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iPhone 4 Signal Declines While Being Held? A Longstanding Issue?
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As a point of interest, I'm an AT&T customer, I use a Samsung phone, and I see this sort of signal drop from time to time when holding the phone. This may well be an issue that is simply related to cell phones in general, or ti AT&T's network, or somewhere in-between, but it's getting spotlighted by the iPhone 4.
Food for thought.
Food for thought.
I don't have a problem with Gizmodo as I'm a reader of their site. My only issue with them concerning this is that in a hurry to post anything that's going to bust Apple's iBalls about anything iPhone 4 related (come on, you know they are doing that with the tone of their coverage as of late) they didn't try it on any other device before posting the story to be first, meanwhile there is video going back a couple years of this issue and they aren't updating the story with anybody in their comments saying "yeah, my old iPhones do it too" and only with more videos of people trying it out causing less sane people to freak out over this. I just think they're better when they are reporting all the facts they can get their hands on and providing some perspective on the issue like they normally do. Which in this case would be, "ok, so the iPhone 4 does this, BUT, so did the previous 3 iPhones, so don't cry yet."
I'm surprised by many of the comments here.
First every cell phone you will ever pick up will interact with you and the environment as you move it around. It is just a reality when it comes to working with RF signals.
Second any posting on Gizmodos site has to be questioned. There may or may not be a problem here but one should not afford Gizmodo any sort of credibility.
The Telcos and cell phone manufactures have spent a lot of time and effort to make cell phones usable by the illiterate For the most part they have been successful. The problem is they have absolutely no control over the environment between the tower and the cell phone. So if you put youself in a hole in the ground expect problems.
I look at this way you can live in a world where you expect others to make things work for you or you can live in a world where YOU make things work for you. Guess who is going to make it through life easier?
Dave
First every cell phone you will ever pick up will interact with you and the environment as you move it around. It is just a reality when it comes to working with RF signals.
Second any posting on Gizmodos site has to be questioned. There may or may not be a problem here but one should not afford Gizmodo any sort of credibility.
The Telcos and cell phone manufactures have spent a lot of time and effort to make cell phones usable by the illiterate For the most part they have been successful. The problem is they have absolutely no control over the environment between the tower and the cell phone. So if you put youself in a hole in the ground expect problems.
I look at this way you can live in a world where you expect others to make things work for you or you can live in a world where YOU make things work for you. Guess who is going to make it through life easier?
Dave
+1 for my 3GS doing the exact same thing. Just tested it. crazy. At least we know it's not a new problem.
So wait, can you still make calls?
As I said - never had the problem with mine on T-Mobile USA...
I heard many here say that the bars seem to drop when the iPhone is held in hand but not when in a case. Maybe Apple knowingly released iPhone 4 with this issue and Bumpers are the perfect solution as they only cover the metal frame only which happens to house all 3 antennas. This is certainly an odd issue that was never given any attention with both the iPhone 3G and the 3GS but suddenly became noticable with the release of iPhone 4 and the external antenna.
You need to do it when the phone is not on full bars, (you can't see how good the signal strength is past the maximum bar unless you turn on field test mode)
The antenna on the 3G / 3GS is at the bottom of the phone on the back. If you hold it there, you'll see it drop signal substantially if you're in field test mode.
You may also see the bars drop if you're not at full bars already.
my sony ericsson does that. as a matter of fact i can't think of any cell phone i've had that the bars don't drop a bit or a lot if i hold it in my hand or up to my ear. it's just a cell phone vs. flesh thing. not much to do about it.
It has to do with the orientation of the phone. Even if you have a 3gs, 3g, or original (like me), you will notice greater signal strength when it is horizontal to the ground than when it is at an angle (like when you hold it). Some have been claiming this is due to a human hand somehow connecting the antennas. This is the behavior of electricity, but an antenna does not emit or receive electricity. I have read that the iphone 4 automatically chooses the best signal, not necessarily the strongest, and that there is a bug that apple is working on that makes it so bars don't decrease even though the "weaker" signal is better. So I guess the problem in that scenario is the iphone displaying strength bars, not quality bars.
Or maybe your palms aren't sweaty enough? Are there any examples of this happening to people without sweaty palms?
It could be that the fact the antenna's reception is now spread out around the phone. When you do that to any signal it tends to lose density. Therefore it could be affected more easily from outside interference. When an antenna has a 'point' the signal tends to be more dense and therefore seemingly more robust.
Not quite sure how people can call bad signal quality 'trolling'... it's a fact, the only way I am able to use my iPhone 4 at all since yesterday is to have it in a case.
I posted two videos here, one with my iPhone 4 without a case and one with it in a case:
http://www.loyalmoses.com/2010/06/iphone-4-poor-signal-quality-with-and-without-case/
It's quite possible that some people aren't experiencing it, but that has no relevance for those of us who are experiencing it.
I posted two videos here, one with my iPhone 4 without a case and one with it in a case:
http://www.loyalmoses.com/2010/06/iphone-4-poor-signal-quality-with-and-without-case/
It's quite possible that some people aren't experiencing it, but that has no relevance for those of us who are experiencing it.
No problems here
I have a 3GS 32GB and can't replicate the problem. As well, my new 32GB iPhone 4 arrived today, and I've tested in several locations in my home, several times, both hands, etc... no signal loss.
I can lay it on the table and occasionally I'll see a bar drop here and there and return.. sometimes dropping to two bars, then back up.. all without touching it. Same is true while in hand regardless of touching sides, top, etc.
When mass producing anything you are going to have small differences, problems, etc.. as well, as other posters have commented, signal strength in some areas might be an issue..
I'm a computer scientist, but not an electrical engineer.. so I can't answer whether or not the antenna can be hindered by touch.. but seems to me Apple with it's trillions in R&D would make sure to cover that base... now small imperfections at the factory.. out of anyones control.. I'd say return it and get a new unit.. see if the problem continues. And as others have said.. test in various locations. My bet is, either small problems with a few units out of the millions they are pumping out to meet the demand, combined with lower signal strength from AT&T..
I have a 3GS 32GB and can't replicate the problem. As well, my new 32GB iPhone 4 arrived today, and I've tested in several locations in my home, several times, both hands, etc... no signal loss.
I can lay it on the table and occasionally I'll see a bar drop here and there and return.. sometimes dropping to two bars, then back up.. all without touching it. Same is true while in hand regardless of touching sides, top, etc.
When mass producing anything you are going to have small differences, problems, etc.. as well, as other posters have commented, signal strength in some areas might be an issue..
I'm a computer scientist, but not an electrical engineer.. so I can't answer whether or not the antenna can be hindered by touch.. but seems to me Apple with it's trillions in R&D would make sure to cover that base... now small imperfections at the factory.. out of anyones control.. I'd say return it and get a new unit.. see if the problem continues. And as others have said.. test in various locations. My bet is, either small problems with a few units out of the millions they are pumping out to meet the demand, combined with lower signal strength from AT&T..
Check out this video by a fellow macrumors guy in the other thread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4c2SiDd1Mw