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iPhone 4 Reception Issue? [Video]

DMann said:
It's not.

This is now being noticed because of the attention that the external antenna has drawn.
Click to expand...

yes it is. Again, I have 2 3gs's and 2 4g's. I have a microcell. Standing 3 feet from my microcell, the 4g's go to 0 bars and "searching" if i touch one fingertip to the bottom left seam. No matter how I hold the 3gs's, I never lose more than 1 bar.

There are two different issues here and everyone is pretending they are the same. putting your hand over the antenna will degrade the signal on every phone, it is true. And that is what some people see.

But many of us go from 5 bars to 0 in 15 seconds just by touching one point, apparently due to a lack of coating (manufacturing defect) on the metal antenna. Anyone who says "i can replicate this on my 3gs" is not replicating this problem - they are replicating the "covered antenna" issue.
 
Well I said I could replicate it later in the evening. Well, in the evening I'm home. Now that I'm back at work I cannot replicate this issue. So about 5miles distance between being able to replicate this or not.
So it's a distance to tower thing. If it's strong enough, that little bit of change of shorting the two antenna will not have an effect.
 
GFBurke said:
Well I said I could replicate it later in the evening. Well, in the evening I'm home. Now that I'm back at work I cannot replicate this issue. So about 5miles distance between being able to replicate this or not.
So it's a distance to tower thing. If it's strong enough, that little bit of change of shorting the two antenna will not have an effect.
Click to expand...

I'm able to replicate it somewhat in my office, however, I've never gotten below one bar or out of service ever. Well, I was just out during lunch to explain this to my wife and I sat there with FULL bars, squeezing the lower left and the bars remained full strength I was unable to get it to change at all. I don't know what to make of it.
 
cmaier said:
yes it is. Again, I have 2 3gs's and 2 4g's. I have a microcell. Standing 3 feet from my microcell, the 4g's go to 0 bars and "searching" if i touch one fingertip to the bottom left seam. No matter how I hold the 3gs's, I never lose more than 1 bar.

There are two different issues here and everyone is pretending they are the same. putting your hand over the antenna will degrade the signal on every phone, it is true. And that is what some people see.

But many of us go from 5 bars to 0 in 15 seconds just by touching one point, apparently due to a lack of coating (manufacturing defect) on the metal antenna. Anyone who says "i can replicate this on my 3gs" is not replicating this problem - they are replicating the "covered antenna" issue.
Click to expand...

True - I now realize that my unit likely has the protective coating, as I am unable to reproduce the bridging problem.

I hope that anyone who has problems swaps their phone for one with the protective coating.
 
Yes when at home there must be a tower close, though I've never seen one, I can get a signal no matter what, but at work, where my signal is crappy all the time anyhow, it drops too.
 
I found out that the same reception issue existed on the iPhone 3GS as well. I haven't had the chance to play with iPhone 4 yet but I'm guessing the issue is worse on the 4 than the 3GS. Can anyone with both the 4 and 3GS do a video comparison?

I also found out the harder you grip, the faster the signal drops.
 
Im glad I waited

I thought I was unlucky to not even be able to pre-order this phone because of all the mayhem. Turns out it was a blessing apparently. Lets just face it people, Apple released a poorly designed product this time and thousands of people got screwed. They knew about the issues. The reception, the urine spots, and a glass screen (sure hope you dont ever drop it)....
That's a load of crap to say they didn't. That would be like saying they never turned it on to test it. C'mon....all you people out there defending apple and backing up Steve Knob's display of unaccountability, go F yourselves and apply for a job at Apple's PR dept. This is about pushing a product through before it was ready. Money maybe? Nah....couldn't be that!
All the unlucky people that DID get to order this piece of Sh** and got it, ought to be mad as hell!
I was going to get a iPhone3G instead when I first read about the HARDWARE DESIGN FLAW but when the CEO of Apple refuses to acknowledge it, I think I'll keep my blackberry instead.
 
Lonestar50 said:
I thought I was unlucky to not even be able to pre-order this phone because of all the mayhem. Turns out it was a blessing apparently. Lets just face it people, Apple released a poorly designed product this time and thousands of people got screwed. They knew about the issues. The reception, the urine spots, and a glass screen (sure hope you dont ever drop it)....
That's a load of crap to say they didn't. That would be like saying they never turned it on to test it. C'mon....all you people out there defending apple and backing up Steve Knob's display of unaccountability, go F yourselves and apply for a job at Apple's PR dept. This is about pushing a product through before it was ready. Money maybe? Nah....couldn't be that!
All the unlucky people that DID get to order this piece of Sh** and got it, ought to be mad as hell!
I was going to get a iPhone3G instead when I first read about the HARDWARE DESIGN FLAW but when the CEO of Apple refuses to acknowledge it, I think I'll keep my blackberry instead.
Click to expand...

I guess I'm an unlucky person with a piece of *****. Dang. Here I thought I had this awesome new device that I'm having a great time using. Silly me!
 
Well, it IS a phone, or at least that's what they claim. No doubt, its a snazzy little PDA, but if you cant make calls without it dropping you, then its just a glorified iTouch. Apples unbelievable response to this is insulting and no one is more disappointed than I. Its a awesome new device. Just don't hold it in your hands! Oh yeah, the case they recommend using to keep your skin from shorting out your signal (having a hard time saying that without laughing), aren't helping much either.
 
Lonestar50 said:
I thought I was unlucky to not even be able to pre-order this phone because of all the mayhem. Turns out it was a blessing apparently. Lets just face it people, Apple released a poorly designed product this time and thousands of people got screwed. They knew about the issues. The reception, the urine spots, and a glass screen (sure hope you dont ever drop it)....
That's a load of crap to say they didn't. That would be like saying they never turned it on to test it. C'mon....all you people out there defending apple and backing up Steve Knob's display of unaccountability, go F yourselves and apply for a job at Apple's PR dept. This is about pushing a product through before it was ready. Money maybe? Nah....couldn't be that!
All the unlucky people that DID get to order this piece of Sh** and got it, ought to be mad as hell!
I was going to get a iPhone3G instead when I first read about the HARDWARE DESIGN FLAW but when the CEO of Apple refuses to acknowledge it, I think I'll keep my blackberry instead.
Click to expand...


I don't have the problem with dropped calls, or signal dropping. My screen doesn't have "Urine" Spots. Neither does my couple buddies who got theirs.

And guess what genious A LOT of the touch screen phones have glass screens on them. That actually makes touch screen perform smoother. You do realize those other touch phones break when you drop them as well?

I am not defending his response about how to hold it at all, but go F yourself.

I would think in time we can see some sort of recall.
 
Iphone4

Hard as I've tried--I have been unable to cause degradation in signal strength irrespective of how I hold the phone! Nor do I see any yellow or other screen discoloration. Lucky me I guess.
 
Tom McCollum said:
Hard as I've tried--I have been unable to cause degradation in signal strength irrespective of how I hold the phone! Nor do I see any yellow or other screen discoloration. Lucky me I guess.
Click to expand...

Same here, as with many other users.

This leads me to believe in the intended application of a non-conductive coating on the antenna, which is perhaps lacking in earlier shipments.

No signs of discoloration here either - hopefully, future shipments will be more thoroughly scrutinized.
 
I have a iPhone 3gs 32gb & I updated to iOS4 when it was released on the 21st.
I took my phone out of its OTTER Defender Case to Clean it and charge it over night the other evening. I noticed that the signal strength went from 5 bars to none when it was holding it and changing some settings...never noticed this happen before on any other firmware update! After I put it back in my OTTER Defender Case the problem vanished:confused:

I did not really think much about this occurrence till I started reading about this phenomenon some 3 days later on Xtreme Systems forum.

So I have seen this first hand happen on my 3GS so I am inclined to believe that there is definitely a issue with iOS 4 which needs to be addressed in a hurry! The battery also gets drained like really fast now since the update as well:mad:
I am hoping that the iPhone 4 is not debunked hardware wise for every bodies sake including my own:D I have not purchased one yet but I really want to, and this would suck if they were all lemons and recalled:(

Hahah...Macrumors Newbie...even at 40...lol
 
Here is my experience......When I am at home by signal bars go up and down when I hold the Phone, when I am in my office in Downtown Chicago nothing I do will make the bars drop! Could be tower related???
 
tower and STRENGTH

I think that signal STRENGTH is the key, but that could be tower related (signal type 850 or 1900) but more likely simply strength with the tower.

Indeed when I have FIVE bars and a good signal, I am getting 3000kps DL and 1260kps upload. NOTHING I DO WITH THE PHONE AFFECTS THE SIGNAL.

But, when I have 4-5, or less signals, I can hold the phone perfect and run a speedtest, up it goes just fine THEN I TOUCH THE SIDE and down it comes, RELEASE and UP IT GOES AGAIN, perfectly.

So, in my experience if the signal is lowER than perfect then one has the problem. If signal IS perfect then nothing can make it bad
 
Considering it happened on my 3GS since iOS-4 im inclined to believe its a issue with the Operating system in how it communicates with the radio waves.

Try to remain positive guys!;)
 
Now, the latest from Apple is that they are going to change the software that controls how the signal bars are displayed. I'm baffled. How do they think that is going to change the fact that when you hold the phone in a certain way, the actual signal strength drops, sometimes low enough to disconnect the call.

What is Apple going to do? Create a "baseline" signal strength that doesn't really exist?
Say, there will be one bar even when there is absolutely no signal, so that a weaker signal will display 2 or more bars?
 
Same crappy thing happens

I got the Silicon cover on my iphone thinking this will solve my reception drop problem.

I am lefty, how the hell i am suppose solve this problem. Trust me last thing i want to think about holding my phone with right hand.

Worst product I bought from apple so far.... if want to return it ... i need to pay 10% to att.... ridiculous.

Does anybody found any solution.....
 
Mine's working fine (UK iPhone 4 with German T-Mobile Card)

Got my sim-net-lock-free iPhone from the UK, cut my Simply SIM card (T-Mobile network reseller) to the size of the Micro SIM and got full strength, no matter how I hold it. Phone on table, in left hand, in right hand, touching glass, touching glass and metal strips, putting a wet finger over the metal strip connections.... all the same.

sorry for all where this is different, but I think it's stunning, and absolutely mind-blowing fast and, dare I say it, snappy! :)
 
ZAGG InvisibleSHIELD

Anyone checked out the ZAGG InvisibleSHIELD?

what the hell? they said that the signal dropped when you held the iphone, and your skin acted as a conductor messing and mixing up separate signals. well then why cant you not touch the iphone when using it? isnt that all this invisible shield it? A PIECE OF TAPE(electrical would be best)? I dont have an I phone but I would sincerely request that some one carefully placed a layer of sticky tape around the metal band and trimmed off places for the buttons, edges or what ever, theoretically, that should solve the problem…..
 
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