As far as I can recall, there’s never been an iPhone launch without someone freaking out about something. It’s logical; iPhones are very expensive, so the last thing you expect after buying one is something like, you know, bad reception. As has been covered ad nauseum, it seems that bad iPhone 4 reception can result from holding the device a certain way; dropping by as much as four or five bars. Late last week, Apple released a letter to iPhone 4 users regarding this. Their explanation? Basically, your reception always sucked, you just didn’t know it.
From the letter:
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.
Leading to:
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.
Uh…okay?
To be fair, I haven’t experienced any of these problems with my iPhone 4. Apparently, the Akron, Ohio area gets the best AT&T signals on the planet, as I always have solid reception and rarely experience a dropped call. Of course, those signals weren’t real, I guess, so I’ll be curious to see how they show up after Apple releases an update within a few weeks. This update will adopt “… 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.”
I guess if people are only going to be seeing bars 1, 2 and 3, you should make them easier to see, right?
But again, Apple is not conceding that iPhone 4 reception is worse than with previous iPhones, nor that the design is hurting reception. From the letter:
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 stated above, this is true in my case. I have not noticed any performance drop-off from my previous 3G or wife’s 3GS to my new iPhone 4. But I know that many people have, and I’m not sure Apple’s “apology” is going to cut it with them. If it really is a matter of tightly covering the black strip, and if using a case solves this issue (as many case developers have claimed), then Apple needs to provide free Apple Bumpers to everyone who has already purchased an iPhone 4, and they need to start including Bumpers with all future iPhone 4 shipments.
This type of proactive solution is not unheard of. When Nintendo started receiving too many complaints of injury and damage due to people using their WiiRemote, they sent all current Wii owners free protective cases for the remote and began to include them with the Wii system and separate Remote purchases. They also redesigned the strap so that it stays attached to the wrist with greater reliability.
Did I need them? No. I have yet to hit anyone, and I have yet to throw the remote into the TV (on accident, anyway). But am I using them? Yes. I would likely do the same with the Apple Bumpers, and Apple could easily make a lot of disgruntled customers quite a bit happier by solving their troubles with something more than just an apology for “… any anxiety we may have caused.”
I agree with Apple in that the iPhone 4 does not have a faulty antenna design. I disagree with their method of handling the claim. But there’s still time for them to get it right. They’ve done it before with the faulty Apple USB Power Adapter replacement program, and they even extended MobileMe subscriptions to compensate for its poor performance when they rolled out its second launch.
Read [Letter from Apple Regarding iPhone 4]
Also see:
- WWDC 2010: Bumpers for iPhone 4 in one of six colors
- iPhone 4 case product announcements
- iPhone 4 case product announcements, round 2
Image [Engadget]
"I agree with Apple in that the iPhone 4 does not have a fault antenna design"
Really?! Yes, there is a problem. Don't state that there isn't a problem just because you aren't experiencing it. There is clearly an issue. I would like to see your research showing there is no issue.
Research? Where's the research stating that there is an issue, other than people saying, "Hey, there is a problem," and blogs picking that up, then major news outlets picking that up? I'm merely reporting on Apple's response to the blogs, and offering my opinion of that response based on a couple weeks of use.
I agree there's an issue, which is why I offered my suggestion on the free bumpers. But an issue that can reportedly be fixed with a small accessory isn't a "faulty antenna design," in my (and Apple's) opinion. If it didn't work at all, or crapped out for no reason, or shot laser beams into your ear…THAT would be a faulty antenna design.
If I buy a toy car and I pick it up and the wheel falls off, it broke. The toy could be considered a 'faulty' product. If I pick up my iPhone and I lose all signal, it broke. Just because something isn't physically breaking doesn't mean something is not breaking or working properly, hence it's a 'faulty' product. Seriously, you can call it what you want but if a product does not work as it's intended and breaks at one point then it is a faulty product/design/or what ever you want to call it.
Using your analogy, though, the wheels aren't falling off the iPhone. They're occasionally sticking for a moment…for some people, but only when pushing it a certain way across the floor (I have yet to find a report that indicates the percentage of users who are reporting this problem).
But we're debating a smaller portion of an issue on which basically agree. There's an issue, and Apple needs to do more to solve it than to apologize and change the way reception is indicated. You say it's a faulty design, I say it's not if it's so easily remedied, but my point of view is irrelevant if Apple does nothing to remedy it.
OR,maybe this is all Apple's shifty way of getting a "reason" to justify adding Verizon in 2011?
Not to beat this conversation to death… you said, “I agree with Apple in that the iPhone 4 does not have a fault antenna design”.
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/electronics/2010/07/apple-iphone-4-antenna-issue-iphone4-problems-dropped-calls-lab-test-confirmed-problem-issues-signal-strength-att-network-gsm.html
all I'm saying is yes, the iPhone 4 has a faulty antenna design.
It's all good. Beat away.