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How-come my Macbook Pro picks up WIFI signals my iPhone4 doesn't??

B

Bobby Corwen

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jul 16, 2010
2,723
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So I'm sitting here in my bed and I am picking up like fifteen WIFI signals (some still unlocked in 2011 lol) from around my neighborhood...

But my iPhone only sees four from the same exact location.

C'mon Jobs...
 
Steve Jobs. said:
I would think a laptop would have a stronger wifi antenna....

but i don't know for sure.
Click to expand...

There are a couple things you can do to improve antenna performance, and one of them is a bigger antenna (of the right length for the frequency). A phone just doesn't have the room for a large antenna.

There's also the fact that the iPhone doesn't support anything in the 5Ghz band (802.11a, and 5Ghz 802.11n). Networks in that band won't show up at all, while your laptop will see them fine.
 
I'm also going to guess that it's because you can put a more powerful WiFi antenna in a notebook than a smartphone. Let's think about both space and power for a moment, and that the iPhone has to cram radios for cell service and Bluetooth in that same tiny little space, whereas your MBP has quite a bit of room for it.
 
a number of things are possible:

  1. Mac antenna is better for wifi
  2. Mac has 5ghz 802.11n band
  3. iPhone wifi antenna inferior to Mac
  4. iPhone is only 2.4ghz N band
 
Bobby Corwen said:
So I'm sitting here in my bed and I am picking up like fifteen WIFI signals (some still unlocked in 2011 lol) from around my neighborhood...

But my iPhone only sees four from the same exact location.

C'mon Jobs...
Click to expand...

I love how you criticize a phone for not having a laptops modem strength, then call out steve jobs. How's community college going for you?
 
Well I guess the laptop has a powerful wifi antena than your Iphone.Thts why you are catching more signals on your laptop..
 
kevintech said:
I love how you criticize a phone for not having a laptops modem strength, then call out steve jobs. How's community college going for you?
Click to expand...
Now, now, no need for that. No need to call out Jobs either, it's just a phone and can't pick up what a laptop could, but the OP shouldn't be insulted for it.

I think the iPhone has a pretty strong antenna, though. I've driven down my street and caught every wifi network on the road as I drove down it...
 
kevintech said:
I love how you criticize a phone for not having a laptops modem strength, then call out steve jobs. How's community college going for you?
Click to expand...

Ouch is right lol

Plain and simple. Laptops will have a stronger antenna then a phone. But the iPhone 4's wifi antenna is pretty strong, much stronger then my wifes 3GS as well.
 
Steve Jobs. said:
I would think a laptop would have a stronger wifi antenna....

but i don't know for sure.
Click to expand...

Antennas aren't "stronger" or "weaker" than one another. But the design of one over the other can make it more receptive, especially for certain frequencies. There are other factors, too. Antenna location, for example, and proximity to other RF-emitting electronics.
 
samh said:
Antennas aren't "stronger" or "weaker" than one another. But the design of one over the other can make it more receptive, especially for certain frequencies. There are other factors, too. Antenna location, for example, and proximity to other RF-emitting electronics.
Click to expand...

Another way to put that might be "more sensitive" rather than stronger?
 
To put a humorous slant to this, I translated the OP to a more worldly perspective.

Why does this:
big_wheel.jpg


not go as fast as this:

ferrari_v4_motorcycle_149.jpg


Yes, I know its a stretch. But still, the iPhone and the MBP have two completely different wifi antenna. Of course they won't be the same.

And then to say "C'mon Jobs"? Thats pretty funny in itself.
 
I think the other posters have answered this one sufficiently. Though I find that WiFi in all Apple devices is sketchy at best. My laptop, iPhone, and iPod will lose signals with hotspots that Windows machines in the same locations will not.
 
My new ViPhone is doing the opposite. I'm getting incredible wifi results with it. I just tested it in a hot spot coffee shop and got a download speed of 17.85 Mbps and an upload of 5.18 Mbps. My iPad, my net book and my aging Sony Vaio can't get that.

In fact, I just checked my iPad a minute later, same spot, and got 7.14 Mbs/1.17 Mbps
 
Last edited:
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