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So I did the update. Same problem as before but instead of starting out with 5 bars you start with 4 bars. Either way I have yet to drop a call due to the signal meter reading low. Apple still rules and Droids still drool.

That's the real test. How many people are actually dropping calls on iphones in locations where other ATT phones (or ipads, etc.) are doing just fine?
 
After all that has transpired,

if Apple tries to fix this with just a software update it better be just a software issue.
I really hope it's just a software issue, then we can forget about the recall and bumper talk.
 
And now we see Apple desperately refuting the claim reported by Bloomberg this morning that Steve Jobs was warned about the antenna design.

They know that leak would be lethal in a legal battle, so they're definitely going to continue to spin that it's not a hardware flaw.

Just keep digging deeper Apple. That's never ended up being a horrible idea for any other companies in a similar situation.

Firstly, the Bloomberg claim was by an "anonymous" person.

This "refutation" is also an anonymous individual.

Neither have anything to do with Apple.

I really struggle to understand how people are so quick to give anonymous quotes as much weight as official statements. I was hoping at least the Iraq War's WMD fiasco (curveball...) would have taught people to treat anonymous sources a little more skeptically.
 
And now we see Apple desperately refuting the claim reported by Bloomberg this morning that Steve Jobs was warned about the antenna design.

They know that leak would be lethal in a legal battle, so they're definitely going to continue to spin that it's not a hardware flaw.

Just keep digging deeper Apple. That's never ended up being a horrible idea for any other companies in a similar situation.

Sounds like you know what actually happened; which story is true and which is not. What else can you reveal?
 
I'm 100% sure Steve knew about it before releasing. Come on guys, isn't obvious the official accessory, iPhone bumper, is being sold for $29?

So why does Apple sell iPod socks? Because Steve knew iPods would get chilly at night?

DESIGN FLAW COVERUP! :rolleyes:
 
We can keep releasing placebo fixes...

We can keep releasing placebo fixes for as long as it takes till you believe one.

But seriously, you guys are getting tough. Normally one would be all it takes. Remember the fans?
 
I had said something similar to this when the problem first came to light. It seems like the detuning could be compensated by changing the frequencies involved or something. But yes, it seems like both hardware and software issues are at fault, and hopefully the software change can overcome this new fault of design that makes the old software problem worse.

Bottom line: They should have tested it more!
 
this is another paid "source" from apple trying to lay ground for apple's official excuse conference tomorrow morning.

sorry steve, my BULLSHlT detector beeped.
 
I highly doubt this as some users on this board reported by exchanging the iPhone 4, their reception issue went away. We'll see tomorrow....

Well, then that must solely be the only resolution to this entire issue, isn't it?

So I did the update. Same problem as before but instead of starting out with 5 bars you start with 4 bars. Either way I have yet to drop a call due to the signal meter reading low. Apple still rules and Droids still drool.

No kidding. This wasn't the fix for the antenna issue. This was the fix for the bar display and calculation issue.

So why does Apple sell iPod socks? Because Steve knew iPods would get chilly at night?

DESIGN FLAW COVERUP! :rolleyes:

Actually, my iPods enjoy them in upstate New York. They seem much warmer and happier.
 
As Chance the gardener would say:

"As long as the roots are not severed, all is well, and all will be well...in the garden." I hope Jobs is listening.
 
I guess if this is a software issue, that they can fix, it's a case of stalling as long as possible, while they actually fix it. You can't announce there's a problem with the software and then leave it 6 weeks until the fix is released. And it's probably a complicated fix- it's not like adding an extra line of code.

But we've now had 2 completely contradicting stories - hardware fix or software fix. We'll find out soon enough.
 
Firstly, the Bloomberg claim was by an "anonymous" person.

This "refutation" is also an anonymous individual.

Neither have anything to do with Apple.

I really struggle to understand how people are so quick to give anonymous quotes as much weight as official statements. I was hoping at least the Iraq War's WMD fiasco (curveball...) would have taught people to treat anonymous sources a little more skeptically.

Sounds like you know what actually happened; which story is true and which is not. What else can you reveal?

In case you didn't know, sources for sensitive information tend to be anonymous. That's how investigative journalism works. Obviously Bloomberg had a source they felt was very credible, or they wouldn't have reported what they did this morning.

Apple is now leaking their own story in an attempt to refute that claim. The problem is that this explanation doesn't make any sense, as Apple has already used their "surprise" software excuse once already this month.

Anyone who takes Apple's explanations at face value at this point is either very dumb or a blatant shill for the company. The only logical reaction to their claims at this point should be "we'll believe it when we see it".
 
Hopefully this is true, it would be great if a simple software update fixed the problem. Tomorrow should be interesting.

It might explain why they went ahead with 4.0.1 and it's little bitty fix, followed by a press conference. Any change to how the software would adjust for the attenuation would likely require FCC approval? Thus, they would want to announce that the fix is in the works. How long does it take for FCC to approve changes?
 
I wonder if there is a way to have the antenna compensate for the spot that is not to be named. I know nothing will fix it 100%, but at least get the attenuation down to normal levels like other phones. :confused:
 
I could be totally wrong, but aren't the 2 other 'holes' in the phone also for the antenna? Could it not be possible that a software fix would work if it told the iPhone to use one of the other transmit points if one is covered?
 
Wirelessly posted (iPhone 4 (32GB): Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A293 Safari/6531.22.7)

If this issue can be fixed with a software update, why bother releasing 4.0.1 only to turn around and release 4.0.2 the next day?

Probably because this new update will take a long time, involve lots of research and testing, and might not even show up until after 4.1. I bet 4.0.1 smashes a couple of other bugs too.

Apple will say that until the update is released, they will issue free bumpers with each purchase and give existing customers free gift cards.
 
I’m highly skeptical, but I know that processing signals can be extremely complex. It would be interesting if a software fix could solve the worst-case issue: dropped calls.

My experience: holding it “wrong” will drop the bars (sometimes) but NOT drop the call. I think most people are as lucky as I have been so far... but any fix will be welcome.
 
The article says the bug has been around for years but only the iPhone 4's hardware brought the bug out to be apparent.

arn

Haven't there been problems with Iphone connections from the beginning? There was even a study that said that 1/3 of Iphone owners carried another phone to actually communicate (make calls and text messages)... Maybe it wasn't (just) the bad ATT network after all but faulty Iphone software.
 
Hey all I have a Ph.D in radio stuff and I work for Apple.

This is a hardware issue and apple will have to recall each iPhone.

Here is the actual transcript for tommorrow:
Steve Jobs said:
We did it for the lulz...it just didn't go as planned .

Apple has decided to compensate every iPhone owner with 1 (one) free rollover minute that can only be used with another ATT wireless customer. Oh yeah, you must have a mobile-to-mobile plan to redeem this free minute.

//

I figured everyone else had a crack at making something up so I figured I'd throw my hat into the ring.
 
Wow, talk about last minute rumors. Every possible story seems to be comming out.

Exactly. Nobody really knows what is going on. That is until after the press conference, then everybody who was right can say "I told you so" and say why their answer was obviously correct.
 
While I agree that this is a hardware flaw, software can greatly influence how hardware works.

An example from something completely unrelated. 2 years ago, I bought my current car, a BMW 330i. It was almost exactly how I wanted, right color combination and everything... It was only missing the High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights. The deal was too good to pass up, so I bought the car anyway. I still wanted the HIDs, so I got assemblies w/ bulbs and ballasts from a donor vehicle and installed them in the car. When I fired the up the lights, they were flickering like crazy; you'd think that there was some kind of hardware incompatibility. As a matter of fact, a lot of people add capacitors inline to fix the issue. HOWEVER, simply reflashing the light module in the car w/ code for the HID headlights made them work perfectly. Wiring is completely identical, no additional hardware installed. Software alone changed the manner in which power was sent to headlights. Wiring was not changed at all.

I admit that since the issue seems to be more detuning than attenuation (although both play a role), a software fix might be difficult... as far as I know, software defined radio isn't nearly as versatile in real life as it is in theory. But perhaps it's versatile enough that the phone can make adjustments in the event that it "detects" a detuning effect?

I have no expertise nor any formal knowledge about the engineering behind these things, so I am kinda talking out of my ass. But who knows, I'm optimistic that a major baseband rewrite might be able to fix things.
 
In case you didn't know, sources for sensitive information tend to be anonymous. That's how investigative journalism works. Obviously Bloomberg had a source they felt was very credible, or they wouldn't have reported what they did this morning.

Apple is now leaking their own story in an attempt to refute that claim. The problem is that this explanation doesn't make any sense, as Apple has already used their "surprise" software excuse once already this month.

Anyone who takes Apple's explanations at face value at this point is either very dumb or a blatant shill for the company. The only logical reaction to their claims at this point should be "we'll believe it when we see it".

Don't worry, I know.

However, what I've seen reported for the most part has been a bunch of news about bars. How many people are actually losing service?

I don't take any corporate explanation at face value. But then again, I don't take the reported rumors that way either, in case you didn't know.

I could turn around and say anyone accepting the reported rumors at face value is a shill for an Apple competitor...
 
Haha

Imagine the response Kevin (Microsoft executive) would give. He JUST said that the iPhone is like "Apple's Vista".

Well, the iPhone can be fixed in a minute with a bumper case and possibly a free software update. I'm gonna see what that idiot says next!
 
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