iPhone 4: The IMMEDIATE Grip-of-Death

[photobiker]

I took this video yesterday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeUBjKvKcsk

I'm running the Speedtest app over a 3G connection. I have a 5-bar signal thanks to a Wi-Ex booster. When the iPhone lays flat on my hand, it's all fine. Now notice how a grip IMMEDIATELY stops the download or upload tests. It's striking. I ran the test twice in the video, holding my grips even longer the second time. Please, Apple, don't tell me there isn't a problem with a non-insulated antenna! :-(

In another video, I show the usual with-sleeve / without-sleeve grip-of-death. It can't be a simple bug with how many bars are displayed since it affects the downloads to the point where it can stop them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csO47DVTJDQ

(and, yes, I am a fanboy... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNHCDy_dPS8)

 

[army91c]

Did this really need it's own thread? Really? I bet you could pull up tons of other threads JUST LIKE THIS ONE. Someone that has been around the forum as long as you should know better.

 

[photobiker]

Did this really need it's own thread? Really? I bet you could pull up tons of other threads JUST LIKE THIS ONE. Someone that has been around the forum as long as you should know better.

I haven't seen another video where the grip-of-death stops the transfer as quickly as in mine, where it really happens instantaneously. I have no explanation for this one unlike the other well-published cases of progressive signal attenuation.

 

[br0adband]

How about a fingertip, then?

http://vimeo.com/12864890

That's not my video but it's precisely how my iPhone 4 reacts to a fingertip on the seam - holding it normally (no "Death Grip" necessary) will eventually cause such a signal drop as well - just like in this video with a grip - but, with the fingertip on that seam it's dead, instantly, and nothing happens till I remove it.

You're not alone, and there are many many threads here and hundreds of posts about it as well.

 

[Slip Jigs]

Yeah, that's the difference, the IMMEDIATE part.

 

[jayducharme]

My 32 gb model acts the same way. Just touching it kills my signal. Speedtest gave me a ludicrous 4k download and 0k upload. And without touching it, it's still worse than my 3G (40k down / 20k up on EDGE).

But I will say that WiFi is crazy fast...

 

[ctt1wbw]

Can you people buy a case and stopping whining?

 

[Steviejobz]

Can you people buy a case and stopping whining?

+1

Or return it as you are within the return window and no restocking fee.

This issue has been discussed ad nauseam. We get it.

 

[BryanLyle]

A lot more people just learned about this "flaw". The Today show just ran a 3 minute piece on the issue.

 

[AbSoluTc]

Can you people buy a case and stopping whining?

This is a forum for sharing information. If you don't like it, don't read/post in the threads. It's that simple. Nobody is whining. They are expressing their views and opinions on an issue. Plain and simple.

 

[Chad H]

This is a forum for sharing information. If you don't like it, don't read/post in the threads. It's that simple. Nobody is whining. They are expressing their views and opinions on an issue. Plain and simple.

No, your wrong. They started another useless thread instead of posting in the already 600+ threads about this issue. We all know it exists, its been on the front page of MacRumors for a week or longer. Everyday when you log on, you see at least 8 on the front iPhone forum page about the issue or something relating to an "antenna" issue.

 

[br0adband]

No, your wrong. They started another useless thread instead of posting in the already 600+ threads about this issue. We all know it exists, its been on the front page of MacRumors for a week or longer. Everyday when you log on, you see at least 8 on the front iPhone forum page about the issue or something relating to an "antenna" issue.

The OP stated his experience with the issue which makes it a unique post/perspective.

It's going to be around for quite some time, best get used to it now because more and more people get iPhone 4's each day and find themselves in a position they're not really happy about and are more than willing to discuss it or tell us about it.

Don't like it? Move along...

 

[AbSoluTc]

No, your wrong. They started another useless thread instead of posting in the already 600+ threads about this issue. We all know it exists, its been on the front page of MacRumors for a week or longer. Everyday when you log on, you see at least 8 on the front iPhone forum page about the issue or something relating to an "antenna" issue.

Do you see that nifty little triangle with the ! in the middle below your name and down near your online status? Click it and zip your lips. If you don't like the thread, report it. Otherwise, there is no reason to post in it - obviously.

 

[br0adband]

Do you see that nifty little triangle with the ! in the middle below your name and down near your online status? Click it and zip your lips. If you don't like the thread, report it. Otherwise, there is no reason to post in it - obviously.

No, no, no. That's not accurate, and it breeds a lot of problems.

As long as a thread, or any given post isn't against the rules, reporting it can actually have a negative backlash on the person reporting the post. It's "whining" basically - in spite of everything that people like to complain about, the most abhorrent type of whining is that kind:

Reporting posts that in actuality do not break any rules at all.

Nobody has broken a single rule around here in this thread, or these posts. Nobody has done anything wrong, hence there is no legitimate reason to report this thread or any given post.

It's the same as always, everywhere: if you don't like it, move along. Making posts that complain just tends to worsen the situation.

But just clicking that Report Post link... that's unacceptable when no rules have been broken.

The Mods have enough to do, even in spite of all the so-called "whining" about the iPhone 4. If you become a "whiner" yourself and report a post because you don't like it - and for absolutely not other reason(s) especially if nobody breaks a rule - boy, you're gonna find yourself on a Mod's hit list real fast.

 

[Chad H]

Do you see that nifty little triangle with the ! in the middle below your name and down near your online status? Click it and zip your lips. If you don't like the thread, report it. Otherwise, there is no reason to post in it - obviously.

No, its not unique. I'll post on every single thread if I feel like it. I will also express my displeasure on every single thread if I feel like it. I'll make you a deal though, how about I click the "report" button and zip my lips if you click the "log out" button and go play in traffic?

 

[AbSoluTc]

No, no, no. That's not accurate, and it breeds a lot of problems.

As long as a thread, or any given post isn't against the rules, reporting it can actually have a negative backlash on the person reporting the post. It's "whining" basically - in spite of everything that people like to complain about, the most abhorrent type of whining is that kind:

Reporting posts that in actuality do not break any rules at all.

Nobody has broken a single rule around here in this thread, or these posts. Nobody has done anything wrong, hence there is no legitimate reason to report this thread or any given post.

It's the same as always, everywhere: if you don't like it, move along. Making posts that complain just tends to worsen the situation.

But just clicking that Report Post link... that's unacceptable when no rules have been broken.

The Mods have enough to do, even in spite of all the so-called "whining" about the iPhone 4. If you become a "whiner" yourself and report a post because you don't like it - and for absolutely not other reason(s) especially if nobody breaks a rule - boy, you're gonna find yourself on a Mod's hit list real fast.

Ah good point. It sounds like he should click the report icon. It's a win/win either way

 

[eckseid]

No, its not unique. I'll post on every single thread if I feel like it. I will also express my displeasure on every single thread if I feel like it. I'll make you a deal though, how about I click the "report" button and zip my lips if you click the "log out" button and go play in traffic?

Hmm, interesting. So posting the same type of complaint thread over and over is worse then what people like you do? Keeping said threads bumped to the top with complaints about that thread. I think its time for people on this forum to grow up.

 

[Chad H]

Hmm, interesting. So posting the same type of complaint thread over and over is worse then what people like you do? Keeping said threads bumped to the top with complaints about the thread.

No, I said I would if felt like it. Your taking my comment out of context. Forget about it.

 

[Vertigo50]

Pretty much everyone has the immediate change. Most people are going off the bars rather than the speedtest, like you are doing. The bars take a while to go down, because they show an average of the signal strength over the past 5 seconds or so.

The bars are not designed to change immediately, or they would be jumping up and down all the time. Instead, they show an average, which takes a few seconds to update, even though the change is immediate when you do the grip, or the single finger.

Make sense?

 

[eckseid]

No, I said I would if felt like it. Your taking my comment out of context. Forget about it.

So stating that you'll do it if you felt like it will probably result in you doing it a few more times. What's worse? Someone posting 1 bitch thread, or people like you (people who bitch about the thread) keeping those threads bumped complaining about the thread? People like you are the problem. Those threads would disappear if people like you didn't come into those threads bitching about them. See where I'm going with this? I'm apart of the problem right now, bitching about people like you.

Again, if you people want "whine" threads to go away, QUIT POSTING COMPLAINTS IN THE THREADS AND LET THEM FALL BACK A FEW PAGES. Simple concept.

I'm done.

 

[jhatz]

This is a forum for sharing information. If you don't like it, don't read/post in the threads. It's that simple. Nobody is whining. They are expressing their views and opinions on an issue. Plain and simple.

Your views stink.

 

[rookie1082]

How ironic that the people actually "whining" are the people complaing about other people and "their" whining.

 

[tirk]

Nobody is whining.

A lot of people are getting agitated then (on both sides, if I'm honest). I'm not sure the term "grip of death" is exactly cool, calm and collected - who died??

 

[SilentPanda]

Let's keep it civil.

Also...

No, no, no. That's not accurate, and it breeds a lot of problems.

As long as a thread, or any given post isn't against the rules, reporting it can actually have a negative backlash on the person reporting the post. It's "whining" basically - in spite of everything that people like to complain about, the most abhorrent type of whining is that kind:

Reporting posts that in actuality do not break any rules at all.

Nobody has broken a single rule around here in this thread, or these posts. Nobody has done anything wrong, hence there is no legitimate reason to report this thread or any given post.

It's the same as always, everywhere: if you don't like it, move along. Making posts that complain just tends to worsen the situation.

But just clicking that Report Post link... that's unacceptable when no rules have been broken.

The Mods have enough to do, even in spite of all the so-called "whining" about the iPhone 4. If you become a "whiner" yourself and report a post because you don't like it - and for absolutely not other reason(s) especially if nobody breaks a rule - boy, you're gonna find yourself on a Mod's hit list real fast.

A fair amount of this is false. We don't have a hit list and people report posts sometimes that are not in violation of the rules. It happens from time to time. Obviously if you go on a rampage reporting all of user X's posts for no reason or all threads dealing with issue Y then we might ask you to stop. If you report something incorrectly enough times we'll be sure to let you know. You won't incur our "wrath" unless you're attempting to do as such... we're fairly mellow for the most part I think.