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MacRumors Poll: iPhone 4 Signal Loss by Region
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Better signal with Iphone 4
I picked my phone up in the UK on release. You can see me on one of the pictures on Macrumors with my blond girlfriend.
Back in sweden now and I actually have a much better signal on my new 4G than on my old 3GS.
I picked my phone up in the UK on release. You can see me on one of the pictures on Macrumors with my blond girlfriend.
Back in sweden now and I actually have a much better signal on my new 4G than on my old 3GS.
It's not a non issue at all, don't make excuses for Apple. It should have been designed properly, so that it works no matter how it's being used.
It's not exaggerated. You can hold the phone and have 5 bars of service. You hold it just like you see in the Face Time pictures and you go from 5 bars to NO SERVICE in about 20/30 seconds. You cannot make a call so it's not just "the bars" reporting wrong.
I can replicate the problem at home and at work. My house has a radiant barrier on it and work is a steel frame and brick building. Both locations have always had terrible reception. Yesterday at a fast food place, I had full bars and could not replicate the issue. All three locations are within 10 miles of each other. So what is my response?
Unfortunately, it's been a slow couple of days and I have not made many calls on my iPhone 4, so I don't know if this is largely a cosmetic issue or a real problem. My take is this, Apple has been known to make tradeoffs before. They were the first to remove floppies. They had a decision, External antennas with significantly better reception but you have to watch where you hold it, or internal antennas with worse reception.
When you figure the number of people that use bluetooth and or cases, you might assume the holding issue effects 40% of users at worst. But everyone gets the better reception when held properly. Of the 40% inconvenienced, how many will buy a case or bluetooth the correct the problem? Lets say a modest half will. So, improve performance and force 20% of users to adapt or leave the performance where it was. I think time will tell, but if the iPhone has better performance when not shorting the antennas, it seems like a good tradeoff.
That said, I would think they could have coated them or just put them under some plastic/rubber to avoid the issue.
Unfortunately, it's been a slow couple of days and I have not made many calls on my iPhone 4, so I don't know if this is largely a cosmetic issue or a real problem. My take is this, Apple has been known to make tradeoffs before. They were the first to remove floppies. They had a decision, External antennas with significantly better reception but you have to watch where you hold it, or internal antennas with worse reception.
When you figure the number of people that use bluetooth and or cases, you might assume the holding issue effects 40% of users at worst. But everyone gets the better reception when held properly. Of the 40% inconvenienced, how many will buy a case or bluetooth the correct the problem? Lets say a modest half will. So, improve performance and force 20% of users to adapt or leave the performance where it was. I think time will tell, but if the iPhone has better performance when not shorting the antennas, it seems like a good tradeoff.
That said, I would think they could have coated them or just put them under some plastic/rubber to avoid the issue.
At home in Brooklyn Heights, where I generally have weak reception but show 4 or 5 bars, when I hold it bridging the gap the bars start disappearing and are at zero or no signal within about 15 seconds. Right now I am in prospect park with a very strong signal and can't get the bars to budge. It's the strongest signal I've ever tested getting as high as 4.3 down and 1.6 up. The most I ever get at home is .8 down and .4 up. So with a weak signal mine suffers from the problem, but with a strong signal it is marginal or not effected at all. Peehaps the tower in my neighborhood has not been upgraded to the new higher speed capability whereas the one I am accessing now has.
Smarch is a 12 year old girl.
This problem only occurs in low signal areas. I've tested it myself. If I'm in a high signal area, I can't get my signal to drop one dB no matter how I hold the phone. If my signal naturally is worse than -90 then holding the phone will drop it down to -113.
This problem is NOT isolated to the iP4. My friends 3GS exhibits the same behavior.
This problem only occurs in low signal areas. I've tested it myself. If I'm in a high signal area, I can't get my signal to drop one dB no matter how I hold the phone. If my signal naturally is worse than -90 then holding the phone will drop it down to -113.
This problem is NOT isolated to the iP4. My friends 3GS exhibits the same behavior.
im sorry to burst the bubble but it does depend on where u live. The signal is only affected when the left antenna and the bottom one touch, this happens when there is something that acts as a bridge like your hand. this is like the static electricity generator when u have a chain of people the charge goes all the way through (unless its too long). when the bottom of your hand is touching both antennas the bridge is short, but if u even try 2 separate fingers even on the same hand the signal wont go down. Now that that is out of the way. if u live in an area where the signal is generally very strong then if u do screw with the antenna the signal will go down little or not at all. this is why some are affected and some or not, so get a piece of scotch tape or a case to fix the problem lol
with all due respect, you theory is not correct, i tried a 3GS and an iphone 4 at an at&t store 1 mile away from the tower, the bars were 5 on both phones, when i hold the iphone 4 in my hand the bars dropped to NONE .
bad poll, since the vast majority of visitors here are American, the American numbers will be way higher.
I better poll would be to only do the poll for Americans. Do 5 questions, each with 10 states, then a question for International visitors.
I better poll would be to only do the poll for Americans. Do 5 questions, each with 10 states, then a question for International visitors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84Lpt2YkF3Q&feature=related
Interesting...anyone with a 3G / 3GS running iOS4 experiencing this?
Interesting...anyone with a 3G / 3GS running iOS4 experiencing this?
Simple solution
Here's what Ive done and it's worked out fine and no signal loss... I adjusted the way I hold the iPhone so not to interfere with the antenna, took a couple days to get used to and now it's become natural the way I hold it..
You all should try it and I assure you, you'll get used to it...
I'm holding my iPhone the right way since it requires to be held differently. And I've gotten used to it already... Give it time people!
Here's what Ive done and it's worked out fine and no signal loss... I adjusted the way I hold the iPhone so not to interfere with the antenna, took a couple days to get used to and now it's become natural the way I hold it..
You all should try it and I assure you, you'll get used to it...
I'm holding my iPhone the right way since it requires to be held differently. And I've gotten used to it already... Give it time people!
iOS 4 Problem MAYBE?
I read about this phenomenon the day before I received my iPhone 4 and I was really worried that I would have the same problem. So as I sat and watched the YouTube videos I tried the exact same thing on my 3GS. And guess what. The exact same thing happened. What I am noticing is in places where I might normally have a weak signal (inside my house) I am now showing a strong signal.....until I pick up the phone. Then it drops a couple of bars. Now that I have my iphone 4 it seems that I can only reproduce the problem in low signal areas of my house. When I'm outside or in a larger city, I have no problem whatsoever. I really think this problem everyone is experiencing is a combination of the "bars" showing you have a stronger signal than you actually have.....and different people's ability to effect the signal strength differently. Good luck everyone. Hopefully a software patch will fix this for everybody
Also when you guys try these tests with different phones in the same place I'm wondering if the different phones are locked on to different signals. Some on a stronger signal than the others.
FYI....I have yet to drop a call with my phone. I love this friggin thing!
I read about this phenomenon the day before I received my iPhone 4 and I was really worried that I would have the same problem. So as I sat and watched the YouTube videos I tried the exact same thing on my 3GS. And guess what. The exact same thing happened. What I am noticing is in places where I might normally have a weak signal (inside my house) I am now showing a strong signal.....until I pick up the phone. Then it drops a couple of bars. Now that I have my iphone 4 it seems that I can only reproduce the problem in low signal areas of my house. When I'm outside or in a larger city, I have no problem whatsoever. I really think this problem everyone is experiencing is a combination of the "bars" showing you have a stronger signal than you actually have.....and different people's ability to effect the signal strength differently. Good luck everyone. Hopefully a software patch will fix this for everybody
Also when you guys try these tests with different phones in the same place I'm wondering if the different phones are locked on to different signals. Some on a stronger signal than the others.
FYI....I have yet to drop a call with my phone. I love this friggin thing!
I've posted this a couple times now but it is definitely based on your AT&T signal strength. I can see an AT&T tower out of my window, and therefore have not been able to reproduce the problem.
Actually femnoir, this issue had several threads here, including one by myself, nearly 12 hours before it made it to gizmodo. And the threads has significant activity. Hate to burst your little bubble.
I have noticed that too. I planed to sell my 3GS this weekend, but now I think I am going to fully charge both and then have some testes. Both play the same movie at the same time and record the batt life, play music for an hour, leave a 3D game on for an hour....
And see what occurs
There is no issues. Everyone in Indiana that I know has one, hasn't had any issues. As far as all my friends in California, no issues there as well.
Even if I have no bars, calls seem to work perfectly still. I have better reception on this phone than the 3Gs.
You're all asshat ****rods.
Even if I have no bars, calls seem to work perfectly still. I have better reception on this phone than the 3Gs.
You're all asshat ****rods.
Steve is correct
when he announced iPhone in 2007 he said "Phone" is the killer app in smart phone
here we are after three years, making call is the tough one
my iPhone 4 also drops the bar, so far no dropped call, watching very closely on that.
when he announced iPhone in 2007 he said "Phone" is the killer app in smart phone
here we are after three years, making call is the tough one
my iPhone 4 also drops the bar, so far no dropped call, watching very closely on that.
No need to even Hold the iPhone.
Just set it on the table and then use either Index Finger and gently Touch/Cover the lower left slit of the phone.
Simple.
Within less then 45seconds the Phone will loose all signal strength.
I love Apple technology and the new iPhone4 can bodyslam any smartphone on the market atm.
Except that iPhone4 was sadly born with an Achilles Heel.
*and Sjobs tells us that we need to hold the phone differently? Well.....there really is no need to hold the phone. Just touch that spot with your finger.
Just set it on the table and then use either Index Finger and gently Touch/Cover the lower left slit of the phone.
Simple.
Within less then 45seconds the Phone will loose all signal strength.
I love Apple technology and the new iPhone4 can bodyslam any smartphone on the market atm.
Except that iPhone4 was sadly born with an Achilles Heel.
*and Sjobs tells us that we need to hold the phone differently? Well.....there really is no need to hold the phone. Just touch that spot with your finger.