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iPhone 4 Reception Issue? [Video]

Issue tied to original cell signal strength

We have horrendous cell service through the manufacturing facility I work in but have cell signal boosters in some of the office areas. I have found the following.

Places that used to give no service are now giving me some service, but drop out if I hold the corner, which is essentially bringing my previous signal usability back. Not that this makes anything ok.

At my desk, which has a strong signal, I cannot get it to lose even a single bar and can surf this webpage with no hiccups.

I certainly hope there is a fix for this, but I fear it is hardware and only solved with a case and/or a redesign. I was planning on a case, and if that solves my problems, I'll be ok with that as a solution.
 
Issue is true, mine went from full scale to 1 bar on some quick holding tests. The bumper does resolve it in my experience so far - there's a small drop sometimes but same as the 3GS, I.e, the presence of the hand. Without the bumper it just kills the signal and this seems to be a design oversight (a pretty basic one as any radio amateur will tell you). Standard Apple quirkiness. I'm happy enough using the bumper - it's actually very well made.
 
This issue with direct skin contact and the bumper case which seems to prevent it (and Apple's very 1st "official" case product of any kind for the iPhone) is just too damned convenient to be entirely coincidental.

I'm just not buying it for a second, no way in hell this is a mere conflux of events and circumstances, this was planned, executed, and put into motion with almost the precision the engineering of the iPhone 4 itself has. :cool:

There's just no way possible that these two things - the skin contact (since it's been shown that a single fingertip can trigger what's being noted and not necessarily a full-on gorilla grip on the device) and the bumper case (again, the 1st of its kind from Apple) - are not related.

Not even the RDF could pull this off and make people believe it. Sadly... people will say things like the poster above and brush it off with the "if a case solves the problem I'll be happy with it" solution.

Someone earlier in a post mentioned a potential for a CALS and I'm thinking we could see such a thing much sooner than anticipated when people really start buying these devices or picking them up later today (it's about 1:45AM Pacific as I'm typing this so, several hours to go here in the US before the real rush is on).

I wonder how many people will just dismiss this as "I'll get a case and it'll be fine, no problem" when it really is an issue and a flat out in-your-face (or beside it) design flaw.

I'll say this and know I can expect flames:

If this was a product by any other company and this happened, all hell would break loose...

It might still happen, actually, it's just on a low simmer right now. I'm still stunned that Engadget hasn't piped up about it. The little "poll" they tacked on to the display post isn't cutting it... somehow I smell some collusion going on.

Conspiracy? They happen all the time even when people refuse to acknowledge or believe 'em, and this is starting to smell like one.
 
carrako said:
Here is a video i just took...

Just did the iPhone 4 test....

Found this interesting. When it was laying flat, Full signal. When i picked it up and held the phone like everyone elses video, drop signal to 1 bar. However, when i covered my hand with a rag/microfiber cloth, The signal was unaffected and stayed FULL.

Very weird.

LINK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1KFgiwm-Q0
Click to expand...

Shiieeeee!

Better start selling that Apple stock, ´cause this ship is going down. This is serious, this could bankrupt them and be also the end of Macs. End of everything! :eek:
 
BobHail said:
Shiieeeee!

Better start selling that Apple stock, ´cause this ship is going down. This is serious, this could bankrupt them and be also the end of Macs. End of everything! :eek:
Click to expand...

Geez, that's pretty extreme... but it does get the point across quite succinctly. :)
 
br0adband said:
Geez, that's pretty extreme... but it does get the point across quite succinctly. :)
Click to expand...

Well this is pretty serious. If they have to recall millions of devices and make new ones, how can they afford that? And talking about how long it´s going to take to redesign this antenna system? :confused:

With all these problems, how can they have the time to make new Mac Pros?

Apple´s reputation is destroyed. Nokia and everyone else is laughing at Apple and us for buying iPhones = A phone that you can´t make a call with. This is embarrassing! :(
 
They're not going to recall anything. They'll just start giving away bump cases for free to any iPhone 4 owner that wants one - I'm completely serious about this, let's see if that prediction comes true in the next 10-15 days.

Was just looking at the product page for the bump case and the only words that keep jumping right out at me at:

Important note: iPhone 4 Bumpers are compatible only with iPhone 4. They will not work with any other iPhone model.
Click to expand...

This is just surreal right now, I swear. It can't be a coincidence, it's defective by design and this is their solution... an iPhone condom, more or less.
 
My biggest gripe of all at this precise moment:

One person noted as a joke that the bump case is $29 (they said $30) and it probably costs 60 cents to manufacture, probably 10x less than it costs to make the earbuds but... Apple doesn't think each iPhone 4 deserves to come with a bump case by default? They're so cheap they can't throw one in with each purchase, in the box? Really?

ARRRGGGHHHH I hate stuff like this, I really do. And what's worse is a huge number of folks are going to just dismiss it as nothing at all... why is that?
 
kalsta said:
Oh, and to those people who suggest Apple's rubber 'bumper' is the solution to this problem… Well, they say it's safer to wear a rubber, but you know… if you marry the right girl you can enjoy the full experience as God intended. Know what I'm saying? ;)

iPhone 4 is not 'the right one' for me if I have to wear a rubber the whole time.
Click to expand...

SydneySuero said:
shut up
Click to expand...

Maybe you're the one who should shut up since you don't get the point.
 
br0adband said:
ARRRGGGHHHH I hate stuff like this, I really do. And what's worse is a huge number of folks are going to just dismiss it as nothing at all... why is that?
Click to expand...

Fanboys will always protect apple, im sure some people would be happy to live in a sterilised sealed room permanently if thats what the phone required.
 
Apple better come clean, right now !!!!

If this problem is a known issue, then Apple better come clean right now. If there is a class action suit, email history will be part of the discovery process. If this issue has come up before and the "bumpers" were designed to cover it up, then Apple is in big trouble. Steve should make a statement today. There are also stock pricing repercussions if this has been hidden. It is a big, big can of worms. More companies get in trouble trying to hide stuff, then if they just own up and try to fix it.
 
original.jpg
 
Just saw this and knew I had to share it... see, even Steve Jobs knows how to hold the iPhone 4 so "it just works...":

stevejobsiphone4.jpg


This whole situation is going to explode later today... massive big explosion.

Edit:
Meant to put a caption in but was too hasty... this is the right image. ;)
 
If this issue is as serious as it's looking here on mr, this is a dealbreaker for me. I use my phone for work and it must be able to reliably place and receive calls. Maybe I can still get a 32gb 3GS from one of the carriers here.
 
br0adband said:
Just saw this and knew I had to share it... see, even Steve Jobs knows how to hold the iPhone 4 so "it just works...":

1277371577004.jpg


This whole situation is going to explode later today... massive big explosion.
Click to expand...

Ah, the RIGHT way to hold the iPhone 4. Thanks Steve for showing us! :)
 
I'm convinced its a case of skin breaking the isolation between the antennae.

Just got my iPhone this morning (UK) and it has the same issue. Simply lightly touching the bottom left black strip is enough to reduce the signal strength. Placing a lint free cloth between the phone and my thumb doesn't reduce the strength.

UPDATE: I find it strange that connecting the antennae by covering the top black strip does *not* affect the signal. Neither does just touching the metal antennae (without connecting the two).

So, manufacturing defect affecting a batch rather than in inherent design flaw?
 
imax2k2 said:
I really think during the keynote when the iPhone 4 was not able to load the pages could be because of the antenna issues, since the iphone 3gs lying right beside could load the pages, anyone remember this?
Click to expand...

Had to be.
 
Like the guy above me said, ***** gonna hit the fan on here within the next 12 hours, if its this bad so far and most people dont have it, I think this forum will crash later lol
 
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