, now i stay in my university, and i can't replicate to have the issue. i got full bars, and i didn't lose any bar while i'm holding in wrong way.

 

[insidmal]

i was able to replicate this on my 3g but not on my i4

 

[OllyW]

Define "problem". I use my phone all day all over the city and have no problems. If you mean staring at bars while running experiments, I don't consider that a problem. That's for people who don't actually own the phone and pretend they do because they are trolls and bored with life.

I class this as a "problem".

 

[elistan]

Its not like Im sitting in a chair staring at a screen waiting for a magic definitive answer from jesus himself lol. I curious as to whether anyone has hooked the thing up to a dB meter and taken readings with and without holding it the "Wrong way." Seems like someone would have done something like that by now. Thats all Im asking.

Have you read the Anandtech article? That comes the closest, as far as I know, to being a scientific test of the iPhone 4's reception ability and what happens when it's held in various ways. It doesn't address the why of the signal strength, but it illustrates the what.

 

[justyntime]

Have you read the Anandtech article? That comes the closest, as far as I know, to being a scientific test of the iPhone 4's reception ability and what happens when it's held in various ways. It doesn't address the why of the signal strength, but it illustrates the what.

No I have not, thank you for pointing it out, this is kind of the reply I was looking for.

I just mean that some people say they dont have the issue (issue being actually dropped calls, not just bars appearing "lower") apple says its just a software thing and blah blah blah. I was wondering if a reputable mainstream source has measured the antenna readout holding it different ways, in and out of calls and used the readings to show beyond the shadow of doubt that there is or is not a design flaw... It just makes sense that it wouldve been done long ago, published, and squashed this once and for all.

I dont have the 4. I ordered it, should be here 8/4. I do have the 3GS, had the 3G and had the 2g. Never have I seen or even heard of this issue until now so Im not buying the whole "calculation" bit that apple is pushing. To me, such an experiment would conclude all this once and for all.

Ill be sure to check out the article mentioned in the quote.