Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Jobs says Signal Strength a "non issue"

How can I upgrade to this new iphone as I'm left-handed and predominantly hold my 3GS in my left hand regularly.

What a lame lame response by Steve Jobs.

Apple rushes their technology out the door and you end up with yellow spots, poor reception, etc. - We've already begun to see the lack of quality in their iMacs (lots of defects in this generation), now their iPhones are being rushed out without properly being tested or assembled!!!!

Apple early-embracers are BETA consumers for them. It really is sad.
 
Mark.Lee said:
He's not a customer service either.

Did he ever announce that this email address can be used for such appeals, be it for press or simple customers (I honestly don't know, that's why I ask)? And you are kinda naive yourself in thinking that "personal" means family and friends. For example, I have 3 "personal" email addresses and one "business" related.
Click to expand...

How am I naive if I'm saying the same thing. I don't think sjobs@apple.com is personal in the slightest. And as that address has been widely proliferated on the web in news stories, etc - I hardly call it private. I have several personal and a few business email addresses. Not sure why you think I'm naive for my comment. Whatever.

Point is - that email address has been known to anyone who had any interest in sending a communication - whether it's praise or criticism. There was no "invasion" of his privacy there.
 
samcraig said:
As the thread starter I'll respond to you. Personally I really don't care whether you or anyone else believes it came from Steve. And to be honest - I don't believe it came from STEVE personally. It did, however originate from Steve's Corporate Email Address. And I'm not the only one that got similar responses - feel free to google around. It's been posted/verified in several places.

I have no reason to lie. And you can look at my history here to see that I am a straight shooter. But believe whatever you want. That's your right.
Click to expand...

A person with two first names is never a straight shooter.
 
Steviejobz said:
Dude, relax. If no one told you this was an issue I doubt you would have ever realized it. I bet the vast majority of the folks complaining about it are now holding it in the way that causes the problem when they did not do so before.

I have spoken to man people yesterday and not one left or right-handed person holds this phone like that.
Click to expand...

Watch the video I made (link in my sig). I realized it when I made my first call and it cut out on me. And I do hold my phone in a way that impacts the signal, it is how I have always held my phone, the "natural" way in the left hand.
 
epo said:
I realise the whiners and self appointed victims just want to feel sorry for themselves but maybe this phenomenon doesn't actually matter. After all what does 2 bars mean in terms of signal strength on a Nokia phone anyway? And how does that compare to an iPhone?

My IP4 drops 2 bars when held in the left hand but it makes calls BETTER than the 3G it replaces. Don't yet know about data performance.

It seems most people would prefer to whine rather than acquaint themselves with informed opinion but for the minority this http://www.antennasys.com/antennasys-blog/2010/6/24/apple-iphone-4-antennas.html is a refreshing note of sanity.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing if your iPhone 4 was losing complete signal, and you couldn't make calls or send texts or surf the web, then you would be singing a different tune. It's not that the phone loses a couple of bars. People have phones that lose complete service. That isn't just whining.
 
atomicbatteries said:
Yea and like i said it's having absolutely no effect on sales.
Go figure brother!
Click to expand...
Sure, but how do you measure that, exactly? It's not like one would expect the lines to vaporize over a rumor of a possible construction flaw. It's like trying to estimate how many people use pirated software... there's no way to count a number of non-customers. Maybe a line of 800 iPhone 4 buyers outside Apple Store X would've been 1000 iPhone buyers if it weren't for this antenna issue. We'll never know if it had any effect until about a year down the line when the 4 has been out for as long as the 3GS has, but even then it's not a good assessment of the effects of the antenna problem. If sales go down it could be for any number of other reasons... competition, economy... the friggin' weather...
 
To all the people who are assuming there is a "coating" issue on some antennas, I don't think this is a correct assumption.

Yesterday I traveled through 3 cities with my new phone, in major areas or at higher elevations I could not reproduce even a single bar drop no matter what I did, however in slightly smaller cities with weaker signals I am able to reproduce a drop from 5 to 1 bar with just a single finger.

I think with additional testing Apple will be able to slightly improve the way that the radio handles antenna attenuation via software. However, there will always be some effect, probably still noticeable in areas with weaker signals.

Only time will tell.
 
atomicbatteries said:
I am curious how one confirms an email from Steve Jobs?
Why out of all the emails he must receive on a variety ,of issues does he respond to this one?

I don't believe this came from him and this was fabricated by the thread starter for whatever reason they have.

None the less i do not debate there is a problem with some phones. I experienced this problem after many attempts at duplicating it. I had to really firmly clench the phone in my hand to see the signal diminish. Almost as though i was squeezing the reception out of the phone. Thankfully i do not make phone calls like that so I am not seeing this as an issue for me.

Now i have seen worst cases on YouTube and such and if this issue affects your phone while holding the phone in a position that is comfortable for you, take it back to Apple, get another and see if it does the same thing. If it does then perhaps you need to consider another cell phone and return this one and get your money back.

Or, you could use a case, a bumper, which I personally think are atrocious but they do seem to alleviate the problem for clinchers, or and here's a novel idea, use a headset and keep the phone in your pocket. That would solve the problem totally and just think you might reduce your risk of getting brain cancer from unhealthy radioactive waves.
Click to expand...

"unhealthy radioactive waves" I think you might be referring to the iPhone9, due to be released in a few years. It will be powered by a plutonium battery.
 
MotCO said:
I fail to see how holding my phone in my usual position when using it and getting consistantly no signal whatsoever is strengthening it
Click to expand...

just has to do with signal strength.

one poster on here earlier yesterday had probably one of the more better explanations for all of this.

it basically comes down to:
1) software glitch.
2) signal strength.

You can very well be in an area that has ok service but have 5 bars of service, your finger cuts reception by 30% and you have 0 bars of service. The poster described how each bar comprises a range of reception strengths..etc.

so apple can issue a software update to slightly fix this error (so your phone wont show 5 bars when you aren't holding it..it would actually show 3 bars..which would be a better representation of actual strength). That would explain why bars go from 5 to none so quick.

and countless of other reports say this issue only occurs in poor reception areas which only reinforces this hypothesis. If you are in a area with 100% reception, your finger cuts reception by 30%, and you would end up with 4 bars.

and countless of other reports say phone service has overall improved for them. i.e. more areas of 4 and 5 bars...
 
atomicbatteries said:
Yes yes, the fatal flaw that has brought sales of this product to a grinding halt. Why I just now passed the fifth avenue store and there was still a very long line, guess those guys missed this thread. Any way they all find out soon enough that they purchased a flawed product!

Yes to be sure, I am placing a sell order today for all of my stock right this very second. This is surely going to be the straw that broke the Apple's back! NOT!
Click to expand...

Those guys might be well aware of what is happening. 1.) You get your iPhone 2.) play with it 3.) you return it on the basis that it's not fit for purpose. 4.) Apple can shove it.

Suddenly, the iPhone became slightly more interesting. I shouldn't be, but somewhat relieved that this hiccup might end the pathetic secrecy at Apple that directly results in lack of communication within the company and with its partners; and it's also responsible for neglecting proper testing with several prototypes in real-life situations.
 
LOL....whiners, self-appointed victims, idiots....you people aren't real big on making friends outside of your itty bitty circles, are you? I don't think I've seen a bigger bunch of bigots since the last tea party.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I also wonder if the response was formulated before enough data was collected from the actual "real world" field test.

IE - Yes - I think it's a known issue that all phones lose SOME signal when touched a certain way.

But there is a big difference between losing SOME (a non issue since everything is still working) vs losing ALL.
 
Given I want a 32Gb White iPhone 4, kind of glad I have to wait the extra month. Should have a clearer idea of what's going on, any fixes, etc. by then.

You'd think after the amount of field testing this phone has no doubt undergone, that this issue would have been long since addressed!
 
Anuba said:
I think it's a bit of both. I think he has a staff he trusts with answering certain questions in his name, but they forward some mail to him.
Click to expand...

That's also a possibility as it happens quite often with CEOs and senior execs in large companies. However I'd be surprised if Steve also didn't have an e-mail address known only to a limited circle of people like Apple's top 20 execs or his family for example.
 
Anuba said:
No, but maybe they're following Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, MSNBC, BBC News, CBS News and/or CNN, all of which have reported about the antenna issue. This is not some obscure discussion confined to a forum thread for geeks. This is everywhere. Heck, all five major newspapers here in Sweden had the iPhone 4 antenna issue on their front pages this morning. The only time that happened before was... wait... never. Three of them picked up the Gizmodo leak earlier this year, but all five, that's a new one.
Click to expand...

Covered by all the morning network shows today here in the States.
 
darkwolf2 said:
To all the people who are assuming there is a "coating" issue on some antennas, I don't think this is a correct assumption.

Yesterday I traveled through 3 cities with my new phone, in major areas or at higher elevations I could not reproduce even a single bar drop no matter what I did, however in slightly smaller cities with weaker signals I am able to reproduce a drop from 5 to 1 bar with just a single finger.

I think with additional testing Apple will be able to slightly improve the way that the radio handles antenna attenuation via software. However, there will always be some effect, probably still noticeable in areas with weaker signals.

Only time will tell.
Click to expand...

You make a good point. If a "coating" can reduce the effect for those who connect to weak signal towers, than that is a good thing. I personally think putting the protective coating on the inside of the stainless steel bands is the way to go for Apple. Also Apple will have to modify the software (hope not the formware) to better manage the new signal logic in iOS4.
 
NetScheduler said:
Maybe they're interested in technology or have a life outside of Apple. I visit Apple Forums, Linux Forums, Microsoft Forums, Project management Forums, CAD Forums, Automobile Club Forums, Ham Radio Forums, FTA Satellite TV Forums, Boating Forums, Business Forums, Music Forums, Space Forums, and JFK Assassination Forums.

Does it "escape you" and surprise you that someone might have other interests than drooling over Apple 24/7????
Click to expand...

+1

Some people are 1 track minded and rely on 1 thing 2 get by.
Knowledge is infinite, and I refuse to limit myself to 1 thing.

If all you know is :apple: , I feel real sorry for you.
 
mgamber said:
LOL....whiners, self-appointed victims, idiots....you people aren't real big on making friends outside of your itty bitty circles, are you? I don't think I've seen a bigger bunch of bigots since the last tea party.
Click to expand...

Wow - that's a lot of name calling. And so productive in furthering the conversation. Let me ask you - how does discussing this issue affect what kind of friendships we develop in our lives. How are they related?

Oh yeah - and while you're responding to that - maybe you can explain exactly how any of us are "bigots." You might want to look that one up. Or perhaps you ran out of other names to call people in this thread and threw one randomly in there to see if anyone was paying attention.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Steviejobz said:
you not only have right to to complain, but you also have the right to return it, not buy one, and get another phone.

A consumer who was interested in getting the best would not be the first to buy one, wait, read reviews, and make a decision. Like what many do when buying a flat screen or a microwave.

But the idiots who love to complain had to have it first, before anyone else. You have ample remedies. Deal with it.
Click to expand...
You're an absolute jackass. There's a difference between a glitch that makes it necessary for the phone to reboot every day (like with 3.0) and a defect or design flaw that prevents many from being able to use the phone at all to make calls.

"Stop complaining that your phone can't make calls. People love to whine about the smallest things." Jerkoff. :rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back