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I dont have this problem at all and cannot replicate it on my phone, maybe some of the early shipments were defective, glad I stood in line for my reserved phone now.

Those "early" phones are the same ones as reserved phones. They are all from the same production run.
 
Doesn't show anything to prove either way on the software vs. hardware issue. You could get the same results with either being the cause.

You're wrong. It shows us that it's not simply a false-read of the signal meter, which is what several have claimed, which is what I referred to. There is an actual consequence other than falling bars. That consequence is no data coming in.
 
I also have both issues. The yellow spots and the reception. Yellow spots are all along the bottom only of the screen. About 4-5 of them. I'll see if they go away after some time. Reception issues do not make me happy--pray that it's software. I am glad I went to best buy as they have the 30 day exchange policy so I can just get the next batch that perhaps is solved over and over again without having to drive 1hr and 15 minutes to my apple store.
 
wet hands

I think it all has to do with the moisture in your hands....soaked my hand in water and then dried it off and was able to reproduce the signal loss.....with totally dry hands the signal is fine.

so just carry a fan around with you :)
 
I have a question (sorry if it's been asked since I didn't sort through all the pages) is a bumper the only solution? Would putting a different case on there also solve it. I'm not really a fan of how bumpers look.
 
Doesn't show anything to prove either way on the software vs. hardware issue. You could get the same results with either being the cause.

think he just wanted to show it's an actual "capability of data throughput" (which can be hard- or software caused) issue and not only a cosmetic flaw with the way the bars are displayed
 
The phone is amazing, the bars fluctuate -- just like my 3GS -- and that has not caused any more dropped calls than normal (and luckily in my area, ATT works fine). I think the "recall alarm" and Jobs bashing is a bit alarmist...
 
My thoughts are similar to this. I wonder if it has to do with touching the two antennas on each side, being that our bodies are conductive and making a connection between the two antennas would cause this interference.

Just my thoughts.

I think you are dead on. The attenuation increases due to a conductive connection to one of the other antenna. One soution would be to manufacture it with super thin, clear non conductive coating.
 
I've had a lot of macs over the years, and both the 2G and 3G iPhone. Went into the store today to play around with the iPhone4 and this is easy....and i mean pathetically easy, to replicate. This is in the German T-Mobile store by the way, two different ones.

I thought maybe people were gripping the thing too hard, but I looked at the display phone in the cradle and it had a full 3G signal. All I did was pick up the phone in my left hand (as the majority of people do I would assume, since most are right handed), and it dropped to Edge and then Searching after about 6 seconds. I proceeded to set it back down in the dock and lo and behold, it comes back to life after 5 seconds. I had my 3G with me at the store and held it right next to the iPhone4 using the same hand in the same position and had a perfect 3G signal.

I was on the fence about continuing to stay with Apple for my mobile and computing with the continual draconian App store approval (political cartoons and hypocritical rejections), and the complete lockdown of the platform. Seeing this kind of shoddy workmanship and the meta-parody advertisements just tipped me over and I went with an Android device instead. I hate to say it but I'm really not missing the iPhone4.

Picked up an HTC Desire unlocked, with which I'm finishing out my contract until October, at which point the girlfriend gets it and I'll be picking up whatever new Android phone is available near Christmas time. The rate at which Android is developing, the constant state of the art hardware, and fantastic open platform really just leave me with no alternative.

This wasn't a case of "Oh boy can't wait for the iPhone4" and this suddenly flipped me 180 degrees. I was already teetering on the fence and this just kind of nudged me over.

Best of luck to those of you who feel buying a $30 1cm wide piece of rubber is considered "a fix".

This isn't a "QQ" post or a "can I have your stuff" post even though the majority of what makes up the current MacRumors community might refer to this as. It's simply my exhaustion with the restrictive nature of the platform, the apologetic nature of the fan base, and the "it's a feature" and "we invented this" attitude of the company.

I realize I'm not the oldest fart here, but man how I yearn for the old Mac community.
 
You're wrong. It shows us that it's not simply a false-read of the signal meter, which is what several have claimed, which is what I referred to. There is an actual consequence other than falling bars. That consequence is no data coming in.

Nope. You are wrong. If the software is programmed to kill a process like the phone call or data function if it senses no signal (for example, to save battery...something the iPhone designers might be very much interested in), it could still be a software problem.

I'm not saying it isn't a hardware issue, just that your video doesn't prove that.
 
No wonder Apple aren't using hand models anymore ...

3141_p.jpg
 
think he just wanted to show it's an actual "capability of data throughput" (which can be hard- or software caused) issue and not only a cosmetic flaw with the way the bars are displayed

True... but that's not the way the poster was using it. The poster's conclusions from the video were unsupported.
 
I've always carried all my phones without cases of any type with no issues - it feels good to hold the phone the ways the designers/engineers meant it to be.

It feels good after you drop it too.

I ALWAYS have a rubber shock case on my portables BEFORE I drop it on the cement. I have friends that have NO cases and their phones are scratched and banged up to death.

Your phone can still "Look cool" with a nice case.
 
Nope. You are wrong. If the software is programmed to kill a process like the phone call or data function if it senses no signal (for example, to save battery...something the iPhone designers might be very much interested in), it could still be a software problem.

I'm not saying it isn't a hardware issue, just that your video doesn't prove that.

Nope. You're wrong. The bars don't vanish when the hand goes over the seam, but the data certainly immediately stops flowing. This isn't just a false bar read, the data actually quits flowing to the device. Watch the video.
 
No Problem

Send in your human flesh for my polyvinyl synthesizing process. $19.95 for both hands and you get a set of ginsu knives with each purchase. Hurry time is limited!
 
Go on to any non-Apple site (e.g. The Register) and you'll see plenty of idiots making all sorts of statements (variations on their same spewed theme that Apple is Crapple and people who buy their stuff are fanbois = sheep).



On a £500/£600 phone (which is the price here in the UK of an unlocked phone), $30 is cheap to anyone. If you can afford a phone that expensive, you can afford $30. Besides, I think they make the phone look even better, and there is the added bonus of the bumpers protecting the front and back of the phone.


Its not that, though. You'd be a complete mug to actually pay more to "fix" an issue that is Apple's fault. I mean, if you purchased the case regardless then I take that back but people shouldn't be expected to go out and buy bumpers just to fix this issue.


Oh and,

No wonder Apple aren't using hand models anymore ...

3141_p.jpg


I lol'd! :D
 
Hmmm....this is correct

I didn't really believe it, but if I hold my phone on the bottom it actually does go to 1 or 0 bars..and then it actually drops to Edge...with 0 bars. This is seriously stupid. Apple seriously didn't catch this?!?!?!
 
Nope. You're wrong. The bars don't vanish when the hand goes over the seam, but the data certainly immediately stops flowing. This isn't just a false bar read, the data actually quits flowing to the device. Watch the video.

i think you're BOTH saying "the phone isn't receiving any data"
noone's arguing that it's just showing a wrong amount of bars

"not receiving data" can, however, be caused by the phone physically not receiving the data at all anymore (hardware!) or the software not being able to handle the 'weird' way it receives the data
 
The signal issue is dependent on the individual not the hardware imho.

Each person carries X amount of static electricity. Some people will have very little static electricity running through them and as a result the signal will be better.

Those that carry a lot of static electricity will have the signal problem. This is why the reports vary. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying it isn't a hardware problem because I believe it is due to the way the antenna is configured on the phone but there does appear to be a workaround.

Apple's secrecy seems to have bit them in the buttocks.

Bad science, my friend. The body's impedance to electricity is what affects the signal--just grip the two probes of an Ohm meter set to 20Kohms range, then compare the reading to your friend, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, whatever and see if their number is exactly the same. In some cases, a body can have such low impedance that you have to switch to a lower range to get an accurate reading while others may require a higher range.

It's not static electricity that's doing it.
 
Nope. You're wrong. The bars don't vanish when the hand goes over the seam, but the data certainly immediately stops flowing. This isn't just a false bar read, the data actually quits flowing to the device. Watch the video.

Just for you, I rewatched it...

A) The bars did drop the longer he held his hand there.

B) Those bars have very little to do with the signal the iPhone registers that it is receiving. They still don't prove it is hardware or software based.
 
Can't this problem have something to do with statical electricity in your body intervening with the antenna?

Your body produces a electrical current that can render devices non operational, partially operational, or does not bother it. each person is different with the amount of current produced.

My mother could not wear a battery powered watch because it would die within a day of having it on her person. Also when she would use my cell phone it would constantly drop calls.
 
i think you're BOTH saying "the phone isn't receiving any data"
noone's arguing that it's just showing a wrong amount of bars

"not receiving data" can, however, be caused by the phone physically not receiving the data at all anymore (hardware!) or the software not being able to handle the 'weird' way it receives the data

Precisely.
 
Alright. After sleeping on it, I have a theory. Bear with me, as I don't have an iPhone 4 yet (it's on its way here from SoCal—long story). Tell me what you guys think.

On the iPhone, I presume there is some sort of light, stylistic anodization or coating on the steel parts. I could (definitely) be wrong, but usually a brushed or muted texture on steel indicates some sort of coating or treatment to the steel's outside. I don't have an iPhone 4 yet, so I can't test my theory. Could someone tell me if this is true?

Either way, such a coating would prevent us from "completing the circuit" between what are supposed to be two separate antennas. If there is a manufacturing defect in the coating, you would surely complete the circuit with physical contact (—or any other conductive contact). If this is the case, then it is a manufacturing defect, not a design flaw—though I will admit that the design enables this defect. This would also explain why people can't reproduce the issue; and some can only reproduce the issue with a few dropped bars but no dropped service.

I'm hoping it is a defect; the design is beautiful, and changing it would prove to be a debacle for both the consumers and Apple.

If I'm correct, Apple need only strengthen the process used on the antennas (be it a light anodization or whatever else it is) and issue a general recall on broken iPhone 4s. The recalled stock can be used to make available refurbished phones, and everyone wins.
 
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