iPhone 4 antenna woes contextualized by dude in the know
By Vlad Savov 
posted June 25th 2010 3:47AM
posted June 25th 2010 3:47AM
Spencer Webb runs AntennaSys, a company that designs tailormade RF solutions, and has himself worked on making quad-band transceivers for AT&T. As he tells it, almost all phone makers have now transitioned to locating their antennae at the bottom of the phones. This has been in order to move radio wave emissions away from the head (a shortcoming that a top-mounted aerial would incur), which the FCC has been quite demanding about with its SAR standards --
Another great point made here is that testing done both by the Federales and mobile carriers might include the head, but never accounts for the presence of the person's hand. Thus, although a phone's antenna could test very well, it might suffer from such issues as those experienced with the iPhone 4. Mind you, this still seems like an assembly (rather than design) problem to us, since most of our editors haven't had any reception worries and we in fact saw improved performance on that front while conducting our review testing. Spencer himself has decided to buy the phone knowing full well about this potential limitation, and concludes on the note that "sometimes an antenna that's not great, but good enough, is good enough."The iPhone 4, however, moved the antenna action from the back of the phone to the sides. This probably improves the isotropy of the radiation pattern, but only when the phone is suspended magically in air.
I don't see the problem here. Having it magically suspended in air is the default use case for any Apple device.
Hah, without fail... I knew you guys would try to clean this issue up a bit. Apple's design? Nope! The company that made it has varying quality! Apple's testing? Nope! The FCC has very strict regulations! Should we not buy the iPhone 4 since it has trouble being used as, well, a phone? Nope! This ATT guy says it's good enough, buy away!
Well I will put it in a case before leaving the store, for this reason I dont even mind about antenna issues.
This reminds me of how cigarette companies put those tiny vent holes around the filter (where your fingers cover them up) so that they test for less tar.
Im due for a new phone (currently still have a omnia i900) and im in the market for a new mobile, and am considering the iphone 4. To me this whole antenna ordeal isnt really a big deal. As an experiment i decided to remove the rubber case i have around my omnia, and as im aware the antenna is located on the bottom, so, i covered the bottom with my hand......within 5 seconds my signal bars drop down. Seems like what i read earlier from another post, that this can happen on many devices. And it did on my omnia also. Rubber case back on.......no dramas. I know apple's response to concerned consumers wasnt the best, but to me, it can happen on any device. And in this report, the editors aren't experiencing the problem...........could people just be making it a bigger deal than it really is?
@Jimbaland
You are technically correct in your findings, though I have to kind of stop there. I have a MyTouch3G and if I cover the whole bottom of my phone I'll drop a few bars as well, just like you and your Omnia.
The problem here is that on both of these phones and most other phones out there, is that to come up with those results, one has to completely cover the bottom of the phone. Not really the natural way ppl hold their phones to speak, so it really is a non issue there.
The iphone on the other hand has this problem come up when holding the phone in a way that many ppl hold it to make a call, and most I've seen hold it to surf the web and whatnot.
It's a design flaw that I'm guessing apple knew about yet shipped defective phones anyway. Not cool.
The more consumers let the big corporations get away with selling us crap devices that have major flaws out of the box, the more thay will just go along with business as usual.
Even the most ardent apple fanboy should have a problem with this flaw. Unfortunately, most are blind.
My 2 pennies.
They should be giving out the black bumper for free atleast, if their not going to attempt to fix the problem.
"""Mind you, this still seems like an assembly (rather than design) problem to us, since most of our editors haven't had any reception worries and we in fact saw improved performance on that front while conducting our review testing."""
Human body conductivity and capacity vary greatly from person to person. IIRC the food and drinks have can affect that too.
For a test one can wash the hand in salty water or simply run in salt into the place on the palm.
@Why should I have all the fun Josh himself during the podcasts always laughs and smirks at the idea that some people think that Engadget is on Apple's pay roll/dick and they dismiss it every time with sarcasm... after reading this, there's not doubt that they may not be on the pay roll but they sure do display an incredible array of ignorance to anything that flaws the iPhone, even if it is a BIG problem as such as this. Paul Miller once said, "GO team Apple!"... yeah... go straight to into fail oblivion after pulling this "You're holding the phone the wrong way" shit. Engadget makes me sick sometimes but no on is forcing me to read their blogs... but I sure can critic to anything I want, and these words don't fall on deaf ears. Many other readers see it too. It just sucks to see journalism so biased and ignorant.
This has never ever EVER happened to any of my NOKIA or Sony Ericsson devices. I guess making mobile devices since the 1960s (Nokia) and since 1956 (Ericsson) has something to do with that.
Can't beat experience folks!
Oh, and Engadget has lost 90% of its credibility when it comes to being "objective" in its articles.
I like the way Gizmodo is standing up to Apple. About time someone does it!
@Kingdom of Norway There's at least one video on YouTube today showing it happening to a Nokia phone.
@yankdez Pretty solid list of cons for this phone: http://briefmobile.com/should-i-buy-an-iphone-4
I mean, there are pros too... but at this point I'm not sure this device is worth the title "best smartphone ever."
You have to be a magician for the magic to work! Apple forgot to add that to it's phone description...
This may be a tough one for Apple to fix. Its not like this is some sort of glitch or software issue, its hardware. I mean we all know that Apple has great costumer service but just how far does that extend.
If you want to understand the full extent of the hard ware damage check out the article athttp://getyourgadgetsgoing.com/
grin, that's the outcome of testing with cases. Even one of the first public ones (the one left all alone at a beer bar) was covered with a case to hide the optics. So probably there has been no or almost no testing without the bumpers.
Apple will never learn it. They ignore those flaws just because they have no measurements to calculate the damage done. Why care? There are still more people willing to preorder than they can handle.
The jug goes to the well until it breaks and if Apple will ever be forced to learn, they'll learn it the hard way.
Most of my friends predicted the teething troubles. They learned their lessons from the old generation iPhones.
I'm curious whether there will be some impact on Apple one day. It's a small step from freaky cool to just plain arrogant.
p.s.: Does sweat affect the issue? So calls only drop if you phone your angry boss?
Gawd this is getting old. As someone else pointed out earlier and i'll repost:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/nexus-one-3g-problems-persist-after-update-is-it-a-design-pro/
Didn't see any magical posts after this one trying to explain away the issue or saying this:
"But, before we start ostracizing Apple as the singular offender here, let's hear from a man in the know."
Why didn't we see that after the above new post regarding the Nexus One.
Why keep defending Apple.
Geezus.. every time i'm on this bloody site, I think i've mistakenly navigated to iLounge.
After buying one yesterday and having this problem no matter how I hold it I feel like a propper sucker. Anyone trying to say this is not a big deal obviously does not have an iphone 4. It's a design flaw simple as that. I cannot see any way they can fix it either, and no putting a case on it is not a satisfactory fix in my opinion. I'm going to keep hold of it for a few more days and see what else apple does, but honestly I think its going to end up going back for a refund.
BTW i'm in the UK and on orange
@jay dee
Good luck with trying to get a refund from Orange. They are under no legal obligation to give you a refund I'm afraid. At most, they could offer you a free bumper to solve the reception issue.
@MikeUK
I may be wrong but i've always had a 'coolling off' period with new phones from orange. Like I said I'll hold onto it for a few more days but if the situation doesn't get any better then i'll be kicking up a stink
@jay dee Ah there's your problem, you're on Orange.
@jay dee
law changed last year. Now the cooling off period only applies if you buy something online. Anything bought in a brick and mortar isn't covered. Friend's boyfriend bought a 3GS three days before the iPhone 4 was announced. When I told him the new phone would be announced within days, he decided to go back to Orange the next day. He told them the phone kept dropping calls (not true, but wanted to maximise the chances of Orange taking the phone back). He was told that they wouldn't take it back.
I genuinely hope you get a refund (if that's what you decide on). But friend's experience suggest that it's not a customer service model the follow anymore.
Silly people I gave you pretty phone for bragging not to make calls
Steve
Sent from iphone
@yankdez
IPhone is a shrunk down ipad .....now we know what Steve meant
Having read responses from various iPhone 4 owners that they weren't experiencing the problem, I thought "maybe these are isolated cases". So I visited my local Apple store about an hour ago. Talked to a Apple salesman, who claimed that he didn't have a problem on his phone. Also told me that they were currently unpacking a new shipment, and would have a batch for sale within half an hour. "Great" I thought, "I'll play with the demonstration models whilst they're unpacking the shipment. Picked up the fist demonstrator... within 20 seconds, all but one of the bars dropped. Moved on to the second demonstrator, same thing happened. Twenty demonstrators, and every single one of them lost their signal. Half were on Orange, and half were on 3, so wasn't a network issue. I approached the same salesman, and pointed out the results of my impromtu test. As all the demonstrators were 16GB models, I asked if this might be a problem with just the 16GB models? "Strange" he said, "mine is a 16Gig and it works just fine" Asked him if I could see it. He went completely silent when the first bar dropped. Moments later the second bar dropped, and I swear he stopped breathing. Eventually, all the bars disappeared, and were replaced by the words "searching". "Wow, never realised that" he said. He proceeded to babble on about mostly using it in his right hand, and then offered the solution of using a bumper.
I had an original Iphone, and currently using a 3G, and have never had this problem. I was so excited about getting the new iPhone 4, and feel really disappointed now.
I suspect that Apple implemented this new design to compensate for poor ATT signals. The fact that iPhones work fine in the rest of the world doesn't seem to matter. Unfortunately, now we're all paying for ATT's woeful network.
@MikeUK
The Cult of Mac programming was just rebooted in that Apple Store employee, good job. ;) Maybe there's hope for him yet...
I fully expect to see people getting Apple Store credits for free bump cases starting in the next 24 hours as I predicted yesterday. This is really ramping up big time so, we'll see what happens but, one thing is for sure:
"Just avoid holding it that way" is going to haunt Steve Jobs for quite some time to come, I promise.
And to think I started to read Engadget because Gizmodo was going Apple Nuts on me.
Really poor excuse for journalism.
This is a legitimate problem that really should be addressed and it's being shrugged off? That's ridiculous. A cellphone is meant to be held, not to sit on a table.
it's a ploy to get everyone buying those overpriced bumpers, or maybe he's brought shares in some isolator tape company.
@theRumble
how about clear lacquer? :)
Next step is that it voids warranty using a third party bumper :)
It's apples fault but does it really matter that much if we all are gunna have a non-conductive silicone or plastic case anyway.
@techguy78
Didn't have a case on my original iPhone, don't have one on my 3G. And had no intention of getting a case of any kind for iPhone 4. If this issue doesn't get fixed, I won't be buying. (and I really want to)
@MikeUK this is a hardware design problem, so in order to fix this, they'd have to redesign much of the phone. i'm not sure what the likelihood of them releasing a redesign before June 2011 is, but i'd bet that whatever phone they release next June will have a different antennae system.
Engadget is biased!
That's just one of Steve Job's automated reply emails.
if message contains "hand" and "antenna" response is:
"Just avoid hold it in that way"
if message contains "price" response is:
"iPhone is only for winners"
if message contains "quality" and ("check" or "control") response is:
"huh?"
if message contains "antenna" and "free" and ("bumper" or "case" or "bunker") response is:
"no. of course not. But you can buy cheap cotton gloves at your local drugstore."
if message contains "money" and "back" response is:
"Mail delivery failed: returning message to sender"
Cheers!
@yankdez
All iPhone 4 purchasers should get a free iPhone Bumper cover for this blunder! (It does fix the issue...)
@scirius
clear lacquer a great idea, maybe just dip the whole thing in resin, although i haven't noticed any issues myself then again im in central London.
Good news everyone people masturbate with left hand so we .......
Apple design Transport
@barac I don't believe for one second that they would never have tested it without the fake cover. Even if it was only inside Apple's offices, where the same problematic effect would be observed.
Don't let Apple piss you off or you'll get yellow spots in your retina.
Am I missing something...I'd see being careful not to touch the left corner mildly annoying when making calls, but how do you not touch it when holding the phone for 2 handed operation of internet, maps, data required apps. I can't not touch the left bottom side. From speed tests it shows data speeds significantly reduced when touching the device as well. HOW THE HECK ARE YOU HOLDING IT
@dswatson83
Easy, hold it that way:
http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/B5dHswFAKNw/0.jpg
My phone drops by a bar when I pick it up. In fact, I'm willing to bet a lot do.
@Greg7388 but it doesn't short out the antenna.
Wow I really like Engadget, but come on now you want people to settle for broken devices because they have an Apple logo? If this was any other product you'd be doing the right thing and telling people to hold off for a fix.
LMFAO @ hold it differently!!!!
@yankdez, Best if Apple recalls all iPhone 4's and resells them as the new iPod Touch.
And this is why being a fan boy hurts. No corp has your interest in mind or concerned unless it affects the bottom line. Too many examples to bring about of emails and memos on how these people see you the consumer and will flick you off. But you'll fight and bicker that they are this and that. That tech erection can blind ya.
.
I've watched the videos, I see the effect, And try as I might, I cannot get the signal on my iPhone to drop no matter how I hold it, completely covering the lower half of the phone in my fist while on a call.... not a flicker.
I'm no that bothered anyway because I picked up a case from the O2 store anyway, but, I can't help but wonder if this is not perhaps a manufacturing defect in a certain number of iPhone handsets.
I'd be particularly interested to know if the yellowing screen and antenna problem are commonly found together, perhaps Foxconn put a bit too much of a rush on these devices.
The drooling fanboyism of the main article reads like the following:
So other than the gunshot to the head issue how did you like the play tonight Mrs. Lincoln?
Ooohh... that didn't come out right... o_O
@Why should I have all the fun: And you seem to be overlooking the many design flaws in Android phones, I not knocking Android, it's a good OS, You people knock Apple for any possible thing but not Android phones.