The only way to be sure is to remove all the software from the phone and then do your test.
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the iPHONE 4 Reception issue is a SOFTWARE issue! VIDEO link inside
- Thread starter computermilk
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The only way to be sure is to remove all the software from the phone and then do your test.
Explain how 3GS iPhones which did NOT have this problem before iOS4 now have the problem with iOS4.what crap....there is absolutely NO WAY this can be a software problem.
I'll hang up and listen.
After all this info, here's what I think:
It IS a software issue with OS4.
OS4 adds "intelligent tuning of the radio", as mentioned by Mossberg and iFixit. It looks at signal strength, noise, etc. and picks the right channel. It appears to be buggy.
Apparently this new radio tuning thing is not iPhone 4 specific, it applies to a 3GS on iOS 4 too.
I think the placement of the hand near or on the antenna tricks the buggy radio-tuning software and throws it off. I think this is exacerbated in areas of marginal AT&T signal to begin with, or perhaps other unique situations with signal strength, operating frequency, and nearby interferences, which is why some people are seeing the problem and others aren't. Remember, every city has a different collection of cell providers, frequencies used, etc.
I also think AT&T software updates to the towers are a factor. Mossberg said they were updating their software to increase compatibility with iPhone 4. Some posters here were told by Apple last night that this process isn't done. I noticed in my own home (Folsom, CA) that last night my hand affected signal and this morning it didn't. Maybe they rolled out the update to my area overnight.
That sums up my opinion on the matter. I'm not going to sweat it. And thankfully, keeping my hand away from the bottom isn't a super big issue. I don't like it, but at least it didn't turn out to be an issue with the entire metal band, as originally thought.
Ok. So how does this apply to a MicroCell? Full 5 bars but immediately when you touch the corner it drops to nothing within 10 seconds and NO SERVICE within 15. Strange indeed.
Was able to reproduce this effect holding my 3GS the same way.
Ok, you can recreate the dropping bars...but are you dropping calls witing 15-30 seconds of calls on the 3GS? That's where the answers lie.
i don't have my phone yet, but tonight i'll be doing some tests, anyone who has time now could also try and see what the results are
start with a clean install of the OS, no apps
turn off all antenaes
then do a test with edge only
then edge + wifi
then edge + bluetooth
then edge + gps
then edge + wifi +bluetooth
etc
you get the idea, the point is to try to narrow it down to see if there is a specific comination that causes the issue.
the cause is most likely a combination of hardware and software
start with a clean install of the OS, no apps
turn off all antenaes
then do a test with edge only
then edge + wifi
then edge + bluetooth
then edge + gps
then edge + wifi +bluetooth
etc
you get the idea, the point is to try to narrow it down to see if there is a specific comination that causes the issue.
the cause is most likely a combination of hardware and software
iphone 2g running ios3 software does this also. this is not new to ios 4 or ip4Ok. So how does this apply to a MicroCell? Full 5 bars but immediately when you touch the corner it drops to nothing within 10 seconds and NO SERVICE within 15. Strange indeed.
But again no calls dropping.
My i4 has the signal issue but ive been messing around with the settings and noticed that the signal problem only happens with the bluetooth on. Once I turned off bluetooth my reception has been near perfect. Can others try this and post their results.
My i4 has the signal issue but ive been messing around with the settings and noticed that the signal problem only happens with the bluetooth on. Once I turned off bluetooth my reception has been near perfect. Can others try this and post their results.
Unless people turn BT on, it's off by default.
Ok, on my iP4 (16GB on 02-UK) I can only recreate the fault if 3G is turned on. If 3G is on, the signal bars will drop until I have just an EDGE (o) signal available. The signal bars will then increase back to normal even with my finger in place.
I turned off 3G and held my finger over the joint and nothing happened.
I repeated this several times. I'm not going to test it on my iPhone 3G on OS4 and hopefully prove this to be a software fault and not a balls up with the 3G antenna on the phone.
Anyone else with the issue, turn 3G off and try and recreate it please..i'd be interested to see if you have the same findings...
I turned off 3G and held my finger over the joint and nothing happened.
I repeated this several times. I'm not going to test it on my iPhone 3G on OS4 and hopefully prove this to be a software fault and not a balls up with the 3G antenna on the phone.
Anyone else with the issue, turn 3G off and try and recreate it please..i'd be interested to see if you have the same findings...
Just so I can add to the noise.
I work in a building where they've boosted the ATT signal because everyone here uses BlackBerries on ATT's network. With my new iPhone 4, if I hold it with the lower left corner in the palm of my left hand, the bars slowly go down from five to one. I haven't tried it while on a call, but perhaps I should.
If I take it with either hand, and hold it along the sides, i.e. not cradeling it in the palm of my hand, the bars slowly go right back up. There's no change to anything else, just where I hold it in my hands. I've tried various combinations of contact to see how much skin contact and where will make this happen. It requires a fair amount of contact and only on the bottom left corner.
So, my serious question is, what in the phone's software could possibly be aware of where I'm holding it? For me to believe that it is a software issue, I'd have to know what part of the software is aware of whether I'm holding in in the left or right corners, top or bottom, two fingers or whole palm.
This doesn't have to do with the proximity sensor, but perhaps one of the other sensors. That's the only way I can imagine software could be involved.
Just curious. We'll see what the people who actually know what they're talking about have to say.
And to answer kopite19's request, I could reproduce it with and without 3G turned on, and with and without Data turned on. These had no affect on my ability to reproduce the loss of bars.
I work in a building where they've boosted the ATT signal because everyone here uses BlackBerries on ATT's network. With my new iPhone 4, if I hold it with the lower left corner in the palm of my left hand, the bars slowly go down from five to one. I haven't tried it while on a call, but perhaps I should.
If I take it with either hand, and hold it along the sides, i.e. not cradeling it in the palm of my hand, the bars slowly go right back up. There's no change to anything else, just where I hold it in my hands. I've tried various combinations of contact to see how much skin contact and where will make this happen. It requires a fair amount of contact and only on the bottom left corner.
So, my serious question is, what in the phone's software could possibly be aware of where I'm holding it? For me to believe that it is a software issue, I'd have to know what part of the software is aware of whether I'm holding in in the left or right corners, top or bottom, two fingers or whole palm.
This doesn't have to do with the proximity sensor, but perhaps one of the other sensors. That's the only way I can imagine software could be involved.
Just curious. We'll see what the people who actually know what they're talking about have to say.
And to answer kopite19's request, I could reproduce it with and without 3G turned on, and with and without Data turned on. These had no affect on my ability to reproduce the loss of bars.
my 3g is at 3.1 or something like that, I never updated to ios4. my bars have always dropped to 1-2 bars when i held it.
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