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Heh, there's a thought... maybe the antenna needs way more power than the FCC would allow, so Apple tested and released the phone with the weakest possible transmission and then after the phone is off the FCC's radar, they alter the phone with firmware that gives it such a power boost it zaps a hole through your head, with a SAR rating of 200W/kg. ;)

That would not only be highly illegal, but it would cause world-wide injuries and deaths, and Apple would be finished as a company.
 
At home in the suburbs of Atlanta with 5 iPhone 4s (32gb - black[obvy]) that I received June 23rd the signal loss can be duplicated, but does not reach "No signal" but is in direct correlation to putting your hand on the left hand side as we've all seen replicated a million times.

In the center of Atlanta while eating at an area under very good coverage, I could not duplicate the problem at all with 2 iPhone 4s (sorry I didn't have my other 3 on hand). I tried off and on for about an hour while eating, and never was able to duplicate it and even reviewed the restaurant on the Urbanspoon app without losing connectivity.

After 24 pages of this, we all have our own opinions, here is mine:

I believe it is a software issue with the phone "freaking out" at the approach of losing a signal (at home in the suburbs I am much more prone to losing a signal as I start with a lower strength than in the city center). As the theory has been stated, the phone reacts to the approach of losing a signal and switches its frequencies thus creating the dropped calls and loss of connectivity as many have encountered.

I also spoke with my girlfriend's father who has worked with Nokia-Siemens networking for a very long time and has a more in-depth knowledge of phones and connectivity then I can understand through his words, but in a nutshell he doesn't think its a major hardware issue like the "defective by design" guy was ranting about.


To cover my butt, if the iPhone 4 does in the end have terribad hardware issues and Apple doesn't want to recall or refund or what have you, buy a bumper case and ship it to yourself for ~$34, <3 :)
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS64wswavbY

This would suggest that software is not the issue. Not definite proof of anything, but interesting.

Possible explanation is this location is serviced by both 850 & 1900 frequencies bands. For various possible reasons, one phone locked onto the 850 band, and the other to the 1900 band. My theory is that this hardware flaw only effects one of these frequency bands. Thus why only one of the phones is affected during this test.
 
I realize that its not right that you should HAVE to do this to get your phone to work, but are you guys really that broke that you can't afford a case? It almost seems like a lot of you are feeding off this. Obsessing over this. You don't realize how awesome that phone you have really is. Sure, having to buy one more thing isn't right and Apple really dropped the ball, but if buying a $15-$25 accessory will make your superphone work, then isn't it worth it?

I completely understand your logic that if you can afford the phone, you can afford a case...virtually 100% valid. However, replace iPhone with iMac...what if you computer didn't work when placed facing (let's say North) but with a case around it no problem. Yes a case will work but kinda defeats the purpose of having a beautiful design when you have to cover part of it in order for it to work properly.
 
May be a combination of Hardware and Software

I can get 5 bars at my home, but when held the iPhone in the "improper" way I begin losing bars almost immediately and it goes down to zero bars. I bought a Rocketfish case but it even happens with the case on. Yesterday I went to a friend's house about 25 miles away and had 5 bars there. However, I didn't have the dropped bar problem even with the case off.

It's been suggested that some phones have trouble switching between cell towers, so perhaps at home I'm between 2 towers that for some reason the iPhone wants to switch between, and that is causing the problem. If that is the case there maybe a software solution.

I'm no engineer so this is just a thought ... but it does give some hope!
 
This is so simple

"Why does wont everyone understand that this is not a 'reception issue'?
it is a beautiful shortcut devised by Steve Jobs himself.

Think about it........'Airplane mode'

It has never been easier to turn Airplane mode on/off."


Ha no no, but I could see someone claiming these were Apple's intentions
 
I do feel bad for people far with reception issues. If my reception was even slightly worse with the ip4 than w/ my 2g - I would have been screwed. Despite living in the heart of silicon valley, I would get from 0-2 bars on my 2g - making it essentially unusuable at home. My iP4 gives me 2-5 bars. I can get it to drop a bar or two by holding the lower left corner but that's not how I normally use my phone. Plus, I always have a case on my phone anyhow. But, I will admit that if the reception was for forcing me to use my phone differently than how I had planned, I too would be frustrated.

It's too bad that the opinions on the reception issue seem to fall into 2 camps:

1) This is affecting me so it must me affecting everyone. If it doesn't affect you they you are lying and an idiot.

2) It doesn't affect me so you must be making it up or exaggerating. Also, you are an idiot.
 
Can FCC stop apple from selling phones that don't work ??. Does Steve think that he can fix this problem by using words such as 'magical, beautiful bla bla' ??
I don't understand what kind of quality control process apple has producing these junk phones.
 
I dont know if anyone has said anything yet from the UK but I havent read all 11 pages... anyway, I am on O2 network and havent yet managed to initiate this signal drop either in standby or in a call. It may just be hit and miss or it could just be an AT&T issue? I have no idea. seems odd.

Oh and just for the record this my second iPhone and I have had many a poor mobile phone before these so overall Im happy
 
just disabled 3g to test, at home i get full 3g signal, death grip results in 'searching' (ie, no signal at all), i disabled 3g and am connected via 'normal' connection and apply death grip, i lose 2-3 bars but never lose it all? is 3g just more sensitive to it? Also why if i always have normal signal when death grip applied does my phone never switch to it when i have 3g enabled and apply death grip?
 
I hope all you people ranting and raving about how it's a design flaw and cant be fixed feel stupid if/when they fix the problem with a software update. If, however, it is a design flaw and it can't be fixed the solution is simple - return it.

No one forced you to queue up for hours, no one forced you to fork out the money to buy the new iPhone. That was your choice.

Nah... its much more fun for the whiners to pontificate on things they don't know about, call Apple thieves and liars, and generally piss and moan.

I really have had it with the tech community over this issue. I've never seen such a group of babies in my life. I'm going to just continue to use my flawlessly (in fact superior) functioning iPhone 4 and do my best to warn the non-obsessed that this is a bogus issue trumped up largely by Gizmodo to drive down APPL prices. (And for those of you who don't get that, ask yourself why NYTimes used Gizmodo as their primary source... or why ANYONE would use Gizmodo as any kind of source at this time.)

From everything I've seen, reception in weak signal areas has improved greatly, but drops back to previous weak levels when the antenna is blocked by the hand.
The new antenna looks to be a great improvement with a slight downside, largely due to regulator requirements that put the radio as far away from the head as possible.

I've never seen such an overblown broo ha ha (sp?) over what Jobs correctly identifies as a non-issue.

Enjoy your whining folks... par for the course here.
 
Possible explanation is this location is serviced by both 850 & 1900 frequencies bands. For various possible reasons, one phone locked onto the 850 band, and the other to the 1900 band. My theory is that this hardware flaw only effects one of these frequency bands. Thus why only one of the phones is affected during this test.

And some iPhones only lock to that frequency? Come on :rolleyes:
 
Assuming that Apple has more than one employee (Steve Jobs) Apple has an army of technical staff that are responsible for the design and function of the phone. Clearly, if an issue of reception was detected prior to launching the phone it would *not* have been ignored. To suggest that Steve said, just sell a rubber bumper and that will fix the problem is just juvenile.

I'm no fan of Steve Jobs (personally, if I were leading his public relations debt, I would have tendered my resignation over the 'you're holding it wrong comment') but I don't think the guy is as big a megalomaniac as everyone makes him out to be.

At last, an ounce of sense!
 
I'm with cloudberrybrew. In another post I mentioned using the speed test app and my bars drop. I have been able to replicate the situation in one area where I live. My mom's home(Pacifica) that already had abysmal AT&T signal with my 3G, and everyone over there who has a 2G or 3G iPhone. In my home(Daly City), downtown San Francisco, and various places in SFO(where I work) I haven't been able to get more than one bar to drop, despite seeing a drop in the speed test app. However, while I am able to see a lower reading, my usability feels unaffected, my phone is still way faster than my 3G, and gets better signal for me in places I didn't before. This is with and without my Belkin Clear Vue, and I'm sure it won't change when I install my Wrapsol when it arrives next weekend.
 
I'm gonna be pissed if he says "All iphone 4's will ship with a bumper case, and all current owners get a free one!!! See, no reception issue, thank you for staying tuned ********"
 
Yikes. The FanDroid troll speaks.

First = A general statement not directed at anyone:)

People that call other people trolls are trolls themselves.

Second = This person is just upset that he bought into something that turned out to be something else. He is frustrated as well as many other users.

Third = I believe this is intentional. I think it is Apples way of waiting to see what the Jailbreak people discover, then have a reason to release an update to solve the supposed antenna problem while at the same time BREAKING the Jailbreak;)

This way they can tout the risks and unreliability of Jailbreaking the iPhone.

It Makes Perfect sense, and you heard it here first :D


duh.gif
 
Signal drop: The bars don't tell all the story.

As other peopl have been doing I've been testing.

I'm currently in the far south-west of the UK on the O2 network. There is no 3G coverage in the area so everything is done with 3G turned off.

In an area where the signal is temperamental, varying in the same position from 2 up to 5 bars (but usually 4-5 bars) holding the gap will drop the signal to nothing.

In another location with a strong 5 bar signal, holding the gap will drop the signal by 2 bars only.

This suggests that the bars are not showing a linear signal strength metric.

It should be noted that at the same time as the 2G signal is impaired the WiFi signal reception is also impaired slightly. This does suggest some electrical coupling between the antennae happening.
 
I'm left handed... both, my wife's and my iphone 4 drop to almost nothing when I hold them (many times goes to search mode)... I'm not a happy camper... :mad:

I'm tired of all of these right supremacists trying to suppress us. I'm sending an angry letter to my Congress person.:mad:
 
That would not only be highly illegal, but it would cause world-wide injuries and deaths, and Apple would be finished as a company.

Since when "zapping through a whole in somebody's head" is illegal? Have I missed something?
 
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