iPhone 4S Includes Significant Antenna Upgrades

[MacRumors]

Apple has built significant antenna upgrades into the iPhone 4S, saying in the press release announcing the phone that it is the first phone to intelligently switch between two antennas to send and receive. We spoke to Spencer Webb, owner of AntennaSys, about the antenna history of the iPhones. He wrote extensively about the AntennaGate issues with the original iPhone 4 last year.

"With the iPhone 4," Webb explained, around the steel band "we had one cell antenna at the bottom. On the top, we had another antenna for GPS and Wi-Fi." This turned into Antennagate.

With the Verizon/CDMA iPhone, Webb believes Apple's designers "moved the GPS and Wi-Fi antennas beneath the back glass and turned the top antenna into a second antenna for the cell phone." This brought spatial diversity to the iPhone. This design helps solve the Antennagate problem, because the phone can switch between the antennas depending on signal conditions.

"If you cover up an antenna, you're probably not covering up both antennas," Webb explains. "Spatial diversity on the receiving side is required for use with the Verizon network."

The Verizon iPhone had 'receive diversity' -- it used two antennas for receiving data, but may have only transmitted on the bottom antenna. With the iPhone 4S, Apple claims to have both 'send and receive diversity' for GSM and CDMA. They're using this diversity as the solution to the antenna problem.

"The iPhone 4S may indeed be the first phone to have diversity on both the send and receive sides, and that is a decently big deal. They still have the antenna around the rim, though, so it's evolutionary, not revolutionary."

Image via This Is My Next

Article Link: iPhone 4S Includes Significant Antenna Upgrades

 

[Pooshka]

In honor of Steve Jobs, I am removing my original somewhat negative comment.

And yes, out of respect, I will be upgrading from my current iPhone 4 to the new iPhone 4S.

I'm still crying over Steve.

RIP

 

[diamond.g]

Wait, I thought there was no problem with the iPhone 4's antenna. How can Apple fix a problem they claimed didn't exist?

 

[Blaunerts]

Will that annoying proximity sensor be fixed??????

 

[ikir]

Wait, I thought there was no problem with the iPhone 4's antenna. How can Apple fix a problem they claimed didn't exist?

They improved the antenna, it doesn't mean antenna was broken. Indeed iPhone4 receive much more better than 3GS.

 

[foiden]

They only claimed it didn't exist significantly over other phones. Of course, there are always upgrades, so they'll obviously do something about complaints. Who wouldn't?

 

[840quadra]

Significant Antenna Upgrades my ass.

16 months for this?

God, I'm so mad right now.

So you read and understood the entire press release in less than 1 minute?

I can see by the image it looks quite similar to my current iPhone 4, but I am going to actually read the article and press release before my knee-jerk reaction.

 

[jlgolson]

Significant Antenna Upgrades my ass.

16 months for this?

God, I'm so mad right now.

Gonna unload your stock? Because I'll buy it.

 

[bpeeps]

Significant Antenna Upgrades my ass.

16 months for this?

God, I'm so mad right now.

Can't wait for you to let us know in every single post on the forums today.

 

[ct2k7]

No difference for me.

 

[TLewis]

"If you cover up an antenna, you're probably not covering up both antennas," Webb explains. "Spatial diversity on the receiving side is required for use with the Verizon network."

Huh? The problem was not covering up the antenna (although that is, of course, a valid problem with cellphones), but the partial shorting of the antennas by bridging the gap between the antennas with somewhat low-impedance skin. We'll have to wait and see if the issue has been addressed (however a case -- which people should have anyway -- should solve the problem as usual).

 

[Pooshka]

I can already see tons of liquid rubber flowing down the recycling pipes.

 

[igazza]

iphone 4s makes me want to bang my head against a wall.

 

[diamond.g]

They improved the antenna, it doesn't mean antenna was broken. Indeed iPhone4 receive much more better than 3GS.

They only claimed it didn't exist significantly over other phones. Of course, there are always upgrades, so they'll obviously do something about complaints. Who wouldn't?

To be honest I look forward to seeing what this change brings for signal improvements. In my house signal can tend to be weak, so hopefully the sensitivity has improved even more. Oddly enough, I don't recall having that much of an issue with my 3GS.


I was just poking fun at how quickly we forget how things were when we see the new shiny.

 

[xdxdaustin]

So maybe with the new antenna the iPhone will support CDMA data over voice? Don't say its a CDMA problem because my current Thunderbolt can do it just fine over 3G (read: 3G! Not GSM 4G LTE).

 

[APlotdevice]

I'm interested to see how this change will affect the WiFi reception.

 

[dlowings]

Wait, I thought there was no problem with the iPhone 4's antenna. How can Apple fix a problem they claimed didn't exist?

Thay had to redo the antenna so that they could make it a world phone...

It was a win win ....

 

[diamond.g]

So maybe with the new antenna the iPhone will support CDMA data over voice? Don't say its a CDMA problem because my current Thunderbolt can do it just fine over 3G (read: 3G! Not GSM 4G LTE).

Nope, requires the phone to support SVDO (which the iPhone doesn't).

 

[dethmaShine]

I am sad.

 

[vartanarsen]

Factory Unlockeds

Hey does anyone have any info on the Factory Unlockeds?
There was not a mention today.

 

[Spooner83]

they can't say we're releasing a phone with the antenna fixed, they have to add other features to make it look like there's a reason to buy this iPhone!

 

[fxscreamer]

So my question is, will these antennas allow CDMA networks to have simultaneous connections for voice and data like AT&T?

 

[daxomni]

Apple today announced the iPhone 4S, with the most amazing antenna yet and packed with incredible new features including working properly while being held and blazing fast performance that can piss away your data cap in no time at all. Drastically increased speed for applications that already ran plenty fast and stunning graphics on a screen small enough to go completely unnoticed. An all new camera with advanced optics that offers similar specs to other phones released a year ago. Full 1080p HD resolution video recording that will fill up your non-upgradable RAM in no time. And Siriously™, an intelligent assistant that can answer almost any question except why it requires an A5 CPU.

Go Apple!

 

[Consultant]

My iPhone 4 (in bumper) has better reception than most other phones (when airplane lands, I can email and call while others lose signal around me).

This should make it even better.

 

[cms2]

So, Apple's announcement today: "After sixteen months, we've worked out the kinks. Enjoy." Oh well, life moves on.