Consumer Reports CONFIRMS existence of hardware related antenna problem

I thought this was an excellent test. I cut this from iFrodo's post of June 29:



I've found a place where I've been able to reproduce the reception issue significantly not only on my iPhone 4 but also on my iPhone 3G with iOS 4!

Here what I did:

Devices used for tests:

* iPhone 3G with iPhone OS 3.1.2
* iPhone 3G with iOS 4
* iPhone 4 (so with iOS 4)


Here is the test protocol I conducted:

I've holded in the same exact position each phone listed above. First without griping it (just using two fingers, one at the top, one at the bottom), then gripping it with my left hand.

Initial reception (when only maintaining it with two fingers):

* 5 bars with 3G for all three phones.


Reception when gripped with left hand and waiting for 2 full minutes:

* iPhone 3G with iPhone OS 3.1.2: 5 bars with 3G
* iPhone 3G with iOS 4: 1 bar with 3G
* iPhone 4 (with iOS 4): 1 bar with 3G


So as you can see, both iPhone 3G with iOS 4 and iPhone 4 have similar symptoms and results. Considering that the only common element is the iOS 4, it's quite clear that something is wrong on the iOS 4 update, at least a part of it, probably the BaseBand firmware.

So it's clearly not (only?) a hardware issue, and software is (at least partially, if not totally) involved.

Not sure I buy it wholesale. This video is with a 3Gs from back in February, not running iOS 4 and it still drops the signal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V20AJ-Cf09c

I'd just say that they will all drop the signal when held in a way that's close to the antenna. I also have a Sony Ericsson K610i, which I love, and use it in Europe with Vodafone. It does the exact same thing: Drops the signal.

I'm not sure exactly where the problem exists other than there is a problem somewhere. Here's what I've found.

I was on a recent hour long phone call and while on that phone call I had 5 bars and the iPhone 4 was on speaker phone sitting on a desk in front of me. During that call I dropped the call 3 times within the hour, luckily they had my number and called me back. I wasn't touching the phone with my hand, I wasn't doing anything thing that made the signal drop. The phone call was just dropped.

Every time I speak with a buddy of mine on his new iPhone 4 also, we drop calls several times between the two of us. He had T-Mobile and he said that his last phone would sometimes work in his apartment but he could go out side on the patio but the new iPhone 4 will not work inside or outside on his patio at all. This is in Atlanta, GA so I'd think the Atlanta would have better reception than most.

Q: How many hardware engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: Don't worry, it can be fixed in software.

Speaking as an RF engineer (OK, not any more, but I was for 20 years and hold a patent on microwave antennas) an exposed uninsulated antenna is a very bad idea. Being able to short it to another piece of metal is an even worse idea. Human skin is a conductor. Touching the gap between an antenna and another piece of metal shorts it. This has nothing to do with software, and cannot be fixed in software. The only solutions are to not hold it that way or insulate the gap. But to be really effective you need to insulate the whole antenna, because touching it with a conductor detunes it. (Getting near it detunes it also, but not anywhere near as much.)

When I saw Steve Jobs' announcement of the iPhone 4 this problem occurred to me immediately. Sadly, I was right.

Hey, I'm a pulmonologist and I say you have anathema..believe me? you should..I'm an expert no?

See how that works?

I also tried this before I got my iphone 4. At home my 3gs would drop down from 5 bars to 3 bars. It had ios 4 running also. When I got my iphone 4 i tried it and nothing happened at the store or at work. When I got home, same thing, signal dropped from 5 bars to 3 bars. I heard there is something wrong with the ios 4 and the way it looks for cell towers. I don’t have any problems with death grip but I do have some issues with the proximity sensor. That’s what I want to be addressed.

Consumer Reports? REALLY? They are so worthless.

Two of the best vehicles I have ever owned, they killed with their “reports”. Isuzu Trooper and Suzuki Samurai. On the Samurai we got: “If you cant roll that thing, I will find someone who can.” I did get them at a very nice price because of CR crushing their sales, but that is not the point.

I also bought the worst POS vacuum cleaner I have ever owned based on one of their "Best buy" recommendations.

They are more concerned with promoting themselves than anything else. They have ZERO credibility with me!

*Consumer Reports sees this as an opportunity for a free advertising bonanza, nothing more!*

Accuracy in Media – A Black Eye for Consumer Reports

http://www.aim.org/aim-report/aim-report-a-black-eye-for-consumer-reports/

Suzuki charges that at this point Landau threatened his testing staff, saying, “If you can’t find someone to roll this car, I will!” David Pittle, CU’s technical director, tried nine times to roll the car over without success. He finally succeeded in getting it to tip up by turning the car so sharply that it went off the test course. A video shows onlookers cheering and yelling, “Yeah!” One said , “I think I got that, I think I got that.”

CU then decided to construct a new course that would make it easier to replicate Pittle’s successful maneuver. It was still difficult to make the vehicle tip, and CU employee Joe Nappi cried out, “All right, Ricky baby,” when test driver Rick Small finally succeeded in getting two wheels off the ground.

It was after all this special effort that CU announced at a news conference that the Samurai “rolls over easily” during routine driving and was given the rating of “Not Acceptable” on the road.

Message was edited by: shrock

I have experienced the same issues as most. I just have to touch the iP4 on the bottom left spot and the signal goes away. It's a very natural way of holding it btw.

I just did a speed test with it and my wife's 3G. There is no way to even complete the speed test touching the bottom left spot on the iP4. No need for a death grip or anything. If I just leave the iP4 alone, it's WAY faster than the 3G. You can't touch it, though.

On the 3G, I can't barely see the difference between holding it or just leaving on a table. Consistent speeds. With a death grip, it does slow down a bit, but the test is completed fine, and the speeds are still 70% of what it was.

So yes, my experience is the iP4 is flawed. Bad antenna design. Otherwise is the best phone around. I won't return it though, just because AT&T is pretty good in the east bay, and we have a very good family plan. If there was an HTC on AT&T I would get it, as I can't receive call when I'm browsing or gaming while holding my phone. Hope Apple will take care of us without the need for a case, as I like it 'naked', I paid premium to get a thin device, and I want to use it that way.

I have this problem, too. But many people report no problem. So, that is very strange. If it is a hardware problem, why don't all phones have it? (Same question for software problem, btw.)

I think that if you have a strong signal to begin with, the antenna problem won't be enough to degrade the signal for you to notice.

It does affect everyone with an iphone 4. I do have an iphone 4, and I experience this issue all the time before my case arrived. Here is EMPIRICAL proof that this is not software but hardware related.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3794/the-iphone-4-review/2
Anandtech is a well respected hardware blog. They were probably the first to actually quantify exactly how different each signal bar is in relation to signal strength.
The writer has shown that the iphone 4 experiences much worse signal degradation without a case when holding it near the bottom of the phone compared to other phones, including an iphone 3gs. Also, the software update merely changes how the bars are displayed. It does nothing to actually improve your reception when touching the bottom of the phone.

Message was edited by: ramenchef

All by using the dB meter shown and controlled by the iPhone SOFTWARE. And enabled by restoring a backup from a J*broken 3GS. So, a very conclusive and controlled experiment.

Because you can jailbreak the iphone 4 right now. /sarcasm
I don't think you realize how software works, do you? If it was a software issue the iphone 3GS would have reported the EXACT same signal degradation, first of all. Second, a software issue would not report signal incorrectly unless that was the issue at hand. Clearly it isn't as people are experiencing dropped calls not just seeing a lost signal. http://i.imgur.com/RGZPL.jpg As you can see, it actually degrades the 3g connection.

One consumer device on the market has an exposed steel antenna. The same consumer device has significant repeatable signal issues when touched. Not a big coincidence.

Apple says the bar algorithm issues in the iPhone 4 go back to the first iPhone so it would appear that they didn't do significant rewrites to the radio firmware for this model. Previous models didn't exhibit this phenomenon thus that would further reduce the probability that it is a software issue. Apple is in essence admitting by exclusion that this model has something different about it that is causing the drop in signal strength to where they need to 'fix' the firmware. This is the first model with an exposed antenna, that would seem to be the culprit.

Is it all PROOF? Not yet. But it's certainly a higher probability than any betting man would need to feel confident.

Perhaps Apples radio engineers will be able to figure a way to modulate the antenna input in response to touch but from my past knowledge of how cellular hardware works, I am not that confident. The software will be talking to the radio hardware itself, and it's the radio that will be working directly with the antenna. The firmware is quite possibly one step away from the level of access it would need to mitigate this issue.