Tried to duplicate the problem and was unable. Stays at 5 bars no matter how I hold it. Wonder if this is somewhat dependent on how the new phone decides what tower to connect to?
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Jobs says Signal Strength a "non issue"
- Thread starter samcraig
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I have big hands. That's why I hold it...the WAY APPLE SHOWS IT IN THEIR ADS. It's a natural way to hold the phone. Hell Steve Jobs holds it my way in his presentations. If I held it like the guy taking pictures, I'd get it stolen (living in SF). But what it comes down to, there should be no WRONG way to hold the iphone 4. If there's a wrong way, you designed it poorly.
I think a lot of folks are like me, in that even if the phone does drop from 5 bars to 0 .. it still works fine. So far no dropped calls or anything for me, even when trying to force it to happen.
Steve's response is totally unacceptable. Seems pretty flippant. I think he's well aware that this is a big deal.
Perhaps this has already been suggested, but maybe a coordinated line-up and return to Apple or ATT stores is in order.
One thing is true: the spotlight has now moved from ATT to Apple.
We are hung with these puppies for at least 2 years if we accept this defect. A rubber bumper - at a $30 cost, (ridiculously expensive anyway) is a joke.
It is time the consumer stands up to Apple.
Perhaps this has already been suggested, but maybe a coordinated line-up and return to Apple or ATT stores is in order.
One thing is true: the spotlight has now moved from ATT to Apple.
We are hung with these puppies for at least 2 years if we accept this defect. A rubber bumper - at a $30 cost, (ridiculously expensive anyway) is a joke.
It is time the consumer stands up to Apple.
Wow. I've been an apple-apologist in the past to a degree, on occasion. But what some of you are saying on this thread, defending SJ's response, arguing that there are only a handful of people experiencing this, you have all officially lost your marbles.
There is something fundamentally wrong with putting a piece of crap out into the market and leading everyone to believe that it is something they can not live without. I don't hold the phone with a death grip. And I have an excellent signal from ATT (4 to 5 bars). When I hold the phone naturally in my left hand I lose the connection completely. COMPLETELY!!!!!! This is not a merchantable product and they should not be putting it into the market. They've gotten a bit to big for their own good.
I wasn't defending Steve's response, I was more responding to the death grip comments. I know Steve will answer things the way he answers and people will read into it whatever they want. All I know is, the way I hold my phone, I have had no problems.
Too much of this thread was just bashing without any pics or evidence.
i acknowledge though that its unfortunate that some people are experiencing this issue with reception, but people who complain will have a louder voice than those that do not, especially in these forums. People will think this is a rampant issue, if both sides aren't represented.
Slim to none.
Recalls happen when products are unintentionally defective due to some malfunctioning component that the company replaces.
The iPhone 4 is intentionally flawed. They knew about the issue and said "ah, screw it... we'll just make bumpers and tell people to avoid holding the phone certain ways". They can't switch out any defective component because there is none, the whole design of the phone hinges on this antenna construction... they'd have to redesign the whole thing from scratch. The only viable way out of this mess is to give people bumpers for free.
It may be because it's the far end of the transmission line vs. the near end, compared to where it goes into the phone. Connecting the far end makes it look like a longer antenna, connecting near the near end might make it look smaller to the radio. It deals with electromagnetic propagation.
I'm right-handed and I hold it in my left palm when I'm on the phone. Because I enter the digits with my right hand finger, or I might be looking at something else while I'm still on the phone and I need to navigate... again with my right index finger...
I don't believe Steve himself answers this emails. You would need to hire somebody full-time just to sort and go through all the emails he receives daily...
Nevertheless, the answer was not something I would expect from a company that prides itself on excellent customer service... The response is rather rude and condescending in a way...
You are selling me your product and you need to accommodate to my needs, and not the other way around...
I think it's time for Jobs to go...
Exactly. I've got excellent coverage where I live and it's clear that this new phone has a defect. This should be "free with a 2-year contract"! Hell - even those free ones don't have this type of problem.
thanks for the update sam.
I for one would be interested to know what they send you to sign.
Let us know mate.
Cheers
P.S- We still shouldn't need accessories for a product to correctly function for the record.
Guy on TV news got replacement without the issue
Customer Ryan Merket complained to Palo Alto Apple Store manager and received a replacement phone that doesn't exhibit the issue. Since Merket could demonstrate the issue on the first phone but not on the replacement, apparently some phones don't have the issue. This seems to be supported by other users who cannot reproduce the problem on their phones.
Perhaps Apple is initially stonewalling in order to deplete current spotty inventory in hopes that most customers won't return the problem phones and will just modify their grip or use the Apple rubber bumpers. Once problem phones are out of inventory Apple will then only ship confirmed good phones like the one that Merket received after his complaint.
The iPhone 4 I received today has this issue and personally I find it unacceptable as my previous 3GS never exhibited this level of signal diminishment under the same circumstances. Clearly this is a flaw and I'm very disappointed as both a customer and shareholder if Apple knew of this problem prior to the phone's release and decided to ship it anyway.
Link to news report:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/business&id=7519401
Customer Ryan Merket complained to Palo Alto Apple Store manager and received a replacement phone that doesn't exhibit the issue. Since Merket could demonstrate the issue on the first phone but not on the replacement, apparently some phones don't have the issue. This seems to be supported by other users who cannot reproduce the problem on their phones.
Perhaps Apple is initially stonewalling in order to deplete current spotty inventory in hopes that most customers won't return the problem phones and will just modify their grip or use the Apple rubber bumpers. Once problem phones are out of inventory Apple will then only ship confirmed good phones like the one that Merket received after his complaint.
The iPhone 4 I received today has this issue and personally I find it unacceptable as my previous 3GS never exhibited this level of signal diminishment under the same circumstances. Clearly this is a flaw and I'm very disappointed as both a customer and shareholder if Apple knew of this problem prior to the phone's release and decided to ship it anyway.
Link to news report:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/business&id=7519401
Guy walks into a doctor's office...
"Doctor! It hurts when I do this!"
"Well, stop doing that!"
"Doctor! It hurts when I do this!"
"Well, stop doing that!"
Steve to iPhone customers: F off.
Amazing. To think my Droid Incredible doesn't care how it's held.
Amazing. To think my Droid Incredible doesn't care how it's held.
Dude, what more evidence do you need? This is a MAJOR issue. MOST of the iPhone4 customers are experiencing this. I love the phone and it has very good features, but you'd have to be stupid to defend apple on this one.
They pulled a fast one and if they don't react to this the right way, I feel like they might lose some customers.
The old man doesn't want the stocks to take a hit. I guarantee within a week or 2 we will have a solution. We have 700+ posts on this issue and the issue is leaking to major news media. He will have to come up with a better answer that what he has quoted.