I know, but then why are some people (70% I guess) reporting this issue and the rest (including me) cannot for the life of us get the phone to exhibit this behavior. If it was software then 100% would be having this issue as it's easy to replicate with your hands.
In the WSJ article here's what concerns me the most:
However, on at least six occasions during my tests, the new iPhone was either reporting no service or searching for a network while the old one, held in my other hand, was showing at least a couple of bars. Neither Apple nor AT&T could explain this. The iPhone 4 quickly recovered in these situations, showing service after a few seconds, but it was still troubling.
How could either AT&T or Apple not have seen this behavior during the testing?
Cause they used those disguised cases and weren't make an antenna-link between both parts of the stainless band. This could prove this be an oversight of biblical proportions.
And I'm unable to reproduce this, with my own 2G.
Make sure it's naked, then do it with your index finger resting near the sleep button, you don't even need to hold it that tightly.
One thing we haven't considered yet: the accelerometer. Is there ANY chance the signal disturbance could come from movement of the hardware in general?
This is definitely a major problem with the iPhone 4. I can't even get a call out when I hold the phone in my hand comfortably. Loses all bars and won't connect a call. WTH! If I hold it just by touching the sides, I get the bars back. Ugh.
I was fully prepared to come in here and say that it's a hardware issue, however I just tried this with my year-old launch day iPhone 3GS 16GB with iOS 4.0 installed. On the table, five bars. In the palm of my hand, dropped to two bars within seconds.
Looks like we might have a baseband bug.
It's a hardware issue. Try doing that without while keep your index finger away from the phone and it won't drop as quickly, or possibly not at all. It's a hardware issue.
I hope you told them to Google it, 'cause it's on the news.Called Apple technical support. They have no idea about this issue. Told me to try removing the SIM card. I don't have a SIM card removal tool...
Wow. This is shaping up to be the worst design failure in Apple's history, in fact one of the worst product failures in corporate history, period. What will they do? They only sell one model of phone. I guess they will have to keep producing the 3GS until they can eventually redesign the iP4.