Steve Jobs Again Speaks Out on iPhone 4 Antenna Issue via Email

[davidbrummy]

Im with steve on this and yes i have iphone 4
and i care about my kids more than my shiny iphone
Its just a phone you people need to get over it.
if you don't like the product return it and get a different phone and shut up already.

Everyday thousands of gallons of oil are going into the ocean and people care more about there iphones then they do that and what about the suicides of the worker making these phones? where the did worlds priorities go? oh yeah to hell.

Ahhh this old chestnut of an deflection strategy. No one should get annoyed about a single issue because there are other bigger issues in the world and we should prioritize.

Simple fact is people paid money for a product that they are upset about. It doesn't mean we care less about things or it takes away from any other issues/problems that mankind faces.

 

[fox10078]

And why is that?

Because your happy and he thinks you shouldn't be.

 

[GregorBehr]

I'm so glad they're "working on" this "Non Issue".

So "stay tuned"...

 

[firewood]

Edit: (or is it 3db, i always mix them up)

It's log10 power ratio, so 3 dB. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DBm

10 dBm is 10X. 20 dBm is 100X.

Near a cell tower will give you up to 10,000X stronger signals than 5 bars indicated.

That's why many people don't see the problem. Start at around -60 dBm, or about 1000X more than needed for 5 bars. Detune the antenna and degrade the signal by 100X. They still are getting 10X more signal power than needed for a 5 bar connection.

 

[mnrvokk]

Issue or Non-Issue?

I have had the iPhone 2G since launch day in 2007 in the US and got the iPhone 4 on launch day. Apart from the signal loss issue, which I can replicate as well I seem to notice another issue. People who have the new iPhone, please reply and tell me if I need to take this phone back to the store for fixing or returning.

One of the things I do when talking on the phone is hold it between my ear and shoulder and have both my hands free, like when I am typing on my computer. I know that hands free headsets are invented for this problem....but bear with me. Now, in all the 3 years of using the original iPhone, I have never had an issue with my screen switching on and my ear/cheek pressing buttons on the screen.

With the iPhone 4 it has happened more than 5 times already......WTF

My guess is that the front facing camera, forced Apple to switch the sensor to the other side of the phone. I do have to admit, I use my left shoulder.

 

[ansirone]

ha, not worth it, they wouldn't have had millions of customers if it wasn't worth it.

 

[mrxmoonlight]

THEN TAKE YOUR iPhone 4 Back and quit your bi*thing! Seriously what is the point of giving us your life story! If you don't like your iPhone go return your phone and buy a Droid or a Blackberry. Or wait patiently ( you might not know what this word means) to see what they are going to do with the issue that some individuals are having! For the time being, go buy a damn case for the phone so you don't break your phone and it solves two birds with one stone!

+1

 

[Puddinman]

@cmaier You have valid points. Obviously, the phone doesn't work for you and I'm sure that's disappointing. But honestly my original point stands: For you to keep the iPhone 4 and make it work for you, you have three choices.

1) Get a case.
2) Learn to hold it differently.
3) Accept the fact that it's going to drop some calls until the day that Apple decides to acknowledge and fix the problem -if that day ever comes.

Otherwise, your only option is to return the phone. If you have a problem with the phone and can demonstrate it to them, there is no way that Apple will charge you the restocking fee. Argue it and they will back down for you as they have for many others.

Your comment about not wanting to pay $700 for something then have to pay $30 more for something else to make it work reminds me of when my cousin bought his $3500 HD TV. He took it home and hooked it up to his satellite box and discovered he couldn't get HD. He was pissed when he found out that he had to shell out another $100 bucks for the HDMI cable.

 

[NewtonsApple]

I love all you guys!

There is some really funny things being said in here I just want to tip my hat. It is just a phone. And like being the first buyer of any new product or update, you accept the risks that come with any new product launch or work in progress. You already knew about AT&T's reputation as having inferior reception, regardless of type of phone. Apple is not perfect. They are great, yes, but far from being the be all end all of any product line. I have an original MBP, and since I installed Snow Leopard, my machine has become a lot slower.
It turns out this old machine is not 64 bit so it is not the optimal machine to be running SL. Should have stuck with Tiger 10.4.11. I can always downgrade. The point is, don't get sucked into the hype and then complain when things don't go your way. Sometimes a more patient approach can save you a lot of heartache. Verizon will probably get the iphone in January. Wait for it!

 

[BobVB]

My full and proper response is above, which you've no doubt read..

yes but I am more fascinated by the 'whys' that the 'whats'. Is that how you hold all your hand-held electronic devices? If so, why? and if different, why?

Again, seriously, holding a phone by the edges with my fingertips would never occur to me but it is obvious that many do just that (I always thought ti was more an actor holding a prop thing on TV since I don't see many doing that in real life).

So I am curious if you can figure out why you do? I know why I use mine my way - I enter a number just like I would a calculator and then lift the device to my ear... what do you do differently that results in a totally different holding technique?

No 'name calling' just can't see how fingertip holding even develops...

 

[sdornan]

@cmaier You have valid points. Obviously, the phone doesn't work for you and I'm sure that's disappointing. But honestly my original point stands: For you to keep the iPhone 4 and make it work for you, you have three choices.

1) Get a case.
2) Learn to hold it differently.
3) Accept the fact that it's going to drop some calls until the day that Apple decides to acknowledge and fix the problem -if that day ever comes.

Otherwise, your only option is to return the phone. If you have a problem with the phone and can demonstrate it to them, there is no way that Apple will charge you the restocking fee. Argue it and they will back down for you as they have for many others.

Your comment about not wanting to pay $700 for something then have to pay $30 more for something else to make it work reminds me of when my cousin bought his $3500 HD TV. He took it home and hooked it up to his satellite box and discovered he couldn't get HD. He was pissed when he found out that he had to shell out another $100 bucks for the HDMI cable.

If your friend really did pay $100 for an HDMI cable, he's a moron.

 

[mrxmoonlight]

Then why are you here? Take your own advice, get over it, and let us be. May I suggest spending your time learning to write in a more digestible manner?

If my writing isn't "digestible" to you, you must have mental issues
Because your a crying child because his toy is busted grow up
iv had my iphone 4 since the 23rd and never had dropped call
and cant replicate this "death grip"
Dont like your phone return it and stop crying!

 

[sneezingdog]

Oh you mean like this?

Case closed. CONFIRMED.

yep, are looking the death grip, the chimpanzee grip, the lobster claw grip. looks a lot like the way people normally grip their phones. and look no case!

 

[Xian Zhu Xuande]

You are wrong.

Unless I've misinterpreted 'death grip', no.

 

[RyanG]

lol @ everyone believing these e-mails even occurred without any proof but some snippets on BGR.

ya'll some gullible peeps

 

[rhanley]

Your comment about not wanting to pay $700 for something then have to pay $30 more for something else to make it work reminds me of when my cousin bought his $3500 HD TV. He took it home and hooked it up to his satellite box and discovered he couldn't get HD. He was pissed when he found out that he had to shell out another $100 bucks for the HDMI cable.

Sounds like your cousin got ripped off, but in all fairness, I'm sure the television documentation and packaging clearly stated that cables were not provided and would need to be purchases separately.

Now, had your cousin bought the television to hang on his wall, only to find out it doesn't work that way and he has to place it on a television stand, would you think that's fair?

Apple didn't tell me I would need a case, and Apple won't even come out and admit there is an issue.

That's my concern.

 

[Killer's Dad]

lol not worth it??? give me back my money not worth it.

Unfortunately jobs is the one laughing with beds made out of cash.

Actually quite true, you've got like 2 weeks to a month to return it and get back your money and out of your contract and everything.

So what's the rub, bub?

 

[Puddinman]

yes but I am more fascinated by the 'whys' that the 'whats'. Is that how you hold all your hand-held electronic devices? If so, why? and if different, why?

Again, seriously, holding a phone by the edges with my fingertips would never occur to me but it is obvious that many do just that (I always thought ti was more an actor holding a prop thing on TV since I don't see many doing that in real life).

So I am curious if you can figure out why you do? I know why I use mine my way - I enter a number just like I would a calculator and then lift the device to my ear... what do you do differently that results in a totally different holding technique?

No 'name calling' just can't see how fingertip holding even develops...

Man, you are really obsessed with this guy's fingertip holding. For the record, I also hold my cell phones by the fingertips. I already explained how it evolved from the use of an old cell phone that specifically instructed it's users to hold it in such a manner.

I just think it's funny that it bugs you so much!

 

[logandzwon]

My iPhone definitely gets better signal then the 2G,3G, or 3GS.

I think most people don't understand the phone has a much better antenna then older models. I4 has a much better signal strength at 3 bars, then the 3GS at 3 bars. My i4 at 3 bars is relative to my 3GS at 4. My i4 has 1 or 2 bar where my 3GS had none. My bet is that the "update" is going to display the bars realative to 3GS.

 

[chris975d]

They are upset because they have to pay for a case (or train themselves to hold phones differently) to circumvent what is arguably a design flaw. It's a matter of principle, not an inability to adapt.

It was only a few months ago that Jony Ive's sales pitch for the iPad was "yew dunnafta fi' the produck', i' fi's yew" (translation: "You don't have to fit the product, it fits you"). And then only a few months later they release a product that completely flies in the face of that design philosophy – you have to adapt to the product to a degree that no other cellphone asks of you.

I understand that it's very possibly a design flaw (actually, not possibly, I'd say certainly, since any time I bridge that gap with any metallic object, the reception is gone..showing me it's a short), and that people shouldn't have to live with it. I'm just saying they DON'T have to. By and large most people can choose to really voice their opinion by returning the product if they don't want to adapt to it (you gave some good examples of people that might not be in a situation to return their phone, but I don't think most people fall into those...just a relatively small amount of the purchasers so far). And I think that's the only thing that will get Apple's attention. They have to be hit in the pocketbook before they will do anything. I don't think they will really do a thing about it as long as they keep selling record numbers of them, and people accept them and buy them and don't return them. Look at how many times they've made questionable decisions about removing ports from laptops, glossy only screens, etc. People bitch but they still sell record numbers each quarter. Customers HAVE to quit accepting it if they (the customers) want a change.

 

[subie09lega]

Sj?

It doesn't really sound to me like Steve Jobs is actually writing these responses. It sounds like someone is making up a conversation to agitate the masses. Just saying.

 

[Anuba]

Okay, I'm waiting for it, give it to me.

There's really not much to say except the same thing we say to everyone else who came here with a time machine from last week: You don't understand the issue at all, so you're comparing apples with oranges.

Yes, you can muffle the signal on other phones a bit if you grip it hard around the antenna. With the iPhone 4 it's not about muffling the antenna, it's about making contact with a conspicuous G-spot that ****s up the phone completely to the point where the signal is entirely lost. This doesn't require a tight grip, you can do it with a fingertip.

As for your ridiculous rant about people being narcissists for wanting a phone to work normally... it's not about "overinflated egos" wanting a "perfect signal" fit for a king. It's about expecting the phone to function normally, as in not constantly dropping calls, as in data traffic not grinding to a halt when you hold the phone like Steve and all the actors in Apple's commercials do.

 

[rhanley]

If my writing isn't "digestible" to you, you must have mental issues
Because your a crying child because his toy is busted grow up
iv had my iphone 4 since the 23rd and never had dropped call
and cant replicate this "death grip"
Dont like your phone return it and stop crying!

No mental issues, your writing is horrendous.

Here is how an intelligent person would have written that response -- perhaps you should hire an editor...?

If my writing isn't "digestible" to you, you must have mental issues because you're a crying child whose toy is busted; grow up! I've had my iphone 4 since the 23rd and I haven't had a dropped call and can't replicate this "death grip" issue. If you don't like your phone, return it and stop crying.

Study that and learn something.

You can't turn water to wine either -- Does that mean Jesus doesn't exist?

 

[firewood]

yes but I am more fascinated by the 'whys' that the 'whats'. Is that how you hold all your hand-held electronic devices? If so, why? and if different, why?

Again, seriously, holding a phone by the edges with my fingertips would never occur to me but it is obvious that many do just that (I always thought ti was more an actor holding a prop thing on TV since I don't see many doing that in real life).

So I am curious if you can figure out why you do? I know why I use mine my way - I enter a number just like I would a calculator and then lift the device to my ear... what do you do differently that results in a totally different holding technique?

No 'name calling' just can't see how fingertip holding even develops...

In my case, my elbow is farther away from my spine than my hand when holding the cell phone to my head. That naturally tilts my forearm away from the vertical. I don't like a kink in my wrist so I release the bottom part of my grip on the phone so that I can point the mic towards my mouth rather than away.

The more interesting situation for me is web browsing. Tapping on links tends to push the phone into my palm. I have to remember to tilt the bottom of the phone back away from my palm for the fastest downloads. At least I no longer have to hold the phone upside-down over my head, like I had to with my 3GS in a certain previous office building.

 

[sslanchi]

My point is that you have your priorities all screwed up
Its steve is not being immature at all
YOU ARE.
There are things in life more important than toys.
There are bigger things in the world going on that stupid reception issues

You go ahead and go save the planet, ok. Im still pissed my iPhone doesnt work right.