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Let get get this straight, a bumper fixes the issue?

G

Gameaholic

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 6, 2010
51
0
Hey guys,

So I don't own an iPhone yet or know anyone who has one so I will have to hopefully clarify some things with you guys. So basically, the big fuss is that the skin to metal contact messes up the antenna. So would using the Apple bumper COMPLETELY solve the problem? Or would it make it only a little bit better? Would the phone still have full bars despite the way you hold your iPhone, or is the reception just moderately better with the bumper on?

Edit: Lol just notice the title, it was suppose to be " Let me get this straight"
 
Gameaholic said:
Hey guys,

So I don't own an iPhone yet or know anyone who has one so I will have to hopefully clarify some things with you guys. So basically, the big fuss is that the skin to metal contact messes up the antenna. So would using the Apple bumper COMPLETELY solve the problem? Or would it make it only a little bit better? Would the phone still have full bars despite the way you hold your iPhone, or is the reception just moderately better with the bumper on?
Click to expand...

Sort of fixes the problem
 
Well nearly anything that you put separating your skin from the antenna will apparently fix the issue.

Including putting nail polish, a piece of tape, a rubber band, or a $29 Apple bumper...
 
tylertech said:
Completely fixes the problem. As long as your skin doesn't touch bottom left corner, no issues.
Click to expand...

draz said:
Well nearly anything that you put separating your skin from the antenna will apparently fix the issue.

Including putting nail polish, a piece of tape, a rubber band, or a $29 Apple bumper...
Click to expand...


Hey thx for the quick reply! So I mean it is still reasonable to buy an iPhone 4 considering that this problem can be solved without too much of a hassle.
 
Uhmmm... no. There are a number of videos on YouTube with bump case owners showing the signal degradation issue (from 5 bars to 1, or none at all) so, the bump case is not quite the "ultimate fix" that everyone hopes for. It seems to prevent total loss of service (as my fingertip can do as explained in the post linked in my sig) but, it's still not resolving this issue.

Here's one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUX1tPkP-gA

Defective by design...
 
br0adband said:
Uhmmm... no. There are a number of videos on YouTube with bump case owners showing the signal degradation issue (from 5 bars to 1, or none at all) so, the bump case is not quite the "ultimate fix" that everyone hopes for. It seems to prevent total loss of service (as my fingertip can do as explained in the post linked in my sig) but, it's still not resolving this issue.

Here's one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUX1tPkP-gA

Defective by design...
Click to expand...

agreeing with this guy, does not fix the issue. I am still able to make the signal drop the same way even with the bumper on.
 
br0adband said:
Uhmmm... no. There are a number of videos on YouTube with bump case owners showing the signal degradation issue (from 5 bars to 1, or none at all) so, the bump case is not quite the "ultimate fix" that everyone hopes for. It seems to prevent total loss of service (as my fingertip can do as explained in the post linked in my sig) but, it's still not resolving this issue.

Here's one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUX1tPkP-gA

Defective by design...
Click to expand...

Hmm I see. So not only is AT&T revile by many but now there is an issue with the antennas themselves. How come the iPhone is so good at doing everything else except for being a good phone lol
 
quid squid said:
agreeign with this guy, does not fix the issue. I am still able to make the signal drop the same way even with the bumper on.
Click to expand...

I agree as well. I have a bumper and the problem is still there when you touch the bottom left corner. The bumper helps a little bit I think but the problem is still there.
 
Gameaholic said:
Hey thx for the quick reply! So I mean it is still reasonable to buy an iPhone 4 considering that this problem can be solved without too much of a hassle.
Click to expand...
Your mileage may vary... However as Steve Jobs said (and many other 'experts' confirming) a couple days ago you may still experience probs, but that is the case with all cell phones.

But using a case does seem to fix many. But it is not a 100% fix as you can see by these YouTube videos, reading the forums, and other sources...
 
draz said:
Your mileage may vary... However as Steve Jobs said (and many other 'experts' confirming) a couple days ago you may still experience probs, but that is the case with all cell phones.

But using a case does seem to fix many. But it is not a 100% fix as you can see by these YouTube videos, reading the forums, and other sources...
Click to expand...

I've noticed that on some videos they will hold the bumperless phone for a good minute for the bars to drop. As soon as they add the bumper (or other supposed fix) they hold the phone for half that time and proclaim it to be fixed because the bars have not dropped yet.
 
Rootus said:
In other words, it makes it just like any other cell phone.

I feel kinda bad for you guys with sweaty hands :)
Click to expand...

Nope, not like any other cell phone. I've owned dozens in my lifetime of 4+ decades, and not one cell phone has EVER lost signal to the degree that this one does with my damned fingertip nor has any cell phone I've ever owned completely lost service by touching it with the same fingertip.

And that's being line-of-sight point-to-point with a cell site ~750 feet away with absolutely nothing in-between except air.

People should stop making excuses for this product, even if they're not having this issue and consider themselves quite fortunate if they're not. Perhaps a drive around their town and testing in different areas might show them that yes, they too suffer from this issue - but I'm about as close to the cell site as I'm allowed to be since this is my home (as explained in the post linked in my sig) and I still lose signal and service, all with the power of my fingertip.

Defective by design...
 
Gameaholic said:
Hey guys,

So I don't own an iPhone yet or know anyone who has one so I will have to hopefully clarify some things with you guys. So basically, the big fuss is that the skin to metal contact messes up the antenna. So would using the Apple bumper COMPLETELY solve the problem? Or would it make it only a little bit better? Would the phone still have full bars despite the way you hold your iPhone, or is the reception just moderately better with the bumper on?

Edit: Lol just notice the title, it was suppose to be " Let me get this straight"
Click to expand...

No, defective by design.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIPVY4w3bGE
 
Apple has never released an iPhone case at the launch of any new iPhone before. This to me is proof that they knew about the loss of reception issue, long before launch day.

I remember thinking when Steve Jobs talked about the iPhone's frame as being the antenna, that holding it would have to screw up the reception. It didn't make sense to me that Apple would design it like this.
 
Resist said:
Apple has never released an iPhone case at the launch of any new iPhone before. This to me is proof that they knew about the loss of reception issue, long before launch day.
Click to expand...

Curious what the iPad case was designed to conceal..
 
Anything that keeps you from touching the actual antenna will solve the issue.

So yes - bumper fixes this
 
SFGiantsfan said:
Anything that keeps you from touching the actual antenna will solve the issue.

So yes - bumper fixes this
Click to expand...

As noted, no this does NOT fix the issue since actual physical contact isn't required - actual physical contact just heightens the effect and causes the loss of signal/service much faster.

Video for some evidence, to some degree:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUX1tPkP-gA

The bumper or any case may not solve the issue, so not it's not a "fix".

Defective by design...
 
My gf has a rocketfish case on her phone, and the reception issue doesn't happen to her. I don't have a case yet, and I only notice a signal issue every once in a while at my apartment. This is not a problem for me though because my blackberry rarely had more than two bars in my apartment anyways. My iPhone shows between 3 and 4 bars pretty regularly.
 
Maybe it's time the cell phone industry goes back to using external antennas, so your hand can't cover them. I never had a problem with the type of external antennas that you pulled out.
 
Held it until my hand started to cramp. No signal loss, only movement was when I actually gained a bar. I lost it again. Then got it back, but it never went below 3 bars. I already liked the bumper, now I'm even happier with it.
 
Resist said:
Huh?
Click to expand...

The post to which I replied said the fact Apple released a case for the iPhone was PROOF that they knew of a problem, for which the case was a fix.

I asked what problem the iPad case was designed to fix. (ie sarcasm)
 
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