Apple keeps antennagate alive with Droid X's 'kill switch' (video)
By Ross Miller 
posted July 23rd 2010 7:20PM
posted July 23rd 2010 7:20PM
posted July 23rd 2010 7:20PM
Motorola DROID X
Apple iPhone 4
Google Android 4.0
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@Seven2k
Seriously Apple?
@Ellianth
No different from iPhone owners who don't drop calls with their phone.
@kchase731 Mr.Jobs just taddles on everyone
@BrandonHarris
Right on! 0 calls, yes 0 calls, hell, I'll say it one more time just because! 0 calls dropped from my iPhone 4 and let's see, had it one month as of tomorrow! Sounds like a good % to me!
@MrFluffyThing
The reason the "3G" symbol isn't showing is because the Droid X is in the middle of a voice call. I have a Moto Droid and it does not show the 3G symbol either whenever I'm in a voice call. We should also note - of course - that the call does not drop.
@Seven2k Consumer Reports is a joke.. :P
I can get my Blackberry Bold 9700 to drop bars in certain places, but it's not consistent. Then again, that thing is a piece of garbage, so take that with a grain of salt.
These videos are a pure PR stunt, and it's obviously working judging by all the press and comments posted. Now everyone is aware that all these smartphones can drop bars if held a certain way, and wealthy Apple investors who were about to drown themselves are now content. Guess they can get out of their wet clothes and into a dry martini...shazam!
@Ruthless I don't think anyone remembers the same problems regarding dropped calls and cellular data with the 3G and 3GS launch. While the iPhone 4 is at fault, I still believe AT&T isn't helping things, since they couldn't get a call to drop or data to slow from this article: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&u=http://blogdoiphone.com/2010/07/inedito-teste-de-recepcao-do-iphone-4-com-as-operadoras-brasileiras/
@OMGTECH
LMAO!!
@Seven2k Pc vs Mac... Hmmmm... Actualy you have a good point. What these guys are doing is what apple did to Microsoft. Pretty effectively too.
@Seven2k Apple is the ONLY phone maker to publicly admit to a weakness in their antenna design, time for the other handset makers to get some balls and admit to theirs instead of denying it!
@spaz4322 Just use your own logic and buy an iPhone 4. You probably wouldn't be using it as a phone because you would be shooting yourself in the foot, so, tada! An iPod Touch!
@Ellianth The vast majority of iPhone 4 users can't reproduce this either. Many can get their phones to drop bars, but it doesn't interfere with regular calling or browsing. Its a very small percentage of people in low coverage areas that see real issues. Apple is showing that other phones in certain situations can do the same thing. That said, Apple made a design choice that negatively affects reception, and they should own up to it rather than smearing other phones. They made tradeoffs in their design. External antenna means more space on the inside for battery and components, and more chance for attenuation in certain circumstances. It was a fair tradeoff in my opinion, but they should own up to it. They did the right thing with cases, which solves the problem, so I'm happy.
@MrFluffyThing Because it would show EVDO on Verizon.
@Seven2k
is it me or is the guy in the video hulk griping that phone? i am sure you only need a touch on the iPhone to lose signal. Wow Apple has gone to a new low with this crap, unfortunately their drone followers will buy the lies of their almighty Steve.
@Ellianth
I tried it with my 3G, my friend's 3GS, tried it with BB and even HTC Hero and I could not duplicate it. I tried two hands and not a single drop. How sad. I guess apple must have some sort of signal drop grip expertise on this by simply blocking transmission. I don't see it happening any other way. Someone else try and let us know. I give up on this one and maybe my last comment on antenna issue when a company as big as apple can't own up to its issue and throw the ball around the circle!
Yes 100% agreed, very sad move Apple. I'm getting sick of this, they F UP and they they are trying to hurt other companies reputations. Just like Seven2k said, it drops bars not calls and data.
APPLE YOU ARE SUCKING MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY!
OWN UP TO YOUR MISTAKE AND RECALL THE DEVICES! OR SHUT UP AND LIVE WITH IT! BUT STOP CRYING LIKE A BABY and pointing the finger at everyone else!
@BrandonHarris Lol I have been saying this all along. The people that are most concerned are people that either don't have the phone. Or are avid apple haters anyway, anyone with the phone either buys a case which like 90% of anyone with an iPhone knows to do anyway. Or avoid the .3 mm sized spot that makes them lose bars.
@EMoSLO You literally need a brain. This antenna issue you speak of is not universal to every iPhone 4. Stop pretending.
@Seven2k
I am just tired of watching those clips... Apple, you just need to learn that shielding the antenna is totally different from bridging the antennas and making them short circuit or something.
Sure, you can produce thousands of those clips. It's so easy to do: simply find out where those internal antennas located and shield them at the weak signal area, then job done! But, by doing this doesn't cover your own shit!!!
@MicrosoftOwns do you have the phone? are you going to tell all the people who cant get dropped calls and have no issues that they are wrong and the guy that never picked up an iphone is right? there is clearly an issue with the droid X stop being an ignorant apple hater, every argument you make, makes you sound more idiotic and illogical
@Ignoramus You know, you really shouldn't be putting your nose down there...
@Joe V
It would kind of suck if they recalled my phone..I was actually kind of liking 2,500 down / 1,590 up while death gripping...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US0bd6ZNUP0
Maybe Jesus himself made my phone while visiting Foxconn earlier this year. It's probably the only reason that such a thing could happen. Right?
Prepares for imminent downranking...
@Seven2k Wow, I never noticed how gorgeous was the droid X screen (the big "creepy" red eye on the ads is to blame). Love the white text on black on android OS.
On the subject, apple is doing what it does best: make the consumers believe what they want them to believe (with the media help) even if it means bend the truth, like "no" virus on mac OS, "first and unique" iMac high res display, iPhone/ipad "magical" and "best" browsing experience etc.
And it works, they make big profits, why change a winning formula!
@noahattic
Bridging not required. Get your facts straight.
@web2nr Funny because I work with several people who have switched from verizon or hate them because the get shit service. While my AT&T stays at 4-5 bars the whole time. So just because something is true for you don't believe it's the same for everyone. Every company has good and bad areas pointe blank.
@rmbrown09 Looks like the haters are out en masse. Any comment NOT taking a dump on apple is downranked into gray oblivion.
So the antenna issue is blown out of proportion by the android fanboys and apple bashers and when apple states that the problem is not unique to them they get bashed for trying to point that out? Too much apple hate and anger in the blogs. It's getting quite tedious.
@Ellianth "Have they ever done a live demonstration of this, or do they just keep making videos like this one, where for all we know they're blocking the signal some other way?"
Actually if you check out YouTube you'll see tons of videos put up by owners of other mobile phones showing the exact same thing. And those videos were put up BEFORE the iPhone 4 came out.
Yet, no one's making a fuss about the same problem that other people are suffering with other phones... Hmm!
It also is apparent the most of the people complaining don't even own an iPhone. They're just repeating what they've heard on blogs, and not talking from any experience.
It's also a fact that most iPhone owners have been saying that they don't have this problem, and that they are getting better reception than they did previously. Yet, again, people who don't actually own an iPhone are pretending that they don't know this just so that they can continue complaining about iPhones that they don't even own.
This whole thing is a non-issue, and thankfully it's dying away as people come to their senses.
If those non-iPhone users who are complaining would take the time to read this article, they might actually learn something. It's the best, most honest, and most technically correct article written to date on "antennagate":
http://www.itworld.com/offbeat/114487/iphone-4-antennagate
Next, Apple will be saying that Droid X has been taking Performance-enhancing drugs. Nice one Floyd Landis, (cough) I mean Steve Jobs!
@nickcraze you actually have to wrap your hand around and touch both bands with the iphone. a single finger will not do it.
@Plazmic Flame
Everyone's criticizing apple for doing this but they started this:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/30/droid-x-ad-pokes-fun-at-iphone-4-antenna-troubles/
So it was perfectly ok for them to poke fun at apple but apple is childish for responding? Where's the logic/fairness in that? No doubt the apple haters have zero integrity.
@Seven2k
That guy's got one GIANT hand. He makes the Droid X look like the Palm Pre. I have a feeling that normal-sized hands can't cause this to happen.
@HotFuzz sounds like a fanboy comment right their haha. Android fanboys will take over the world, wont we? Hey wont we? ..........helz yeah.
@benerrol
all fails ! not just Apple.
This is the very interesting part... How in the world all big companies of billions of dollars manage that to put the antenna down ?!?!?!?
How for ordinary cell phones manage to put it right (up) ?!?!???
And these Apple iPhone4, Nokia, Motorola Druid and other SMART phones are just STUPID with an antenna in the worst location !
LOL !
It's just crazy
@BrandonHarris
To be quite honest I believe it comes down to many variables that allows this to happen. How well a certain persons body absorbs the signals itself, range from closest tower(s), building you're in/surrounding environment. with the right play on these any phone surely will reproduce these effects but it is more so found to be easy to do with the iphone4. I can confirm that it does happen. A friend of mine who got the iphone4 has been parading around saying these topics are B.S. and there is no antenna issues aside from typical attenuation. He allowed me to test it out and see and calling my phone from his i was able to make the call drop every time by simply shoulder/ear holding or the death squeeze. He never once made my Pre drop a call other then hitting the end button when trying to squeeze it. So the problem does exist and if it doesn't effect you then Congratz you are one of the lucky iphone4 users that physiologically and environmentally fit together with your phone!
BTW who will read this a mile from the front row of comments?
@Seven2k
The Sad Thing About Apple Is That They Don't Realize That The Droid X's Antenna Is At The TOP Of The Phone And Not The Bottom...
@Ellianth technobuffalo is your friend.
@system22 I began to read this post until I got to where it said "accept" instead of except.............nuff said?
@OMGTECH Yea. Apparently this is causing people to get better signal..
Pretty ironic.
@Ruthless I own an iphone 3g and since i installed ios 4.0 i had some dropped calls...the funny thing is that i never had that problem before..
Btw, have you ever wondered that this might be a software issue?? I am not an apple fan boy and i have nothing against steve, but i am asking you guys this because i never had dropped calls prior to ios 4.0
@rmbrown09
Agree 100%. I hate how people downrank facts simply because they don't like them. So ridiculous.
@BrandonHarris I don't have an iphone so you could see me asa somewhat unbiased party (but I don't really like apple, however, i WAS interested in this phone becuase i'm looking for a smartphone in the near future) OBVIOUSLY people are having problems with the phone. You might not be one of those people, but just because YOU aren't having a problem , doesn't mean others arent. People, especially those who buy apple products, don't like to admit when the product they bought has a flaw. They wouldn't be complaining about it if it wasn't a real issue. Apparently it doesn't effect all phones, or maybe signal has something to do with it or whatever, but apparently its a big deal to the people who are living with it (because they're too stubborn to just return the phone and get one that works) .
@Seven2k
"its funny cause its true...does PC vs. Mac ring a bell. If Apple wants to talk smack they should learn how to take it also."
When microsoft turned around and did the buy a laptop with the specs u wanted for under $1000 commercials mac lowered a laptop to the $999 price tag and sent a cease and desist order to microsoft about the commercials saying they we falsely misrepresenting Apple's Mac line. Ofcourse Apple cant handle what they dis out because all the sand in their vagina.
@Seven2k Ehm, I think the other phones drop calls and data to when they lose their 3G signal? That's what's being demonstrated here, ya know?
@Dalton Atlas
Finally,
i agree with you, let's stop those silly android vs apple battles.
If you're happy with your phone, then that's fine.
Why do some people feel the need to spit on others ?
It's getting stupid, seriously.
@Seven2k
lol why? because they are proving a point? a point that not only the iphone 4 has these problems? where's CR now? why don't they do their test on all these phones as well. as a investor i am happy the way apple is handling this problem. thank you very much.
@Ellianth This has to be faked. On a Droid X it either says "3G" or "1x" next to the signal bars. This video shows neither.
@Seven2k
A thing about these videos is that they're holding the competitor's phones in really awkward, unnatural positions.
With the iPhone 4, a natural and comfortable holding position causes the reception to drop.
@Seven2k
Yup...i tried this with my DX...APPLE and Jobs are sore losers, and petty.
My DX maintained 4 bars period. F@@k apple, and their brainwashed followers.
@RawlsRorty
A bit of research. BP generates 246.1 billion a yr in revenue. That divided by 356 times 2 is 1.38 billion. That converts to 500.35 billion Zimbabwe dollars. So you my dear friend FAILED! His statement may have be a tad bit exaggerated but come on 2days or 5days. His point is still made!