Some iPhone 4 models dropping calls when held left-handed, including ours (Update: Apple responds)
By Richard Lai 
posted June 24th 2010 7:53AM
posted June 24th 2010 7:53AM
One iPhone 4 demonstrated the issue everytime it was held in our left hand (as a right-handed person is apt to do) so that our palm was essentially bridging the two antennas. You can see that in the video after the break. Bridging the two with a finger tip, however, didn't cause any issues with the reported reception. If we had to guess, we'd say that our conductive skin was acting to detune the antenna -- in fact, we've already managed to slowly kill two calls that way so it's not just an issue with the software erroneously reporting an incorrect signal strength. That said, we had no issues when Apple's $29 rubber bumper accessory (given to us free for standing in line) was attached, creating a buffer between our palm and the antennas. Our second UK-purchased iPhone 4 was fine, showing none of these handling symptoms. See the video evidence after the break including Insanely Great Mac's version which got us to worrying in the first place.
P.S. Don't forget to take our poll and let us know if you're seeing both the yellow spots / stripes and reception issues. Unfortunately, we're suffering from both flaws which is not a good sign for quality control on this first batch of Apple handsets.
P.P.S. Since some of you are asking, our review unit showed none of these issues.
Update: Apple responds to the issue, and boy, it's a doozy.
FAIL!
This is exactly what I wanted to read while waiting in line...
If you want to use your iPhone 4 left-handed you have to buy the official left-hand conversion kit from Apple for a mere $99.
That's not good I think i'll hold off for a bit. Curse my left handedness.
But don't worry. Once new firmware comes out, it will still show 5 bars when you touch the left corner! (:
If you want porn and to be able to use your left hand go to Android
@plbelanger ah ha! another conspiracy theory- Steve Jobs doesn't want anyone watching porn on the iPhone 4 so he wants to make sure your right hand is the one holding the phone!
@plbelanger - best comment, ever!
Huh, I figured it was some sort of conduction problem. This really sucks though. I don't have (nor will have) an iPhone 4 but I always hold my 3GS in that exact same place. Could have been a big problem if I updated XD.
This is why being the first to buy a product sucks. No doubt Apple will fix future rollouts.
@Hex Not every phone has this issue, mine doesn't. You never loose a single bar.
@kyphem
Oh, I'm fully aware that not EVERYONE has the problem. From the looks of it, it's definitely a minority. Not everyone's EVO screen is popping out. Not everyone's iPhone 3G failed to activate a few years ago. And not everyone's Xbox 360 red-ringed. I'm just saying that if you're an early adopter, you run a higher risk of having than those who wait a while.
It is a beatiful phone, but Apple seems to have chosen form over function. That kinda sucks.
With bumper the glass sides won't shatter and the antenna works great, but the great looking phone turns into something way more ugly.
So if this is basically a problem with every unit...
Once again, another reason I wish to deck Jony Ive in the forehead.
Just tried several times and I can't reproduce the results in that video, I don't notice any changes in reception no matter how I hold it.
@RAGE You must not be human.
But I'm left handed.... WHY? oh the humanity...
@buoy
So the problem won't affect you as much. Isn't that good?
@Duke oh? *thinks about it*
oh good! :)
Also having problems with wifi signal fluctuating with IOS4 & decreased battery life on an iPod touch.
@Xing yeah I am finding my 3G to be slower with iOS4.
How else are they gonna get people to buy sell those rubber bumpers
Remember how weed ooooood and ahhhhhhh'd when it was revelled how they worked. Whoops. Not sure if i want to test this when mine arrives, ignorance can be bliss!
WOW, its magical!!!
Same thing happens with my 3Gs, this is not an iPhone 4 issue alone.
If you have to use a bumper...you blew it...
@malimal If you were born left-handed, your parents blew it...
I can see the fanboys defending this Issue to death, because this is an issue, a pretty bad one.
Fanboys: oh yea its not bad!! You can just not the touch the antenna and/or buy a case for it!!
Me: =S but I don't like a case, and I'm right/left handed(depending where antenna is at)
fanboys: omg some people can never be satisfied with something so magical
Kinda hard if you watch red movies and use the other hand to, oh well, you know..
@Wekkel, you can't watch those filthy movies, so it's not a big deal.
- Steve Jobs
Sent from my Nokia 1100
This would have never happened if someone didn't buy the stolen left handed prototype!
@adamjustadam
maybe the left hand model was the one left at the bar...
XD
Wow, that's a deal breaker if I ever saw one.
This is definitely a feature, not a design flaw. Left handed people are known to be clumsier, and thus more likely to drop their phones.
Apple is no longer willing to pander to these people.
Well look at that.It turns out that every phone made en masse quickly probably has some initial problems.
All the apple fanboys were so sure that HTC has low quality phones across the board. The EVO 4G's glass lifting a half milimeter proved only apple could make a good phone!! OMG OMG! Now we get dropped calls if you touch the iphones death spot. It's a feature! Quick hang up!
I'm sure this will be fixed in a quick iteration. Maybe this will be a lesson for the idiots next time....ha, who am I kidding? the fanboys will be back at it ASAP
@everyone does
Nice post. Made me LMAO!
slap the b*tch iphone 4 from the left and it should be working fine and dandy again.
just like good olde days with tv. if you know what i mean.
Haha, suckers!
Apple has already said that is a bug which it plans to fix, and that it's "to do with the way the bars are presented".
@rfielder
Please, just stop. READ the damn article. WATCH the damn videos. STOP drinking the Cupertino kool aid. CLEARLY it's not just the way the bars are presented.
@rfielder
Apple has already said that is a bug which it plans to fix, and that it's "to do with the way the bars are presented"
Really? is Apple just planning artificially altering the way that signal bars are reported?
Just for lefties of course. From now on, when you go to buy your i-Phone, they will ask if you are a leftie, and put you in a separate queue. Lefties have become the 21st jew.
@rfielder
yea- a software patch for a hardware issue.
sounds more like Apple is going to be offering free iPhone 4 'bumpers' to all the lefties out there...
@stoney1973
Lol. Toyota prius problems were only floor mat related, right?
@lvsteven
That and people flipping out over the ABS behavior, yes.
According the keynote this antenna design has "never been done before." So, maybe for a reason.
@UI
Actually this has been done before or something pretty similar. It just isn't actively used because of these very problems.
Here is an interesting article (google translated) from June 10th in which a danish professor who is expert on antennas predicted exactly this problem with iPhone. I think Apple engineers dropped the ball on this one.
http://translate.google.dk/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=da&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.comon.dk%2Fnyheder%2FEr-iPhone-4-foedt-med-antenne-problemer-1.362104.html&sl=da&tl=en
BTW, antenna design was one of the patents Nokia sued Apple about, so maybe this is related?
@Rev - I am just surprised how well google translates Danish into English. The article is perfectly readable, and the grammar is mostly OK
@Rev
Wow, someone needs to send this article to engadget. I doubt they will post it though.
Seriously, you'd think they'd consider this in the design phase.
New Apple Bluetooth product on the way? Bumper sales on the rise? Either way, boom goes the dynamite.