[demoNMaCHiN3]

 
Quote:

honestly the antenna issue is largely overblown and a null-issue for most since I can't recall the last time I saw someone walking around with a bare iphone.  This latest one seems to have a larger surface area prone to accidental damage + wear&tear further necessitating having a case... or perhaps unlike the identical 3G/3GS designs, they want to leave their iphone uncased to show off that they have the latest model.  I dunno about your guys, but when I get a new iphone I usually put a screen protector & case on it ASAP---resell value ftw?
 
people just like to complain and demand free stuff (bumpers).  

 
 
I don't know about you, but when I get a new product, I expect it to work. Also, it is most definitely not a null issue (see the signal comparison table in the middle of http://www.anandtech.com/show/3794/the-iphone-4-review/2 ), especially when you consider that dB is on a logarithmic scale.
 
Apple's latest response to this is also pretty hilarious. They're saying that, “Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong. Our formula, in many instances, mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength. For example, we sometimes display 4 bars when we should be displaying as few as 2 bars.”
This is pure b.s. The phone was obviously designed in a way to make it look like it has much better reception than it does. Wasn't this formula a "fix" released back in, I think, software update 2.1 for poor reception? The change in the formula was misleading because each bar didn't represent an equal percentage of signal strength. Rather than give bad excuses they should just hand out free bumpers, which cost not more than a nickle or two to produce instead of charging an obscene price of $30.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I don't think there's much of a problem. I'm posting from an iPhone 4 right now and I haven't been having any problems with it. Reception and phone calls have been fine around here, which is Los Angeles. It might not be good in other cities, but no problems here.

 

[grokit]

Antenna Expert: Apple is Right, iPhone 4 Signal Woes Overblown

 

[demoNMaCHiN3]

Quote:

Antenna Expert: Apple is Right, iPhone 4 Signal Woes Overblown

"My conclusion is that all the hype has been just hype," Webb says. "It's not any more sensitive to hand position that was the first-generation iPhone--and probably many other phones on the market."
 
Look at the test in my link to anandtech.

Signal Attenuation Comparison in dB - Lower is Better
	Cupping Tightly	Holding Naturally	On an Open Palm	Holding Naturally Inside Case
iPhone 4	24.6	19.8	9.2	7.2
iPhone 3GS	14.3	1.9	0.2	3.2
HTC Nexus One	17.7	10.7	6.7	7.7

There is a significant difference between the 3GS and 4.

 

[Currawong]

I just covered my 3GS with my hands and lost a bar of wireless strength, so I'm never going to buy an Apple product again.  I'm also going to slash my wrists.

 

[chadbang]

I like one person's observation that Apple's signal strength error could translate into the fact that they've been covering up how lousy AT&T's service really is.

 

[chum_2000_uk]

Quote:

I just covered my 3GS with my hands and lost a bar of wireless strength, so I'm never going to buy an Apple product again.  I'm also going to slash my wrists.

That's constructive. I'm waiting this one out to see what happens. The video I posted a link to clearly shows the iPhone 4 dropping calls when the botton left area of antenna was covered (which is perfectly feasible during normal use, even if just by a thumb as some people have reported), whereas the 3GS next to it does not. I'm not going to base my decision on one video, hence why I will wait to see what happens. However, if it turns out that in areas of poor signal the iPhone 4 is likely to drop calls when my 3GS is likely to be fine then why would I bother to upgrade?

 

[chum_2000_uk]

 
Quote:

honestly the antenna issue is largely overblown and a null-issue for most since I can't recall the last time I saw someone walking around with a bare iphone.....
 
 
 
people just like to complain and demand free stuff (bumpers).  

Erm.... I've not had a case on mine for the last 8 months actually. I have a screen protector sure, but I hate most of the cases as they add such bulk to the phone etc.
 
No, it's not complaining to get free stuff at all. If the antenna needs to be covered due to the phone potentially dropping calls in poor signal areas because of an oversight by Apple then don't you think they should perhaps do something to ammend that oversight?

 

[raymondlin]

I think Apple's reply is utter BS.
 
I was in Birmingham, the second largest City in England.  In the City center.  In a NEW shopping Mall (The Bullring) http://www.bullring.co.uk/website/.  In the Apple Store there, and by just holding it i caused the signal to drop. 
 
They can't say the signal is weak in that area of the city, in a busy shopping center, in the Apple store.
 
They also can't explain how my iPhone 2G has a full signal strength there.
 
They also can't explain why my mere touch can cause the signal to drop.  How does the software know it is being touched?

 

[chum_2000_uk]

Well what they were basically saying is the actual signal reading on the phone was not accurate. They reckon that it was showing more signal than it should, and that people's calls were being dropped because they were originally in an area of poor signal (when it looked like it was good signal) then the attenuation caused by holding the phone was making it loose the last of the signal.
 
But yeah, that still doesn't explain why an iPhone 3GS next to it doesn't drop calls. And as the anandtech article shows, the attenuation of signal on the iPhone 4 caused by holding it in various ways is greater than on the 3GS etc (according to their tests).

 

[grokit]

Antenna Expert: Apple is Right, iPhone 4 Signal Woes Overblown

 

[raymondlin]

Apple is talking crap. The apple store in Birmingham is not in an area of poor signal. If i was in the suburbs then i might agree but I was in the centre of a huge city.

And i could make it drop by loosely gripping it with my right hand with 1 finger over the ridge. Finger off the ridge and it's fine.

Apple's explanation doesn't explain the following.

1- how the software knows my finger was on the ridge
2- how the signal doesn't drop when i pick it up without routing the ridge.

 

[zotjen]

 
Quote:

 The apple store in Birmingham is not in an area of poor signal.

 And nor is it on AT&T. I don't see how this software fix has anything to do with the antenna issue. If holding the phone a certain way causes the signal to drop, what does that have to do with the bars not reflecting the actual signal strength due to a software glitch? Are they implying that when you hold the phone "the wrong way", it's actually displaying the correct signal strength? 

 

[raymondlin]

Funny article on the iPhone 4 by the Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/05/iphone-4-apple-new

 

[magicalpig]

Quote:

Funny article on the iPhone 4 by the Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/05/iphone-4-apple-new

Good one!