Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
MacRumors Poll: iPhone 4 Signal Loss by Region
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Same for me, only reversed. At my office, the signal drops off, every time I put hold the phone in my left palm. Holding it exactly the same way at home, signal doesn't change at all. I get a much stronger signal at home, just a block or so from the tower.
I live in a "fringe" area. I have noticed that my 4 has 4-5 bars at my home, where my 3 had 1-2. Touching the left lower seam does cause the bars to drop down to 1 or even "No Service." In areas with stronger service it has less effect- 5 bars drops down to about 3-4, and phone service still works.
Given that the iPhone 4 has 2 antennae, why would specifically touching that left lower seam cause problems vs touching both antennae simultaneously anywhere on the phone?
Given that the iPhone 4 has 2 antennae, why would specifically touching that left lower seam cause problems vs touching both antennae simultaneously anywhere on the phone?
I'm not flawed at all: you get both of those dimensions from this one question. Maybe their polling software is limited to one question? Anyway, they're just collecting data right now, not "presenting" results.
It's not hard (or inaccurate in any way) to just look at the data for the UK, for instance, and find that you have (as of this writing) 812 responses for people from the UK: 448 yes responses (55.17%) and 364 no responses (44.8%). So 55.17% of people in the UK have problems.
When the poll is concluded, they can easily separate out the data by regions and create separate charts, no different than if they'd asked it in two questions.
One of the big drawbacks of the internet is that we now live in the age of the instant expert. The last few weeks everybody knows enough to chime in on the intricacies of deep sea oil drilling and now everyone is an instant RF engineer.
Measuring the type of thing is HARD. It takes special equipment and knowledge.
Macrumors should be embarrassed for being gullible enough to be taken in by this nonsense. At least Gizmodo is pushing an agenda for obvious reasons. Whats your excuse?
Measuring the type of thing is HARD. It takes special equipment and knowledge.
Macrumors should be embarrassed for being gullible enough to be taken in by this nonsense. At least Gizmodo is pushing an agenda for obvious reasons. Whats your excuse?
I have not yet received my iPhone 4, but I have upgraded my iPhone 3Gs to iOS4. At random intervals, the upgraded 3Gs displays the SAME fading of signal bars as the videos circulating on the internet about the iPhone 4. Once placed on a flat surface away from your hand, they reappear at the same rate they disappeared. This does not happen every time, but I know it NEVER occurred before iOS4.
I have been posting to many sites about this problem, and it is often dismissed as impossible because this cannot be just a software problem, it has to be hardware related. I am no engineer, but I suspect it is both and my intuition tells me that attenuation of the antennae may be a pre-existing problem that the OS software has not been accurately reflecting BEFORE iOS4. That would also explain the dropped call problem on AT&T using all my prior iPhone models (2, 3, 3Gs). Perhaps AT&T is NOT the only party at fault in this voice quality mess. What if the prior versions of the OS were incorrectly reporting signal strength and performance, and this has been fixed in the current iOS4? Even more importantly, if the imminent 4.0.1 is released and the problem (as reported on screen) is resolved. Has it just been hidden again?
I dont mean to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but it is IMPOSSIBLE for my 3Gs, with its internal antennae, to exhibit the same behavior as an iPhone 4 supposedly bridged by holding it wrong. This deserves an honest answer, and even perhaps a few apologies to AT&T.
Cheap enough? The strip of rubber costs $29 -- that ain't cheap. And I know Apple won't be giving away any free cases.
I've had 2 different iphones for 3 years (1st Gen and 3G) and I've never had a case and I've never dropped my phone.
Just because you think a case is a no-brainer, doesn't mean I should have to use it... If that were the case, Apple should have stated before I purchased my iphone that a case may be necessary due to reception issues.
Hang on a minute...
Now before I start I wanna say that I am no electrical engineer or RF engineer, so someone who is can maybe tell me what is going on here.
When you look at sides of the iPhone 4, you see three breaks in the steel band one at the top and two at the bottom. However, the one on the bottom right [looking at the front of the iPhone 4] is not a break, it's just a line to make things look even. These breaks are there to split up two antennas built into the chassis of the phone.
Now, I've been able to see the bars drop and measure the signal drop with the "Speed Test.app" [Free from the App store] when I put my finger over the break on the bottom left of the iPhone 4.
Opinion suggests that this is because you are changing the length of the radio antenna by causing a short. But - and here it comes, if I put my finger over the break at the top, nothing changes? Surely, this also shorts out the antenna [makes it longer], just the other way around right? So why does it not loose bars?
As a side note, I've done a lot of testing of this "problem" and sometimes I am unable to make the bars drop down? I have also seen the bars drop on their own when I'm not even touching the phone!
Now before I start I wanna say that I am no electrical engineer or RF engineer, so someone who is can maybe tell me what is going on here.
When you look at sides of the iPhone 4, you see three breaks in the steel band one at the top and two at the bottom. However, the one on the bottom right [looking at the front of the iPhone 4] is not a break, it's just a line to make things look even. These breaks are there to split up two antennas built into the chassis of the phone.
Now, I've been able to see the bars drop and measure the signal drop with the "Speed Test.app" [Free from the App store] when I put my finger over the break on the bottom left of the iPhone 4.
Opinion suggests that this is because you are changing the length of the radio antenna by causing a short. But - and here it comes, if I put my finger over the break at the top, nothing changes? Surely, this also shorts out the antenna [makes it longer], just the other way around right? So why does it not loose bars?
As a side note, I've done a lot of testing of this "problem" and sometimes I am unable to make the bars drop down? I have also seen the bars drop on their own when I'm not even touching the phone!
It is only useless for those unwilling or unable to compare two numbers. Which from your posts your obviously are.
Do you also reject all food as useless that is not spoon-fed to you?
There is a big difference between not perfect and flawed or useless in this context. When it comes to surveys, I consider them flawed when the contain incorrectable mistakes. The mistakes are easily correctable by any reader.
Spot on. No amount of software is going to fix this, and if it does, it's a cover-up. It's a design flaw that cannot be fixed unless the antenna is made of a non-conductive material, which means re-designing and re-calling the phone, and it is not the fault of AT&T or your distance from the mast.
Apple need to stop sales immediately and devise a plan, it's only going to get worse and worse otherwise.
Yes, I've been able to play the Bouncing Bars game included in the iPhone. It got boring pretty quickly.
No, it has not affected my ability to access the internet or place calls, because in addition to having full dexterity in my left hand to allow me to hold the phone in various ways, I also have a right hand I can use.
No, it has not affected my ability to access the internet or place calls, because in addition to having full dexterity in my left hand to allow me to hold the phone in various ways, I also have a right hand I can use.
Obsessing? Nope -- Seems to me like this 'issue' is more frustrating for you, though for different reasons.
You have a great day as well!
Cheers!
This poll is pretty much useless. The iPhone 4 uses either the 850 frequency band or the 1900 frequency band, depending upon your carrier and/or the specific location you are in. Some carriers only support one of the two frequency bands. And other carriers (such as AT&T) support both bands. But only one of these frequency bands might be servicing your specific location. My theory is that this antenna issue is only affecting one of these frequency bands. Hence why some users are not experiencing this issue.
I don't appear to have the issue with the bottom left corner or any corner or gap. In fact, I covered all of the gaps with my hands and the call was fine.
Obsessing? Nope -- Seems to me like this 'issue' is more frustrating for you, though for different reasons.
You have a great day as well!
Cheers!
I will. Thanks! You too!
Bars? They're notorious for affecting your alertness and memory. I think it's something in the drinks.
Depends on location
Signal drop occurs depending on where I am.
When in Manhattan, and I grip phone, signal goes from full bars to none.
When in Brooklyn, I cannot get it to drop no matter how I hold the phone. Full bars no matter what I do.
Both locations give me full bars, only one location exhibits this issue.
Signal drop occurs depending on where I am.
When in Manhattan, and I grip phone, signal goes from full bars to none.
When in Brooklyn, I cannot get it to drop no matter how I hold the phone. Full bars no matter what I do.
Both locations give me full bars, only one location exhibits this issue.
Exactly, some ppl just push their hands as hard as they can onto the damn phone just to prove their points.
You can do it with just a finger, but then people would say "who uses the phone like that?"
Cognitive dissonance is a bitch.