Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone 4 Reception Issue? [Video]
- Thread starter FFArchitect
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMgSGp-ns3c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ-b56MdVjo
Damn! I don´t know if I want to buy this anymore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ-b56MdVjo
Damn! I don´t know if I want to buy this anymore.
Problems during keynote
IF the antenna problem was what actually happened during the keynote, then Steve is the luckiest guy on the face of the earth. He has total deniability and his company also. No conspiracy to hide, etc. Now, let's make a statement and figure out a way to fix it.
IF the antenna problem was what actually happened during the keynote, then Steve is the luckiest guy on the face of the earth. He has total deniability and his company also. No conspiracy to hide, etc. Now, let's make a statement and figure out a way to fix it.
I miss When Apple could release products without these ridiculous problems. Worse yet is the fact that they do not acknowledge the existence of said problems. My iPhone has bubbles under the screen. I took it into the apple store and the "genius" said that the issue had never happened before and I clearly abused my phone (which is in near perfect condition btw). Another time a while back, I asked if he knew where I could get a new switch assembly because my phone has been stuck on silent for almost a year now. The guy responds by trying to sell me a 3GS because my iPhone is "hopelessly outdated." The fact that a phone they sold until two years ago is considered "hopelessly outdated" is even more appaling.
I don't know if most people missed my post in the madness, but wi-fi is just as bad. If you try and hold the phone sideways even right next to the router, the signal degrades. I tried loading hd video from youtube and it would not finish loading when I was holding it. If I put it down it loads fine. What a piece of ****.
?? Apple ??
So they never got around to testing it as a phone (without a 3GS disguise). It really makes you wonder what exactly they're thinking?
So they never got around to testing it as a phone (without a 3GS disguise). It really makes you wonder what exactly they're thinking?
As noted, this problem doesn't occur on all phones. Steve's got a "good" one it seems.
3GS does it too without case.
I tested my wifes 3GS without a case on it, held it the same way I hold my iPhone 4 and hers did the same thing. It went all the way down to 1 bar. I guess we never noticed this before because since the day we got it for her it always had a case on it.
I tested my wifes 3GS without a case on it, held it the same way I hold my iPhone 4 and hers did the same thing. It went all the way down to 1 bar. I guess we never noticed this before because since the day we got it for her it always had a case on it.
I just tested my 3GS and no such issue. Full 5 bars, although on an Orange network in the EU.
Just got back home from Best Buy (I was the first appointment). The store is very close to a cell tower, so I was able to get it to go below 4 bars holding the phone in the store. But on the way home, I held it in my left hand and it went all the way down to "Searching...". However, if I hold it in my right hand - even touching the bottom part - it doesn't seem to do it. Only when I hold it in my left hand all the way around the band. This is just tentative, though.
This is probably just me, but it seemed like I could feel a bit of current going through my left hand when gripping the phone firmly with my left hand. I doubt this is possible and is probably just all in my head, but I thought I'd mention it.
Phone is syncing right now, then I'll do some more testing and perhaps post a video.
This is probably just me, but it seemed like I could feel a bit of current going through my left hand when gripping the phone firmly with my left hand. I doubt this is possible and is probably just all in my head, but I thought I'd mention it.
Phone is syncing right now, then I'll do some more testing and perhaps post a video.
Ok so I have a question. Is there any way this is a software issue? Because I was able to hold it the certain way to drop 3 bars and while doing this I used the speed test app and it did go down considerably in speed. So it seems to me that if it was just a bug that the speed wouldn't be affected.
Anything is possible, but all indications point to a hardware issue with the antenna system.
Answer
I have tried many ways to duplicate the issue and have isolated the issue to one instance. It only happens when you hold the phone on both sides and your finger has to be over the slit on the bottom left corner where the two antenna bands join. other wise you can hold anywhere. it is only when you hold over that little slit.
GET YOUR BUMPERS NOW THEY ARE GOING TO GO FAST
I have tried many ways to duplicate the issue and have isolated the issue to one instance. It only happens when you hold the phone on both sides and your finger has to be over the slit on the bottom left corner where the two antenna bands join. other wise you can hold anywhere. it is only when you hold over that little slit.
GET YOUR BUMPERS NOW THEY ARE GOING TO GO FAST
Or you can take your f'in phone back... it doesnt even work in its basic function! Why buy another accessory because apple released a fault product??
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.
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.
You folks have a lot more knowledge than me on this issue. My question if I can phrase in correctly is this. I believe the older ip had a system check where in you could get a numerical value for signal strength. I read on one of these threads that, that function had been removed on the IP4. If that it truly the case then it points another finger toward THEY KNEW! What do you think??
If physical contact is causing a "short" or loss of performance, that's defective by design and needs to be addressed. If you're gonna skirt around the issue (not what I actually said but the stupid censorship here filtered it so I had to restate it) and make excuses for it, so be it, but as a consumer you - if you bought one - and all other purchasers should not allow this to just slide by and give Apple a pass.
Based on the reports so far, from multiple sources (this thread is a small source to be honest, several other forums have far more activity on this issue presently and far more actual reports of being able to replicate this issue easily), this is a manufacturing defect, period.
If the phone works in a lessened capacity just by holding it in the hand - something effectively essential to the use of a cellular telephone - then it's broken, and no amount of "magic" is going to brush that aside.
We'll hear something from Apple soon enough I'm sure. With today's official introduction/release of the iPhone 4, you can be quite certain this signal issue because of holding it isn't going to disappear. It's just going to snowball dramatically, and fast.
Engadget finally put up an article about it but, I swear it's so diluted and pansy I'd swear it was written with the intention of causing as little fuss as possible, almost to the point of it being not important enough to devote a posting to.
Weird, but that's what it is.
Engadget sure does put on a lot of lipstick for Apple...
lmao. I still got my first gen and the battery still lasts a week or two. I use it as a remote/joy pad now.
Bumper BS note:
If any idiot buys a bumper to fix your reception problem...You are a flaming fool.