Consumer Reports CONFIRMS existence of hardware related antenna problem

LOL... but the bars look bigger even if there are fewer of them.

I've been lurking here for a while now trying to decide if it was worth it to make the leap to an iPhone. I can tell it's probably not a good time to make that investment.

A lot is going against the iPhone right now... crappy cell service... antenna issues... proximity issues... and so on. Factor in Apple stumbling about trying to contain the whole mess and many people who might otherwise have jumped in are holding off.

Are the majority of people not having issues? Probably. But there is enough of a problem that a lot of folks, me included, don't want to take the gamble.

My current phone works great so I think I'll just keep using it while Apple gets their finger out and hopefully fixes the iPhone 4.

Dave

Yeah, the ball is on Apple's ..court:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4rJgLB5U8A

DCGOO wrote:

But I guess there are still a few people that think the moon landing was faked.

What moon landing?

You know... the ones that started in 1969 and a couple of other ones in 1970's... If you weren't around then, I'm sure you can still find the videos and pictures lying around. I sure did.

Anyway, CR reporting the antenna problem as a hardware fix is old news. So is the fact that I recognized it was a hardware problem after having the iPhone 4 for a week. Which is why I returned it for a full refund and went back to the 3GS. 😀

Let's see how much more Stevie can fool all y'all other Apple fan boys. He didn't fool me... which is why someone's getting the iPhone I just returned as a replacement for their problems.

Just wait until Friday. Apple has scheduled a press conference:

http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/14/apple-to-hold-press-conference-on-iphone-4-th is-friday/

Does that Friday conference indicate a recall/solution is coming? Are they going to sell some kind of coating for the user to apply on their iP4? (If it's the "free bumper" I'll pass).

Or they're just going to say "hold it differently"?

We'll find out Friday.

Good that it is working out for a some people and sad that it's not working out so great for some.

However, I wish that Apple had handled it differently. I have owned almost 10 iPhones since it was originally released back in 2007. I have owned them all within a week or two of them being launched. This is the first phone which I have held back from buying... reason? Apple's handling of the situation. I know that I can adjust the way I handle the phone and get around the signal drop... but I don't want my new iPhone to drop /10 in price in case Apple finally comes around and does a recall or something equally drastic.

The problem (as I see it) is simple. In iOS 4 (the current OS in all shipping iPhone 4) the visualization is skewed to show 5 bars even when you don't have a great signal.

The in depth review by Anandtech throws a lot of light on it: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3794/the-iphone-4-review/2

This image, particularly: http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/gadgets/apple/iphone4/bars.jpg

The phone shows you 5 bars all the way from -51 to -91 dB signal strength. Touching the gap drops your signal strength by 24 dB.

So if you are in a strong signal area and you touch the area (death touch/grip), you are still above -91 dB and thus still SEE 5 bars (hence the reports of NO issue...)

If you are at 4 bars already (i.e. below -91 dB), touching the area will take you way low and you will see the phone visualize the drop slowly to no bars and then drop the call.

It is surprising to see the extent some fan bois/shills will go to... get a life guys.

I am very disappointed with Apple and their reaction to this problem. I have contacted them on this issue and they have made me feel like I am the one at fault. It's too bad.

For as skilled as Apple is at hyping their product launches they don't handle issues very well..... I think they drink a little too much of their own coolaid........

Very M$ like, and you can see how well that works....

GJM

Thanks for the link. Oddly enough, the wifi reception is much more important to me than the cell reception. I got rid of my cell phone a year ago because I hate the monthly cost and the interruptions. But living without a cell phone has been a hassle too. So the iPhone works for me even with potential cell reception issues. I am buying it mainly for its iPod and wifi features. I just need basic cell functions.

However, my comment about Apple living up to its image pertained to how it has handled concern about the iPhone's reception. Apple presents itself as being customer friendly, but it is not so good at customer service. I bought one of the first iMacs around release date. It kept locking up. Then Apple pushed out a firmware update that fixed the problem, but never admitted or communicated the problem to me. I ordered one of the newest iMac on release day and had a terrible time getting it. Again, no communication from Apple. Amazon does a much better job, but Amazon does not make a habit of telling the world how great it is. Apple projects a much better customer experience than it actually delivers. You are right. The products are excellent. But the customer experience is not world changing.