iPhone 4 reception problems - poll
We're going to be talking quite a bit about the ongoing iPhone 4 reception problems tonight on iPhone live! and as prep, we wanted to see just how many of our readers have the problem, have it sometimes, or haven't had it at all.
What's driving us a little bit nuts on this is the range we're seeing. Some people can literally put their finger on the antenna gap at the lower left side and use it as a network pause/play button. Others see the signal fall off but don't drop calls or lose data connection. Still others can't make it drop no matter what they do. And some have the best reception, fewest dropped calls, and fastest data they've ever seen.
We can joke and say maybe half the units are from a different assembly line, or that some humans lack sufficient water in their bodies to cause attenuation. We can take solace looking at Nexus One or Palm Pre attenuation demos that show all internal antennas can suffer from the problem to some degree. We can hear from RF engineers and antenna specialists. We can read Apple's open letter on mis-reporting of signal strength and wonder if drop is low signal, no drop is medium signal, better reception is high signal. We can buy cases and hold different and hope for iOS 4.0.1 fixes. But we can't make sense of it, not completely, not yet.
So give us some help. Give us your quick take in the poll above, and give us the details -- what network you're on, where, and what you're experience has been like -- in the comments.
There are 48 comments. Add yours.
I think apple knew all along and that's why they offered bumpers on launch day...it was a way to make more money!!...they should offer bumpers for free...I'm sure it costs them next to nothing to make those bumpers..
I am using my iPhone 4 on Vodafone in the UK and have the best signal strength I have ever experienced with any iPhone to date. I can even pick up a 3G signal outside my house which has never happened before, its all GPRS were I live usually.
I can replicate the signal drop if I hold the phone tightly round the bottom but I don't hold it that way anyway and no i am not using a case, I like my iPhone naked, why spoil its beauty with a case.
So there you go, no problems for me!
I can make the bars drop, but have yet to have it cause any degradation or voice or data. Plus the 4 makes and gets calls in places my 3G never would. I'm in Cincinnati and have always had good coverage on AT&T going back to my first RAZR on Cingular.
Basically EVERYONE has the issue. You need to ignore the bars since they are false sense of signal.
If you start with a strong signal you drop a bit, still have great data speed and good calls, but data would just be even faster if on the desk.
If you start with a weak signal and drop a bit, you will have very slow data speeds (or none) and possibly drop calls.
I returned mine and will wait for a hardware fix to come out. Data would go from 1800 down to nothing just by holding it. I tried the display models at the Apple store and could reproduce it on every phone. Not trying to rain on anybodies parade but this is the first time Apple has failed me. Apple is just like any other company.
I can make the signal drop right off and have occasionally killed calls doing so. That's even with my having a Vodafone UK SureSignal unit in my home just meters away!
I went into the Apple Store, spoke with a Genius, he brought over a store manager, I explained that it affected my call quality and they handed me a free bumper. The key was I didn't mention the number of bars at all and emphasized the call quality.
I use to get better reception with my 3GS when will apple fix this or recall all iPhone 4's!!! Lol or like they said u have 30 days to return ur undamaged iPhone!!!!! I believe it is a hardware issue!!!! Bc a software update cannot fix the fact that u can touch the medal part and u lose signal!!! Apple?????
I have had trouble consistently reproducing the drop in bars but I have been able to consistently effect the upstream data by holding the lower left. If I run the Speedtest.net app I don't see a significant effect on download speeds while holding the lower left. But the upload speed will go from 1.3Mb down to 200Kbps as soon as I hold the lower left and then jumps back up when I remove my hand. I also noticed this morning while talking to my mom that she couldn't hear me but I could hear her fine. I took the phone away from my face to make sure I didn't face mute the call which I hadn't. But when I put it back to my face she could hear me again. Then I went away again. I then realized I was covering the lower left so I moved my hand and instantly she was able to hear me. All this time I could hear her crystal clear. I was in denial for some time because I couldn't reproduce the bar drop. But now I am realizing I am effected by this flaw. No way is software going to fix this.
I actually don't care what the bars shows, I work at a place where my old 3GS and 3G would drop calls constantly. I got my iPhone 4 on launch day (24th) and have yet to get a dropped call in this same exact area. I love my iPhone 4. When I hold the phone in the bottom corner I get very little signal loss. So I don't know. It's hard to tell. Depends on where I am what my bars show. But 0 dropped calls so far with the new phone.
I can kill it dead at a touch, but I have yet to have it impact me in real world usage. (I use a case, and would have even without this problem.)
I can make the bars drop, but I've not yet had an instance where a call was dropped or data stopped working. In addition, I'm visiting southwestern VA where there is NO AT&T service (checked their website) and I can actually get a signal (albeit weak) with my iPhone 4. Even get EDGE too. Past AT&T phones would simply say "no service" here. I'm impressed with the iPhone 4. Can't believe I get any signal at all here in rural VA.
I personally think this is Internet hype. I'm not saying the situation doesn't exist to some extent, but now that it's been brought to everyones attention, and then the flames fanned by android trolls, everyone is gripping their phone with both hands around the bottom in poor service and then posting how appalled they are that they dropped a call. If this hype was never started, most people would never notice anything. It's like if your foot hurts when you stand on it funny, and then you can't stop messing with it until you get worked up and complain to a doctor about nothing.
http://re-vision.com/bandaid-iphone.jpg
I've seen bars drop and I've had my connectivity drop from 3G to edge with my left hand clasping to "area" on my iPhone 4.
I have lots of issues w/ proximity sensor not so much with reception. But if dev team won't release the jailbreak soon I am returning it. I want mine sbsettings and uafaker back this phone sucks with out them!
I have to echo the people that said they can reproduce the signal bar drop but have yet to drop a call or make one. I'm loving the iP4. Sound quality is excellent (on both ends of the call) and I've even had people comment on how good the phone sounds.
I've had dropped calls, but about as many as I had with my 3GS.
Something I do attribute to the new phone is poorer voice quality for those I'm talking to, and voice fading in and out for both ends. Never had this issue before.
Additionally, my data speeds are reminiscent of my original iPhone's connection speeds. Really upsetting.
Yeah, having to restart the network about five times a day to get my Internet to work properly. I had better Internet connection on my 2G and this is with a bumper. Getting it replaced in the hope that it might be a manufacturing fault but by the looks of things everyone is getting this to some extent in low signal areas. Will apple fix this ? I doubt it, they are selling too well.
Even with the antenna issue, I am getting far better EDGE data speeds and connections in areas that my 3G just could not do. Inside of Walmart, I could never listen to streaming Pandora (high quality setting turned off), now songs never skip or buffer on my iPhone 4. Same goes for Pandora when I am driving with the phone in an FM Transmitter. 3G, barely worked, iPhone4, no buffering.
Also I have my iPhone 4 in a case. Had it in a case day one. It's metal sandwiched between two sheets of glass, of course it's going in a case.
I don't know what to answer. Yes I can affect reception with a touch and kill data, but not a call. But not since I've had it in a case. Now that it's on a case I get the best reception ever. Death grip it enough an I can affect reception but that happens on other iPhones.
The point is, with a case it behaves like a normal phone, is not an issue to me, it gets better reception than 3GS, and I'm happy.
So how do I vote on the poll?
My calls are usually fine even though I can reproduce the bars dropping from holding the phone without my case. However, when I do an internet test via 3g or wifi using the speedtest app, the report changes drastically! upload speed is almost 0 although it still has a download speed (which is significantly lower).
I can make the phone drop from 5 bars down to 0-1 just by cupping the bottom tight. How is that not a problem.
This was definitely a cover up by Apple. They have never made a case for a phone and decide to start now at launch? Highly suspicious but either way I'm pi$$ed !
I haven't been able to reproduce the situation at all. I'm in Western Cololorado, a town with no 3G, and reception/dropped calls are an issue no matter who your carrier is. I've had no problems with my iPhone4, which is also my first iPhone.
what's the point of having a "I don't have iPhone 4" option in a poll that is specifically about iPhone 4 issue?
anyway, I have the iPhone 4 in Boston and have not experienced either the "left hand grip of doom" reception issue, nor have I experienced the rumored "data throttling".
For us on-the-fence people, what do you recommend we do?
1. Wait and watch
2. Buy and return if it does not work (how easy is this?, should I buy direct from AT&T or the Apple Store if I want to later return to get a full refund?)
In my situation, buying a non-iphone is not an option since I will have to wait a year to get out of contract. Also, I hate bumpers and other weird covers - I want to be able to use the phone as-is and I hold the phone in my left hand.
@Tape - I'm guessing it's so the guys can get a guage on the amount of us who're waiting/unsure. I for one probably won't be buying this handset.....unfortunately, as I was really looking forward to it.
I'm running a Simplicity (rolling 30 day) tariff so am not tied in at all, and buy all my handsets outright rather than entering into crazy long contracts, but I ALWAYS wait a month or two after release so as to read about any problems encountered by early-adopters.
I can make my bars disappear by holding it in my hand without a cover, but who cares!? I drop my phone on a regular basis (2x the week I got it) and am one of those folks who needs a cover.
the i dont have an iphone 4 choice really skews the percentages. why would you add that?! its a poll about an iphone4, if you dont have one you should have the sense not to even answer. ruins the poll!!!
I have never had any problems with reception with the touch issue because I never have any bars to begin with
Does anyone know why YouTube videos load so slow on wifi? Is it just me or is the problem happening to others? Web pages load blazing fast, but YouTube and quicklime videos take five minutes to load a one minute video.
I really find it to be an improvement over my old iPhone 3G. Yes, the iPhone drops calls more than many other phones, but I wasn't just buying it to be a phone. It's everything -- calendar, blog updater, e-book reader, GPS. I am thrilled with the product and interface so much that dropping a call from time to time doesn't bother me. (Besides which, I hate talking on the phone anyway and avoid it at all costs.)
In my apartment with my 3G, I got spotty voice/data coverage at best. With the iPhone 4, I get a steady voice/data 3G signal, albeit low. In my apartment, I can replicate the "bar issue" but it doesn't drop calls or significantly slow data (I'm on WiFi at home anyway).
I just did a systematic test here at my desk at work. 5 speedtest.net trials laying on my desk, 5 trials while holding the phone but not covering the lower left, and 5 trials with the "death grip." There was ~500kbps variation in the speeds but nothing consistent or indicitive of a byproduct of the type of grip used. More irritating to me is the fact that I seem to be subject to AT&T's upload throttling.
Two caveats to this, I was able to affect "service bars" negatively the night before I got my iPhone 4 using iOS 4 on my iPhone 3G while in my apartment. Secondly, I used my 3G naked because every case I tried ruined its feel. I use the iPhone 4 with the bumper case (during everyday use, removed for the aforementioned tests) because it is minimally obtrusive and doesn't ruin the feel of the phone.
So, after nearly 2 weeks with the iPhone 4, my observation is that there is probably some truth to the signal issues, however, in everyday use it gets much better reception, coverage and speed than my 3G did. I'm happy and don't anticipate returning it during my 30 day grace period.
This Poll is idiotic! THE POLL SHOULD BE: "Are you having any real-life reception-problems?" argggh!
I can kill the data with just holding it the way I always do. When I am on a call I do not hold it the same way so it does not effect my call quality. As I am typing right now my hand is over the left and right side and my data is really gone I will have to take my hand of the iPhone just to post this
Rotten Apples troll this site. Pending lawsuit they're here trying to disprove the obvious facts.
As long as we know this isn't a legit survey.
That's how I see apple now, rotten Apples. Their unethical measures to distort the truth on facts has made me lose a lot credibility they earned as producing quality products. They're VP of marketing has his eyes severly misaligned.
I can only make it drop and it's usually very hard to do. Besides, I usually keep mine in a case and only take it out when I'm not moving around a lot so I have less of a chance of dropping it.
Well today I finally fixed the reception problem. I returned my iPhone 4 and am now back on my 3G. Hopefully Apple will fix this design flaw and I can get the 4 again in the future, but I will not pay $300 for a phone that totally loses reception just by touching it in a normal manner.
I can get the bars to drop, but have to see it affect my reception - both voice and data. Overall voice call reception has been outstanding - as good or better than other phones I've had with good RF (V3xx, 9700)... So can say I have any huge complaints... Other than with AT&T and their high plan prices and nickel & diming...
I am on vacation in Michigan, and I can confirm that this simply makes bad coverage worse... Even to the point where I can give it the "death grip" and I lose all signal completely. But when I let go, I immediately get 2 bars of 3G
Annoying to say the least
The problem with the poll is that it should not have included people who don't own an iphone4. If they are removed it means about 60+ percent of Actual owners are having some problems!
Ouch! Get rid of the "I don't have" votes and 74% of users have this reception problem. Rather embarassing, good job all phones do it.
Went to the Apple Store and was able to drop a iPhone 4 to its knees, signal-wise, by holding my finger between the two antennae on the left. Folks, it's a hardware problem, a true design flaw, and just won't be fixed with a software update.
No problem with mine, returned it for a full refund. Speak with your wallet and Apple will listen.
i want to buy iphone 4,but first i've to cell my old one 3:)
Check this out.http://blogs.consumerreports.org/electronics/2010/07/apple-iphone-4-ante...
I was forced to upgrade to the iPhone 4 from the plain 3G phone because it had a 10 second lag between screens after updating the OS to version 4.0.1 on iTunes. On the way home from Best Buy where I purchased the phone, I dropped my first call "Call Failed". In 2 days I had dropped 25% of my calls mid-conversation and yes I had a case and no I wasn't giving a death grip. Love the phone (when it works) but I have a feeling I'll be returning it within the 30-day period at which time I will have to pay a 10% restocking fee even though its Apple's fault... I'm glad I don't have stock in Apple because they have problems!!
I have just got the new i 4 white, and the wi fi id just terrible,its hard to believe its so bad for a new phone.
Works great! and the explanation are very well done, thanks ;=)