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PR Experts Suggest iPhone 4 Recall 'Inevitable' as Antenna Issue Snowballs

shakenmartini said:
The problem is that a lot of the people whining about this don't have an iPhone 4 and never seem to consider returning it if they do. My conclusion is that 99% of these people are haters or plants.

If you have signal issues Apple has already issued a recall, return the phone for a full refund and move on with your life.
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My conclusion is that 99% of these kinds of posts are actually Steve Jobs on his iPhone
 
holzensp said:
Everyone seems to talk about attenuation and the somewhat more informed relate this to capacitance. This is, indeed, the type of attenuation you get in any device. However, this is the attenuation you'll, no doubt, get from holding the iPhone 4 at all. Also, this is the kind of attenuation that will cause less then a bar of signal deterioration.

No one seems to be talking about the fact that the signal drops significantly (according to the measurements performed by Consumer Reports) when touching both antennae at the same time. This makes me think it's probably not just a capacitance problem, but rather a conductance problem between the two antennae. Either the (2.4GHz) wifi (et al) front-end interferes "through" the antennae with the UMTS front-end (and possibly vice-versa), or the altered shape/size of the "combined" antenna is just wrong for UMTS.

This would also explain why some people don't have signal issues when holding their phones; not everyone's fingers conduct as well. There are demonstrations of a metal key being placed on the gap, where signal strength drops invariably.
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You're almost correct. What happens when the two antennas are bridge is the impdeance of each antenna changes and causes the receiver/xmitter front end to decouple thus affecting the signal. Because of the inherent design of very low signal strength associated with cell technology, all phone antennas are designed to be optimally tuned to deliver the signal. Its all about the physics and electrical design for radio frequency emissions.
 
cbcc1119 said:
Am I the only person with the phone that does not have any issues. I get way better reception with this phone then the past 3 iPhones and have not dropped any calls. I got the morning it came out.
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No, there are many of us here. The rabid horde call us "fanboys," "koolaid drinkers," "Apple cult members," "Steve Jobs backscratchers," etc. It drives them crazy that we can't validate their angst with our own actual experiences.

(Of course many of them don't actually own the iPhone 4, but they'll never pass up an opportunity for a good anti-Apple rant.)

As for those who actually do own the iPhone 4 and actually are having problems, may Apple move quickly to fix the problem or refund your money with an apology and a smile.
 
No recall needed

I finally received my iPhone 4 yesterday and I can't replicate the attenna attenuation signal loss. No yellow splots and no proximity sensor problem here. I'm a happy camper and give ape time to come up with a fix or just return it and shut your pie he already especially all the trolls in here.
 
caccamolle said:
smart !!!

I am doing the same, but not so sure anymore I will indeed get another iPhone.

As a phone it is such an unbelievable POS, it is a joke. And we all now (some still hide it) that it's got nothing to do with AT&T. But now it's also become so slow that too is just a joke.

SJ has been too successful and he is losing his edge.
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Agreed.
 
carmenodie said:
I couldn't reproduce the reception problem at all yesterday. Had my iPhone 4 for 3 weeks and nary a problem.
Besides it's a freaking phone not a heart pacer.
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prove it! show a video of u holding it in death grip indoors and outdoors without is losing signal...

for everyone of these people I will post a prove it response untill ONE person shows a valid video of it working
 
Originally Posted by bigmikeinnj View Post


Lots of Apple Haters here - have your fun. Anyone seriously contemplating buying an iPhone 4, just get a case that covers the antenna...
Problem solved.


Boston007 said:
You fanboys really have no clue how stupid and ignorant you sound.
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Ill see if I can make this sound any more clear for bigmikeinnj:

"Lots of Ford Haters here - have your fun. Anyone seriously contemplating buying a pinto, just get a steel bumper case that covers the gas tank...
Problem solved."

Yes, i know that the iPhone prolem is not a safety issue, my point is the product is defective. They need to fix it OR offer a FREE workaround.
 
I see many people in here saying just return it. That is a choice but does come with a cost (drive time, shipping, time in general, etc.) There is such a thing as consumer protection. There are certain standards that have to be met.

I have been waiting for mainstream media to jump hard on this. Next up is big brother. I see the FTC getting involved now that it has hit this level.
 
After I tried my own experiments I have found that I can go from 5 bars to 2 if I apply the death grip... However I do not hold me iPhone like that.... EVER. And I do not lose or drop calls during this holding pattern.

I DO think though that Apple specifically created the bumpers because they DID know about the signal issue. Why else would this "case" only cover the antenna areas and not "protect" any other features of the iPhone, such as the glass back????

If anything I think Apple will offer a free bumper to all users, if they so choose, and hopefully those that do not claim the bumper are remembered by Apple as being sane, common sense driven, loyal customers that understand that moving my finger 1 mm will negate the effect before a call is ever dropped, and are rewarded down the road with something else... ;) Like a discount on an iPad or the next iPhone??????
 
Chumburro2U said:
I finally received my iPhone 4 yesterday and I can't replicate the attenna attenuation signal loss. No yellow splots and no proximity sensor problem here. I'm a happy camper and give ape time to come up with a fix or just return it and shut your pie he already especially all the trolls in here.
Click to expand...

prove it! show a video of u holding it in death grip indoors and outdoors without is losing signal...

for everyone of these people I will post a prove it response untill ONE person shows a valid video of it working
 
Consumer Reports doesn't "predict" PR crises, they CAUSE them. Too many old and uneducated people rely on their biased, slanted, and technically inept reviews. Ever heard of the Suzuki Samurai? A great SUV, reliable, solid, and perfectly stable. Most people think it's rollover prone because Consumer Reports said it was unstable in test driving. Here's the reality: “If you can't find someone to roll this car, I will!” — Irwin Landau, Editorial Director, Consumer Reports. That statement was made to Kevin Sheehan, the guy in charge of test driving. They had to totally redesign the test track to make the vehicle a tiny bit unstable. A redesign that surely many other vehicles Consumer Reports has found no problem with would tip slightly on. It was not prone to tipping, or any other such thing CR said.

Yet, they made a PR disaster for Suzuki because they wanted to. No other reason. They're just trying to do the same to Apple. The difference is, this time there may be a real issue, they're just blowing it up to larger than life and predicting disaster. There's a tiny issue that can be fixed by simply avoiding touching one spot on the antenna!
 
QCassidy352 said:
3 points:
1) there will not be a recall. It's not a safety issue, and a huge number of buyers are happy with their purchase.
2) I'm tired of the "it doesn't work as a phone" comments. Stop trolling. Yes, there is a real issue, and it's not software-based. But it does work as a phone under any of the following situations: you don't hold it that way (and many people don't, without any conscious effort); you use a case (and honestly, probably 3/4 of iPhone 3G/3GS that I see have cases anyway); you're in a high coverage area.
3) in my 7 years on this forum, I've never seen people behave as badly as with this issue. The venom and personal attacks are disgusting and by forum rules should have about half the posters in this thread banned by now. People, it's a phone. How about a rational discussion without the flaming?
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I agree people are being a bit too emotional about it... but don't minimize the issue by saying that this effects a tiny portion of the user base because 75% of iPhone owners use a case and "many" people don't hold the phone that way.

I'm ambidextrous but no matter how I hold the phone, I end up touching that corner. I like to use the phone with one hand, using my thumb to navigate. When I talk on the phone, I hold it more towards the bottom than the top. It's what I've been doing for at least a decade now and it's not fair for Steve Jobs to say, "Oh, it's normal for all phones to have a vulnerable spot like a boss in Contra. Just don't touch it." Especially when all of the actors in the commercials touch that corner, and Steve himself held it that way during the presentation at WWDC.

It's like buying a phone with exposed wiring and them saying "oh, just don't touch it and you won't get zapped". It's a design flaw... the fact that you can put on a bumper and the problem goes away proves it. And no, I don't want to pay Apple another $29 for a band-aid. They don't deserve the money.
 
Oh, and ONE MORE THING....

Trying to use the Toyota PR crap as a link to the iPhone issues is just bad taste. NO ONE will die or even get a scratch because of this "issue".
 
Droid Incredible is a better experience. I am a fanboy but my brother has the incredible and its faster, sleeker and a better UI.
 
AtariMac said:
This is gonna get ugly. Even my mom commented on how the new iPhone doesn't work. I don't think she even knows how to turn a cell phone on.
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I called this early. I saw it coming.

In the elevator the other day, I overheard a lady tell a co-worker that she went to the store and held the new iPhone 4. The oohs and ahhs were quickly replaced with, "But I'm not getting one because there's an antenna problem." The other lady and a man in the elevator were not aware, so the lady continued, "Oh, yes. You have to hold it a certain way." The others were put off. I want so badly to jump in and defend my beloved Apple iPhone, but the three people were soured on it just that fast. In a matter of about 2 minutes, so imagine the damage the news is doing.

I'm disappointed that Apple hasn't stated something substantial. I also bought my mom one, and suggested that she not swap her 3G yet, but she's too excited and plans to despite the issues. She's getting a case.
 
ghostface147 said:
The truth hurts Apple. You made your own Vista with this device. Now suffer the consequences and alleviate the issue by admitting to your mistake. Also give away free bumpers. You CANNOT fix this hardware issue. I don't believe a full recall is in order at all. The device works for many people and works better for even some. Admitting your mistake is the best you can do at this point.

It's your move Apple...
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Vista? iPhone 4 is considered the best smartphone on the market. I think warranty works if new production have this problem resolved and anyway not all are affected and not for all it is important since if you hold it in normal way it rarely happens.
Sure i hope Apple fix this problem for new production so the models with this problem get replaced in warranty over time.
 
The people defending apple here make me laugh! Its not an issue if you get a bumper? Ok......so I buy and phone and it has a major flaw....I know have to buy a $30 piece of rubber to fix it?

Apple failed with this one BIG TIME. I love Apple products but this one missed the mark. Its ok to have duds once and a while......we learn from our mistakes.

Android is a better phone OS.
 
Darwing said:
prove it! show a video of u holding it in death grip indoors and outdoors without is losing signal...

for everyone of these people I will post a prove it response untill ONE person shows a valid video of it working
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if he lives next to a base station or the signal in his/her area is really strong it probably wont show the problem till he is about to buy stocks really cheap and he drops the call just before lol....
 
JimMacFan said:
Droid Incredible is a better experience. I am a fanboy but my brother has the incredible and its faster, sleeker and a better UI.
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The Droid UI looks like the Symbian UI from the mid '90s. It's horrific. No UI is as great as Apple's, which is why they're all trying to copy it.
 
Now I'm worried...

So, I've had the iPhone 4 for 2 weeks, and I've been disappointed with the service. I love the phone, but the actual "phone" portion is not as advertised. For the last week I've carried around my wife's 3GS when possible and compared the service. When I'm getting "No Service" or "Searching" on the 4G, my wife's is fine. Not a good sign...

Today I received my 3GMicrocell from ATT b/c my cell service at home has significantly decreased over the last 3 weeks (That's another issue, but that is an ATT issue, not Apple). After installing, my wife's 3GS is full; 5 bars! My 4G??? Sadly, still one bar, occasionally 3 bars, but still not good.

Now I'm convinced there is a signal/reception issue with the phone. I've stood by and let Apple try to figure this out, but I'm losing my faith. If I can figure out that there is something amiss with the phone, I feel betrayed that Apple hasn't been honest with us... Come on Steve, admit something is wrong, and I think the Apple faithful will understand. There are no guarantees in this world, but you've spent your life building the Apple brand! Don't ruin it by misleading your loyal customers/followers!
 
Only a matter of time before we see 'Get a Droid' type commercials like mac used to have bashing windows stability issues....karma is a bitch
 
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