Seriously?
You paid $60 for a go phone...for 2 weeks?
:
sst::Come here kid...I got something to sell you...
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iPhone 4 Signal Strength Indicator Issue Alleviated by Use of Bumper or Case
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Seriously?
You paid $60 for a go phone...for 2 weeks?
:
sst::Come here kid...I got something to sell you...
Well I'm sorry to say that i did some further testing and it appears I am indeed experiencing some of the same problems.
In my case I do not experience degradation in signal strength or calls. But for data, if I hold the phone the way I am used to I get no data tranmission at all.
I an eating crow (blech) right Now!!!!!
So it would appear there are flavors of this issue. Some clearly lose cellphone signal and it impacts their calling, some lose data transmission regardless of the number of bars (that would be me) and some have no problems at all (that used to be me!) and yes the bumper fixes my problems too but i am not happy about having to use one. Glad I picked one up though!
Will be interesting to see how long it will take apple to acknowledge they have an issue here. Sometimes they never do!
I should also say that AT&T performance in boston has been appallingly bad today regardless of devices. Melting down already? Surprise surprise!
In my case I do not experience degradation in signal strength or calls. But for data, if I hold the phone the way I am used to I get no data tranmission at all.
I an eating crow (blech) right Now!!!!!
So it would appear there are flavors of this issue. Some clearly lose cellphone signal and it impacts their calling, some lose data transmission regardless of the number of bars (that would be me) and some have no problems at all (that used to be me!) and yes the bumper fixes my problems too but i am not happy about having to use one. Glad I picked one up though!
Will be interesting to see how long it will take apple to acknowledge they have an issue here. Sometimes they never do!
I should also say that AT&T performance in boston has been appallingly bad today regardless of devices. Melting down already? Surprise surprise!
coat the bottom surface with matte lacquer
pardon me if this was previously posted... this would likely work if the issue is conductance between the two
antenna segments. If the issue is capacitance.. no dice (this is why the touch screen works though plastic films such as the Zagg product or a baggie for that matter)
The antenna is stainless it probably has no coating, just some light bead-blasted texture.
A decent solution might be to apply a thin coating of matte clear-coat
to the segment of antenna that is on the bottom of the phone.
This assumes that it is bridging from one segment to the other on the lower left
which seems to be demonstrated to be the cause.
Clear coatings made for wood finishing would work and likely be invisible.
A solvent based coating would seem to be the thing to use as the newer
water based coatings are of a thicker consistency though if painted on with a tiny brush... i missed the pre-order so don't have a phone to try this out on.
This is what I will do if the issue has not been fixed by the time I purchase.
Cheers All...
pardon me if this was previously posted... this would likely work if the issue is conductance between the two
antenna segments. If the issue is capacitance.. no dice (this is why the touch screen works though plastic films such as the Zagg product or a baggie for that matter)
The antenna is stainless it probably has no coating, just some light bead-blasted texture.
A decent solution might be to apply a thin coating of matte clear-coat
to the segment of antenna that is on the bottom of the phone.
This assumes that it is bridging from one segment to the other on the lower left
which seems to be demonstrated to be the cause.
Clear coatings made for wood finishing would work and likely be invisible.
A solvent based coating would seem to be the thing to use as the newer
water based coatings are of a thicker consistency though if painted on with a tiny brush... i missed the pre-order so don't have a phone to try this out on.
This is what I will do if the issue has not been fixed by the time I purchase.
Cheers All...
DO NOT WASTE YOUR $30 ON THE BUMPER!
Yes don't.
Get your free bumpers here...
http://dealmac.com/Apple-i-Phone-4-Cases-for-free-4-s-h/373013.html
since the invisible shield allows for the capacitive screens on iphones to still work, i would say that it would not solve the issue.
capacitive (touch) screens rely on the electric current from your hand touchng the screen. invisible shield still works with this so it lets electric current through it wich means it would not insilate the iphone 4 antenna. I could be wron though
Yeah, sitting in my chair here, browsing the phone while holding it, I LOSE ALL AT&T signal.
What a joke. I'm glad I didn't buy one for family members.
3G remains the best signal, 3GS was a step down on the signal, and this is another level of horrible.
I love *everything* Apple and buy everything Apple, so I'm *not* a hater.
I don't know what they'll do about this. Thankfully I'm mainly at home and have Wi-Fi, but if it continues to be bad, I'll put the sim in an adapter and use the 3GS for calls and just use iPhone 4 as an iPod.
What a joke. I'm glad I didn't buy one for family members.
3G remains the best signal, 3GS was a step down on the signal, and this is another level of horrible.
I love *everything* Apple and buy everything Apple, so I'm *not* a hater.
I don't know what they'll do about this. Thankfully I'm mainly at home and have Wi-Fi, but if it continues to be bad, I'll put the sim in an adapter and use the 3GS for calls and just use iPhone 4 as an iPod.
Not Always.....
While in the queue at the Apple store I tried the IP4 belonging to a store employee. I took off the bumper and saw the expected drop in signal. With the bumper back on I did not see a drop. This was outside the store, in the great outdoors.
Once inside, not more than 25 feet away, I tried seven more of the phones which were on a display table. I tried with and without the dock cable, with and without wireless and/or Bluetooth on. All without bumpers. My same hand technique could not get a one of them to drop in signal strength.
My friend did buy his phone. No signal loss either.
While in the queue at the Apple store I tried the IP4 belonging to a store employee. I took off the bumper and saw the expected drop in signal. With the bumper back on I did not see a drop. This was outside the store, in the great outdoors.
Once inside, not more than 25 feet away, I tried seven more of the phones which were on a display table. I tried with and without the dock cable, with and without wireless and/or Bluetooth on. All without bumpers. My same hand technique could not get a one of them to drop in signal strength.
My friend did buy his phone. No signal loss either.
This is my theory as well (I mentioned it earlier in the thread). I can't replicate the issue when I'm at home at all, no matter what I try (I know the AT&T tower that I'm on at home works on the 850Mhz band). But at work, on a different tower, with the same signal strength as I have at home (full bars), I can replicate it 100% of the time that I bridge the antenna gap with anything conductive (my palm, finger, coin, paperclip, etc). So there's at least one other variable in my case that makes the problem occur. If I could find out the frequency the tower at work operates on, I either semi-confirm or refute this "frequency" theory.
Fun Fact: No matter how you hold the iPhone 4, it will always lose signal if it's underwater.
But seriously, this helps me fight the urge to buy an off contract iPhone 4.
However, I hope the owners of the new iPhone get an explanation from Apple.
But seriously, this helps me fight the urge to buy an off contract iPhone 4.
However, I hope the owners of the new iPhone get an explanation from Apple.
could this be why resetting the network settings fixed it for some? i wonder if it jumped from one band to the other, making the problem go away? of course, just a hypothesis.
Problem already fixed people. Jobs just announced a new iPhone case that fixes the problem.... iHand for iPhone 4
UP FOR BEST POST TODAY!
these are pretty nice. i may just get one so my iphone has a nice snug case waiting for him when i get one
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8759590.stm
NOW WE NEED APPLE´S RESPONSE!!!
Did they knew about this issue? That´s why the serious push for the bumpers?
NOW WE NEED APPLE´S RESPONSE!!!
Did they knew about this issue? That´s why the serious push for the bumpers?
---------
The screen protector is polyester (AKA Mylar.) Not only an insulator but a dielectric insulator. A dielectric insulator is necessary for there to be capacitance.
I *suspect* some cases or gloves, while being insulators, are also dielectric and thus don't solve the antenna problem on those phones that have it.
This is all magic anyway.
/k
No problem here-I have tried numerous times to replicate this effect, and it simply doesn't happen on my iPhone 4.
I'm located near Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and work in Miami if that's of any help. Only dropped call was on my brother's end, yesterday-and he lives in fringe area in VT.
I'm located near Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and work in Miami if that's of any help. Only dropped call was on my brother's end, yesterday-and he lives in fringe area in VT.
yes i also noticed that, thought i am paranoid since my girl could not feel it.
thought it is fan or HD vibration.
you know, even when the iphone was first shown and they showed how the antennas were devided by a gap on the phone, i was thinking to myself "well since its made of steel and is an antenna, wouldnt putting your finger on the little ridge bridge the gap and cause problems?" then i thought to myself "nah, apple would not make such a retarded mistake would they now??"
How wrong I was indeed.
How wrong I was indeed.
No no no... I'm pretty sure they tested it in a lab for thisthey just have pre-production models in their lab with the proper specs (the proper coating). I'm sure the factory just messed it up this time around. The more I think about it, the more I'm sure of it.
I'm very curious to see if that works. If so, then I would probably invest in an Invisible Shield or Bodyguardz film to help alleviate the problem a bit.
I'm curious as to how many of you can tell me a possible scenario where this could be a software issue. I can't think of one, but my intuitions tell me that it could possibly be a software problem.
This.
The change in the antenna when touched is causing the firmware to not only display less bars, but actually manage the connection differently or drop it, thinking it's unsustainable when it isn't.
It's as plausible an explanation as any, if not the most likely I've heard yet, which would indicate a firmware update will actually fix it. Embarassing for Apple sure but not the end of the world.
Whilst the evidence suggests this is a real issue, the absurd over reaction and just plain scientifically incorrect and ignorant claims being made on this and other forums is frankly worse. Way to throw your toys out of the pram people. If it's a firmware fix, it'll come. If it really is a hardware problem you have recourse to an exchange or refund. Now don't any of you have lives beyond a new phone?
reset network settings
Odd, I reset my network settings and now the signal bars are only going 2 down...which is good, because before I would lose service if I put my hand on the bottom of the phone to make a call. So instead of having 5 bars, it will move me to 3 bars.
Odd, I reset my network settings and now the signal bars are only going 2 down...which is good, because before I would lose service if I put my hand on the bottom of the phone to make a call. So instead of having 5 bars, it will move me to 3 bars.
Steve's big mistake...
I have the same issues on mine. Dropped data when holding the phone by the midsection in my left hand. Also the discoloration on the screen.
Waiting for someone to point out that the data failures at WWDC might've had a little less to do with people using the network and a little more to do with the way Steve was holding the iPhone... yikes.
I have the same issues on mine. Dropped data when holding the phone by the midsection in my left hand. Also the discoloration on the screen.
Waiting for someone to point out that the data failures at WWDC might've had a little less to do with people using the network and a little more to do with the way Steve was holding the iPhone... yikes.
May I ask how you know that? Not that I don't believe you, I'm just really curious.