To everyone who thinks they dont have a reception problem

[bowlerman625]

There is a measured 20+ db decrease in signal on the iphone4 when the antennae is bridged. If you are relying on the bar display alone to tell you if you have the problem, you are not getting the whole story. If you have a strong signal already, the signal attenuation will still put you in the 5 bar range. This does not mean that you dont have the problem.

See this chart for details:

Nice colors!

 

[kre62]

Well, since you no longer are communicating with Ms. LordOBoggie, I would be interest, OP, if you would be so kind as to answer the question.....

DO YOU HAVE AN IPHONE 4?

Best regards and have a nice day.

Absolutely, no problem.

I do in fact have an iPhone 4. Serial 88025. In fact 5 friends have them as well locally.

All 5 of these friends swore up and down they had no issue. I was able to stand in front of them and replicate it.

Remember the iPhone display is a 10 second moving average, so even though the signal dies immediately, it'll take 10-15 seconds before the effects are noticed. Makes me wonder if the people who claim no problem are testing it right.

For every one who says who cares, and its only an issue if it affects you I have 2 things.

1) The issue may affect you in the future. You don't know.

2) Unless you have stock in Apple, or are an employee, their profitability has ZERO direct effect on you. You are not your phone, No one is atacking you personally. You should want the problems fixed, instead of MINIMIZING and JUSTIFYING in the name of Apple. Customer Loyalty is a marketing technique, don't get sold.

To everyone who owns phones other than the iPhone 4 and thinks they don't have a reception problem...

HTC Droid Incredible: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yCpNLIRV1k
Nexus One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2g5J4qPp54
Nokia E71: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi1gHDa7-X0

But according to some, this is only an Apple problem.

Not the same issue. At all. See, these phones drop signal as a result of covering the antennae with your hand and blocking the signal. The iPhone antennae is shorted by the hand. How is this different?

Well if you put the iPhone on the side, and don't touch it whatsoever with your hands, and lay a paperclip, or penny, or house key, across the band of death, you'll short the antennae and lose signal. You could put those things all over ANY OTHER PHONE and not lose signal. AKA, hardware flaw.

 

[bowlerman625]

I don't have any reception issues, but lately I've noticed that if I'm holding the bottom left-hand side of the phone to my balls, I can't hear the person I'm talking to. And I even have a bumper on it! I know what you're thinking: "just turn on the speakerphone!!" But c'mon, that's just a band-aid. Maybe a software fix is necessary?

Yeah, you need a fix allright!

 

[bowlerman625]

Ok ok, let's just say this is true "my friend".

Have you thought about returning your iPhone 4 for a full refund with no restocking fee and resetting your 2 year upgrade eligibility? You still have time you know. It is still not too late you know. You can move on with your life you know. So, get "that phone" that doesn't have a death-grip issue if you must stay on AT&T's ********* network. Or get a phone on Verizon...you will get even better signals with no dropped calls...



I still don't see an issue here.

The problem is not Apple, the problem is YOU.

A wiser man has never been on this board!

 

[falconeight]

Is everyone a mcgyver wanna be. Just return the damn phones already and stop the nonsense.

 

[GamecockMac]

Not the same issue. At all. See, these phones drop signal as a result of covering the antennae with your hand and blocking the signal. The iPhone antennae is shorted by the hand. How is this different?

Well if you put the iPhone on the side, and don't touch it whatsoever with your hands, and lay a paperclip, or penny, or house key, across the band of death, you'll short the antennae and lose signal. You could put those things all over ANY OTHER PHONE and not lose signal. AKA, hardware flaw.

And why would you do any of those things? Just to see if you can make your phone's reception fail?

The simple fact is that holding any of the phones I mentioned in various ways (typically towards the bottom, where the antennae are located) can cause signal degradation, leading to spotty reception and potential dropped calls. That's all people will care about, not why it is happening, therefore there is no perceivable difference.

 

[fubar888]

kre62,

You obviously have an issue with your iPhone 4 and cannot live with the death grip. Why don't you just return your phone just like the rest of those that can't deal with it. Wouldn't returning the phone cause a greater impact for Apple to either issue a a recall or hardware fix, then coming onto the forums and trying to plead your case or prove your point to the mac forum members who actually want to enjoy reading useful threads? You think Apple reads these forums or gives a damn?

This is the logic I don't understand.


So, again...the problem is not Apple, the problem is YOU.

 

[kre62]

I think there is a material difference (aka significant). Especially since the bridge point is located in an area that many cell users, including my right handed self, cover in normal usage, especially web browsing. I can make my old 3GS lose signal too, slightly, but I have to cover the lower right with both hands and squeeze. Thats not the same as anything whatsoever bridging the gap and literally shorting the antennae.

And why would you do any of those things? Just to see if you can make your phone's reception fail?

The simple fact is that holding any of the phones I mentioned in various ways (typically towards the bottom, where the antennae are located) can cause signal degradation, leading to spotty reception and potential dropped calls. That's all people will care about, not why it is happening, therefore there is no perceivable difference.

 

[kre62]

Listen, I see this response a lot. It is a passive aggressive, minimizing, blame shifting argument. Stand up for yourself! Demand the product do what it's supposed to.

We need people to band together and let Apple know that their insulting comments, that treat the customers like they're idiot animals, will not fly. I believe this is a legitimate hardware flaw, similar to my earlier 4WD example. I have money invested in the App store, and a contract with AT&T either way. So I want Apple to do the right thing.

kre62,

You obviously have an issue with your iPhone 4 and cannot live with the death grip. Why don't you just return your phone just like the rest of those that can't deal with it. Wouldn't returning the phone cause a greater impact for Apple to either issue a a recall or hardware fix, then coming onto the forums and trying to plead your case or prove your point to the mac forum members who actually want to enjoy reading useful threads? You think Apple reads these forums or gives a damn?

This is the logic I don't understand.


So, again...the problem is not Apple, the problem is YOU.

 

[fubar888]

Listen, I see this response a lot. It is a passive aggressive, minimizing, blame shifting argument. Stand up for yourself! Demand the product do what it's told.

We need people to band together and let Apple know that their insulting comments, that treat the customers like they're idiot animals, will not fly. I believe this is a legitimate hardware flaw, similar to my earlier 4WD example. I have money invested in the App store, and a contract with AT&T either way. So I want Apple to do the right thing.

No, you see...I am already aware of this death grip phenomena, and have already replicated a dropped call at my house by purposefully holding that spot. However, this is a non-issue for me because I really don't hold the phone in a way that bridges the two antennas and I plan on using a case with it.

This is exactly what little children do. Cry enough or complain enough or whine enough to get what they want.

The more logical and adult way to handle this issue would be to just return your precious little iPhone. If enough ppl return the iPhone 4, Apple will have no choice of issuing a recall, but I highly doubt that this will happen because you see, the majority of users can deal with it and are perfectly happy with their iPhone 4.

So, make a statement, stand up for your right as a consumer. Return your iPhone 4. It is still not too late to get a full refund with no restocking fee and a reset in your 2 year upgrade eligibility. You can either wait for this recall, or wait until next June when the next iPhone version comes out.

But you can't, can you?

Again, the problem is not Apple, the problem is YOU.

 

[qckslvrsiete]

Listen, I see this response a lot. It is a passive aggressive, minimizing, blame shifting argument. Stand up for yourself! Demand the product do what it's supposed to.

We need people to band together and let Apple know that their insulting comments, that treat the customers like they're idiot animals, will not fly. I believe this is a legitimate hardware flaw, similar to my earlier 4WD example. I have money invested in the App store, and a contract with AT&T either way. So I want Apple to do the right thing.

So...because you are clearly dissatisfied with the product you chose to purchase because it's not performing how you want it to, you expect people who are happy with their purchase and have a product that is meeting (exceeding in my case) their expectations to call up Apple and complain because someone they don't know has issues with the same product that don't actually affect them? Do you see how ridiculous the following conversation is?

Apple: Hello, applecare, how may I help you?
Satisfied Customer: Hi, I'm calling to complain about iPhone 4 reception issues.
A: We've had a bunch of those calls lately sir, and a fix is on the way. If you'd still like me to try to help you I can certainly listen to your complaint and see if we can find a solution. Can you describe the problem you're having?
SC: Well, I actually don't know. Some guy on a forum told me I have a problem with my phone and I should complain. Personally, I haven't really experienced any issues. But I'm banding together with all iPhone 4 owners to stick it to the man.
A: *click*

The title of your post is clearly directed at those who are actually enjoying their iPhone 4 experience, and you're basically trying to tell them that they shouldn't be. If you're not having a good experience, return your phone and get your money back from Apple. Biggest statement you can make. I do it with stuff I buy that I don't wind up liking all the time.

 

[kre62]

This is a hardware problem manufactured by Apple. The problem is definitely Apple.

I can and will return the 4 and wait til next year. I'm hoping we see a response from Apple by, at most, next Tuesday when they have their earnings conference call.

No, you see...I am already aware of this death grip phenomena, and have already replicated a dropped call at my house by purposefully holding that spot. However, this is a non-issue for me because I really don't hold the phone in a way that bridges the two antennas and I plan on using a case with it.

This is exactly what little children do. Cry enough or complain enough or whine enough to get what they want.

The more logical and adult way to handle this issue would be to just return your precious little iPhone. If enough ppl return the iPhone 4, Apple will have no choice of issuing a recall, but I highly doubt that this will happen because you see, the majority of users can deal with it and are perfectly happy with their iPhone 4.

So, make a statement, stand up for your right as a consumer. Return your iPhone 4. It is still not too late to get a full refund with no restocking fee and a reset in your 2 year upgrade eligibility. You can either wait for this recall, or wait until next June when the next iPhone cersion comes out.

But you can't, can you?

Again, the problem is not Apple, the problem is YOU.

 

[kre62]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/07/13/iphone.4.duct.tape/index.html?hpt=C1