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went to apple store yesterday to check out the iPhone 4, they had several demos there...all with 5 bars. As soon as I picked it up, it dropped all the way down to 1 bar on all of them.

I asked them about it, and he said, since you are left handed, your palm is shorting out the antenna. he said I shouldn't buy one because I am left handed unless I want to use a case on it.

IMO: Apple should include a case with the phone!

wtf?

-marco114

He told you you shouldn't buy one because you're lefty? Lefty's getting screwed over since grade school and the right-handed desks.
 
That Video is hardly scientific

The 3GS keeps on showing call failed messages too.

And he doesn't explain why.


Is he just in some marginal area?


Too much unknown with that.
 
Why even put a poll check box for non iPhone 4 owners?

I'm wondering how widespread an issue this actually is. The truth will out I suppose. I don't have a problem myself but I did have a small yellow spot on the screen that went away later in the day after using it a while.

That's not the only problem with this poll. Very poorly designed and therefore it's results are meaningless.

Now, I find it hard to believe that Apple did not do thorough testing of this phone and antenna. I have experienced hand and phone position related reception problems with every cell phone I have ever owned. I believe Apple is being singled out because they tried an innovative antenna design. It begs for criticism in thise case. What we need is real world testing of all phones that somehow accounts for network disparities. Sadly, I believe the biggest culprit in all of this is the limitations of cellular networks themselves. Companies like AT&T have over promised what their networks can handle. There has been little innovation in cell network technology that has effectively overcome it's inherent weaknesses. The frequencies that best pass through concrete and other obstructions found in buildings are reserved for emergency and military services. The location of towers has changed little since we all used the more powerful transmitting brick and flip phones. We are talking dropping from 6 watts (brick) and 3 watts (flip) to I believe .6 of a watt (read six tenths of a watt). The promise was that the digital signal needed lower wattage because the signal was less susceptible to degradation. I believe we are now finding that to be false. Sure, there is no static disturbing my call, but that is little consolation when there is no call at all left to hear.
 
battery life

Does anyone find they get terrible battery life as well? I'm doing no better than I did with my iPhone 3G, although I'm assuming thats because it's working doubly hard all the time to get a signal.

Not at all. Conversely, I charged the phone when I got it on Wednesday, and didn't charge it again until last night, and that was with moderate use on all fronts.

I am pleased with this phone, my second iPhone. I experience minimal loss of bars, and reception and clarity of the calls remain unaffected. (I'm in the Chicago burbs.) Had two yellow spots - gone as of last night, under both cold and heated conditions.
 
Originally Posted by marco114
went to apple store yesterday to check out the iPhone 4, they had several demos there...all with 5 bars. As soon as I picked it up, it dropped all the way down to 1 bar on all of them.

I asked them about it, and he said, since you are left handed, your palm is shorting out the antenna. he said I shouldn't buy one because I am left handed unless I want to use a case on it.



Somehow, my honesty meter just went off. :apple:
 
I haven't had the chance to read all posts, but is the data collected in this poll going to be normalised using visitor origin data? I expect that most people around here are from the US, second most from the uk, hardly anybody from Germany and France (since English is not their first language...), so the poll results as they are now seem to be painting a slightly skewed picture...
 
Not at all. Conversely, I charged the phone when I got it on Wednesday, and didn't charge it again until last night, and that was with moderate use on all fronts.

I am pleased with this phone, my second iPhone. I experience minimal loss of bars, and reception and clarity of the calls remain unaffected. (I'm in the Chicago burbs.) Had two yellow spots - gone as of last night, under both cold and heated conditions.

im having battery problems with my 3gs since i installed the ios4
 
Just been to apple shop

Yeah just been the the Apple shop to have a look at the iPhone 4 again....

I had a go on 3 different iPhones, with none of them loosing reception when held using the supposed "death grip".

This makes everything more strange, because up until this point I had assumed this was an iOS 4 issue. This assumption was made because, since I have updated my 3g to iOS4 I have been having a similar reception problems.

But 3 iPhone 4's working absolutely fine, even when held in "death grip" say its a hardware issue.
 
I can't speak for others, but I just want an iPhone that works. I'm dropping about 50% of my calls because of this issue. I've spoken to Apple Care a few times and basically have been told that I have to wait for them to figure out what they're going to do about the problem. Oh, I got a stupid free bumper out of this, but I'd rather have an iPhone that actually works.

I've owned every iPhone and never used a case because I don't like the bulk that cases add, and I think it's easier putting the phone into my pocket sans case. I don't think I should be forced to use my new iPhone with some crappy slab of rubber around it.

QFT. looks like 80% of the users (those that hold it in their left hand) would need a bulky ugly case in order to make it work properly. That's simply unacceptable.

Perhaps they can make the antennas smaller and enclose it in an anodised aluminum bezel? aluminum doesnt conduct to my knowledge.
 
QFT. looks like 80% of the users (those that hold it in their left hand) would need a bulky ugly case in order to make it work properly. That's simply unacceptable.

Perhaps they can make the antennas smaller and enclose it in an anodised aluminum bezel? aluminum doesnt conduct to my knowledge.

I absolutely agree that the need for a case is totally unacceptable. But where do you come up with 80%?
 
A proof that USA is a 3rd world country?

I do not believe this proves a thing, tho.
Imagine how many trolls voted?!

But USA providers need more competition for better service.
 
QFT. looks like 80% of the users (those that hold it in their left hand) would need a bulky ugly case in order to make it work properly. That's simply unacceptable.

Perhaps they can make the antennas smaller and enclose it in an anodised aluminum bezel? aluminum doesnt conduct to my knowledge.

aluminium alloys that are usually used conduct unless they're anodised. anodising makes them non-conductive.
 
well at least us left handed people are smarter (we also die faster) but i think we can find a solution to all this, Da Dum i found one! a bumper or case. not sure how to fix me dying faster tho ill try eating less cheeseburgers lol;)
 
Signal issues not problem

I have had all 4 iPhones and have seen these similar issues, I have actually seen the bars fluctuate with the phones just sitting on a table but never lose connections even with one bar. I held my new iPhone 4 in my left hand and covered lwr left corner and did not lose call or internet connection! For the people that it really bothers take it back or put a case on it, the majority of people put cases on the phone anyway. I myself dig the design and know most phones that have an antenna built into or internal will suffer signal strength when your hand is wrapped around it. Every cell phone I have ever owned has handling suggestions for getting the best signal and I have seen wording like “avoid covering antenna”. It’s a small price we pay so we don’t have to have big pull up antennas or the little one inch nubs sticking off the top. Any little issue people can bag on Apple about, they exaggerate it like it’s the end of the world then its like MOB mentality. I mean who has made the smart phones what they are now, who are all the cell phone makers trying to be like? I think most people would agree that would be Apple!!! Nobody’s making a smartphone with the quality, ease of use and customer service like Apple, they have been great with me! Yes, the Droid and Nexus One , etc., are good and they are trying to make an App store though I think it will be a long time before anyone comes close to iTunes! So if the antenna is a deal breaker, you have choices but I have a hunch you winers will be keeping your iPhones!!!
 
I absolutely agree that the need for a case is totally unacceptable. But where do you come up with 80%?

a wild guess...most people seem to use it in their left hand, including right handed people, or am i totally off?
 
I have had all 4 iPhones and have seen these similar issues, I have actually seen the bars fluctuate with the phones just sitting on a table but never lose connections even with one bar. I held my new iPhone 4 in my left hand and covered lwr left corner and did not lose call or internet connection! For the people that it really bothers take it back or put a case on it, the majority of people put cases on the phone anyway. I myself dig the design and know most phones that have an antenna built into or internal will suffer signal strength when your hand is wrapped around it. Every cell phone I have ever owned has handling suggestions for getting the best signal and I have seen wording like “avoid covering antenna”. It’s a small price we pay so we don’t have to have big pull up antennas or the little one inch nubs sticking off the top. Any little issue people can bag on Apple about, they exaggerate it like it’s the end of the world then its like MOB mentality. I mean who has made the smart phones what they are now, who are all the cell phone makers trying to be like? I think most people would agree that would be Apple!!! Nobody’s making a smartphone with the quality, ease of use and customer service like Apple, they have been great with me! Yes, the Droid and Nexus One , etc., are good and they are trying to make an App store though I think it will be a long time before anyone comes close to iTunes! So if the antenna is a deal breaker, you have choices but I have a hunch you winers will be keeping your iPhones!!!

I love these posts where people who don't have any issues with their iPhones are calling the rest of us whiners. You would definitely be singing a different tune if your phone had the problem, which it probably does, but you haven't been in an area with a weaker signal.
 
Originally Posted by marco114

I asked them about it, and he said, since you are left handed, your palm is shorting out the antenna. he said I shouldn't buy one because I am left handed unless I want to use a case on it.

Somehow, my honesty meter just went off. :apple:

Well, I was born w/o a right hand, and I can only use my left. I didn't have a "death grip" on the phone either, just picked it up like I'd normally use it.

I also have a Micro Cell on my iPhone 3G at home, and no matter how I hold it, it never drops.
 
So you tested it where you get a great signal with 2 iPhones. How about testing it in other areas outside that ten feet? Might be a more helpful test. It's been said over and over that the problem occurs when you are getting a weak signal. Just because you can't replicate the problem with a great signal within 10 feet doesn't mean the problem doesn't exist.

I have no problems whatsoever when I'm at work, but drop 50% of my calls when I'm at home.

I can certainly test it elsewhere, but the distance between the phones being merely 10 ft makes no difference -- they're essentially the same distance from the same tower -- the signal goes through the tower, not phone to phone (except Face Time, which we're not testing).

Really the only other tests of consequence would be in another location with worse signal, and also a test very close to the tower; However, keeping in all tests consistent with the phones roughly 10 feet apart. I'll see what I can do, but really I'm convinced already based on all the different tests I have been doing in MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, since Wednesday, that our two phones simply do not have the issue -- at least not in Dearborn, MI on GSM-1900.

Not once...not under the most extreme conditions have we experienced the problem in literally dozens of tests. I'm really ready to move on and just enjoy my new phone, frankly.

Although, for the sake of others, I do hope the "pattern" can eventually be narrowed down -- be it GSM-850 vs. GSM-1900, distance from tower, etc. etc.
 
I can get the same signal loss when holding my 3GS at the bottom, then it returns when I change my hand position. Where's that poll? Non issue.

LOL.

I bet you'd pop a finger in Mr. Job's bottom given half a chance.

It's a design flaw and shouldn't happen at all.
 
Jailbroken

Would jailbreaking the phone affect reception? I see that the picture in the article has a "battery perecentage 70%" indicated. That's jailbroken, right? I have a 3G - is this another limitation of the 4.0 iOS for the 4G?
 
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