Does adjusting or trimming the iPhone 4's micro SIM fix the antenna issue? Probably not.
By Nilay Patel 
posted June 30th 2010 12:32AM
posted June 30th 2010 12:32AM
So does all this hocus pocus actually work? In a word, no. We tried it on a few of our particularly bad iPhone 4s -- the ones that consistently demonstrate the issue -- and achieved no meaningful results. We even went so far as to line the edge of one of our trimmed micro SIMs in electrical tape (pictured above) to ensure that no contact was being made, and we were still able to flatline the phone using the "death grip." Sorry folks -- we wanted this to work too, but it looks like people are just being hopefully optimistic. We'd say the real fix is going to have to come from Apple -- and given the growing discontent over this relatively severe issue, the sooner the better.
pathetic the problem...
pathetic the fact that I'll buy one of these antenna-trouble-makers one day...
and it will be boring!
Well that figures.
Apple has been making "pretty" products for a while now, and it seems to be winning over the masses by producing these, shiny, extruded alluminum, thinner than silk devices with an OS that packs a lot of crap that most people won't/don't use.
And then they leave out something so tiny like FLASH support for their shiny smooth Safari browser...that's a deal killer.
And now this?
Dropped calls on any network is a huge pain, especially when it's a business call, or you are doing something important online. Do people not test these devices before putting them into full production? In my mind a simple fix would have been to build the antenae in device in a location that is going to be "more" free from interference, such as at the top or bottom of the phone (a location that wouldn't normally be covered by your hand/cheek). Or design a longer thinner antenae that passes 360 degrees around the edge of the phone casing.
That would offer a broader, more omni directional transmission surface area for sending/recieving signal...or make 2 antenaes.
I like the things Apple makes...they are pretty, shiny, sleek...ect.
But when it comes to comparing apples and oranges (pardon the pun), the guts inside Apple's iMacs, iPods, & iPhones...are no different that the guts inside my PC, MP3 player, and Smartphone.
Riddle me this...If I can install Mac OS on my PC, does that make it an iMac? Or do I then have to pay an extra 500$-1000$ for a half eaten Apple sticker to call it an iMac???
I hate the fact you pay extra for the 'Apple name', you pay extra for the 'Apple lifestyle'.
My guess is, the reason there is a bite out of the apple in the Apple logo, is because you are paying more for less (and getting less).
And then for them to 'trash talk' Microsoft & Windows 7 publicly, worldwide, on TV commercials...that's just low, and it's just a play to cover up blatent problems with their own OS.
You know what I would like to see. Microsoft design, develop, & manufacture their own shiny, sleek version of the iPhone and slap their new mobile OS on there.
I mean really go to town...use extruded adonized one/two piece alluminum construction, spend a little more in manufacturing to really set these products apart from Apple.
That is something that I would pay a little extra for.
@AliasJay im an iphone user. i almost bought an evo yesterday. the truth for me is that i felt i would be giving up a lot more by switching to the evo than dealing with att bs on iphone. yeah its annoying but as we have experienced the iphone 4, antenna issue or not still works way better than the 3gs. reasons i didn't get the evo? 1gb of system memory? lame. sure you can upgrade the card but you can't use that for apps or anything and thats if you can get it to read the 32gb card.. how much of android is taking up of that 1gb of system memory?
yes.. i actually like having a huge selection of apps. yes i find myself actually using my phone for things i never thought i would use it for as part of my daily routine - thanks to tons and tons of apps. i can be doing something and say "i wish i had something that would help me with this" and presto what do you know.. there really is an app for that. sure theres a lot of crap but i'd rather have tons of options and some of them being crap then a lack of options. yes i love having infinite amounts of 3rd party support for hardware, software, accessories. i love that i can just assume something exists or someone supports something iphone and am 98% right in that assumption.
the evo has an 8mp cam.. thats better than the iphone.. doesn't change the fact that it still doesn't look as good.. just bigger cell washy phone cam. the evo has impressive specs for sure - some of them better than the iphone - but it still falls short in user experience i feel. music, contacts, photos calendars etc.. all have to be done separately and manually (unless you use googles cloud, only half of these things needs to be done manually).. iphone does most of my shit without me even touching it; when i do sync, one button does everything. 4g? awesome im sure if you live in one of the small towns of the 13 states it exists in. also - why do i have to pay extra to get full rez out of the front facing cam on evo? kinda lame, also lame that on 3g the front cam is less than impressive - which is what i get for not living in one of those 13 states. and whats that other mysterious mandatory monthly $10 charge i couldn't take out of my plan?
flash on evo? awesome. seriously i am jealous. but.. realistically how often has this been a problem for me on my mobile device so far.. pretty much zero. i know that if i had the evo i would most likely switch flash to "on demand" to save page loads and as soon as the novelty of using a flash site on a small, slow screen got tired , i know i would rarely if ever actually have the phone load the flash portions. i know this because i already instinctually have done it on a friends. now the ipad not having flash? thats a whole different story.. something like the ipad was meant to have flash.. it is in fact a shame.
the iphone may not be perfect, it may not have the best specs but the truth is every piece of tech will have limits and disappointments. i am finding this more and more as i legitimately shop the options. having great specs is fine, but having a better experience overall is generally more important in my book. if you are in a crap area with no coverage - get a different provider. most people are willing to deal with att tho just because everything else about the phone is worth it. the you don't have to hate on iphone, just dont buy it. the only thing that is getting more annoying than all the iphone hype are the people hating on the iphone and hype - its like its the new hipster thing to do because it got popular... im more cool than you cuz i don't like iphone... bold. you can have a more tedious experience and a lack of options by all means. just don't bitch when other people choose differently.
@system22
A LOT of sites rely on flash. A LOT of sites are composed completely of flash...like my own.
A browser that CAN NOT utilize flash is nearly useless for internet usage, unless all you do is connect to scaled down "mobile versions" of websites.
Apps are cool. But an App is just Apples nickname for an iconified shortcut to a program stored in the device. Funny Microsoft just calls those little pictorals 'icons".
Applications for Smartphones are just as abundant as APPs for iPhone, and nine times out of ten you can just download them for free.
iTunes...same gay thing. An iTune is just another gay nickname for a specially encoded MP3 that you have to buy from their store...and again MP3s you can usually download for free.
My biggest beef was that Apple; through clever marketing, and glittery gadgets has totally hypnotized many rational people into emptying their pockets for silly Apps, music, and videos that they were orriginally getting for free before they had an Mac.
Hey man I can unlock my car with my cell phone too...what a joke, and I didn't have to pay 5$ to be able to do it.
Admittedly, the biggest and only real drawback to a Smartphone is the lack of devices that have 80+GB of on board memory, and MicroSDs don't carry sufficient bandwidth to run applications quickly from them.
Side tangent----->Who NEEDS 80GB of onboard memory anyway? Do you know how large a Windows Mobile program is??
NOT VERY!!
A smartphone should have more space! For all the free music, movies, and software you can download.!
I DO NOT CONDONE PIRATING!!!! Just saying. lol
However, Microsoft doesn't design devices around their OS (unlike Apple). they unfortunately tote their OS to other phone manufactures like HTC, HP, Dell, Nokia...ect
And the unfortunate part about that reality is...is that MS makes a pile more money selling the OS, ('cuz they don't have to spend on designing handheld devices to run the OS), and that results in these phone manufacturers building cheap products (with price tags matching iPhone) in order to re-coup the loss of design and MS's OS.
That's why I said...If Microsoft designed and manufactured their own cellular device that could compete with iPhone, it would be the SH*T!
And I wouldn't feel so bad spending 500$+ on something like that.
But as for Apple and their stuff...it's still pretty, but disfunctional...especially with their crap antenae problem...that they are refusing to correct.
DON'T BUY THE IPHONE PEOPLE!
I will now SNAP my fingers and when you awaken you will take your iPhone back to the place of purchase and demand a full refund!
this is the deal imo. im sorry htc fans but the masses in general just love the iphone more. a lot of this hype is just generated by the iphone lovers themselves making a big deal, then media wants to cover that big deal and if there is a problem with that big deal they want to cover that too. people also love their iphones so much that they will take it regardless of problems and look for fixes rather than just getting something else. its just like microsofts zune trying to compete against the ipod. you can throw as much wizardry, tech and specs at it, but the most important feature to most people is the name and the brand. i personally don't see engadget being forced or biased. they are just catering to what most people want to read.
I will say that I am getting more and more p.o.ed everyday with my new Iphone. I have never had as many time outs and unable to complete's as I have had in the past few days. I am right handed and I do have a lame bumper case that I spent almost 30 bucks for on the opening day last Thursday. I have full bars and a 3G connection and I attempt to connect to the internet via safari, lay the Iphone flat on the table and *don't touch it* and I still get time outs about 80-90 percent of the time. Almost thinking about going back to my 3G.