Steve Jobs denies iP4 reception issues!

[adam.posey]

I appreciate your thinking but, be honest: do you actually truly believe in any appreciable amount that Apple spent the past 1.5 years working with prototypes of the iPhone 4 all the way from start to finish and now beyond and they never bothered to test skin capacitance and its potential signal-wicking tendency for a device that emits microwave radiation?

Do you really believe that after everything else was all said and done that then, in the last few days of final assembly and commitment that they would THEN decide, "Ok, let's take the case off and run some skin capacitance tests... that's the last hurdle..."

Really?

The FCC wouldn't have tested it using human hands so it's not their fault, either. It's all Apple, from start to finish.

Defective by design...

I believe apple is a smaller company than you think they are. Steve Jobs wasn't kidding when he said they were structured like a startup. They make mistakes because of this structure, and their resources are actually a little limited. But, also, I'm sure they would test such a thing but I don't think they were counting on the interference from a hand being radically different (and initiating a software bug) that they couldn't cause in any of their testing environments.


They would have run those skin tests on Apple's campus.. where, presumably, they have the world's best (and probably only functioning!) AT&T network to test these things in. The hand probably couldn't have caused enough interference to initiate this tower-switching bug.

Tests off campus were done using a case which would have broken contact and prevented a person from actually shorting the antenna.

 

[baryon]

Solution: iOS 4.0.1 will contain a popup message that will say "You're holding it WRONG!" when you hold your iPhone 4 on the bottom left corner.

 

[adam.posey]

And therein lies the "read between the lines" issue as you pointed out earlier:

Why do you think Wi-Fi is the only acceptable way to use FaceTime?

It ain't a 3G thing, I promise, because 3G can handle the relatively low bitrate stream that FaceTime creates... it only works on Wi-Fi because if you hold the phone the way Apple shows people holding the phone for FaceTime usage, it doesn't work for precisely the reasons those of us are pointing out.

Defective by design...

"3G" can handle anything if you want to believe in it in a theoretical sense.

"AT&T's network" on the other hand.. not so much. As it stands the iPhone's data hunger has caused them numerous problems, can you imagine what everyone video chatting on top of that would do?

 

[oscr760]

The biggest issue I'm having is iOS4 is killing my battery 10-20% faster than 3.1.3 on my 3GS, even when all running background apps are closed.

me too...everything is good but the battery life is horrible

 

[Millah]

That is not troubleshooting, that is showing us a symptom. You have no idea what causes that to happen, and it could be any number of things or combination of things.

That is the problem with all of this, like I said, most people suck at troubleshooting and problem solving. Your post is a good a testimony to that.

the world is a lot more complex than that. Sure sometimes it can be the simple thing, but often times it is not and many other factors are at play.

It is like going to your doctor with a headache and telling him you have a brain tumor. Lots of things could be causing your headache, yet every turn you sit up, your head hurts. You have not proven you have a brain tumor.

THANK YOU!! Someone here with some sense .

When people hear hooves, most of them will be looking for horses, instead of looking for maybe Zebras instead.

 

[br0adband]

I believe apple is a smaller company than you think they are. Steve Jobs wasn't kidding when he said they were structured like a startup. They make mistakes because of this structure, and their resources are actually a little limited. But, also, I'm sure they would test such a thing but I don't think they were counting on the interference from a hand being radically different (and initiating a software bug) that they couldn't cause in any of their testing environments.


They would have run those skin tests on Apple's campus.. where, presumably, they have the world's best (and probably only functioning!) AT&T network to test these things in. The hand probably couldn't have caused enough interference to initiate this tower-switching bug.

Tests off campus were done using a case which would have broken contact and prevented a person from actually shorting the antenna.

There's a leaked image or two (I mentioned this already) of the iPad when it was still inside the Apple labs, inside the protective case to mask what it actually is/was and how it looked at the time, and in one or two of those photos showed an iPhone 4 (which we know now but didn't then) and it too was inside a case, inside the lab where the testing should have been taking place, etc.

Sorry. It's still defective by design...

 

[Millah]

And therein lies the "read between the lines" issue as you pointed out earlier:

Why do you think Wi-Fi is the only acceptable way to use FaceTime?

It ain't a 3G thing, I promise, because 3G can handle the relatively low bitrate stream that FaceTime creates... it only works on Wi-Fi because if you hold the phone the way Apple shows people holding the phone for FaceTime usage, it doesn't work for precisely the reasons those of us are pointing out.

Defective by design...

ATT wouldn't even allow the iPhone to send MMS when it became capable of doing so. Do you REALLY think ATT is going to allow people to stream video calls over the network, in a product that makes it so seamless as making just a normal phone call?

Uh, you're dreaming pal. Or just completely delusional.

 

[admanimal]

defective by design...

FYI, repeating something doesn't make it true.

 

[adam.posey]

There's a leaked image or two (I mentioned this already) of the iPad when it was still inside the Apple labs, inside the protective case to mask what it actually is/was and how it looked at the time, and in one or two of those photos showed an iPhone 4 (which we know now but didn't then) and it too was inside a case, inside the lab where the testing should have been taking place, etc.

Sorry. It's still defective by design...

For what it's worth, that's a catchy little phrase you have there. Reminds me of this free software group that likes to ride Apple's ass all the time (and any other software company, really, if it's proprietary).

What's it called again? http://www.defectivebydesign.org/

Oh, right. You know.. there's this saying what when you're a carpenter everything begins to look like a nail. you'll decide on your own if Apple really, seriously, is engaged in a plot to sell you an intentionally defective device and then sell you a fix for said intentionally defective device. It's clear you've made up your mind, but given your rather coincidental phrasing it's not difficult for me to think your view may be slightly.. shall we say biased?

Mistakes happen, and sometimes big, expensive, companies make them. Remember Windows ME? Yeah.

 

[mrxmoonlight]

Just glad my iPhone4 don't have this problem.

 

[alana22]

FaceTime isn't on 3G because with 2gb limited data plans FaceTime would eat up a massive chunk of that in no time.

It's not defective by design, it's beautiful by design and will probably be fixed with the iOS update. RELAX!!!!!!!!!

 

[Millah]

There's a leaked image or two (I mentioned this already) of the iPad when it was still inside the Apple labs, inside the protective case to mask what it actually is/was and how it looked at the time, and in one or two of those photos showed an iPhone 4 (which we know now but didn't then) and it too was inside a case, inside the lab where the testing should have been taking place, etc.

Sorry. It's still defective by design...

Wow. I'm sorry dude but you're incredibly stupid. You're talking about the controlled leaked pics of the iPad on the eve of the keynote? You think Apple isn't going to hide it in a case? You're honestly basing your opinion of Apples ENTIRE 18 month development period on the phone, just off of a couple controlled leaked photos for a different product?

Wow. You need to hang your keyboard up. Reading through all your posts, its pretty clear that reason, rationale, and intelligence are not your strongest qualities.

 

[peterjcat]

Sorry. It's still defective by design...

OMG, can you please stop saying "defective by design" at least once in every message? "Defective by design" means that something was deliberately designed to have problems or limitations, eg DRM. Are you suggesting that the whole point of Apple's antenna design was to drop calls? If so, that's nuts. If not, you can argue that the Iphone's design is defective, but that's got nothing to do with "defective by design"!

 

[macintoshi]

Honestly, I still believe that it is both a software AND hardware issue...

1.
The fact that some people can hold the left corner of their phone without loosing all their signal (or losing any bars at all), and some cannot, leads me to believe there is indeed a bad "batch" of phones that got out. I think Apple will replace these phones free of charge once they have figured out what the manufacturing flaw is.

2.
The fact that some user have reported that their calls have continued although their phone show "no signal" leads me to believe that in addition to the hardware issues, the signal meter is not properly calibrated, which is causing it to show a weaker than actual signal.

3.
In addition to the a mis-calibrated signal meter (software), and a potential grounding issue, etc present in a bad batch of phones(manufacturing flaw; hardware), I also believe that they may be able to find a way to minimize the impact of people hands blocking the signal by actively attenuating the signal through software (this part is mostly a theory).

4.
Even if all of this is correct, there will STILL be SOME signal loss when you hold the phone and cover the lower left hand corner, this type of signal loss is present (to some degree) in ALL phones. Hopefully some combination of the potential solutions I listed above will minimize the impact of this signal degradation, and make the phone perfectly functional even when it is held in this way.

Not if there are some wrong parameters inside the firmware witch does infact influence the signal, when you hold it in the wrong way. Lets say there are some parameters witch are very similar in way they do work each other and shouldn't be that way. And lets say if the parameters are very different from each other, then touching does not influence anymore because the bridge would mean nothing anymore and would not work as a bridge anymore...everything is possible

 

[adam.posey]

Just glad my iPhone4 don't have this problem.

Most don't. It's really a very conditional problem.

 

[peterjcat]

FYI, repeating something doesn't make it true.

Aha, is seems that repetition was the last straw for everyone

 

[dubnde]

Most don't. It's really a very conditional problem.

Depends on location/signal strength from base station. Mine has 5 bars at home and I can reproduce the problem easily. When I got to city center presumably where the base stations are blazing, I can not reproduce the problem.

 

[Daveoc64]

Most don't. It's really a very conditional problem.

Where is your evidence for that?

 

[br0adband]

OMG, can you please stop saying "defective by design" at least once in every message? "Defective by design" means that something was deliberately designed to have problems or limitations, eg DRM. Are you suggesting that the whole point of Apple's antenna design was to drop calls? If so, that's nuts. If not, you can argue that the Iphone's design is defective, but that's got nothing to do with "defective by design"!

It's defective by design simply because putting an antenna into contact with human skin - especially an antenna designed to transmit/receive microwave frequencies which is where all modern cell phones operate - is going to cause dramatic signal attenuation and loss, period.

That is a scientifically provable fact that none of you is going to be able to disprove, sorry.

Show me one other device, of any kind that uses an antenna for signal reception and transmission, made by any manufacturer, that works better by allowing human contact with the antenna or is specifically designed to enhance signal reception/transmission because of that contact.

Come on, show me.

Any antenna engineer or anyone that deals with not only communications equipment in general but more specifically microwave reception/transmission hardware is going to laugh you out of whatever box you're keeping yourselves locked inside with such ludicrous concepts.

Antennas just don't work that way, they never have, they never will. Hence:

Defective by design...

 

[Reed Rothchild]

Did anyone else notice that "Tuned" was capitalized? Is it a name of a as of yet unannounced product or service? Or simply a typo?

I think Steve was simply offering advice for how to get the best signal strength from the iPhone. It's been observed that if you stand on one leg and raise your arm at a 45 degree angle then your body becomes an aerial which significantly counter-balances the attenuation problems. Hence "stay Tuned".

This phone is revolutionising how we communicate! It also makes it easy to spot and avoid iPhone 4 users in public spaces .

 

[adam.posey]

Depends on location/signal strength from base station. Mine has 5 bars at home and I can reproduce the problem easily. When I got to city center presumably where the base stations are blazing, I can not reproduce the problem.

This has been my experience as well. I can stand directly outside of the local wal-mart and fail to initiate this bug. If I take a few steps inside of that building I can, in short order, cause this to happen.

I've heard as much from my info sources as well. The problem is how the phone is displaying bars, primarily, and that when it sees low bars it freaks out and starts looking for other towers very aggressively.. causing the problems people report with connection failures, etc.,

 

[admanimal]

Aha, is seems that repetition was the last straw for everyone

I noticed. Clearly our message didn't get across.

 

[MH01]

Most don't. It's really a very conditional problem.

Sorry but that is a rubbish statement that most do not. As you said it's conditional. At home I cannot replicate it, probably due to my proximity to the tower and strength. When I went to the office on Friday, it was very easy to replicate. We tried it on 6 phones in the office. Though to be honest i am yet to have a dropped call, not a big issue atm.

 

[chrisk1250]

And therein lies the "read between the lines" issue as you pointed out earlier:

Why do you think Wi-Fi is the only acceptable way to use FaceTime?

It ain't a 3G thing, I promise, because 3G can handle the relatively low bitrate stream that FaceTime creates... it only works on Wi-Fi because if you hold the phone the way Apple shows people holding the phone for FaceTime usage, it doesn't work for precisely the reasons those of us are pointing out.

Defective by design...

The introduction of the iPhone resulted in bringing AT&Ts data network to it's knees. Back then, no one saw this coming. No one could have predicted the amount of infrastructure required to support the prevalence of all these web connected mobile devices. We know now, only through AT&Ts woes.

Wifi only may be Apple's way of giving everyone a heads up as to what the future is capable of and the quality of video transmission they find to be acceptable. Is there really a point to video calling if the bit stream is so low it's all grainy and pixelated?

It is without doubt that some companies build products with planned obselecense, but I and many others I assume think that this is not the case. The iPhone has become Apple's biggest product. They are betting the company on it's reputation. I find your assertion hard to swallow.

 

[adam.posey]

It's defective by design simply because putting an antenna into contact with human skin - especially an antenna designed to transmit/receive microwave frequencies which is where all modern cell phones operate - is going to cause dramatic signal attenuation and loss, period.

That is a scientifically provable fact that none of you is going to be able to disprove, sorry.

Show me one other device, of any kind that uses an antenna for signal reception and transmission, made by any manufacturer, that works better by allowing human contact with the antenna or is specifically designed to enhance signal reception/transmission because of that contact.

Come on, show me.

Any antenna engineer or anyone that deals with not only communications equipment in general but more specifically microwave reception/transmission hardware is going to laugh you out of whatever box you're keeping yourselves locked inside with such ludicrous concepts.

Antennas just don't work that way, they never have, they never will. Hence:

Defective by design...

No antenna responds well to direct human touch. That's a fact of reality and not one we can ignore.. interference will be caused. However there's a lot of very unique engineering in this particular antenna system that, for the most part, alleviates the issues. The problems begin when you cover both sides of that separator on the left side of the phone. Given that the ENTIRE structure of the phone is an antenna of one variety or another it seems that there's an issue caused by a human bridging that gap, not by touching the phone itself.