Folks all mobile phones use RF. RF is blocked by all materials at varying degrees. Unless you want an old school telescoping antenna deal with it.
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iPhone 5 Wi-Fi Death Grip
- Thread starter ImperialX
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Actually I don't have to agree at all because I think you've drawn the wrong conclusions. For a kick off this isn't a "death grip". Did some very quick testing this morning with one hand covering the glass and the other parallel over the top of the phone. In a strong signal area, no change in bars at all. I *could* get it to drop from 3 to 2 but only when standing about six inches from the point that happens anyway. A 'death grip' implies that signal, well, dies. What you're talking about is a slight loss of signal when the antenna is covered.
As for 'no-one managed to reproduce other phones loosing signal' - rubbish. Every single phone I've owned since 1998 has done exactly that if you hold them in a certain way. Well, with the exception of one Nokia but that had a radio so strong it would kill any other mobile phone's reception within a five yard radius. WiFi is no different and you yourself admit that you have to go out of your way to cause a signal drop.
Basically Apple haven't overlooked this issue at all because... it isn't an issue. From what you've posted here and my own quick testing for the vast, vast, VAST majority of people it will never have an impact in normal use. Someone needs to just do a quick check (with actual numbers) of the actual impact on wireless reception but it's realistically only going to affect those who totally cover the antenna AND happen to be in a really marginal signal area.
Oh and before anyone says it I'm not defending Apple here, if there's a fault it needs to be picked up and rectified. I'm just sick and tired of people blowing every little tiny detail out of all proportion rather than actually applying some common sense to the situation.
Here we go...
Pointless post, but I'll bite anyways (against my better judgement)...
As I've pointed out for you above, your OP obviously postulates that you think you have discovered some sort of "bug," "problem," or "issue," yet throughout this thread, you have continually admonished those who point out the problems in your OP by excusing away your points. I'm sorry, but you can't have it both ways. You can't cry "Wolf!" but then when people point out that it's not a wolf claim that you whispered under your breath, "...maybe...."
So please listen closely:
Holding one's hand to intentionally cover the top of the phone, wherein lies the phone's WiFi antenna IS NOT NEWS. It's not a bug. It's not an issue. It's not a problem. It's not even a "death grip." What it is, is a scientific fact: RF waves travel better through air than they do through objects (E.g. a brick wall, a metal building, or your hand). Holding your phone in that ridiculous fashion proves nothing, except the aforementioned law of science/technology which everyone already knows.
I'm not sure why you took the time to test this little hypothesis, make/edit a video, and start this thread, but it's making mountains out of...not even molehills; it's making mountains out of nothing.
It's pointless.
Pointless post, but I'll bite anyways (against my better judgement)...
As I've pointed out for you above, your OP obviously postulates that you think you have discovered some sort of "bug," "problem," or "issue," yet throughout this thread, you have continually admonished those who point out the problems in your OP by excusing away your points. I'm sorry, but you can't have it both ways. You can't cry "Wolf!" but then when people point out that it's not a wolf claim that you whispered under your breath, "...maybe...."
So please listen closely:
Holding one's hand to intentionally cover the top of the phone, wherein lies the phone's WiFi antenna IS NOT NEWS. It's not a bug. It's not an issue. It's not a problem. It's not even a "death grip." What it is, is a scientific fact: RF waves travel better through air than they do through objects (E.g. a brick wall, a metal building, or your hand). Holding your phone in that ridiculous fashion proves nothing, except the aforementioned law of science/technology which everyone already knows.
I'm not sure why you took the time to test this little hypothesis, make/edit a video, and start this thread, but it's making mountains out of...not even molehills; it's making mountains out of nothing.
It's pointless.
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For you people who "would never hold your phone that way", have you never played a landscape game?
Many cases in conjunction with holding the phone landscape will cause this.
Many cases in conjunction with holding the phone landscape will cause this.
OP, I am with you on this and I do think that this is an issue!
I noticed this first when I was playing a game in landscape mode with online multiplayer. I continuously was being dropped from my games because of wifi issues, but when I'd return to the home page of still have 3 bars if Internet. So I thought the game had a bug and I deleted it, then the same thing happened with 2 other games I tried out.
Then I discovered the root of the problem when I was watching YouTube videos (holding phone in landscape) and midway through the videos would stop buffering and my phone would drop wifi and switch to 3G or LTE.
This IS a death grip for me. After holding my phone in landscape as if I were typing, I loose my wifi signal within 20 seconds, and yes I am standing 6 ft away from my router. I'll also loose at least 1 bar by covering one finger width of space anywhere on the top back glass plate. I'll loose all wifi if I cover the entire top back glass plate.
For those of you thinking that blocking the antenna isn't a natural grip, try holding your phone in landscape without touching the top back glass plate. This is a design flaw, and when I spend over $600 on a phone, I don't expect it to have any design flaws.
I noticed this first when I was playing a game in landscape mode with online multiplayer. I continuously was being dropped from my games because of wifi issues, but when I'd return to the home page of still have 3 bars if Internet. So I thought the game had a bug and I deleted it, then the same thing happened with 2 other games I tried out.
Then I discovered the root of the problem when I was watching YouTube videos (holding phone in landscape) and midway through the videos would stop buffering and my phone would drop wifi and switch to 3G or LTE.
This IS a death grip for me. After holding my phone in landscape as if I were typing, I loose my wifi signal within 20 seconds, and yes I am standing 6 ft away from my router. I'll also loose at least 1 bar by covering one finger width of space anywhere on the top back glass plate. I'll loose all wifi if I cover the entire top back glass plate.
For those of you thinking that blocking the antenna isn't a natural grip, try holding your phone in landscape without touching the top back glass plate. This is a design flaw, and when I spend over $600 on a phone, I don't expect it to have any design flaws.
Ever heard the saying "making a mountain out of a mole hill?" Like it or not, that is an honest, accurate assessment of this "issue."