Well if you want to repost important info then take credit you should also have your name in caps MANNY!
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone 4 Signal Strength Indicator Issue Alleviated by Use of Bumper or Case
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Well if you want to repost important info then take credit you should also have your name in caps MANNY!
I've just notices it is possible to make FaceTime calls even when there is no cell signal - anyone else able to get it working?!
Definitely seems like Apple are setting it up for compatibility with iChat!
Wow
FaceTime is WiFi only. And just tap on a contat that has an iPhone 4, and tap facetime. No cellular connection even required. OLD NEWS
It's not a problem, it's a feature.
Apple can market this as a 'green' feature that allows the user to "dissipate unwanted and dangerous cell phone transmissions".
I see a marketing opportunity as well:
iAntenna
iGlove
Apple can market this as a 'green' feature that allows the user to "dissipate unwanted and dangerous cell phone transmissions".
I see a marketing opportunity as well:
iAntenna
iGlove
I use a case in my 3G, almost every time. I don't bother cover my iPhone, only uncovered it one or tow times for "showtime".
So you are willing to live with a design flaw. You are going to give the same company that sold you a product with a design flaw another $30? You shouldn't need to do that. The phone should function w/o you wasting $30 on a little piece of plastic/rubber. If it can't they should be giving it to you for free. And your going to keep defective hardware, or hardware that won't function properly.
Apple ustomer continue to amaze me with accepting a obvious design flaw.hmm, the apple rep told me if that didn't work to take the sim and put in back in. give that a try.
i'm still pressing the entire left side of my iphone 4 and i'm still at 5 bars.
I was sitting in the doctors office today and had time to kill. Holding out my iphone in the right hand (back not completely covered, mainly using fingers) I had 3 bars of 3G. Kept the phone in the same place, switched hands and the signal dropped to 1 bar, then No Signal after about 10 seconds. Switched hands back and the signal went back to 3 bars. I was able to duplicate this every time.
This makes perfect sense -- it isn't MERELY a problem with human flesh being near/around the phone. The PROBLEM is that human skin in direct contact with any antenna DOES significantly alter the dynamics of the antenna. This is something one learns in early electrical engineering courses and you can demonstrate for yourself if you have any old radio with a telescoping metal antenna that you can touch while tuned to static...or even an old TV with rabbit ears that you can touch.
I am surprised that Apple engineers were not aware of the impact of allowing the user's skin to come into direct contact with the antenna's. CERTAINLY any means to avoid direct skin contact will help, so it is NO SURPRISE at all that the interference can be alleviated by using the bumpers or other cases that block skin contact with the exterior antenna's around the edge of the phone.
It obviously makes a difference what tower the phone is connected to and which band is it using. Resetting the network settings probably just switched that. Similarly, I would bet that those that keep full signal when they bridge the gap simply are close enough to a tower where it doesn't matter.
This is standard tech support run around. This is a combination of issues including the hardware design itself that is unrelated to your settings. Nuking your network settings does nothing and wipes out all your wifi passwords so do it only if you're desperate.
My thoughts...
If the problem really is only appearing on some phones and not others, then basic troubleshooting logic tells me the design itself is not the issue, as all phones share the same design.
That tells me the problem is probably not in the design, but in the manufacturing process. The widespread supply shortages, combined with the rumors about the phones being shipped with glue still curing tells me they are producing these things day and night on the fly and shipping as soon as possible.
I'm betting there are a couple factories in China where quality control has slipped and something isn't being done correctly that is resulting in the antennas not being properly isolated from interference, per Apple's design.
Apple had to hit a release date deadline and these phones were likely rushed through straight from manufacturing to shipping, with very little quality control testing going on.
I may be way off base here, but it seems logical to me. I don't see how you get an intermittent problem like this otherwise.
Unfortunately, the first day adopters are getting screwed. People buying in a month or two, when the supplies are back to normal probably won't be seeing this issue.
If the problem really is only appearing on some phones and not others, then basic troubleshooting logic tells me the design itself is not the issue, as all phones share the same design.
That tells me the problem is probably not in the design, but in the manufacturing process. The widespread supply shortages, combined with the rumors about the phones being shipped with glue still curing tells me they are producing these things day and night on the fly and shipping as soon as possible.
I'm betting there are a couple factories in China where quality control has slipped and something isn't being done correctly that is resulting in the antennas not being properly isolated from interference, per Apple's design.
Apple had to hit a release date deadline and these phones were likely rushed through straight from manufacturing to shipping, with very little quality control testing going on.
I may be way off base here, but it seems logical to me. I don't see how you get an intermittent problem like this otherwise.
Unfortunately, the first day adopters are getting screwed. People buying in a month or two, when the supplies are back to normal probably won't be seeing this issue.
Apple engineers are probably too young to remember TV antennas or rabbit ears. And maybe they are too young to remember QC (Quality Control)? Hmmm.
Not if you're left-handed. It's unnatural for me to hold the iPhone in my left hand without the palm touching the bottom left corner.
Only Effects 3G
Interesting find - When I use 3G and cover the entire base with my hand, it will eventually loose all connectivity. ("No Service") But when I use Edge, the signal strength is only dropped by 1 or 2 bars....
Of course, using only Edge kinda defeats the purpose of having such a nice phone.
Interesting find - When I use 3G and cover the entire base with my hand, it will eventually loose all connectivity. ("No Service") But when I use Edge, the signal strength is only dropped by 1 or 2 bars....
Of course, using only Edge kinda defeats the purpose of having such a nice phone.
No way Im buying a case just because the phone doesnt work. It probably didnt help that all the testing was done with disguised phones with "iPhone 3G" style cases slapped round them.
I didnt pre-order, but my decision to buy has seriously been swayed by these reports.
Of note, is it just me, or do other people get a kind of static vibration when using Alu Macbooks? Maybe our highly conductive meat hooks are more prone to problems like this?
I didnt pre-order, but my decision to buy has seriously been swayed by these reports.
Of note, is it just me, or do other people get a kind of static vibration when using Alu Macbooks? Maybe our highly conductive meat hooks are more prone to problems like this?
I've just notices it is possible to make FaceTime calls even when there is no cell signal - anyone else able to get it working?!
Definitely seems like Apple are setting it up for compatibility with iChat!
Try using it without WiFi signal