The Jimmy Fallon Test: is the iPhone 4 dropping fewer calls?
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted June 25th 2010 1:02PM
posted June 25th 2010 1:02PM
So like us, he's getting better reception on the new phone (despite the antenna issues). What about you guys? We know that there are definitely noticeable, real signal issues, but how has your connection been? More dropped calls or less? Let us know in the poll below!I did the experiment. I tried to stay on the phone from downtown Manhattan to Midtown with no dropped calls. (usually I get 2 drops)
I got..... (drum roll)
No dropped calls!!! Not one.
I'm a believer.
iPhone 4.
| Yes, it's definitely improved over my 3G / 3GS. | |
|---|---|
| It seems about the same. | |
| Actually, it's worse. | |
| I don't have an iPhone 4, but I like participating in polls. |
@The Advanced Kind
My cell and wifi reception are better.
I can lose cell reception "bars" if I hold it "wrong", though. No dropped calls yet.
If I don't think about it it will probably be fine.
@fordbailey
Removed commwnt from Apple IPhone News.
GOOD ONE Josh,
@fordbailey: (I'm reposting the gist of my original post so your post has some relevance)
Except that's how Apple told us to hold it: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/25/hey-apple-youre-holding-it-wrong/
My brother's iPhone 4 seems to get markedly worse reception than my 3GS. The wifi signal is much worse than my 3GS when we are the same distance from the base station. It's too early to say about dropped calls though...
@The Advanced Kind - NOOOOOOO! NOT MY PRECIOUS iDEVICE!! IT'S GOT TO BE AT&T's FAULT! PLEASE MAKE IT AT&T's FAULT! AND YOU, WITH THE $50 SAMSUNG IN YOUR LEFT HAND WITH 5 BARS, STOP LAUGHING AT ME!!
PS More AT&T vindication! But you wont here peep about it and all those bashers will never fess up. So FUCK OFF Verizon Kool-Aid drinkers and iPhone sycophants, FUCK OFF I TELL YA! ;^)...
@paulodourado who is the little shorty with a nasty smirk next to SJ? Is SJ showing to him that the mature content is now allowed on the crystal piece of magic? The different face expressions suggest Medvedev asked SJ to allow him to browse his favorite pron site.
Question #1: what stands a higher chance of shattering if dropped from their current position - the glasses on SJ's head or the phone he is holding with his specially glued fingers?
Question #2: is this a proof that SJ approves wearing rings on fingers and it is safe, and the iP4 is not going to shatter if an iSheep accidentally bumps his/her ring finger into the phone?
@Frankenstein Black
Waowwww. A true apple fanboy! Want to join the engadget team?
Is it too much to ask to just for just ONE editor to agree with us and acknowledge the issue as a major drawback of the phone(device... if you hold it a certain way...)
@The Advanced Kind The jimmy fallon test, a true scientific analysis indeed.
@potretr
now how about removing the article as well? Are we going to get a new article everyday talking about the antenna? everyone knows what the problem is...we don't need any more "scientific" tests, least of all by Fallon
@fordbailey
I like to think that the last option was because of my complaint from a couple days ago. I like it!
@AcE17
speak for yourself dude. My i4 has great reception. No complaints here.
@Pradster
my sisters brothers uncle did a test and he said it's fine!
move along please nothing to see here...
@fordbailey My intellegence is insulted that this is news on this site
@AcE17
I don't see it as a drawback whatsoever. I purposefully tried to make mine lose reception by holding it the "wrong way" and doing everything that is supposedly an issue. In fact, I have better reception overall and have reception in places I used to get no service with my 3G. I'm just speaking from my own personal experience. Some people may very well have issues, but [Jimmy Fallon and] I both have no issues.
@ Jimmy Fallon,
Oh Jimmy, please continue to use the iPhone in either hand, so it can blow you up. Please.
Sent from my DROID, bit*h.
@Revolutionary Wow, there's way too many Android Fanbois in here.
@fordbailey I do not have ATnT because I'm lucky not to be in US and my iPhone 3Gs never dropped a call ever, unless I'm in elevator and signal goes 0 even for my plastic made Samsung.
Secondly I am not so strong to squeeze the new iPhone hard enough to drop signal.
@potretr All these talk show people are getting kick backs from AT&T.
@boxieblue
Of course the iPhone 4 is the hot topic...fanboy or hater or don't really care aside...not saying that Fallon is running scientific test, but he is someone who travels the same route almost every single day in NYC (one of AT&T's worst locations) so his test does have credibility...
well good for him LMAO
shame everyone else is getting dropped calls
@cleo2525 Mostly Android owners are getting more dropped calls on iPhone 4 v. 3GS. If you get the drift....
@jaffreywali
I don't have any problems with dropped calls on my iPhone 4, or my 3GS for that matter. Probably because I have a Nexus One, not an iPhone. So no, I don't get your drift.
@cleo2525 Whatever, can it help you get through a skit or scene without f-ing it up? Can you hear me now? I'm with Coco!
@jaffreywali I hear ya.
Engadget has great articles, but the commenting has really gone to shit.
@Dafrety Most of the complaints about iPhone 4 dropping more calls than the 3GS are Android owners like you who have never owned an iPhone! Making it up....
1.5 M people just bought the iPhone in 1 day! If this were a real issue we'd have a stampede of complaints. It's not like the Nexus One where 20K sold in a week or even the EVO where 60k were sold at launch. The magnitude of the iPhone launch means a critical problem like this cannot be covered up by Engadget.
At least try and think rationally.
@Oghowie
I disagree, they've both gone to shit. But yes, I remember a couple years ago when there were so many hilarious comments posted on this site.
@dardub I only really visit Giz and Engadget on a daily basis and Engadget is much better. Not sure if it's because Giz has gone completely downhill though.
@cleo2525
Congratulations, Josh!
You just threw Jimmy Fallon into the lion's den!
@cleo2525
Where I work in Michigan, I had horrible signal strength with my 3G. I am getting a better fast signal with the iPhone 4.
My signal bars do drop when I "hold my phone wrong" though. However, call quality stays the same while holding incorrectly.
@cleo2525
If the iPhone dedicates more power to the antenna broadcast to compensate for low power at the cell tower, won't that mean higher radiation levels next to your head (or crotch, if you use bluetooth)?
3GS = .79 SAR
4 = 1.17 SAR
(Not that 1.17 is high - it's not - but still...1.17 is a big jump over .79)
@Oghowie
yea
@jaffreywali
Yep, I'm seriously betting 75% of the people who answer negatively about the iPhone are trolling.
@cleo2525 Funny... I don't remember having dropped calls, like, ever.
Oh, wait, never used iPhone.
@jaffreywali Yeah thats because apple has there cult oops i ment followers.
Jimmy Fallon's an Apple fanboy, remember that before voting.
@Revolutionary No he's not. An Apple fanboy would not consider switching to an Android phone and publicly display his gripes about an Apple product.
@Jon Rubenstein
I've never seen a more blatant apple fanboy trying not to come across as an apple fanboy than Jimmy Fallon
@Jon Rubenstein he's a lying sack who never intended to switch to anything.
the proof is that he kept his 3gs so long even though it dropped calls constantly.
his iPhone doesn't even need to work, he'd still keep it and like it, like the good little fanboy he is
@Air Force One Waaaaah!
@Jon Rubenstein Sure he is, and he even admits it on the Engadget Show. What he isn't is an AT&T fanboy and that's why he was considering switching.
@Revolutionary
Poor Apple iphone fans, they totally stood by the 3G and 3Gs and said it never had reception problems and blamed it on AT&T (even when other AT&T phones were performing well in the same areas)
Now the new iphone gets reception and less or no dropped calls in areas that were black holes for 3G and 3Gs in the past. Well, now the new phone may have much better reception but has a serious design flaw with the antenna! Apple, continue the great work!
But an Apple fanboy would say he was considering getting and Android until he saw how great the iPhone and now he's a "believer" without ever really considering a switch. People do that here every day.
@Accidental
Actually, it's AT&T's fault.
But apple is to be blamed for the antenna design of the iPhone 4.
Yeah, clearly anyone who likes their iPhone is a fanboy. Even my mom, who can't use a computer to save her life, but is a pro on the iPhone. Huge fanboy, she is. *roll eyes*
@DTJ how to make Jimmy fallon doesn't look like a apple fanboy, bring in your mom....??!!! WOW
@DTJ
The fact that people cannot or will not use anything other than an iphone not because it is harder to use or any less capable in spite of them suffering from severe issues with the phone makes them a fanboy.
@Revolutionary
Wait until he holds it 'wrong' according to apple.. LOL - Josh T is the worst ever.
@Revolutionary
I'm convince now more than ever that the issue never really laid with AT&T in the first place regarding dropped calls on the iPhone's.
Been on AT&T since 2007 and I've never had a call dropped. EVER.
Never had issues with data being ridiculously slow or an inability to connect to the internet, NADA, nought, NOTHING.
@Jon Rubenstein
You'd have to be a fanboy to keep using a "phone" that can't make calls (or drops them constantly). Part of the reason I love my G1 so much is that I've never had a dropped call on it, but if right out of the box it started dropping calls you better believe I'd return it and not keep it and say how great a "phone" I have that can't even make calls...
@spartandre217 Dear Josh. No one gives a shit about Jimmy Fallon. Thanks.