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Prediction: Apple will release an app to check your phone

T

tagy

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 3, 2003
254
44
UK
I definitely have issues with the reception when I touch the phone, but seems some people are ok. As we are all running the same software I think there is a production problem on some phones.

How about Apple release an app you download if you think you have a problem. The app checks the reception when you are touching and not touching it, and if it determines there is a problem with your phone it automatically orders you a replacement.

It could also check your GPS and immediately send an Apple courrier to your location:) but that is maybe going to far.
 
tagy said:
I definitely have issues with the reception when I touch the phone, but seems some people are ok. As we are all running the same software I think there is a production problem on some phones.

How about Apple release an app you download if you think you have a problem. The app checks the reception when you are touching and not touching it, and if it determines there is a problem with your phone it automatically orders you a replacement.

It could also check your GPS and immediately send an Apple courrier to your location:) but that is maybe going to far.
Click to expand...

ya some people hold them like normal humans and some people try to hold them underneath their palms.
 
tagy said:
I definitely have issues with the reception when I touch the phone, but seems some people are ok. As we are all running the same software I think there is a production problem on some phones.

How about Apple release an app you download if you think you have a problem. The app checks the reception when you are touching and not touching it, and if it determines there is a problem with your phone it automatically orders you a replacement.

It could also check your GPS and immediately send an Apple courrier to your location:) but that is maybe going to far.
Click to expand...

Such an Application would be far too easy to abuse.

Apple is conducting its own tests at the moment using far more complicated hardware and software to determine what they can do about the problem.

An App run by an end user is not going to be as accurate.
 
Daveoc64 said:
Such an Application would be far too easy to abuse.

Apple is conducting its own tests at the moment using far more complicated hardware and software to determine what they can do about the problem.

An App run by an end user is not going to be as accurate.
Click to expand...

All assumptions that may or may not be true depending what the problem is.
 
tagy said:
All assumptions that may or may not be true depending what the problem is.
Click to expand...

I haven't made any assumptions.

They're very simple conclusions that should be blindingly obvious to anyone.

Apple has said they are testing phones to see if they can replicate the problem (this has been confirmed over the phone and is pretty obvious given that they can't really ignore the issue forever)

All that an App could really do is measure signal strength at a given time.

You could take a totally working phone into a poor signal area and the App wouldn't be able to tell why the signal had gone down.
 
Daveoc64 said:
Such an Application would be far too easy to abuse.
Click to expand...

If the app can detect an internal fault in the phone how would the be easily abused? It might not just be a case of measuring the signal.

Apple is conducting its own tests at the moment using far more complicated hardware and software to determine what they can do about the problem.
Click to expand...

How do you know the top engineers at Apple do not already know exactly what the problem is?

An App run by an end user is not going to be as accurate.
Click to expand...

As accurate as what? Depends what the problem really is.
 
ATT already has an app that allows you to send in signal issue reports.

Download the app and send your feedback in to AT&T.
 
tagy said:
ok another assumption, never mind.
Click to expand...

It's not an assumption, you clearly don't understand logic.

It's a deduction.

The antenna is on the outside of the device.
The problem happens when the antenna is covered in a certain way
The only data that the phone gets from the antenna that could possibly be used by such an app to diagnose this is signal strength

Logically, it is sound to conclude that such an App could only measure signal strength and as such it could provide misleading results.
 
It's not an assumption, you clearly don't understand logic.

It's a deduction.

The antenna is on the outside of the device.
The problem happens when the antenna is covered in a certain way
The only data that the phone gets from the antenna that could possibly be used by such an app to diagnose this is signal strength

Logically, it is sound to conclude that such an App could only measure signal strength and as such it could provide misleading results.
Click to expand...

I understand logic fine thanks.

It is an assumption, unless you can explain exactly what is the cause of the problem? Which you cannot?

You are assuming as the problem occurs covering the antenna, it is with the antenna, have you thought about what the antenna is connected to? what the 3 parts of the case are connected to?

It certainly seems possible the problem lies with the antenna of course, but you cannot state this as a fact with no explanation or proof.

Either you know the cause or you dont.
 
tagy said:
I understand logic fine thanks.

It is an assumption, unless you can explain exactly what is the cause of the problem? Which you cannot?

You are assuming as the problem occurs covering the antenna, it is with the antenna, have you thought about what the antenna is connected to? what the 3 parts of the case are connected to?

It certainly seems possible the problem lies with the antenna of course, but you cannot state this as a fact with no explanation or proof.

Either you know the cause or you dont.
Click to expand...

It's a simple case of cause and effect.

If you cover the antenna, there's a problem.

The only change occurring to the state of the phone is a physical one on the outside of the device.

You could do things (as a user) that would manipulate the results of such a test App and would make those results void.

If it gets to the stage where Apple has to release such an App, we are talking about a recall. Apple is not going to let people self-diagnose such a fault with their devices.
 
Daveoc64 said:
It's a simple case of cause and effect.

If you cover the antenna, there's a problem.

The only change occurring to the state of the phone is a physical one on the outside of the device.
Click to expand...

So what is the fault? You cannot explain it, you are just stating what sounds most likely to yourself as fact.

Why could it not be a bad batch of signal processing chips, that work fine when the phone is not touched but cannot handle the change in antenna properties when it is touched?
 
tagy said:
So what is the fault? You cannot explain it, you are just stating what sounds most likely to yourself as fact.

Why could it not be a bad batch of signal processing chips, that work fine when the phone is not touched but cannot handle the change in antenna properties when it is touched?
Click to expand...

Such a possibility doesn't make sense from a technical level.
 
Daveoc64 said:
Such a possibility doesn't make sense from a technical level.
Click to expand...

Care to explain this?

I could say that about anything, with no explanation it is meaningless.

As you are so sure what the problem is why can't you explain it?
 
HarrisonB said:
ya some people hold them like normal humans and some people try to hold them underneath their palms.
Click to expand...

some people have hands that are bigger than yours and don't have to hold it with two hands (one to hold and the other to tap/scroll/type).

They are able to use just the left hand (the thumb does the tapping while the rest of the hand holds the phone in place).

Don't see how you can avoid the "death grip" if they're typing with the thumb.
 
tagy said:
Care to explain this?

I could say that about anything, with no explanation it is meaningless.

As you are so sure what the problem is why can't you explain it?
Click to expand...

Based on my own personal testing and the other videos/anecdotes I've seen, it looks like a simple attenuation of the signal that is being received by the phone when you cover the problem area.
 
This could go on for ever and I'm going to bed. The point is neither of us know exactly what the problem is or can explain exactly what it is.

Therefore I believe we should keep an open mind of all possibilites, unless we can disprove them rather than state it is blindingly obvious.
 
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