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iPhone 4 antenna issue during normal use?

R

Readover

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 16, 2010
37
0
Is anyone really experiencing the issue during normal use? Or is it just while trying to recreate what people see on youtube?
I'm not saying the issue isn't real. Cuss it clearly is. (And other phones obviously has it too but anyway...) But I'm thinking, since no review mentioned it, is it really a problem during normal use?
I think this is quite an important question since the flaming is rather immense right now...
 
I can reproduce it using the death grip method. However I haven't gotten a dropped call to happen because of it. Depending on how you hold it when browsing the web or otherwise using the device for non-talking it might be more likely to hit the area. Even still I find I have to apply a fair deal of pressure to get it to happen with my device. So no, I haven't had it happen under normal use.

But I'm sure posting right after me are some people who have had it happen under normal use:
 
I have not had any real issue with it so far. I have held it every which way and it works fine when I am calling people. I think that when people try to replicate things it seems more of an issue than it already was.

If you have not noticed it by now it probably wont be an issue for you.
 
That's good! It seems almost more like a trick and "ooh I can do it too, cool huh?"-thing more than a real issue. And also, since the media attention Apple gets is so huge, these things tend to be blown out of proportion rather quickly. But I just want to know and maybe calm people down about this. Cuss when almost every thread and article on tech-sites says "Antenna issue" people might be put off for no real reason.. Cuss people don't research ;) just geeks do ;P
 
I don't experience it during normal use at all. In fact, my new phone doesn't drop calls in places my 3GS would drop 100% of the time.
 
Readover said:
That's good! It seems almost more like a trick and "ooh I can do it too, cool huh?"-thing more than a real issue. And also, since the media attention Apple gets is so huge, these things tend to be blown out of proportion rather quickly. But I just want to know and maybe calm people down about this. Cuss when almost every thread and article on tech-sites says "Antenna issue" people might be put off for no real reason.. Cuss people don't research ;) just geeks do ;P
Click to expand...

Exactly... think of it as the issue Toyota had with its Prius. Everyone was like ZOMFG!!!! BRAKE/GAS STICKS TO THE FLOOR DONT BUY TOYOTA... but eventually it passed and no one cares now. Plus it didn't happen to everyone. :D
 
I thought it was a non issue too until I drove from Boston to Cambridge.

In Boston no matter how I held the phone I would not get a reduced signal.
So I stopped thinking about it. Then I drove to cambridge, made a few calls without thinking much about it, and three out of four calls dropped within a minute or two. Turns out Cambridge has a much lower 3G signal.

Then I drove back to Boston and tested my data connection. While holding the phone in my left hand, normal position for me, I got no dropped bars. BUT my data speed went from 1mb download to ZERO, despite no change in bars! Adding the bumper helped by half, but did not bring the speed back up.

Now I am in Vermont where 3G is nonexistent and I am on the edge network.
Here while holding my phone in my left hand -- no death grip here, just resting in my hand, my four bars of edge service goes to no service in a few minutes. and no data either. Bumper fixed the signal strength immediately for phone calls and helped a little bit with data but not entirely.

So, for those of you who are not seeing any problems -- try speedtest regardless of the number of bars you are seeing. Or try loading a webpage.

Thhis is a definite, widespread problem that clearly varies by location and the strength of your signal area.
 
I typically use bluetooth for calls so I haven't had any dropped calls yet. However, I cup the phone in my hand when I'm browsing the web and have major problems with data transfer. Basically it doesn't work unless I reposition my hand to avoid contacting the problem area.
 
I love this phone. I've been showing it off to people left and right.
HOWEVER, how can I recommend it to people when the moment they grab it (most of them grab it the "wrong" way) reception dies? Oh here, but this phone because it's so cool!!... except it won't work unless you hold it a certain way.
I am very calm about this. It's just an annoying issue that happens every time i talk on the phone and forget about the left hand rule. I just want it to work without me having to THINK about how I should hold it.
Is that too much to ask?!
 
microcolt said:
Exactly... think of it as the issue Toyota had with its Prius. Everyone was like ZOMFG!!!! BRAKE/GAS STICKS TO THE FLOOR DONT BUY TOYOTA... but eventually it passed and no one cares now. Plus it didn't happen to everyone. :D
Click to expand...

Only one small problem... Toyota DID FIX the issue! Al we're asking for is that Apple fix this so we can use our phones. I don't think Apple is crap or the Devil lol. I just want my phone to WORK no matter how I hold it!
 
VSMacOne said:
Only one small problem... Toyota DID FIX the issue! Al we're asking for is that Apple fix this so we can use our phones. I don't think Apple is crap or the Devil lol. I just want my phone to WORK no matter how I hold it!
Click to expand...

I'm almost 100% sure Apple will fix the issue. They almost cant afford not to with all the phones they've sold.
 
I go from 5 bars to 1 with normal use in my home (interestingly go from 3 to 1 in my office). This is holding in my right hand up to my right ear. I can tell it's an issue because the other party will have trouble hearing me. I have yet to drop a call though but that's because once I start breaking up, I either adjust my holding (it's awkward and not natural) or put them on speaker.

I thought it was mostly paranoid hype but, at least for me, it's not.



ash =o)
 
I can replicate the problem, I can even deteriorate the call quality during a call, but it has got it's advantages.
A nagging customer? Just give the iPhone a death grip and with a bit of luck it will loose connection.....

But serious, I hadn't had a problem with it, even when I can replicate it.
The phone actually has a much better reception and call quality then my 3G iPhone.
If it is a big problem for you and you don't want to use a bumper, take a small piece of tape and cover about 1/2 an inch and you're good to go. Do it on both sides, when my fingers are a bit wet/sweaty, I'm able to drop the WiFi speed considerable as well
 
Readover said:
Is anyone really experiencing the issue during normal use?
Click to expand...

Yes

microcolt said:
Exactly... think of it as the issue Toyota had with its Prius. Everyone was like ZOMFG!!!! BRAKE/GAS STICKS TO THE FLOOR DONT BUY TOYOTA... but eventually it passed and no one cares now. Plus it didn't happen to everyone. :D
Click to expand...

In regard to the overall issue of Toyota's stuck gas pedals: The people that were killed may not care now, but my guess is their families still do.
 
random person said:
I thought it was a non issue too until I drove from Boston to Cambridge.

In Boston no matter how I held the phone I would not get a reduced signal.
Click to expand...

That's amazing. I was just in Boston for a week and AT&T horrible there compared to St. Louis (where I live). Heck I was at Fenway with no bars, no edge, no nothing. I fought with my 3G the whole time I was there.
 
PNutts said:
In regard to the overall issue of Toyota's stuck gas pedals: The people that were killed may not care now, but my guess is their families still do.
Click to expand...

His point remains true. EVERYONE cared while the media was all over it. As soon as they moved on to something else, most people forgot all about it.
 
I didn't think I had a problem either until I started playing with the speedtest.net app. If I hold the phone the wrong way it KILLS the data transfer speeds. I guess I hadn't realized it before because at home and work (where I have been this week) I have wifi.
 
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