Is Apple fabricating their competitor 'death grip' videos?

[Phokus]

http://www.droid-life.com/2010/07/23/apple-tosses-droid-x-into-antennagate-here-is-our-video/

I tried out my friend's droid x and i couldn't replicate apple's death grip signal loss video for the droid x. We're in a 3 bar location and not only that, but i wrapped two hands around it and still couldn't get any bar loss.

I'm getting a funny feeling that apple is fraudulently making these videos (maybe introducing some sort of distortion when they tell the person to 'death grip' it)? And it would make sense. These videos just scream desperation from Apple and it wouldn't surprise me if they were doing funny stuff in the background to get the signal loss.

Nobody seems to be able to replicate it and some people actually gain bars by death gripping a droid x.

Also, the way the person in the apple video is gripping the droid x is absolutely absurd. NOBODY holds a phone that way.

Also, until i start seeing 'finger touch' videos of competitor phones (in places where skin contact normally happens when you hold a phone), apple's argument is just moot and just a terrible spin job

 

[Sleazy E]

I can't replicate the iPhone 4 death grip issue.

 

[Hype2k2]

I can't replicate the iPhone 4 death grip issue.

I can't either Google conspiracy.

 

[MacDawg]

I can't replicate the iPhone 4 death grip issue.

I can't either

And the same could be said about the iPhone 4 videos

 

[chembox]

Maybe this death grip issue doesn't even exist!

Tin foil hats on, everyone!

 

[historyteacher]

If I take my belkin grip vue off the phone I can replicate the issue. That being said if the case is on the problem is null and void. So it doesn't really matter that it does to me. Fwit.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

I can't replicate the death grip at work, but can at home (but not drop calls), so it depends on the environment. Apple is testing all the phones in a controlled environment (anechoic chambers) in which the death grip can be performed reliably and accurately.

 

[CashDude]

You need to squeeze it until it is about to break and your fingers hurt.

On the iPhone, you merely need to touch it with no cupping or squeezing.

 

[treyjustice]

Nope

 

[Super Intendo]

I still dont understand how people think this is some brand new problem exclusive to the iphone 4. There are videos on youtube of nearly every smartphone ever losing most or all signal when being held, even my 3Gs would drop to 1 bar if i wasn't using a case, which is one of the reasons why i did use a case. Anyways, none of these are fake, it just depends on the conditions, this isn't a made up issue, and it certainly isnt exclusive to apple, and if it was, they wouldn't be making fake videos to point fingers, they would get sued.

 

[admanimal]

Just search for "death grip" on youtube and there are tons of videos by random 3rd parties showing the problem on different phones.

 

[anonymous guy]

the hand model doing the Droid X grip has gigantic hands - they're basically smothering the already oversized phone.

 

[rans0m00]

Doubt it... Only makes sense if you more or less block the antenna you will lose some... Can say about 3yrs ago had a BB Curve on tmo and it didn't matter how I was holding it never dropped a call... So some phones I guess are just more prone than others. I am wondering what happened to the reception we had like the old Nokia bar phones? You could abuse one of those drop it in the pool shake out the water and it would still call... Now if I hold my phone wrong I am at risk of dropping a call

 

[Julien]

I just put the 2 handed "death grip" on my iPhone 4 and went from 3 to 4 bars.

 

[JD914]

I tried to replicate the deathe grip issue on a Blackberry Bold 9700 I own and a co workers Driod X and could not get them to lose any signal strength no matter what I tried doing.

In the meantime I can easily bridge the lower left gap in my iPhone 4 antenna and have a drastic singal loss in about 30-40 seconds.

 

[JD914]

Maybe this death grip issue doesn't even exist!

Tin foil hats on, everyone!

It's so real that Apple has provided free bumbers to protect the antenna from any contact. The tin foil hat belongs on those who deny any antenna defect.

 

[MisterDisney]

It feels like the free bumpers were a direct response to Consumer Reports. Or at least that forced Apple to take action much sooner than they would have.

 

[SVT Amateur]

Apple isn't fabricating the videos but I'm sure they are showing the phones in weaker cell phone coverage areas. All cell phones should have some attenuation of the signal when held but the external antenna of the iPhone 4 makes it much more noticeable.

 

[lilo777]

I can't replicate the iPhone 4 death grip issue.

The difference here obviously is that it was not Motorola that claimed that iPhone had issues. It was iPhone users. Apple is the only company that fabricate these videos that prove nothing (coming from a partial source that can easily manipulate the tests). I am not saying Apple is manipulating those tests. But it does look ridiculous by just producing those.

 

[kdarling]

I can't replicate the death grip at work, but can at home (but not drop calls), so it depends on the environment.

Agreed. I tried dropping bars on an Incredible like they did, and it actually seemed to depend more as to where the phone itself was located while I held it. In other words, lowering it was worse than holding it tight, for me.

Apple is testing all the phones in a controlled environment (anechoic chambers) in which the death grip can be performed reliably and accurately.

Doesn't look like they were in a chamber or using a test rig from the couple of videos I saw. Looked more like it was just someone's office with people coming in and out.

Apple's just shooting themselves in the foot right now. The sooner they drop this topic, the sooner it'll go away. Every time they add a new phone to their list, they add lots more people to fight them. It's self-defeating.

 

[wirelessmacuser]

Apple is testing all the phones in a controlled environment (anechoic chambers) in which the death grip can be performed reliably and accurately.

Correct, and it paid off handsomely for Apple.

After they discovered the death grip problem prior to releasing iP4, it gave them time to create the bumper. By showing the bumper along with the phone at WWDC, it was perceived as a "Cool Apple Accessory" as opposed to the fix-it patch it is.

Apple is nothing if not clever. It's why they have massive reserves of (our) cash...

 

[pflau]

I'm sure Elvis' death was fabricated.

So was the moon landing. All fabricated.

 

[wirelessmacuser]

I tried to replicate the deathe grip issue on a Blackberry Bold 9700 I own and a co workers Driod X and could not get them to lose any signal strength no matter what I tried doing.

In the meantime I can easily bridge the lower left gap in my iPhone 4 antenna and have a drastic singal loss in about 30-40 seconds.

My experience is exactly the same as yours. No matter what I try, my BB 9700 & Droid X do not react. Both phones perform very well when making calls.

Sadly my iPhone is no better than the other new iPhones I've had. That's why they always end up as a secondary device. Fortunately this time around, I think the public outcry will help Apple understand they need to learn how to build a phone.

 

[barkomatic]

The death grip on the iPhone was real for me. Unfortunately, reception was poor even with a case so I had to return my iPhone 4--that was hard. The new iPhone is superior in every other way. I'm hoping there is a more substantial fix aside from simply waiting next year for the iPhone 5.

I have no idea if Apple is exaggerating the death grip on other smartphones, but you'd think the owners of those devices would be complaining more.

 

[AdeFowler]

My experience is exactly the same as yours. No matter what I try, my BB 9700 & Droid X do not react. Both phones perform very well when making calls.

Sadly my iPhone is no better than the other new iPhones I've had. That's why they always end up as a secondary device. Fortunately this time around, I think the public outcry will help Apple understand they need to learn how to build a phone.

You're lucky to have so many phones