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Latest from AntennaSys - iPhone 4 Meets The GripOfDeathInator

Good read thanks. Nice and balanced. I guess the main thing that a lot of people lose sight of because of all the hysteria, is just how damned awesome the iPhone 4 actually is.
 
kbmb said:
Love hearing from people who have technical knowledge....here's the latest from AntennaSys:

http://www.antennasys.com/antennasys-blog/2010/7/11/iphone-4-meets-the-gripofdeathinator.html

-Kevin
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Heh, he's a man after my own heart "or just give me sushi and we'll call it even".

Though, I think it's interesting that even with the grip problems, the iphone 4 was still getting better connection than the iphone 3GS under grip (even though the 3GS didn't have as drastic as a drop). So yes, he proves the phone does react more to a grip than at least other iphones. But... if people are going to exagerate and say this phone can't make calls (seriously, I'm sick of seeing that claim, not can't make calls if gripped wrong or no bumper, can't make calls), then certainly the 3GS couldn't either! After all, it can't even get as good signal being gripped even with the iphone 4 lose drastic signal when gripped.

And interesting that the pinch method got better download connection than naked.
 
WiiDSmoker said:
There's not a single fanboy in the world who can spin this intenstive testing.
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Yeah there is. For anyone who thinks the 3Gs's connection is fine... the iphone 4 was still getting better connection when gripped than the 3GS was. I mean, yeah, sure the 3GS didn't lose as much percentage of connection when gripped, but it still got beat by the iphone 4 when gripped.

So, yeah, the iphone 4 is more sensitive. And yet, it still gets better connection even so. Personally, I'd take that over the 3GS being less sensitive but not getting as good connection period.
 
tigress666 said:
But... if people are going to exagerate and say this phone can't make calls (seriously, I'm sick of seeing that claim, not can't make calls if gripped wrong or no bumper, can't make calls), then certainly the 3GS couldn't either!
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There are still quite a few people that experience their data rates dropping entirely (0 kbps up/down) when touching the phone.
 
tigress666 said:
But... if people are going to exagerate and say this phone can't make calls (seriously, I'm sick of seeing that claim,
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Sorry you're sick of a claim which a few of my friends who are very tech savvy are making because they honestly cannot make phone calls because of their loss in signal. It's not an exaggeration. Maybe some people are exaggerating - but that shouldn't detract from the people who actually are.
 
Eso said:
There are still quite a few people that experience their data rates dropping entirely (0 kbps up/down) when touching the phone.
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But based on the test here can we surmise that it might be a cell reception issue?

This was a very fascinating read, very timely too in light of the upcoming press conference on Friday.
 
i like this quote

But, hey, Consumer Reports guys: you don't do radiated tests in a shield room. That's like measuring the light output of a desk lamp in a house of mirrors. It's amateur hour.
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tigress666 said:
Heh, he's a man after my own heart "or just give me sushi and we'll call it even".

Though, I think it's interesting that even with the grip problems, the iphone 4 was still getting better connection than the iphone 3GS under grip (even though the 3GS didn't have as drastic as a drop). So yes, he proves the phone does react more to a grip than at least other iphones. But... if people are going to exagerate and say this phone can't make calls (seriously, I'm sick of seeing that claim, not can't make calls if gripped wrong or no bumper, can't make calls), then certainly the 3GS couldn't either! After all, it can't even get as good signal being gripped even with the iphone 4 lose drastic signal when gripped.

And interesting that the pinch method got better download connection than naked.
Click to expand...

I had a 3GS and my girlfriend had a 3G. We both now have iPhone 4's and struggle to hear each other when talking from the usual locations. We NEVER had these problems before. I know when she's gripping the phone in the left corner because the quality drops, I then say "hold it differently" and the quality instantly increases. I'm also not exagerating when I say I've dropped more calls in a month with the iPhone 4 than I ever did with my 3GS and 3G combined over 24 months.
 
Great Article.

Sounds like they know what they are doing. Also shows that there is an issue with the design.
 
He's wrong about one thing...there is a manual for the phone and always has been. Available on Apple's site :apple:.....

...and there's nothing in there about how to hold the phone...so....;)
 
Great article! I feel the same way.. "And I can't imagine not owning an iPhone; it's a great device". That says it all. I'm on the same page. Apple should do something about this antenna debacle because it's hurting their image, but I'm keeping the iPhone4 regardless.
 
tigress666 said:
Yeah there is. For anyone who thinks the 3Gs's connection is fine... the iphone 4 was still getting better connection when gripped than the 3GS was. I mean, yeah, sure the 3GS didn't lose as much percentage of connection when gripped, but it still got beat by the iphone 4 when gripped.

So, yeah, the iphone 4 is more sensitive. And yet, it still gets better connection even so. Personally, I'd take that over the 3GS being less sensitive but not getting as good connection period.
Click to expand...

Really? I didn't know that. I was wondering if the final signal was still stronger, but I didn't think they mentioned it.
 
Q: What's the difference between proving the iPhone 4 has a faulty antenna and masturbation?

A: Masturbation has an ending.

I proved it had a faulty antenna 20 minutes after I got home with it, so what? The fault and the blame have been squarely placed for a week, it's past time to move onto something important, like impressing upon Apple that they're not fooling anyone, suggesting ways to fix it properly and how time is a factor. Anyone who has Apple's ear and is still wasting time "proving" something needs to slapped as hard as Apple itself.
 
Was waiting for this, nice to see Spencer finally had some time to post the results, and no surprises at all.

Take that, naysayers!!!
 
I will admit there are antenna issues, but everyone is really blowing these out of proportion. I got iPhone 4's for me and my wife. My wife is one of the most technologically un-advanced people in the world. The best way to test dropped calls and reception issues for me, is to have her use her phne like always and then let her complain to me. She didn't even know there was a new iphone out......

In over 2 weeks of using normally, she has complained to me about 1 issue, and that was the proximity sensor.....she told me...why does this thing keep pressing buttons when I hold my phone up to me ear....So I deem this an real issue, as far as antenna issues, well, nothing that makes the phone unusable and we used our phones in approximately 8 different states in the last 2 weeks....
 
tigress666 said:
...But... if people are going to exagerate and say this phone can't make calls (seriously, I'm sick of seeing that claim, not can't make calls if gripped wrong or no bumper, can't make calls), then certainly the 3GS couldn't either! After all, it can't even get as good signal being gripped even with the iphone 4 lose drastic signal when gripped.
Click to expand...
The two iP4s I had dropped their cellular data 100% completely, when held incorrectly**. My 3GS suffers from very little reduction in data speed when held the same way**.

tigress666 said:
So, yeah, the iphone 4 is more sensitive. And yet, it still gets better connection even so. Personally, I'd take that over the 3GS being less sensitive but not getting as good connection period.
Click to expand...

I, for one, will take a phone that maintains almost all of its data connection when held in a natural way** as opposed to a phone that looses its data connection completely when held the same way**.


** The same way that all of Apple's launch-day advertising showed the iPhone 4 was held.
 
christophermdia said:
I will admit there are antenna issues, but everyone is really blowing these out of proportion.

In over 2 weeks of using normally, she has complained to me about 1 issue, and that was the proximity sensor.....
Click to expand...

Oh. I'm so sick of people complaining about the proximity sensor. Mine works perfectly and so many people are blowing their experiences out of proportion.

See how that works ;)
 
what i find most interesting from the study is that even with the full grip, the i4 has a much greater signal than the 3G, and over all the i4 blows the 3G away. so it seems that Steve's assertion that the i4 improves things is justified.


EDIT - disregard, just noticed that is for upload speed which would be due to HSUPA. my bad.
 
samcraig said:
Oh. I'm so sick of people complaining about the proximity sensor. Mine works perfectly and so many people are blowing their experiences out of proportion.

See how that works ;)
Click to expand...

I would like to say that mine works perfectly but it doesn't. This is a very annoying issue that I've never experienced with my two previous iPhones (G1 and 3GS). My sister got a Samsung Instinct when they were released and inadvertent in-call switching was a problem that caused her to return the phone. I am now muting, dialing during calls and I feel it's not going to get any better unless people complain and Apple addresses the issue with a fix......AND BE QUICK ABOUT IT.
 
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Well balanced article.

Taken together with AnandTech's testing, and I think we have a clearer picture if the problem than we'll ever get thru PR.

@tigress666: The testing presented doesn't deal with the dropped call phenomenon per say, only data transfer (in his area) with and without a bumper. Remember that according to AnandTech, the death-grip produced a reduction in signal of more than 20db, and the bottom limit of signal (to hold onto that call) was -113db. So if you combine a weak signal area (say, -99db in your house) with a -20db reduction from the naked iPhone death-grip, and you will indeed likely get a dropped call.

@ citrate: Keep in mind that there is a big difference between "a problem existing", and "NOTICING a problem". (especially given Apple's admittedly "wrong" bat display). So assuming that cellular data transfer-rate "grip effects" = call-dropping "grip effects", I think we can assume the "problem" from a grip was infact there with your older iPhones, BUT given the iPhone 3GS was demonstratively less effected by a death-grip, you likely never noticed it because it didn't result in dropped calls as often in your area. The grip effect may simply be far more noticeable on an uninsulated iPhone-4.
 
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