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The antenna issue IS YOU!!!! (bear with me)

a concise writeup of it all:

http://www.macworld.com/article/152398/2010/06/antenna_faq.html?lsrc=rss_main


I'd like to just say that unless we're all cellular antenna experts everything we say from design flaws to software flaws to wild conspiracy claims to sell bumper cases, it's all speculation, none of it facts.

Id take the word of someone who's living it is to understand how antennas work over a bunch of sensationalist forum posters.
 
drjsway said:
The issue is related to the amount of moisture in your hand. This has been stated many times before
Click to expand...

Disagree. My hands tend to be on the "moist" side pretty much always. Neither my buddy or I could recreate the issue at one particular location, but he had no problems in an entirely different location while at work today.

It seems pretty obvious that the issue is related to the quality and/or strength and/or frequency of signal being received. That explains why some can recreate it and some can't. Several posts have mirrored my friend's experience where the problem didn't crop up in one part of town but was easily recreated in another. I suppose all those people's hands got sweatier as they traveled to another area? :rolleyes:
 
TrunksGoku said:
a concise writeup of it all:

http://www.macworld.com/article/152398/2010/06/antenna_faq.html?lsrc=rss_main


I'd like to just say that unless we're all cellular antenna experts everything we say from design flaws to software flaws to wild conspiracy claims to sell bumper cases, it's all speculation, none of it facts.

Id take the word of someone who's living it is to understand how antennas work over a bunch of sensationalist forum posters.
Click to expand...

They're still speculating though, and it's not consistent with the ACTUAL testing people have done.

With high signal strengths (measured using devices that allow this easily) the problem can still happen with iPhone 4.

Even if they are correct, it doesn't resolve the problem with the phone.
 
Daveoc64 said:
They're still speculating though, and it's not consistent with the ACTUAL testing people have done.

With high signal strengths (measured using devices that allow this easily) the problem can still happen with iPhone 4.

Even if they are correct, it doesn't resolve the problem with the phone.
Click to expand...

the problem with the phone is an inherent problem of all cell phones when you cover the antenna, if you have a lousy signal to begin with it will show. If you have a strong signal not all of it will reach the antenna cuz it's covered by your hand, and that will show.

Im not saying the phone doesn't have a design flaw, but it's a problem on all cell phones.
It's just more highly scrutinized because the iPhone is so popular.

The design of the antenna is like a double edged sword, great, because it's exposed and capable of receiving a signal in places where it has never got a signal. Not so great because it is also more sensitive to also losing that signal when covered up.
 
Justinm59 said:
No offense to the OP but people like you on this forum just seem like you think everythings ok because you have no problems. Have a little sympathy for the rest of us.
Click to expand...

So the alternative would be for us who aren't having this issue to not enjoy our phones? To make you feel better?
 
To the OP, I think your onto something.

Here's my theory: The iPhone-4's reception issue is self selecting. (like an internet "poll")

Fun Fact: Moist skin conducts electrical energy FAR better than dry skin. Moist skin is also much more tacky, giving a person a better grip on very smooth, glass like objects. So the people who might have the most likely skin type to cause the reception issue, are also the the same group of folks most likely to have a naked iPhone in the first place.

While people with dry, rough skin (who are much less likely to conduct enough signal to demonstrate the reception problem), are the MOST likely group to use a protective case. (we know we drop super smooth, glass like objects with frightening regularity, and have learned to compensate with protective & grippy cases, skateboard tape, whatever.

Now this doesn't address the issue of whether this is a design "flaw" or simple oversight, just WHY it might be that there two polar views on this. One from "case users" (likely to have rougher, dryer skin), the other from the problems that our "naked iPhone FTW" brethren are facing (with their sure-grip tacky skin).

Make any sense?

Sean
 
FWIW, yesterday I was at the Costa Mesa store, and tried two different display phones, held in left hand with palm covering the band, and the signal didn't move on either one.

Today, I went in the Irvine store, and got the signal to drop on three different display phones.

Maybe my hands were sweatier today ;)
 
TruckdriverSean said:
To the OP, I think your onto something.

Here's my theory: The iPhone-4's reception issue is self selecting. (like an internet "poll")

Fun Fact: Moist skin conducts electrical energy FAR better than dry skin. Moist skin is also much more tacky, giving a person a better grip on very smooth, glass like objects. So the people who might have the most likely skin type to cause the reception issue, are also the the same group of folks most likely to have a naked iPhone in the first place.

While people with dry, rough skin (who are much less likely to conduct enough signal to demonstrate the reception problem), are the MOST likely group to use a protective case. (we know we drop super smooth, glass like objects with frightening regularity, and have learned to compensate with protective & grippy cases, skateboard tape, whatever.

Now this doesn't address the issue of whether this is a design "flaw" or simple oversight, just WHY it might be that there two polar views on this. One from "case users" (likely to have rougher, dryer skin), the other from the problems that our "naked iPhone FTW" brethren are facing (with their sure-grip tacky skin).

Make any sense?

Sean
Click to expand...

I have VERY dry skin (the skin on my hands frequently cracks and bleeds if I don't use a moisturiser on a regular basis - particularly in the winter), yet I have this problem.
 
Daveoc64 said:
I have VERY dry skin (the skin on my hands frequently cracks and bleeds if I don't use a moisturiser on a regular basis - particularly in the winter), yet I have this problem.
Click to expand...

So are you using moisturizer now?

Fact: bridging the two antennas is obviously causing the problem.
Fact: moist hands are more conducive to electricity than dry hands.
 
Justinm59 said:
I don't understand how people can say this issue doesn't exist. Sure people may be over reacting but to say it's nothing is ignorant. When browsing the Internet on my phone my bars go down (I'm left handed), so I know this problem is real. Does it really bother me? Rarely, although it can be frustrating. Regardless it's a real problem people are having. No offense to the OP but people like you on this forum just seem like you think everythings ok because you have no problems. Have a little sympathy for the rest of us.
Click to expand...

It does exist. It exists on the iPhone 4 and every other cell phone that has ever existed. It is a bigger problem in poor reception areas on the iPhone 4 and every other cell phone that has ever existed.

It is not a matter of it not existing, it is a matter of it not being a significant problem, or a new issue.
 
bentrider said:
I flat out cannot make my iPhone 4 lose bars with the death grip. Been all over in a bunch of service areas.

BUT... My friend grabs my phone and holds it in what I still think is a very unnatural way and it drops bars. Not enough to be 5% of the issue that people make it out to be but it does slowly drop. About three bars worth over 30 seconds.

So... Seems like effects some body types more than others? Sweaty hands? Bigger hands? Different magnetic fields?
Click to expand...

You have a bear with you?

Question: What kind of bear is it?
 
bentrider said:
I flat out cannot make my iPhone 4 lose bars with the death grip. Been all over in a bunch of service areas.

BUT... My friend grabs my phone and holds it in what I still think is a very unnatural way and it drops bars. Not enough to be 5% of the issue that people make it out to be but it does slowly drop. About three bars worth over 30 seconds.

So... Seems like effects some body types more than others? Sweaty hands? Bigger hands? Different magnetic fields?
Click to expand...

Actually, lawyers make a lot of money because people tend to use products in stupid ways.

They either have to design around it or slap a warning label on it, so while using a hedge trimmer to trim nose hairs can be seen as pure stupidity on a drunkards part.

Holding a phone wrong probably isn't a problem with the customer, and more likely a design issue. Up to Apple to find out why it happens and design the issue out in the future, correcting problem with current phone as quick as possible.
 
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