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iPhone 4 - Reception issue, Hardware revison, Differences in model numbers? etc

H

hamzab

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 7, 2008
252
2
Hey guys,

Bought my iPhone 4 32GB last night and suffice to say, I love it! It's a week 26 one (Serial - 85026X) Screen is brilliant! Battery life superb however the reception issue is till a major flaw. I have had no other faults with this baby, no proximity sensor issue/yellow streaking etc.

Now I just wanted to know, what is the likelihood of Apple releasing a small hardware revision to fix the antenna problem, something like a coating or different stainless steel? I don't want to have an iPhone which still has the fault meaning I won't be able to sell it for a good price down the line.

My Model number is MC605 B/A, however I've seen people with MC319LL and MC610 - What are the differences in model number?

I've got about 12 days to return this baby, what should I do? Should I at least try for one replacement at the Apple store as people have been having success with replacements. But in your opinion, is this a hardware or software problem?

Thanks guys!
 
Gav2k said:
You should keep it as the software fix WILL fix the issue!
Click to expand...

Really? I've been told by many it's a hardware issue. I have my 3GS infront of me and that is displaying 4/5 bars on 3G whereas when I deathgrip the iPhone 4 it goes right down to 1, then I get a circle and then I can't even ring it.
 
I'm on my iPhone so can't type a long winded reply but if your ip3gs is on os4 it's lying to you as much as your ip4 is about your reception !
 
Gav2k said:
I'm on my iPhone so can't type a long winded reply but if your ip3gs is on os4 it's lying to you as much as your ip4 is about your reception !
Click to expand...

Nope, it's on 3.1 something, didn't update it.

I'm going to keep it for 10 more days, at which point I'll return if no credible fix/replacement is out there.
 
I have owned at least 50 cell phones in the past 10 years. Some of which har had major hardware issues. I am talking about motorola, RIM, HTC and Nokias.

Remind me in the sort history of cell phones have manufacturers ever done a hardware revision on the same model phone within the same year as it's release.

Zero. No one does it. They would rather ride it out until the next generation is released. It's a simple business decision.

Apple isn't going to revise a hardware to appease some people. Nokia doesn't do it on they phones. RIM doesn't do it on theirs. They have had the same memory leak for the past 10 years. They have had the same UMA issue for the past 3 years.
 
Haziza said:
The update will not fix this issue, just the way you see the bars.
Click to expand...

Yes that's true but if the phone is trying to hold a two bar reception and it's really 0 at which point it should switch to grps or edge signal. At the moment it's failing to do this because it thinks the reception is fine! Once it's fixed problems will go away.
 
Gav2k said:
Yes that's true but if the phone is trying to hold a two bar reception and it's really 0 at which point it should switch to grps or edge signal. At the moment it's failing to do this because it thinks the reception is fine! Once it's fixed problems will go away.
Click to expand...

You really are clueless. A software update won't change the fact that your fingers are bridging the antennas. That's a fact. iOS4 might be lying also on 3GS and 3G devices ,but the problem they show is nowhere near as big as i4's
 
There might be something to this according to what a few people are saying in comments on Gizmodo. MC610LL seems to exhibit no issues with the 'death grip' whereas MC319LL and MC605B both do.

Can anybody with a MC610LL confirm if they do or don't have 'death grip' issues?
 
andyyardley said:
There might be something to this according to what a few people are saying in comments on Gizmodo. MC610LL seems to exhibit no issues with the 'death grip' whereas MC319LL and MC605B both do.

Can anybody with a MC610LL confirm if they do or don't have 'death grip' issues?
Click to expand...

I have A1332 and mine has the issue.

edit: nevermind...looked in the "About" page lol. I have MC319LL. sorry ;P
 
rabmag;10540575edit: nevermind...looked in the "About" page lol. I have MC319LL. sorry ;P[/QUOTE said:
So thats another MC319LL with the issue. So far i've only been able to get my hands on 319's and 605's so I can't verify or even offer any extra information on this so if anybody does have a 610 it'd be nice to know if the death grip affects it.

I don't understand enough why the part numbers would be different anybody have any idea on that?
Click to expand...
 
To all who say that their iPhone 4 does not have the issue, you need to go where you only have 2-3 bars and grab your phone improperly and watch you bars and 3G go bye-bye!

It is a hardware defect and the only thing that a software upgrade can do it make your signal strength lie to fool you. If you live under a cell phone tower you will notice little problems but get out in the REAL world and see that Apple screwed up!:mad:
 
hmmm .. if it's a hardware issue?

Ok .. so my phone does the 'death grip' reaction but it doesn't affect me at all as I don't need to hold my phone that way.

My question is this .. if Apple decide to give out free bumpers to everyone where does that leave us with putting this thing in our pockets with keys etc? .. I need something to cover the screen too or can anyone confirm that iPhone 4 naked + keys = no scratches?!?! Also, you have to take the bumper off to put in dock?! hassle!!

Also .. I do kind of begrudge the fact that we paid over £500 for this device and it needs a 'fix' to work properly!

Then (rambling now!) if they do a mass recall what do we use for a phone in the meantime? I sold my iPhone 3GS and got the number transferrred.

Goodness, so many questions .. should have more of an idea after Friday evening I hope!!!

Loopy
 
I have MC605B and I have the reception issue.

I'm pretty sure that it's primarily a detuning issue not an signal obstruction (hand blocking signal) issue. I say this because I can wrap all 4 of my fingers round the left side of the phone, above the dreaded black strip, and with my palm obstructing the right side, and reception is fine. That's a lot of hand attenuation but the integrity of the antenna is intact. Next I put the phone down on my desk and just gently touch the tip of my index finger to the black strip so that I bridge the mobile and WiFi antenae and I see the bars dropping away within seconds and lose connection totally within about 20 seconds. That is with no flesh apart from the very tip of a single finger near the phone which is why I think this is almost all a detuning effect.

I still love my iPhone, I'm just careful how I hold it. If it does turn out to be a batch specific issue though then I'll return it for an upgrade when available. I might as well get what I paid for, i.e. an un-compromised unit.

Of course there is one other fix Apple could do. It's a real shame this isn't April 1st because MacRumors could have run this as their lead story...

"Apple to issue hardware fix for reception issue

It has been confirmed that the antenna issue is due to users inadvertently bridging the two antenae on the iPhone 4 by placing their finger over the black separating strip on the lower left corner of the device. In order to prevent this from happening on the revised iPhone this area of the case will be modified so that the iPhone can deliver a mild electric shock to the user when contact is detected close to the critical separating strip.

Although new users might experience some initial discomfort, Apple testing has determined that someone of average IQ should, within a few days, become sufficiently conditioned to hold the phone correctly at all times and thus avoid any further electrical shocks."

- Julian
 
Gav2k said:
You should keep it as the software fix WILL fix the issue!
Click to expand...

what are you smoking? Apple haven't even acknowledge the drop call issue yet when touching the lower left hand corner of the iPhone 4. They only mention theres a problem with the software not displaying the correct bars.
 
andyyardley said:
There might be something to this according to what a few people are saying in comments on Gizmodo. MC610LL seems to exhibit no issues with the 'death grip' whereas MC319LL and MC605B both do.

Can anybody with a MC610LL confirm if they do or don't have 'death grip' issues?
Click to expand...

Hi,
I have this model (and it's a 85027 phone).
I've it for a little over a week and only yesterday noticed I had the reception thing when I had my iPhone naked.
What got my attention was that I only had 3 bars though at home I had 5 bars at all times, needless to say the left corner of my Iphone was in my palm. I held it with only my fingers - 5 bars.
Repeated that a few times and ran speedtest.net app. And yep, there it was, much lower speeds!
However, I haven't lost all signal and I haven't had any dropped calls at all since I got my iPhone 4. A case completely solves the problem. So in comparison with other user my reception issue is very very insignaficant.
 
i still want to know why if holding the antenna on the iphone kills the signal on it, why did holding the bunny ears (or coat hanger :) ) on my old tv improve the signal??

for all of you under 20, before cable and satellite, televisions had antennas too!!!
 
Gav2k said:
Yes that's true but if the phone is trying to hold a two bar reception and it's really 0 at which point it should switch to grps or edge signal. At the moment it's failing to do this because it thinks the reception is fine! Once it's fixed problems will go away.
Click to expand...

Quit spreading your retarded fiction as fact.
 
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