Apple posts open letter regarding iPhone 4 antenna reception issues
Apple has posted an open letter addressing the widely reported issues surrounding iPhone 4 antenna reception -- how it drops or loses signal when held in such a way that the lower left side is covered.
Short version is, Apple's claiming they are, and historically have been, miscalculating how they display signal strength as bars on iPhone. They repeat that all phones will drop some signal when held in certain place, Nokia, Android, BlackBerry, and iPhone alike, but because of the way Apple was displaying signal strength, the drop appeared far more dramatic on iPhone 4.
For example, if the signal drops two bars when you hold it, and you only really have two bars, you'd see no signal and understand the drop. If you have two bars but Apple is showing you 5 bars, and weighting the calculation far too heavily towards high bars, you could drop 2 bars and really have 0, but iPhone is still showing you 3, 4, or even 5 bars. There in lies epic frustration.
A software update, to be issues within a few weeks, will change the calculation to AT&T's recommended method, and Apple will make the lower signal bars easier to see at the same time. So, in other words, your signal will still drop but it won't look to be as good before it does so.
Apple also reiterates that both they and their customers continue to report that iPhone 4 has better than any previous model, and remind everyone that anyone unsatisfied can return an undamaged iPhone 4 for a refund within 30 days.
While this does seem to address the miss-reporting of signal strength Anandtech found in their tests, and acknowledging that iPhone 4 does get better reception and does drop fewer calls -- when it works -- it doesn't seem to address the higher levels of attenuation seen in raw signals, or some reports that the baseband software wasn't properly adjusting when that attenuation occurred.
A few weeks seems like a long time to push out an iOS 4.0.1 update just to fix signal bar strength reporting, so either Apple is just waiting until their usual late July window for their first update or are working on other bug fixes -- related to the antenna or other issues like the proximity sensor -- we'll have to wait and see.
Full letter after the break.
Dear iPhone 4 Users,
The iPhone 4 has been the most successful product launch in Apple’s history. It has been judged by reviewers around the world to be the best smartphone ever, and users have told us that they love it. So we were surprised when we read reports of reception problems, and we immediately began investigating them. Here is what we have learned.
To start with, gripping almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by 1 or more bars. This is true of iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, as well as many Droid, Nokia and RIM phones. But some users have reported that iPhone 4 can drop 4 or 5 bars when tightly held in a way which covers the black strip in the lower left corner of the metal band. This is a far bigger drop than normal, and as a result some have accused the iPhone 4 of having a faulty antenna design.
At the same time, we continue to read articles and receive hundreds of emails from users saying that iPhone 4 reception is better than the iPhone 3GS. They are delighted. This matches our own experience and testing. What can explain all of this?
We have discovered the cause of this dramatic drop in bars, and it is both simple and surprising.
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. Users observing a drop of several bars when they grip their iPhone in a certain way are most likely in an area with very weak signal strength, but they don’t know it because we are erroneously displaying 4 or 5 bars. Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place.
To fix this, we are adopting AT&T’s recently recommended formula for calculating how many bars to display for a given signal strength. The real signal strength remains the same, but the iPhone’s bars will report it far more accurately, providing users a much better indication of the reception they will get in a given area. We are also making bars 1, 2 and 3 a bit taller so they will be easier to see.
We will issue a free software update within a few weeks that incorporates the corrected formula. Since this mistake has been present since the original iPhone, this software update will also be available for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G.
We have gone back to our labs and retested everything, and the results are the same— the iPhone 4’s wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped. For the vast majority of users who have not been troubled by this issue, this software update will only make your bars more accurate. For those who have had concerns, we apologize for any anxiety we may have caused.
As a reminder, if you are not fully satisfied, you can return your undamaged iPhone to any Apple Retail Store or the online Apple Store within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.
We hope you love the iPhone 4 as much as we do.
Thank you for your patience and support.
Apple
Editor-in-Chief of iMore, Executive Producer at Mobile Nations, co-host of Iterate and ZEN and TECH, cook, grappler, photon wrangler.
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Step in the right direction.
This doesn't explain the slowing of data speed and the dropped calls!
Tl;dr
Garbage. Absolute garbage from Apple. They are basically saying they were lying the entire time. Oops, when you had 5 bars, we meant to show that you have 2. Pay no mind to the dropped signals, slow data speeds or whatnot. It's all about the bars.
How is this a step in the right direction? All this update will do is make your phone show LESS bars on average (awesome) and doesn't address how holding the phone naturally in your hand will severely hsmper reception... in some cases to the point of dropping a call. Apple needs to do the right thing and issue free bumpers.
Surprising the software was overly optimistic in showing bars? Suspicious. But on balance, my experience reinforces Apple findings completely- cant get a strong signal where my old BB didn't, and when the signal is weak, cupping the BB in my hand lost the same signal. iPhone reception compared to BB? Less effective, but acceptable.
You're holding it wrong. And we were showing you too many bars in the first place. Not a big deal.
-Steve Sent from my iPhone
SOMETHING SEEMS VERY FISHY APPLE ?
What will this fix? So now I will really know that AT&T coverage is garabage. Doesn't do anything for the fact that I completely lose my connection and go into NO SERVICE mode when holding this damn thing.
Complete crap. I have 1 to zero bars where my wifes 3 g is getting good signal. So I actually have worse service than my phones displaying since you say the bars are wrong ? Explain my slow data and 3 drop calls yesterday while sitting here. Apple your update comes conveniently after my 30 day return.
This is Pretty lame. That's the problem "we Have gone back to the lab to check the signal and everything is good as ever" go out the bloody lab and compare the old iPhone and the new iPhone out of this bloody lab, and then they'd bloody see how bad it is- I wish they'd just own up and go- we f'ed up the new antenna design doesn't work- instead of blaming it on blinking software that's not the problem it's frickin
Sounds fishy to me too. How about the option to show dBm as well?
@Tino72. So what's stopping you from returning it now?
The dropped calls are explained by the fact that you were in an area with poor reception but instead of seeing three bars you saw five. Then when the antenna gets covered up you get zero. I don't believe, however, that the bars got set that way for no reason. They wanted to give five bars so that people thought they were getting good reception.
What is it going to take to convince them there is a problem (or at least publicly admit it)???
Certainly there have been a lot of hysterical posts where people do nothing but watch the signal meter and complain just because the signal meter went lower even when data and voice works just fine.
BUT it is easily demonstrated that just touching the bottom left seam (you don't have to tightly grip it) will cause the data connection and voice calls to drop after around 30-60 seconds. It doesn't happen immediately, but it does happen.
I am not sure whether to be amused or insulted here. "Our bars are misleading, so we'll change how we show them?". Thousands of people (myself included) can reproduce dropped signals and/or dramatically slower data speeds depending on how we hold the phone. Showing us an extra bar is not going to help - at best it will quiet those people who cannot be bothered to look into the reasons behind poor performance. This reminds me of the old joke saying:
"If at first you don't succeed, lower your standards."
Truly, I expected better from Apple.
This is 100% bull. Try using the speedtest app, alternating between holding it the correct way and the natural way. The difference is dramatic- I get 2-3.5 Mbps holding it the "correct" way, and .03 to .6 mbps (when it does actually finish) holding it the way I would if I wasn't thinking about how I'm holding it. They are either lying or they are incompetent.
@MrC
The only remedy for that is to get a case or bumper. No software fix in the world is going to change that your signal drops as that seam on the lower left is covered.
Apple excuses this by saying "others" do it too. Maybe so, but i've never noticed it much before if so.
At first read, the letter does seem somewhat of a cop-out. However, I must admit that my own experience does match what Apple is saying. I have seen my bars drop down to almost nothing, but have yet to experience that resulting in a dropped call or data connection.
I think more people would have been receptive to this letter though, if Apple had not been so dismissive of the problem when it was first being reported.
Being im from NY im not buying that lame answer !!
can some people try this and let me know what results they get...apply the death grip and see the reception bars drop. then turn off 3g and let the reception come back to full and reapply the death grip. for me when the 3g is off the death grip has no affect...don't know if this means the phone is over sensitive on 3g or what but i agree the statement from apple today is kida like BS
AT&T = overloaded and patchy coverage. Don't like your iPhone 4, return it and get your money back. It's just a phone, not a pacemaker or life support machine, you can live without it. Someone else will like getting their hands on yours as a refurb anyways.
I live in a smaller town where quantity of cell tower locations are rather are low. And I've been very pleased with the signal strength! In comparison to my previous 3GS, it's better in my opinion. Now I will say I've had the INCIPIO SILICRYLIC case on it since I bought it, so my hands don't phisically touch any part of the phone during a call...
Let's just lower the bar until we can walk right over it.....
What a bunch of whiners.....Go find a better smartphone and turn your 4 in for a rebate if it's such a fail.
What happens on Apple?? The iphone 4 is born with a big error on design and architecturing but Apple will never say this to their fans... they'll correct the display of the signal but the antenna reception problem is hardware and it will remain forever. Maybe they think that we're all idiots?
The lag time until the fix is released is about jailbreaking. Why you ask? They want the JB guys to release a JB so they can see the crack they use, then Apple can make sure this fix breaks the JB.
The rest is corporate PR BS. There is likely a problem with the antenna, but they aren't going to fix it.
I have not been able to replicate the problem myself.
I can get the signal to drop with a bumper if I hold the phone in my left hand. I'm standing in the same place where my 3GS gets excellent reception and fast data transfer. How is this a signal display issue again? I seriously hope that they're just going to slide in a power boost when the phone detects an attenuated signal underneath the "updated signal display" BS. I'd gladly sacrifice the extra battery life if I know that my phone won't drop calls all the time.
I'm not as troubled with this as I am with another common problem people (including myself) are having... specifically, in certain areas my 3G data speeds become erratic and/or nonexistent. I need to take this phone back if they don't patch that in time.
Of course, by the time they get this update out and people are able to test it, their 30 day return window will have passed.
Betcha the iphone 5 doesn't have an external antenna. Keep in mind how Steve got up there and bragged about brilliant engineering. Not so brilliant now..
Issue out free Bumpers, and learn from it Apple. Less than a year to the next iphone.
I have never had one problem with signal attenuation with my iPhone 4 from holding it. Of course the people who have problems are going to gripe on these sites, but I think you are in the minority. My guess is, as apple stated, you are probably in an area with bad signal strength to begin with. Having said that, I still prefer verizon over At&T because I do get occasional dropped calls that I never got on Verizon. BUT, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT THEN RETURN/SELL YOUR IPHONE!!! No one is forcing you to choose iPhone or AT&T. Besides, maybe if enough of you whining babies leave, the server will improve. I guarantee if verizon had exclusive rights to the iPhone they would be having similar issues. iPhone is a data hog. Once iPhone goes to verizon (hopefully the early 2011 rumors are true) ten it should share the load and improve everyones experience. Until then, DEAL WITH IT OR LEAVE! No one will miss you.
Absolutely no problems with my iPhone 4 in Portland OR. No case, so dropped calls, no slowing of data. All 3 previous iPhones were great too.
Ok, I take that back. LXXIX posted comments that remind me about a lot of people's symptoms. This is BS. iPhone has jumped the shark, I'm afraid.
"As a reminder, if you are not fully satisfied, you can return your undamaged iPhone to any Apple Retail Store or the online Apple Store within 30 days of purchase for a full refund."
they want you to return it before you talk trash about iPhone 4. i played with all of the iphones from the local apple store and NOT ONE had the signal issue....fair oaks apple store...and the store is bellow ground also......
Hey dang you apple! It is the display of the bars on my iphone that is making me drop calls, its your dang Antenna and how I hold it like I do all my other older iphones! Fix this and give a free bumper. I'm not going to get a case to fix your flaw. If you don't do something at the end of the 30 days, you can guarantee I'm giving this back!
I smell a class action lawsuit. It's not just the bars, it's the quality of the signal decreasing SEVERELY when I grip across the antennas.
I've continued to drop calls everywhere I go around my general area. It's been about a dozen calls in the last week or so. I can 100% honestly say - I MIGHT have dropped 2 calls for the entire year I had my 3GS for. I'm just so tired of this, it's ridiculous.
I'm not going to beat the horse to death like everyone else here... but this might be the turning point to me going to another phone... I just wish there was a phone as nice as the 4 on the market.
I'm in Cincinnati and AT&T has (imho) great service around here. In places, mostly in some buildings at work, where my 3G got no service, my 4 gets two bars or better and I am able to successfully make and receive calls. I can hold it in the "death grip" and it still doesn't drop the calls. In fact, I've never dropped a call on either iPhone yet, or any other phone I've had on AT&T going back to Cingular days. Now, I'm not saying that people aren't having problems. I have no doubt that they are. But if you live in an area where AT&T coverage sucks, why would you buy an AT&T phone? Much as I love the iPhone, I sure wouldn't. If you are so unhappy with the iPhone 4, why keep it?
Apple says “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.”
Tom says “Upon investigation, I was stunned to find that the formula Apple uses to calculate how many idiots they think are out here is totally wrong.”
Fixing the display so that bars indicate a false signal strength does not fix the dropped calls nor the poor call quality. Software cannot fix or compensate for a bad hardware design. You can tell me that AT&T is providing me poor signal quality (which is true fact) but the real fact is if I make a call while showing 4-5 bars and not holding the phone, I can talk uninterrupted & with complete clarity for an entire 20 minute conversation. Without moving from my location, but by holding the phone, the display shows a flatlined signal. I cannot connect many calls, I drop connected calls, and/or the entire conversation is broken up. Changing the display WILL NOT fix that problem. Listen to a portable radio with an external antenna and grab the antenna. The signal is interrupted by grounding the metal antenna and the radio produces poor sound or just static. The problem exists. Period.
While in my office or house (which, btw, has ALWAYS showed 4 bars on my 3GS in both locations and made calls with clarity and never dropped them in either location) the iPhone 4 shows 4 bars as well. The calls are successful AS LONG AS I AM NOT HOLDING THE PHONE.
Apple seems to think that they again are going to pull the wool over our eyes. Steve Jobs needs to man-up, take responsibility for this mistake, step up to the plate and FIX THE PROBLEM. This got past Quality Control. I am not happy about it but it happens. What I am pissed off about is that they are denying it and are looking to make it a casual issue by appeasing the masses with yet another mistake, hoping that the people will be gullible enough to accept it. C’mon Apple, I have become a loyal fan in the past year, switching from a PC to a Mac and from a Palm Treo to an iPhone. Don’t treat me like I’m an idiot. That I won’t tolerate.
I am mad at myself for two things. 1) I know that holding an antenna without insulating myself from grounding it will produce poor signal. I grew up in a time when cars had aerials and we all had transistor radios with retractable antennas that you didn’t touch when you were listening to them. Why that didn’t cross my mind, I’ll never know. 2) Selling my 3GS prematurely. I would gladly take my new iPhone 4 back to AT&T, cancel the new two year contract, and reactivate my (virtually flawless) 3GS. I would have to eat the $$ I spent on protection gear for my iPhone 4 but it would worth it. It would it also serve to re-teach me a lesson that I already knew…NEVER buy a new product the moment it hits the market.
This statement by Apple is not true. I just tested this again while sitting here at my desk at work. If I hold the phone in my right hand or not touch the lower left corner while in my left hand and call my office number, my phone rings. If I hold the iPhone 4 in my left hand, no pressure, just hold it normally and call my office,call doesn't go through (due to signal). This is the only phone that does this. I don't see how adjusting my display of "bars" is going to be helpful to me with this issue.
So, as an AT&T customer, what phone should I return this one for and get instead?
What BS!!!!! It really is the phone so sad to say!!! My wifes Razr2 is has rock solid signal(no dropped calls and fast web speeds) while my new iphone 4 lies to me!!!!
It's great they found the issue. No one is perfect. It's even better that they invite you to return the device if you are unsatisfied. Crying about it on the Internet like most of you are doing will not get your money back or fix the problem. Give the phone back to Apple, get your money and move on. It's that simple. Let's just wait to see if this software fix will dry up your tears. Until then, shut up and wait; or get a different phone. Problem solved.
While not the 100% fix some fanatics seem to want, it acutally explains a lot of what I see. In the 3G and 3GS days I would sit in my corporate lunch area and have maybe one bar 25% of the time (e.g. no signal) With the 4 I get 4, sometimes 5 bars. Is the phone that much better? Or is it reporting wrong? If I hold it "wrong" it goes back down to one bar but is actually holding a signal 80% of the time. Overall BETTER than before, although the feeling of bars dropping seems dramatic.
I'd challenge people not to put your phone under such a microscope because all this fanatical talk has heightened your senses to the problem. Ground yourself in reality and remember what it was like before. If it is indeed worse and you lose signal where you didn't before (like at home which is bad) then wait out this update and see if it fixes the problem. If it doesn't then buy a bumper (don't tell me you're not buying a case anyway - most do) or sell your phone on eBay for a profit and move along.
I'm going to wait it out and not panic. Not everything is a fanboy issue, but honestly the product is still way better than anything out there. Next year there will be an improved model and I'll get that one at full price and still sell the 4 on eBay for a profit just like I have all my past phones.
I know the feeling of disappointment that this wasn't a home run right out of the gate but show some patience. I know you still love the phone otherwise you wouldn't be biT#)$ing like this.
no sorry not taking it ... i have tried to hold the 3gs every way possible and no loss of bars. iPhone4, 1 finger and starts dropping bars. this is a design flaw and im not saying that to get it replaced cause i would have already taken it back .. love the phone but Apple needs to admit they F up. and cell calculation BS! if thats the case then y the F does the 3GS (right next to my i4) not drop or show different bar? Come on Apple. this is your "field test" you giving "Apple testers" cant compare to the consumer test! try again. PS. i have dropped more calls on i4 then on my (2) 3GS phones. but to me the phone i awesome.
@Thomasj106 Very well said. I feel exactly the same as you - same issues and situation as you. I'm out of ideas, utterly disgusted, and thoroughly let down.
.. and yes, Apple needs to just fess up. People will still keep their phones and love them but will be farm more likely to get another Apple product if the company admits they aren't perfect. Its not always that easy though - again lets give them some more time. This is an awesome phone isn't it?
Back when the 3G came out there were widespread complaints that it was only getting 2-3 bars of 3G coverage just about everywhere. Apple came up with a software update to "fix" the issue. Afetr the update I got 5 bars everywhere. I knew that all the did was change the "formula" to give you more bars that you were actually able to pick up. I do the same thing to my thermostat at the house so my wife dosent complain about the air conditioner running so far.
I'm calling BS that it was a surprise that their formula was off. Their past "fix" just came back to bite them in the butt.
F this everyday i come closer and closer in returning my phone. Reason why because now I cant trust apple with signal and as bad as signal is already with Att it just makes me even more worried that Im going to be trick in the performance of the network with this phone. This mean Apple could get away with poor signal if they fix the bars and not correct the problem. I smell shenanigans coming. I smell blackberry Storm.
This article FTW
http://daringfireball.net/2010/07/translationiphone4
I simply don't feel like replacing all 1.7 + million iPhones. Imagine how many more suicide attemps this will bring to foxxconn while we try to get phones out ASAP. Nonononono people, deal with it. It's not as bad as you think.
The real story is this:
@HungWell
Multiple such suits have already been filed - at this point it is a matter of picking which one going forward will be the representative class.
@JD Exactly right.
the key point is, if u live in a place with low signal, dont use this phone, lol...
Bull. I'm Da Man SOMETHING SEEMS VERY FISHY APPLE ? 2 me 2??? your Full of it. Lies
I hope Steve will find a fix soon for my iPhone4, I just read this on MSNBC it is titled "Apple ‘stunned’ to find flaw in iPhone 4"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38055126/ns/technologyandscience-wireless/
I bet all of this people comenting bad stuffs of the iPhone 4 are anti-Apple competitors or jealeous people, everyone knows Apple have been a huge success with the iPhone, and they barely have iPhone issues (unless if you jailbreak it, maybe you'll have issues) the iPhone is the best smartphone in the planet. Is only a matter of time; Everyone knows that when one of there products have an issue they always fix it and the right way.
I read this to say that iPhone 2G won't get an update to fix this "issue." Is that right?
Also, for those of us still clutching to our iPhone 2G's while we clinch our penny's for shiny iPhone 4's, does this also mean that iOS 3 will not be getting any more updates?
Hurray for an update that will tell me more definitely how bad AT&T's network is!
Ok Apple. Explain how placing 1 finger on the side and it goes to no service and when you call it goes straight to voicemail. Simple remove said finger and the phone goes to 3 bars and when you call my phone it magically rings?? My 3gs or any other phone I have owned in 20 years did this. Yes other phones the signal will drop, I have never personally seen more than 1 bar when you palm it. But going to no service is a problem.
So they had a buggy placebo in the new firmware. Now they are just going to remove the placebo altogether. I couldn't reproduce the sig drop for several days. I did just finally notice the bars drop at my house and then come back when I let go. I also noticed when using Speedtest that the download speed wasn't effected much by holding the phone but the upload speed dropped significantly when holding it. I have had my phone for 4 days yet and haven't had a single dropped call which is a massive improvement over my 3G.
Frankly, I'll believe it when I see it (or, as I'm in Canada, when everyone else reports seeing it
).
Here is the real press release:
Dear iPhone 4 Customer,
We at Apple would like you to believe that we don't know how to read some basic numbers like signal strength, and turn that into a display of between 0 and 5 bars.
We would like to offer up that this requires a complex formula that we were not clever enough to have thought out before getting into the mobile phone business.
We sincerely hope that you will accept this new explanation, and hope you can really believe a company like Apple could have been displaying signal strength incorrectly for so many years now without anyone noticing.
We would also like to suggest that it takes a new iPhone model, with much better reception, to show up this miscalculation. Yes, please believe that a very slight degradation of your signal (with such a strong signal now) can jump way way down on the graph, using our flawed formula. It's all in the math as you'll see below:
No signal = 0 bars 1/5 of full signal = 1 bar 2/5 of full signal = 2 bars 3/5 of full signal = 3 bars 4/5 of full signal = 4 bars Full signal = 5 bars
You see how complex that is? You must understand how we got that wrong, and how such an error could have escaped notice over the years and the many millions of iPhones out there.
You see, what we've discovered here is that when your hand touches our metal strip on the outside of the phone, this suddenly causes our formula to be accurate where it wasn't before. Without your hands touching the metal strip, the formula isn't accurate. We were stunned how our mathematical formula transforms itself when the user touches the metal strip. Yes, our flawed formula is actually rewriting itself upon user contact, and it temporarily calculates the signal correctly. When you let go, the formula rewrites itself, and suddenly becomes flawed again, displaying an inaccurate number of bars.
We can take readings from accelerometers, gyroscopes, compasses, gpses and calculate if your wallet is in your right or your left pocket, and how much money you have, but we have not yet mastered the complex formula required to show how strong a radio signal is.
We have discovered that if we alter the formula from the above, and implement something called "AT&T math" into our world-wide base of telephones, this will solve all of our hardware issues with the new phone.
We have also discovered that we have been displaying bars one and two incorrectly. When you have a weak signal, we had previously shown smaller bars to represent what we believed was a weak signal. We were stunned to realize that these weak signals were actually "weak but tall", and we have been misrepresenting them as "weak and short". As a result, we will be making bars one and two taller to more accurately represent these "weak and tall" radio signals.
We have decided that this new software should be made available free of charge to our users. Despite the new features like the new "Taller One & Two", and the fact that we are now licensing this new formula from AT&T, we will not be passing along any additional costs to you.
Coincidentally, you will be seeing AT&T's new advertising campaign called "Bigger Bars in Lesser Areas".
We have gone back to our labs and retested everything, and the results are the same— the iPhone 4’s wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped. We think. You see we've been using this formula to measure the signal strength…
We hope you love the iPhone 4 as much as Steve says you will.
Thank you for your patience and your money.
Apple
How the **** does this explain dropped calls and data service slowing to a crawl when you bridge the antenna gap at the lower left edge of the phone?
So if it's showing two bars too high, then wouldn't that apply at the lower end too? For instance if my phone shows one bar, it's actually getting no signal? That's not correct, because I can talk for hours on one bar. Or is the "calculation error" more accurate when the signal is weaker? BS. This is all spin. Of course it's a design flaw if putting a case on it fixes the problem.
Agree with JD 100%
This has been an issue with every iPhone? My reception is fine, it's the 3G data that doesn't work.
Alright, I can dig that, however if I hold my hand over that spot I can drop my signal to the point that I lose service and it goes into "Searching..." mode... There IS no service at that point and it's not just how the bars are being displayed. The attenuation is so bad that the signal goes away. That's the issue I need fixed. I don't give a damn if any bars show at all, just fix that...
I don't believe it is a software issue. We have three ip4's in our office, and one of them does have the "death grip" issue, however the other two do not. The user with the issue also drops calls, and the other two, in the exact same area do not drop calls.
He is exchanging the phone for a new one that hopefully does not have the problem.
@Michael
They can't fix that. That's hardware. You've got three choices.
It's really that simple.
They seem to be putting a lot of stock into the articles and hundreds of emails they're getting saying that reception is better than ever, when every one of those reports is based on incorrectly overstated signal strength as displayed on the phone. I'm not saying that the iPhone 4 doesn't really have better reception, but when reports came out the same day the phone was released saying things like "and I've noticed so many fewer dropped calls" when you've only had the phone for 2 hours is probably a more a function of the placebo effect induced by overstated bars than an indication that actual signal strength is better (unless of course those reports came exclusively from people who use their iPhone 4 in the middle of Montana, in an area where there is little-to no service, and every call is always dropped). Lets see how consumers report the level of improvement in their signal strength after Apple stops inflating the bars to make their phone look good. oh, and I can't wait to pick up my preorderd iPhone 4 in 6ish days. no signal issues where i'm at.
"Will change the calculation to AT&T's recommended method". So there is really nothing wrong with the iPhone 4. AT&T is saying they have the best coverage, as long as you program your phone according to our calculation. I now wish the phone was on different carriers without the update to see what is really going on.
If your this angry over this antenna problem, return the iPhone !!!!!
Hey whiners -
Do us all a favor and return your iPhone and leave AT&T.
Thanks.
@anto
I have the iPhone 4 and my bro has a BB, we live in a very very strong signal area, he always has all his bars and never drops calls while i have 3-4 bars and drop about 11 calls per day -no lie- Its the stupid phone!
Also, so SJ says we can return it within 30 days, what about the restocking fee?? will that be waived??
Sorry, I didn't realize expecting my phone not to drop every third or fourth call was considered 'whining'.
@chris - who is forcing you to keep your phone? You are still within the 30 day return window. If the AT&T coverage around you is not up to par then why subscribe? If it's for a phone, then a) you are an idiot and b) you should stop whining.
I think we're gonna have to see what happens with this, just like with the iBook logic board issue (where Apple got sued and then created a special warranty program for it.)
Has anyone said anything about whether holding the phone affects wifi or GPS? aren't the two other external antennae for the wifi/bluetooth and GPS radios? You have to hold both of those in order to operate the phone unless you have a case.
Also, on the subject of all the 'antenna is at the bottom so it doesn't give you brain cancer or so says the FCC' stuff, you hold the phone in your hand. Why don't we worry about getting hand cancer? I guess this is off topic, but everyone's frothing at the mouth and playing armchair lawyer over all this reception stuff anyway, I might as well ask a reasonable question
@Doug - what do you care anyway, fanboy? Stop whining about the whiners.
I really find this all funny...
It seems every iPhone launch there is immediate talk about the flaws of each phone, which is plausible because this is what people do. When you buy a smart phone in the first few weeks there are going to be glitches, followed by an update. I don't buy an apple product just because I think the product is wonderful, I buy them because I think the Customer Service is great both with Apple and AT&T. Maybe it's luck of the draw, or case by case situation.
My feeling on the antenna issue, maybe because my hands are small, but I don't hold my phone that way...even holding the 3G I didn't. Not every person holds it that way either. That being said if your going to look for something wrong in a product you will find it.
In the future; Don't buy an iPhone if your going to complain about it...go buy something else if your so unhappy....you have 30 days to return it!!!
Look if your one of the ones that have a iPhone that goes to searching and loses all connection take it in for a trade, there is no way they can deny that you don't have a problem. But if your just dropping a couple of bars and it doesn't disconnect, you are worrying about nothing and just letting bar drops bother you.
Obviously others are having good experiences, like myself. There will always be manufacturing errors in mass production of electronics. So show that your phone loses complete connection to the Genius at the Apple Store. If they say bars will drop, say yes I know bars will drop but my phone loses complete connection and this is not standard.
Where is iPhoneMilk claiming that his iPhone doesn't suffer this issue?
hey my i4 works great and makes calls no problem
carry on
@DeathGrip - I think you're missing my point. See Comments from myself (earlier) and from Danielle S.
Wake up call - There is no perfect phone or perfect service. But thats all i have to say. You can go back to your utopian daydream with the avatars now.
I have always had 5 bars on my 3Gs so does this mean I will always have 2 bars now.. Im confused.
Second comment:
So basically what Apple is saying to us is that once we've past our 30 day window of opportunity to return the phone and cancel our AT&T contracts, they will issue a software repair that will in essence, not solve the problem, but trick our eyes into thinking that the problem is solved...not matter how long it takes to download a page in Safari or how many times we have to call back the person we were trying to have a conversation with.
Apple has a more serious problem here. You've simply lost our trust in the company and Steve Jobs. We do not appreciate being taken for fools. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me" The outlook for my future purchases of Apple products seems unlikely unless Apple does REALLY admit that there is a real problem here and will do whatever it takes to correct it without dancing around the facts. When I make a mistake, I fess-up, man-up, and fix it. Contrition goes a long way.
I could be described as an Apple fanboy, but that letter is a load of crap. This in no way explains why reception would decline when holding the phone. Now Apple hands us smoke a mirrors to negatively exaggerate single strength in the hopes that will placate the dumb masses.
I can replicate this issue holding my iPhone in my RIGHT hand (my pinkie finger naturally rests on the insulator bar), while holding my iPhone in a light but solid grip, while standing less that 900 feet from the AT&T tower on stone quarry rd in Belvidere IL. @ Justin, for me at least, it does NOT appear to be 3G specific. It happens on edge, 3G, and 802.11g. I haven't upgraded my router to N yet.
Awww, are people complaining about the precious Apple? Welcome to the bigs, Apple. Part of your marketing for years has been holding yourself to a higher standard (higher quality, etc.). Now you put out a product that might not conform to those high standards and people should just accept it? You created this monster yourself, Apple.
I knew it had nothing to do with the hardware off the bat. And a software update will fix whatever the problem is for the people having this problem. I am one of the one's who do not have these reception problems. As far as covering the antenna with your hand and the signal drops this must happen with alot of phones I did the hold with my gf's brand new bb bold on verizon and it does the same signal drop from 4 to 1 bars duh your covering the antenna. As for the iphone 4 it has been great for me except the dev's need to get hot on the updates for it. For the people that say att is the problem. Not this time and they problaby never were. I have always had the best with at&t where I live better then I have had with yerizon and sprint. If you are one of these people who have bad coverage and a bad iphone4 simply return it there lots and lots of choices out there. Keep in mind alot of phones have problems when they come out. The sprint evo had issues horrible battery, screen peeling off, bugs etc. Funny how all this didn't get the same attention and press as the iphone4. @jack kwack Not everyone is having this problem he is one of them. What's the problem.
I personally don't experience a terrible change in signal or data speeds but it's Apple still F'd up. They might as well just give out the bumpers. They probably cost 2 bucks to make and Apple is charging 29 dollars for them. They will come out looking golden is they give away the bumpers to "protect" you antenna. I will admit when I do have full bars the speeds are faster than my 3GS but it's more susceptible to being affected because of the placement. I like the phone, but I'm going back to my 3GS for now.
Right now, I just can't extend my contract for 2 years with AT&T and a new hefty 325 ETF fee for this phone. Now if it is fixed in a couple weeks or so, I'll get it again. If not, I would have been glad I returned it. The iPhone is the only reason I'm on AT&T and if this issue isn't fixed and they redesign it next year or come out with a VZW one or something, I'll be in the clear to get that one. Front facing camera, more RAM and better display does just doesn't justify me extending 2 more years with AT&T when the phone isn't going to act right. 3GS here I come.
@Macboy15
Read anandtech's article, or really any of the numerous ones on the topic. Yes, covering any antenna will reduce its performance. However, on the iPhone 4, touching the antenna degrades the signal up to 24dB -- much, MUCH more than the the 3GS or Nexus One (the other phones they tested). With that much more signal blockage than other phones, the attenuation problem will affect more iPhone4 users than users of other phones.
We all realize you love Apple, and you love your iPhone, AND you love AT&T. I am happy that this problem has not afflicted you. It rarely affects me, either. But it is real, and pretending it is not or just changing the bar display will not fix it.
http://bit.ly/9sDHV4
I had th reception problem, all I did is restore the phone and set it as new phone on iTunes .... I know is not a pretty fix but i have not got the reception issue at all , of course I have my phone in a silicon case cuz I'm not going to be running around with a 700 dollars phone without any protection from falls and etc ...
They must be using the same PR firm as Toyota!
This is how I read the letter from APPLE AT&T knew there coverage are not up to par, they told APPLE to falsify and lie about the display bar, and now APPLE is under the spot light because the new iphone 4 does drop more dBm than other phone when holding in hand, so they passing the ball back to AT&T, the next firmware will show the true signal bar and of course all complaint will be pointing to AT&T.
It's weird that I can replicate the death grip problem at home, but when I'm in an area that's about 60 miles out I can't. And not even switching over to the Edge network seems to phase it...
Apple us full of it. They are just manipulating our signal bars to appear higher and read different from what they actually are. Great way to brush issues under the rug.
The letter says WITHIN a few weeks. This just gives Apple time to test the update, and make sure it's ready to be released. That means it could be here next week...or in 3 weeks. Just gives them some headroom.