Other Mobile Phones with Similar Signal Loss Issues

[ppc_michael]

Guys. You guys! Listen. Other phones have this problem, too. So that means it's fine.

Also: Other countries have high rates of poverty too, so that means it's fine.

Also: Other kids get bullied too, so that means it's fine.






[/s]

(PS: I have a Nexus One on AT&T. I experience a drop in reception when gripped, but not like the iPhone videos I've seen. We're talking maybe maybe one bar lost, but usually not that bad.)

 

[tigress666]

I think Steve is right when he says it's a "non-issue".
I have had same problems with previous gen iPhones and other phones.
Here's the deal...

New iPhone released.

Announced "New Antenna built into steel frame!"

Someone assumes it will affect signal strength.

Becomes public.

Turns out it does affect signal strength when you hold the phone a certain way.

People freak out.

Little do they know it's been under their noses the past 2 years.

Chances are, you have used your iPhone 3g or 3gs for years and never even noticed a problem with the antenna! I just find it ridiculous that you are only complaining and freaking out now that it has gone public. I think it's because of the fact you are conscious of it, not because of the phone itself.

Honestly, this is my theory. I think there is a bit of an issue, but I think it's been blown entirely out of proportion because people are paranoid about the new antenna design. And now that people have noticed they are watching for it.

Try not worrying about it for a week, use your phone, and see if you are dropping more calls than usual. Those of you who are, you have full reason to be annoyed.

 

[joueboy]

SJ is funny!

Every letter replies and open letter he makes he thinks he can convince everyone. One thing for sure mr. Jobs we're not stupid! This is not an issue if your iPhone is still have a signal. But if this come to point where the signal disappears and ended-up searching for the network again then this is a problem. If this issue does exist as bad as it is on iPhone 4 then I probably believe him. However I never had a problem on my iPhone 2G & iPhone 3GS. This is not a big issue but it's in every tech forum and mr. Jobs should stop thinking that he can convince everybody.

 

[SouthBeachMac]

You know what, I agree we should not have to put a bumper on it and it's kinda cheesy for Steve to say just hold it differently (it should be designed to be used as some one would tend to hold the iphone).

But... that being said, I like the phone enough I am willing to overlook it and it's not that hard to change my habits how to hold it (really I can only get it to reproduce if I grip tightly and have slightly clammy hands, it's more comfortable gripping it loosely anyways). It's one specific spot you have to hold (it would be different if it was the whole side so you had to try pretty hard to avoid touching it. Would make it unusable).

*AND* I have yet to see it totally lose connection, I just lose bars. Worse it goes to zero bars but still can load webpages.

So, so far I have not seen it actually have any affect on me other than making me worry about if coverage isn't as good if it will loose signal.

+1 to everything you just said. Have had NO problems with calls, etc...I CAN reproduce the problem, but only lose a few bars, no total service loss. I'll be keeping mine.

 

[tranceme]

Guys. You guys! Listen. Other phones have this problem, too. So that means it's fine.

Also: Other countries have high rates of poverty too, so that means it's fine.

Also: Other kids get bullied too, so that means it's fine.

[/s]

Really? Comparing poverty to a phone. LOL. What do you care? You own a Nexus

 

[BigPrince]

http://lowendmac.com/orchard/05/apple-iii-lisa-era.html


"Apple refused to install a fan to fix the problem and instructed users to drop the machine on their desk to bang the chips back into place."

 

[Foxypaco]

Whiners

What a bunch of spoiled little brats on these boards.

I have a LG NV2 with Verizon and it exhibits the same behavior. When it's on the table it has 4 bars. When I pick it up, it goes down to 1-3 but never back up to 4 bars.

The majority of cell phones do this people.

 

[DougB541]

What a bunch of spoiled little brats on these boards.

I have a LG NV2 with Verizon and it exhibits the same behavior. When it's on the table it has 4 bars. When I pick it up, it goes down to 1-3 but never back up to 4 bars.

The majority of cell phones do this people.

Some phones are dropping service to ZERO.

I've never owned a phone that did that...even playing around and covering up external antenna on old flip phones still showed some service.

It seems a bit more extreme. Furthermore, other phones didn't have it where you would place the phone i your palm.

 

[coolbreeze]

So, just tried this on my Sprint HTC EVO and here are my results...videoed and put on youtube.

Sorry Steve-o...your argument doesn't hold water bro.

Click for anti-koolaid goodness

 

[tranceme]

So, just tried this on my EVO and here are my results...videoed and put on youtube.

Sorry Steve-o...your argument doesn't hold water bro.

video upload pending...

Funny, seems to happen on the Nexus One:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2g5J4qPp54&feature=player_embedded#!

 

[Foxypaco]

Some phones are dropping service to ZERO.

I've never owned a phone that did that...even playing around and covering up external antenna on old flip phones still showed some service.

It seems a bit more extreme. Furthermore, other phones didn't have it where you would place the phone i your palm.

It could be a combination of Apple's design and AT&T's crappy network. I wonder if any jailbroken iPhones on T-Mobile's network have the same extreme differences in reception.

 

[reactions]

Oh god - here we go - fanboys to the rescue to say the iphone 4 is okay

really MacRumors - put down the coolaid

 

[RoboCop001]

I'm in Toronto and can't replicate this on my 3G like that YouTube video. Even if I cover the whole back with my hands I still get full bars.

Anyone else?

I'm with Rogers. Maybe their cell towers are so powerful that it goes through anything

 

[coolbreeze]

Funny, seems to happen on the Nexus One:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2g5J4qPp54&feature=player_embedded#!

Doesn't do this on the EVO.

Hilarious!

 

[Bro Mane]

Can't believe people are ok with his response. Anyone who keeps this phone is completely owned by Apple. Returning this joke, and going back to VZW. I have never experienced this type of problem with any other phone.

 

[protech]

Amazing

Obviously there is a problem with the reception on the phone, either we are going to find out through poor reception and many dropped calls, or when they do some sort of radio energy testing it will be discovered that the radio sends out a much higher signal strength compared to other iphones. I just hope we don't find out the bumper acts as a signal extension!

 

[FX120]

I agree that any phone will have a harder time getting reception if you place a body part in front of the antenna, for example my Evo will drop two bars if I cup my hand over the back near the top, where the antennas are located.

The iP4's antenna design seems pretty poorly though out though, I mean the lower left corner is a very common place for people to have contact when holding the phone. Simply telling users to avoid grabbing it in what is a very natural grip is a little weird. It's a great concept, but it obviously comes at a pretty high cost to reception when held in the hand in a natural fashion.

 

[protech]

What a bunch of spoiled little brats on these boards.

I have a LG NV2 with Verizon and it exhibits the same behavior. When it's on the table it has 4 bars. When I pick it up, it goes down to 1-3 but never back up to 4 bars.

The majority of cell phones do this people.

They may do it but the extent that some people are experiencing indicates a more unusual problem.

 

[TuffLuffJimmy]

Can't believe people are ok with his response. Anyone who keeps this phone is completely owned by Apple. Returning this joke, and going back to VZW. I have never experienced this type of problem with any other phone.

I'm sure you would have never noticed had a few sensationalists journalists not made some moronic and unfounded reports.


What problems are you actually experiencing? Or is it just that you can see some bars drop when holding your phone in an awkward way, something you wouldn't notice when actually using your phone?

 

[distortedloop]

The common denominator here is AT&T.

I disagree.

I have four active phones: iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS (both on AT&T), T-Mobile Nexus One and a Sprint EVO 4G.

I just tested all four phones in my living room by waking them from sleep, letting them acquire maximum bars, then cupping my hand around as much of the phone as possible.

The iPhone 4 lost 1 bar of signal on 3G.

The Nexus One lost 1 bar of signal on EDGE.

The Sprint EVO 4G lost 1 bar on 3G.

The iPhone 3GS lost zero bars.

Interestingly, the EVO also lost a bar of WiFi indicated strength.

Four phones, two of them on AT&T and the only phone to NOT display this behavior in my house was an AT&T phone. Looks like this is a common problem to many phones on many networks to me...

 

[AidenShaw]

Good point. My wife was not having success reproducing. But, I can.

Does this mean that you're pregnant, and she isn't?

 

[protech]

I agree that any phone will have a harder time getting reception if you place a body part in front of the antenna, for example my Evo will drop two bars if I cup my hand over the back near the top, where the antennas are located.

The iP4's antenna design seems pretty poorly though out though, I mean the lower left corner is a very common place for people to have contact when holding the phone. Simply telling users to avoid grabbing it in what is a very natural grip is a little weird. It's a great concept, but it obviously comes at a pretty high cost to reception when held in the hand in a natural fashion.

Looks like Apple may be running dry fresh and new, functional ideas! I mean the 3g was AMAZING, I have no complaints other than slow, which was ironed out in the 3gs. Looks like I should have waited for the 4Gs!

 

[viewfly]

They may do it but the extent that some people are experiencing indicates a more unusual problem.

It doesn't seem so. What people are reporting seems to be typical based on my experience with many phones.

 

[mallom]

I haven't tried with my IP4 yet but on my 3GS I have full bars no matter what position im holding it.

PS: without the case

 

[capsfan1978]

Doesn't do this on the EVO.

Hilarious!

I agree that any phone will have a harder time getting reception if you place a body part in front of the antenna, for example my Evo will drop two bars if I cup my hand over the back near the top, where the antennas are located.

The iP4's antenna design seems pretty poorly though out though, I mean the lower left corner is a very common place for people to have contact when holding the phone. Simply telling users to avoid grabbing it in what is a very natural grip is a little weird. It's a great concept, but it obviously comes at a pretty high cost to reception when held in the hand in a natural fashion.

So I guess the video of the Evo would mean something if you were covering the antenna.