99% of people hold their iPhone wrong, blocking the antenna!

Most people don't know that the iPhone antenna is located on the bottom, both original the iPhone and the iPhone 3G. If you don't block the bottom, you will get at least twice the reception bars.

TRY IT

grab the iPhone from the top or sideways on top and you will double your reception bars!

I personally hate that Apple placed the antenna on the bottom on the new iPhone 3G also. Most cell phones have the antennas on the top which is why they get better reception.

Macbook, Mac Mini, iphone 3G,, Mac OS X (10.5.4), Yes I bought 4 iPhones and sold them, love/hate, iPhone apps are so limited! Apple controls too MUCH

Posted on Aug 13, 2008 9:32 PM

20 replies

Slacky

Level 1

55 points

Aug 14, 2008 6:41 AM in response to Bryan Mick

The main antenna is the ribbon inside lower back of the iPhone. Original or 3G.
This antenna is the one which WILL show a difference in signal strength if covered. Additional antenna perform different functions for different connectivity.

4Runner

Level 1

70 points

Aug 14, 2008 7:00 AM in response to Holanino

well, I'm in a waiting room right now and sure enough if I cover the bottom of the iPhone with my hands 3g goes to 2 bars...release and then it jumps to 5 after a slight delay. Pretty cool.

Aug 14, 2008 7:15 AM in response to 4Runner

not going to bother myself more with u guys...

the reason why the iPhone 2G/2.5G got the Plastic back bottom is because the antenna was down there and still down there... other areas as others say are just to enhance the reception.

rimshaker

Level 3

520 points

Aug 14, 2008 11:12 AM in response to Holanino

The actual hardware layout is totally different between the original and 3G. The circuit boards on the original were sandwiched together (stacked). The 3G has a totally flat, single plane circuit board.

Yes, the primary antenna is still at the bottom back portion. But now there's additional antennas/traces routed around the iphones bezel frame and even attached to the metal chrome rings around the camera lens and headphone jack. Nifty huh? So the camera and headphone pieces also function as antenna componens.

jrbnc

Level 1

0 points

Aug 14, 2008 8:32 PM in response to Holanino

i get the same behavior on my original 2g iphone. I'll gain at least 2 bars when i don't cover the lower portion of the phone with my hand.

Has anyone heard of or tried slipping a piece of wire from the bottom to the top of the inside of the phone to try and route the antenna capture area to the top of the phone? Or would this not work because the back of the top part is metal?

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99% of people hold their iPhone wrong, blocking the antenna!