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iPhone 4 reception issues, "grip of death" reports


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iPhone 4 reception issues, "grip of death" reports
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ezkcdude
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2010-06-24, 23:19

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryson View Post
Can't you just see the Droid commercials?

"Droid Does...allow you to hold your phone."
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ezkcdude
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2010-06-24, 23:21

Quote:
Originally Posted by scratt View Post
Otherwise Apple can IMHO expect a class action lawsuit from lefties.
You mean righties?
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scratt
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2010-06-24, 23:23

Quote:
Originally Posted by ezkcdude View Post
You mean righties?
I am a rightie and I hold the iPhone in my right hand. My understanding of the issue is that it's if you hold it in your left hand to make a call. Every video I have seen shows it in a left hand. A hand, as predominantly a rightie, I never hold my iPhone in to make calls.....

Although I did read somewhere that which ear you put the phone to is actually based on what kind of call you make. Romantic vs Business.

So it could be from romantics, perhaps?

'Remember, measure life by the moments that take your breath away, not by how many breaths you take'
Extreme Sports Cafe | ESC's blog | scratt's blog | @thescratt
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ezkcdude
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2010-06-24, 23:24

Quote:
Originally Posted by scratt View Post
I am a rightie and I hold the iPhone in my right hand. My understanding of the issue is that it's if you hold it in your left hand to make a call.
I'm pretty sure most righties hold the phone with their left hand.
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scratt
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2010-06-24, 23:25

Quote:
Originally Posted by ezkcdude View Post
I'm pretty sure most righties hold the phone with their left hand.
Poll?

Perhaps I am the exception that proves the rule? I do most everything with my iPhone in my right hand.
I certainly put it to my right ear when I make calls most of the time - which is hard with your left hand!

'Remember, measure life by the moments that take your breath away, not by how many breaths you take'
Extreme Sports Cafe | ESC's blog | scratt's blog | @thescratt
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ezkcdude
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2010-06-24, 23:27

Quote:
Originally Posted by scratt View Post
Poll?

Perhaps I am the exception that proves the rule? I do most everything with my iPhone in my right hand.
I certainly put it to my right ear when I make calls most of the time - which is hard with your left hand!
That's why I was asking earlier. Do this...look up pictures of people using cell phones on Google. I've found that more seem to be of people holding the phone in their left hand. Given that about 7/8 of the population is right-handed (according to my left-handed brother), I assume that this indicates righties tend to hold the phone with their left hand.
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scratt
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2010-06-24, 23:30

Well, if it's righties expect an even bigger class action suit!

Like I said, I have read that people switch ears for emotional / business calls.

I also guess some people need to hold the phone, and use their most dextrous hand to do stuff. So that may mean that the majority of people hold it in the left and tap with the right.

All I know is that I predominately use one hand to do everything on my iPhone. I am predominantly right handed, and I use my right ear, and right hand to make voice calls 99% of the time.

I have big hands, big feet and a big dick.
Perhaps it's people with small dicks that use their left hand, or have to use both to hold and dial!

'Remember, measure life by the moments that take your breath away, not by how many breaths you take'
Extreme Sports Cafe | ESC's blog | scratt's blog | @thescratt
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ezkcdude
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2010-06-24, 23:30

I just started a poll. If we get a big enough sample, maybe it will help.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2010-06-24, 23:32

Well, scratt and I are two righties who hold it (the phone) with our right hand. You know, like normal people. What's all this left-handed crap about?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ezkcdude View Post
I just started a poll. If we get a big enough sample, maybe it will help.
Aw, man...I wish you would've made the results visible.
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scratt
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2010-06-24, 23:56

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Well, scratt and I are two righties who hold it (the phone) with our right hand. You know, like normal people. What's all this left-handed crap about?
Do you have a huge dick hands, like me, and do most things one handed?
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FFL
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2010-06-25, 00:29

My 3GS running iOS 4.0 exhibits a signal loss of 2-3 bars using the Death Grip.
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ShadowOfGed
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2010-06-25, 03:39

Quote:
Originally Posted by FFL View Post
My 3GS running iOS 4.0 exhibits a signal loss of 2-3 bars using the Death Grip.
My iPhone 3G did the same. More interestingly, the Death Grip was only effective in a location that already had subpar service. When I was in an area closer to a tower, I was unable to recreate the symptoms. I'm not saying it's good, but the more I see of this, the more I think the iPhone 4 behavior is normal (and at the very least, not a step backward).

I really do think it's a bit of a placebo effect—since the antennas were pitched as a great innovation, people are looking for issues with them. Some people in areas with weak signals are able to create this pretty easily. But I bet they'd be able to see the same effects with a 3G or 3GS; they just weren't looking before.

Apparently I call the cops when I see people litter.
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Chinney
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Join Date: May 2004
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2010-06-25, 09:16

Interesting that there is some speculation that the reception issue does not occur with all phones because there is supposed to be a clear finishing solution on the metal strip. The problem perhaps only arises if the solution has not been properly applied. I wonder though, even if properly applied, that solution will eventually wear off. On the other hand, fixes are relatively easy. Reception on any mobile phone can be affected by how you hold it - so "don't hold it that way" is not an entirely illegitimate comment. Further, a case or a bumper apparently can avoid the problem. I, personally, would have a case in any event (I have a great SENA case for my current Touch). For those who don't want a case, an application of a bit of clear nail polish at the key spot might do the trick. And even if you do none of these things, the practical effect of the reception issue does not appear to be huge.

This might be a public relations issue for Apple - and they should maybe be looking for a technical fix to avoid bad public relations in a very competetive market - but for anyone approaching the matter at more than a superficial level, it is not a reason to avoid this product if it otherwise fits their needs.

From an article on The Guardian:

Quote:
Spencer Web, an antenna engineer with Antennasys, notes in a blog post that antennas for mobile phones are generally placed at the bottom of the phone, in order to keep the radiative parts of the phone as far away from the user's head as possible. In the US the Federal Communications Commission measures the output of a phone, and the amount of non-ionising radiation given off, in specific tests - but Web says that those would not have picked up the problem: "when the FCC tests are run, the head is required to be in the vicinity of the phone. But, the hand is not!"

He added: "The antenna structure for the cell phone is still down at the bottom (I won't address the WiFi nor GPS antennas in this blog entry). The iPhone 4 has two symmetrical slots in the stainless frame. If you short these slots, or cover them with your hand, the antenna performance will suffer.... There is no way around this, it's a design compromise that is forced by the requirements of the FCC, AT&T, Apple's marketing department and Apple's industrial designers, to name a few."

There is some speculation that the problem only occurs on some phones because the antennas are usually covered with a clear finishing solution; if the finish did not cover them properly the phone might be more liable to the problem.

Meanwhile iPhone 4 users are developing their own solutions - which range from the use of duct or masking tape on the bottom edge, painting clear nail varnish over the gap, buying cases to cover the sides of the phone, or - the most expensive option - buying Apple's "bumpers" which cover the edge of the phone.

When there's an eel in the lake that's as long as a snake that's a moray.
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ezkcdude
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2010-06-25, 09:28

I can see the marketing campaign now...


iPhone 5 - Hold it any way you like.

After 100 years of people holding their phones incorrectly...
  quote
psmith2.0
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2010-06-25, 09:43

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chinney View Post
Interesting that there is some speculation that the reception issue does not occur with all phones because there is supposed to be a clear finishing solution on the metal strip. The problem perhaps only arises if the solution has not been properly applied.
When I read about a "manufacturing issue" last night, that must be what they were talking about. Maybe some units didn't get properly finished/coated? That would be nice if it was that simple...the look of the "naked" phone remains, but there's some sort of barrier in place (without having to put on a case or bumpers). Fingers crossed (but not shorting out).
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alcimedes
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2010-06-25, 09:48

I'm right handed, always hold my phone with my left hand to dial etc., then switch to my right.

So in my case, I'd be boned either way.

Google is your frenemy.
Caveat Emptor - Latin for tough titty
I tend to interpret things in the way that's most hilarious to me
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ezkcdude
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2010-06-25, 09:49

One of my students showed me his iPhone 4. It doesn't seem to have the reception issue when I played around with it.
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scratt
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2010-06-25, 13:23

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
$5 says that by this time next week, they'll announce something along these lines, as more and more new iPhones get activated and more people notice this and complain.
I think Apple would be dumb not to. Especially for first adopters.

I would say that a reasonable solution would be for users to show that their iPhone is affected and get a Bumper.

But then that opens a whole other can of worms where people will then say it's a fault and demand a replacement - if a condition for giving out Bumpers is established, rather than simply a PR stunt with no specific agenda.

So just giving them away free seems the path of least resistance.

Roboman's idea of making the B&W ones free, and the coloured ones chargeable is quite intuitive I think.

'Remember, measure life by the moments that take your breath away, not by how many breaths you take'
Extreme Sports Cafe | ESC's blog | scratt's blog | @thescratt

Last edited by scratt : 2010-06-25 at 13:26. Reason: credit where credit is due. :)
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scratt
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2010-06-25, 14:16

This made me actually laugh out loud.

http://gizmodo.com/5572959/steve-job...sian-president

It's the expressions on Steve's face. Perfect for the captions.

'Remember, measure life by the moments that take your breath away, not by how many breaths you take'
Extreme Sports Cafe | ESC's blog | scratt's blog | @thescratt
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2010-06-25, 20:30

Quote:
The fix is expected to address a issue in iOS 4 related to radio frequency calibration of the baseband. Readers who saw the original forum discussions say that the issue is believed to occur when switching frequencies; because the lag is allegedly not calibrated correctly, it results in the device reporting "no service" rather than switching to the frequency with the best signal to noise ratio.
Deep breaths, people.
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CitizenTony
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Dallas
 
2010-06-27, 13:08

Steve Jobs latest email about reception: There is no reception issue. Stay tuned. I really don't like this kind of reply since I can pretty much replicate every video out there showing the problem. There is an issue, and even if it gets fixed in software tomorrow, it doesn't change the fact that it exists today. In this case, I'd almost rather Apple's tried and true silence than Steve Jobs' BS email.

This is starting to remind me of my first iPhone and the negative black issue I had with the screen. There was a bad batch, and I got caught in the middle of the politics. I traded in my phone multiple times trying to get a screen I could look at and finally emailed Steve Jobs after a store accused me of hacking into the phone. His reply was that it would be fixed in software soon, and not to worry. It never was, as I still have the same phone and its screen is still hard to look at. I got used to it and pretty much forgot about it until I sold my 3G this month and used it as backup while waiting for my 4.

That said, it isn't that hard to hold the phone in a way that makes the problem go away. But that's really not a solution.
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Xaqtly
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2010-06-27, 13:43

Same here. I think Jobs is really pushing it on this one. There is very clearly and obviously an issue when so many of us can easily replicate it. If he means that the problem is simply that the phone is not displaying the bars correctly... I think that's bunk too. I can make my phone lose 3G entirely and switch to EDGE just by holding it.

I don't know, this time with so much evidence contradicting what he's saying, his "the customer is just stupid" attitude is really rubbing me the wrong way. It seems like he's so protective of his innovative new antenna design that he's unwilling to admit it may have some very obvious and predictable flaws.

Bottom line, when I can easily and consistently reproduce signal failure to the point of the phone having to switch to EDGE, the problem is not me or the way I'm holding it. The problem is the antenna design.
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ShadowOfGed
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2010-06-27, 14:09

Quote:
Originally Posted by Xaqtly View Post
Bottom line, when I can easily and consistently reproduce signal failure to the point of the phone having to switch to EDGE, the problem is not me or the way I'm holding it. The problem is the antenna design.
But what makes the decision to switch to EDGE? Software. If the software reporting signal strength is inaccurate in some scenarios, then that same error would propagate both to the UI (what you're shown) as well as other code that decides "hey, 3G is weak, so it's time for EDGE."

So it could very well be software exaggerating the unavoidable attenuation caused by holding the phone certain ways. And as I've said before, it's not unique to the iPhone 4 (happens on my 3G), so the new antenna design isn't to blame here.

Apparently I call the cops when I see people litter.
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CitizenTony
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2010-06-27, 14:16

Quote:
Originally Posted by ShadowOfGed View Post
But what makes the decision to switch to EDGE? Software. If the software reporting signal strength is inaccurate in some scenarios, then that same error would propagate both to the UI (what you're shown) as well as other code that decides "hey, 3G is weak, so it's time for EDGE."

So it could very well be software exaggerating the unavoidable attenuation caused by holding the phone certain ways. And as I've said before, it's not unique to the iPhone 4 (happens on my 3G), so the new antenna design isn't to blame here.
I don't think it's the same issue on your 3G. Unless merely touching your phone with one finger in a certain spot causes it to consistently loose its signal? I think on the 3G, you're physically blocking the signal with your hand. Whereas with the 4, we're bridging the gap between two antennas.

This video shows "the spot".
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psmith2.0
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2010-06-27, 14:17

That would be wonderful if this is all it was.

I pretty have my $199 set aside, ready to go...just waiting for the white ones to ramp up and hit the streets.

Gonna be a long ~30 days...
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Messiahtosh
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2010-06-27, 14:19

Quote:
Originally Posted by CitizenTony View Post
I don't think it's the same issue on your 3G. Unless merely touching your phone with one finger in a certain spot causes it to consistently loose its signal? I think on the 3G, you're physically blocking the signal with your hand. Whereas with the 4, we're bridging the gap between two antennas.

This video shows "the spot".
The "3G spot" is hard to touch in real world use, and I tried to replicate the issue on multiple Apple Store iPhone 4's and none of them would do it.
  quote
addison
Formerly “AWM”
 
Join Date: May 2009
 
2010-06-27, 15:46

I don't see what all the fuss is about. Every single mobile phone anyone here has owned has told you in the manual not to put your finger or hand on the antenna, whether it's a mast antenna or an intenna, since it can have an effect on performance. Granted, the placement of that spot on the iPhone 4 makes it easier to do but it's not a unique problem. It would have been better if that spot could be on the top or bottom of the phone but it's not. I think this will all blow over.
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psmith2.0
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2010-06-27, 15:56

Well, then, it kinda goes back to being an odd, questionable design decision, doesn't it? Why not put it on the bottom, where few people are likely to have their hands when talking? Seems like the sides - the longer, main gripping area, would've been kept clear of any elements or components that might go wobbly when triggered by normal phone-holding.

Again, it's not like people are having to go out of their way - or perform some really funky finger, hand and body contortions - to make this happen. They're just holding the damn thing, much in the way they'd hold it to, oh, I dont' know...make a phone call?

That's a little sucky by any reasonable standard. And I'm the biggest Apple weinee/flag-waver/apologist in 46 counties, but even I'm not willing to put it on the shoulders of the user and join Apple's "you're holding it wrong" crusade.
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FFL
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2010-06-27, 16:11

Take equal parts tech industry hysteria and sloppy journalism.

Mix Thoroughly.

Results: Deliciously Hilarious!
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
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2010-06-27, 16:18

Yeah, that's boneheaded as can be.

That account clearly states it's a parody. Yeah, "sloppy" doesn't even scratch the surface. Toss in "desperate" and "lazy" too. Maybe even "stupid" (see below)?

As the article points out, there are only around 100,000 followers to the "CEOSteveJobs" account. Most people - particularly those in the media who should better have their finger on the pulse of "who's big and important" - would realize the real Steve Jobs would probably have several million followers/fans (or whatever they're called), as opposed to barely six figures.



Goons, any way you slice it.
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