STOP the crazy iPhone 4 media mis-information!!

[coreyballen]

No to minimize the problem but the proximity detector issue isn't a "big deal" because it's a software issue. It can be fixed with a software update. It's a pain in the ass, to be sure, but it's not going to cost Apple billions in repairs and reputation. This in contrast to the antenna problem which can't be fixed without at least replacing the metal band around the phone, the more likely scenerio being a complete phone replacement. That causes a lot more pain for the consumer and Apple than a software issue such as the prox detector or some math formula used to display reception bars universally acknowledged to be of dubious value at best.

The proximity sensor is a bigger issue for me than dropped calls. I did have a dropped call last night, which was the first one I've had that I didn't purposely create.
But with the proximity, I've had a lot of issues with dialing numbers, hanging up on calls, muting calls, putting calls on speakerphone... pretty much any option that can be done while on a call I have done.

Don't get me wrong, I love my new phone. I just upgraded from a 3G, and the pro's definitely outweigh the con's.
But these couple of issues need to be fixed soon. Whether it's with software updates (which is an unlikely fix in my opinion) or a recall with updated hardware.

 

[LLL1424]

It's not mis-information when the phone does fail to work for most users. It's not mis-information when the proximity sensor just FAILS at working.

I am so glad the media has picked up on this that way Apple can do something about this instead of telling us to hold our phones a different way. That's disrespectful to it's customer. We aren't stupid. Then they say....."we are "stunned" to find that its iPhones have for years been using a "totally wrong" formula to determine how many bars of signal we really have. Seriously?

Apple needs to issue a statement ASAP. This thread is pointless as the information isn't mis-information but a backlash to how ARROGANT Apple has been.

 

[Tom G.]

The difference in mis-information is that it is hyperbolic mis-information. To spend 5 minutes of a news broadcast bashing a product without once showing that millions of people are happy with it is far outside the realm of just mis-information, and into the realm of hyperbolic mis-information which most often cannot be separated from outright lies. I see the same on this forum in many posts from people who post here although they are outright droid fanboys. One even has in his signature the line that all should buy a droid.

Examples are people on here posting about a iP4 recall and the cost etc to Apple. When plain common sense will tell you that nothing like that is going to happen. Even the NYT says that that is not called for and so does the Consumer Reports article which also states that the iP4 came out ahead in their testing even ahead of the HTC EVO.

I agree with the OP on all points. In my opinion those who are defending the hyperbolic mis-information/lies of the media are mostly the same who post on here just to bash Apple no matter what the subject. They now have a media source to help them in their work and will push is a far as they can.

 

[LLL1424]

The difference in mis-information is that it is hyperbolic mis-information. To spend 5 minutes of a news broadcast bashing a product without once showing that millions of people are happy with it is far outside the realm of just mis-information, and into the realm of hyperbolic mis-information which most often cannot be separated from outright lies. I see the same on this forum in many posts from people who post here although they are outright droid fanboys. One even has in his signature the line that all should buy a droid.

Examples are people on here posting about a iP4 recall and the cost etc to Apple. When plain common sense will tell you that nothing like that is going to happen. Even the NYT says that that is not called for and so does the Consumer Reports article which also states that the iP4 came out ahead in their testing even ahead of the HTC EVO.

I agree with the OP on all points. In my opinion those who are defending the hyperbolic mis-information/lies of the media are mostly the same who post on here just to bash Apple no matter what the subject. They now have a media source to help them in their work and will push is a far as they can.

The problem is that THERE'S not many happy customers. I won't lie, I am fairly happy with my phone and the signal issue isnt the one bothering me, it's the proximity sensor that's just too damn annoying. Yes, some users are happy with the phone but the media is picking up on the fact that more people aren't hence why forums are very active right now. Look, you can't defend Apple on this one. They deserve this. They are stunned to find that iPhones have for years been using a "totally wrong" formula to determine how many bars of signal we really have. Come on dude........

 

[rwilliams]

The difference in mis-information is that it is hyperbolic mis-information. To spend 5 minutes of a news broadcast bashing a product without once showing that millions of people are happy with it is far outside the realm of just mis-information, and into the realm of hyperbolic mis-information which most often cannot be separated from outright lies.

That's the way the news has ALWAYS worked. The sensational headlines get the eyeballs, which gets the ratings, which gets advertising. This is not something unique to Apple's problem.

 

[atomicbatteries]

welcome to the wonderful world of journalism in the 21st century brotha

 

[-aggie-]

The problem is that THERE'S not many happy customers. .......

Based on what source? The media? These forums? Some ridiculous poll?

 

[LLL1424]

Based on what source? The media? These forums? Some ridiculous poll?

Are you oblivious to what's around you? People get offended and angry when they get called "fanboys" but this kind of response warrants that kind of title. I am NOT HAPPY with the proximity issue. I know MANY people who have this phone who are PISSED about it. So no aggie, it's based on real people that I know who want a working phone, the issue is REAL. And the media is just picking up on it.

 

[panzer06]

The problem is that THERE'S not many happy customers. I won't lie, I am fairly happy with my phone and the signal issue isnt the one bothering me, it's the proximity sensor that's just too damn annoying. Yes, some users are happy with the phone but the media is picking up on the fact that more people aren't hence why forums are very active right now.

Where do you get the info that more people are unhappy? We have an office full of users and not one complaint. A couple have been able to recreate the problem if they take their covers off but not everyone. We only get 1 or 2 bars inside anyway but the phone works.

Today I drove through an area that always dropped calls on my 3GS and my call stayed connected the entire way through all the trees. I do not have the proximity sensor issue so I don't have the random problems associated with that.

Yes the forums are active but you must know the vast majority of iPhone users (like my wife, her sister and my daughter) are just consumers who've never heard of a forum. There are plenty of satisfied customers. I just expect people to tell the whole truth when reporting these issues. Obviously, I should know better.

Cheers,

 

[samcraig]

Are you oblivious to what's around you? People get offended and angry when they get called "fanboys" but this kind of response warrants that kind of title. I am NOT HAPPY with the proximity issue. I know MANY people who have this phone who are PISSED about it. So no aggie, it's based on real people that I know who want a working phone, the issue is REAL. And the media is just picking up on it.

Aggie isn't a fanboy. While his post could be misinterpreted - he's genuinely asking for information regarding where the information is coming from. At least that's what I believe.

 

[Vertigo50]

HOLD ON!!

You're telling me that the media has gotten their facts wrong? You're telling me that the media is making assumptions without actually doing their research?

That can't be!!!

/sarcasm

Seriously, though, is this your first day listening to the news? Or is this just the first time the news has disagreed with your opinion, so now you suddenly don't like it?

 

[LLL1424]

Where do you get the info that more people are unhappy? We have an office full of users and not one complaint. A couple have been able to recreate the problem if they take their covers off but not everyone. We only get 1 or 2 bars inside anyway but the phone works.

Today I drove through an area that always dropped calls on my 3GS and my call stayed connected the entire way through all the trees. I do not have the proximity sensor issue so I don't have the random problems associated with that.

Yes the forums are active but you must know the vast majority of iPhone users (like my wife, her sister and my daughter) are just consumers who've never heard of a forum. There are plenty of satisfied customers. I just expect people to tell the whole truth when reporting these issues. Obviously, I should know better.

Cheers,

Look, I like my phone just like all of you on here. But the issues the phone has are real. I know a total of 8 people who own the I4......they are all complaining about either the signal issue...the prox. sensor...or the yellow blob. That's a problem that none of us can't ignore. Congratulations to those who have a working iphone...but in MY case, I am not seeing that. So I have answered aggies question. It's based on what I hear from friends and co-workers.

 

[samcraig]

I just expect people to tell the whole truth when reporting these issues. Obviously, I should know better.

Cheers,

Well CR told the whole truth, no? They said the phone saying it was the best on the market. They also said they couldn't recommend it because of the signal issue people were having and that they confirmed for themselves.

But people are up in arms about that. How can they say it's the best phone and not recommend it? It's possible. And it's obvious why they can't recommend it. They wouldn't recommend the best tv on the market if it kept losing it's cable connection.

Further - news outlets already reported on the keynote, the amazing pre-ordering, how many units Apple is selling, how many people lined up on launch day and it was a complete media saturation. Now the saturation (not even close) is coming on the opposite end - because people are having issues.

You can't have it both ways. You can't complain about the negative attention but not the positive.

And since when does the media have to be fair and balanced. Very few, if any have NO agenda whatsoever.

 

[-aggie-]

Are you oblivious to what's around you? People get offended and angry when they get called "fanboys" but this kind of response warrants that kind of title. I am NOT HAPPY with the proximity issue. I know MANY people who have this phone who are PISSED about it. So no aggie, it's based on real people that I know who want a working phone, the issue is REAL. And the media is just picking up on it.

First I'm nowhere near what would be termed a fanboy on this site. Despite that being a personal attack, try reading what I actually wrote. Did I write no one has this problem? Nope, not even close.

You wrote "THERE'S not many happy customers." So, YOU are basically implying that MOST people are unhappy. Again, based on what?

 

[Ibjr]

Log in

OP needs to quit it. He is giving apple fans a bad name by deluding himself into thinking there is no problem. 90% of the time I have no problem but if I am in a hospital ER or q courthouse, i cannot use my phone in land scape because it kills the signal.

 

[-aggie-]

Read above.......

And how does that show most people are unhappy, unless you're defining "most" by the people you know personally? Most to me is over half of the 2 million iPhone 4 owners. I'm not saying people don't have the problem, but if over a million did, you'd hear much more about it than these biased media reports. There would be lines of people returning their phones, and the media would have a field day. That's just not happening. Of course, one could say they're waiting until the 30 days, so maybe the droves of people are coming in 10 days. We'll see.

 

[rotobadger]

You wrote "THERE'S not many happy customers." So, YOU are basically implying that MOST people are unhappy. Again, based on what?

I tend to agree. On both sides of the argument, I've seen posts from people saying "everyone!" and "the majority!" and things like that.

While there is definitely a problem, one cannot determine how many unhappy iPhone buyers there are by simply reading the news or Apple related forums.

So far, I have the antenna problem but have a case on it for now. But that's just ME .

 

[panzer06]

Look, I like my phone just like all of you on here. But the issues the phone has are real. I know a total of 8 people who own the I4......they are all complaining about either the signal issue...the prox. sensor...or the yellow blob. That's a problem that none of us can't ignore. Congratulations to those who have a working iphone...but in MY case, I am not seeing that. So I have answered aggies question. It's based on what I hear from friends and co-workers.

I think the point is millions of these have been sold and if the phone was useless as a phone for most of them, there would be massive numbers of returns. There are not. The phones are still out of stock in many places and FedEX says iPhone deliveries remain high so based on common sense and anecdotal evidence I believe the vast majority are using the phone and either don't have a problem or have taken steps to mitigate the issues.

Cheers,

 

[LLL1424]

OP needs to quit it. He is giving apple fans a bad name by deluding himself into thinking there is no problem. 90% of the time I have no problem but if I am in a hospital ER or q courthouse, i cannot use my phone in land scape because it kills the signal.

+1......and I am sure the OPs phone probably does work great but going back to answering aggies question... the fact that 8 people I personally know who I know have the phone ....have something they are not happy with, most of them being the proximity sensor and the signal issue. These issues are real. And the media attention is warranted based on Apple's response.

 

[mgamber]

The proximity sensor is a bigger issue for me than dropped calls. I did have a dropped call last night, which was the first one I've had that I didn't purposely create.
But with the proximity, I've had a lot of issues with dialing numbers, hanging up on calls, muting calls, putting calls on speakerphone... pretty much any option that can be done while on a call I have done.

Don't get me wrong, I love my new phone. I just upgraded from a 3G, and the pro's definitely outweigh the con's.
But these couple of issues need to be fixed soon. Whether it's with software updates (which is an unlikely fix in my opinion) or a recall with updated hardware.

I know it's a bigger issue for some people but a software update should fix it, it doesn't appear to be a problem that you may have to live with for the life of your phone like the flawed antenna. In addition, it really does seem to be a spotty thing simply because the volume of complaints aren't nearly as loud as those concerning the antenna. You might try taking your phone to Apple, showing them the problem and asking for a replacement. Just make sure you check out a replacement in the store and keep on going until they give up or you get one that works correctly.

BTW, I agree that the pros outweigh the cons and that, otherwise, the iPhone 4 is an excellent phone. Consumer Reports also agrees with that. I don't dislike the phone, I'm not planning on returning it unless I can exchange it for one that doesn't have a flawed antenna and it suits a couple of needs better than any other phone on the market. On the other hand, if Apple was a person walking down the street, the cops would be arresting me for assault and trying to pry the bat I used to beat him out of my hands.

 

[LLL1424]

And how does that show most people are unhappy, unless you're defining "most" by the people you know personally? Most to me is over half of the 2 million iPhone 4 owners. I'm not saying people don't have the problem, but if over a million did, you'd hear much more about it than these biased media reports. There would be lines of people returning their phones, and the media would have a field day. That's just not happening. Of course, one could say they're waiting until the 30 days, so maybe the droves of people are coming in 10 days. We'll see.

Maybe so, or like me, people are just really not trying to return the phone and waiting on Apple to issue a statement about what they are going to do. In reality, that's why we aren't seeing millions of phones being returned, we are patiently waiting for a response from Apple. Then of course, there's those who might have a great iphone 4 with no issues. Or they live where there's a strong presence of service/bars or simply don't care too much to complain.

 

[panzer06]

OP needs to quit it. He is giving apple fans a bad name by deluding himself into thinking there is no problem. 90% of the time I have no problem but if I am in a hospital ER or q courthouse, i cannot use my phone in land scape because it kills the signal.

No one is saying the problem doesn't exist. Just be honest in reporting. Stating Apple recommends duct tape as a solution is flat out wrong. Implying that CR finds the phone useless is not accurate.

Problems exists but many, many users are fine and using the phone w/o issues or working around any issues they find.

Cheers,

 

[nitromaxx]

While i don't doubt that people are having issues with the new phone, I think it's being blown out of proportion a little bit. My wife's little sister and mother have each had their Motorola Droids replaced 3 times for signal issues, dropped calls, etc. And from what I understand, this is an issue with a lot of these phones. I can't recall hearing about this on TV, the radio, or the internet. I think, as someone stated previously, that just because this is an Apple product, the media is liking this about as much as a fat kid loves cake. And you know how us fat kids love cake.

This is just my two cents. As it is, I haven't purchased my own iP4 yet. I'm waiting on the white model (which is taking forever, by the way), but I have used a few without any of the issues that have been reported.

 

[bstpierre]

Its been mentioned that some people don't have this signal issue with their iPhone 4; is this only because they live in an area that has great signal strength? If so, then it seems like they still have the issue, it's just not apparent. If they travel to an area with a weaker signal then they will start to have the issue.

If they never had the issue, even in a weak signal area, then it seems this could only be because: a) they arean't holding the phone in the way that replicates the signal drop or b) their iPhone's hardware is different and isn't susceptible to signal dropping (seems very unlikely).

Am I missing something?

User skin conductivity comes into play as well. Sometimes (when it is warmer) I conduct better than other times.

 

[mgamber]

Maybe so, or like me, people are just really not trying to return the phone and waiting on Apple to issue a statement about what they are going to do. In reality, that's why we aren't seeing millions of phones being returned, we are patiently waiting for a response from Apple.

That's pretty much me. The iPhone meets a couple needs better than any other phone on the market and while Apple's silence is deafening, they haven't really done much of anything yet. If a reasonable amount of time goes by and they still haven't said a thing or they say it's not a problem and they have no intention of fixing anything, then to hell with them, their fearless leader and the horse they all rode in on. It's not the first problematic device I've bought from Apple but it will most certainly be the last. But, that having been said, you can't expect a huge corporation to suddenly make a 90 degree turn and start fixing millions or billions of dollars of faulty equipment on a moment's notice. They may need FCC approval to alter the antenna, they most certainly need a valid, sustainable plan to address that many faulty devices and so on. So I wait. But it won't be forever.

User skin conductivity comes into play as well. Sometimes (when it is warmer) I conduct better than other times.

True. Sweat is a good conductor as salt water is much better a conductor than pure water. Some oils conduct better than others, also. There are many factors that contribute but the bottom line is that if you're afraid to stick your fingers in a wall socket, you should probably have your phone in a case.