Apple keeps antennagate alive with Droid X's 'kill switch' (video)

We had a feeling Apple wasn't done showing off the apparent reception woes of its competitors -- after all, the company already updated once this week with the Nokia N97 mini. Now it's going after Motorola's celebrity of the moment (and known iPhone 4 bully), the Droid X. You can see Cupertino's results in the video after the break, but unlike Apple's other videos, we can't seem to recreate this one as easily with our Droid Xs. But hey, it's not like anyone's gonna buy a big phone anyway, right?

[jroc74 Posted Jul 26th 2010 12:04PM]

@TGIF Leo

I'm glad u brought that ad up..

From Droid Print Ad:

""... And most importantly, it comes with a double antenna design. The kind that allows you to hold the phone any way you like and use it just about anywhere to make crystal clear calls. You have a voice. And you deserve to be heard.""

Cuz no where in that ad is there a reference to Apple or the iPhone 4.

That ad is a perfect example of something ppl do alot: They see what they wanna see.

Some, including me saw it as Motorola touting their Diversity Antenna design.

Some, especially iPhone 4 fanatics, saw it as a dig at the iPhone 4.

It was brilliant language in that ad. Thats all. And it still doesnt say why bring HTC, Nokia, RIM, etc in this mess...

Apple failed on so many levels with this antenna campaign its ridiculous.....

[jclthei Posted Jul 25th 2010 4:39AM]

Apple used only two cell phone providers in the tests, AT&T and Verizon. If Apple is trying to say the iPhone 4 isn't the only phone with antenna issues, then they should use more then 2 cell providers. All they're saying is that AT&T and Verizon both have low cell reception where the video was filmed. Come on Apple, admit you made a mistake with the antenna design with the iPhone 4 and you will get more respect then just saying "Here's an update to more accurately display the cell reception on your iPhone 4." In addition, Apple only used 3 brands/models of smart phones; Motorola's Droid X, Samsung's Omnia II, and Nokia's N97. We are aware these phones can have a cell reception issue, but we don't hold our phones that way.

[Snkinnyscot Posted Jul 25th 2010 5:43AM]

Is my comment "tongue in cheek", you decide. Not that I'm old enough to remember but I recall from history at school that during World War 2, both sides used a device to intercept/disrupt radio signal messages . Would today's technology (70 yrs later) allow a perhaps less than honest company to use an updated version of such a device in order to interfere with a mobile phone signal test - I WONDER.!!!

[jaytizzle Posted Jul 25th 2010 5:49AM]

I have the X and considering the phone has 3 antennas to help with signal this is not even possible. Just another reason that Verizon is probably happy it doesn't have the ithing with this kinda BS.

[MrLife Posted Jul 25th 2010 8:26AM]

Apple disgust me.

[Denil Wong Posted Jul 25th 2010 8:55AM]

What's with Apple anyway? To me, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, Blackberry and HTC should team up together and sue Apple for this. To me, Steve Jobs is getting more and more stuck up. Admit to the problem and do not try to cover up your mistakes by showing the other competitor's errors. That is wrong and definitely should be taken into action. I really hope Nokia, Blackberry, Samsung, Motorola and HTC will all sue Apple.
Honestly, I don't see anything special about Iphones. I am so looking forward to Samsung Galaxy S2 and also HTC Desire HD. I would love to have these 2 phones side by side. Desire HD in one pocket and the Galaxy S2 in the other. And the Iphone, in the trash!

[Motwera Posted Jul 25th 2010 12:07PM]

stop showing this apple , u are not the most perfect company n the world

[beesneazy Posted Jul 25th 2010 12:46PM]

Give it up! Move on! Christ, they look like the bitter friend who can't get over something.

[CruJones Posted Jul 25th 2010 1:06PM]

With all of this talk about blaming someone else and not fixing the problem at hand, I thought I had stumbled into a political forum.

[4u2nv Posted Jul 25th 2010 1:32PM]

I would like apple to explain why the droid x is the only phone in there tests that was in the process of making a call?

[HKCally Posted Jul 25th 2010 3:10PM]

@4u2nv
Or why most of the other phones are near battery death when they do the test?

[ars1958 Posted Jul 25th 2010 2:14PM]

Look, I agree it's childish( so good to be childish nowadays ).
But, at the time when the global economy is in agony, Apple sells a "defective" phone as a hot cake. The hot cake of 700-1000$ a piece depending on the region. We can say that all those millions of buyers are freaked sticks. BUT THEY HAVE 1000$ TO SPEND FOR A PHONE, SO THEY PROVED TO BE SMART ENOUGH TO EARN THAT MONEY.
That means that Apple have made something great that millions and millions of people forgot about crisis and could afford to be childish. Bravo, Apple. Bravo Steve.

[HKCally Posted Jul 25th 2010 3:12PM]

@ars1958
So everybody who buys a $1000 car is real smart too then? Great line of thought you got there.

[ResidentEVO Posted Jul 25th 2010 2:43PM]

Next up for Apple: "But other computers get viruses too!!!"

[djeglin Posted Jul 25th 2010 3:47PM]

Have Apple suddenly replaced their entire PR department with a bunch of faeces slinging monkeys? They used to be so good at the PR thing, but they just seem to be dropping the ball time after time here.

Clearly in this case they have totally got the wrong idea of how to deal with this. Owning the issue and giving away bumpers was the right thing to do. Trying to blame it on a software algorithm was a bad move, and spending all this time trashing other manufacturers' handsets is just terrible.

If I were Apple at the moment I would deal with the whole reception issue without ever mentioning another phone. Its so simple: "Yeah... we admit it... We screwed up a bit on the antenna thing, so here's a free bumper. But look at how great this thing is in other ways". They have never really felt the need to openly trash competitors before (I know there were the I'm a Mac / I'm a PC ads, but that was tongue-in-cheek... This is a straight-up assault on other handsets).

Sorry Steve & co... You're got it very, very wrong on this one. This is one Apple user that is rapidly losing respect for you because of the way you are trying to deal with this.

[brandygallagher949 Posted Jul 25th 2010 4:34PM]

Point if apple spent as much time fixing their problem as they did cuddling other phones they might be able to fix their own phone

[johnspierce Posted Jul 25th 2010 5:02PM]

I'll be getting a new laptop soon. I have owned 6 iPods over the years and just got rid of my iPhone to go to Verizon. First time in 3 years I can actually make a call without getting dropped multiple times.

I was considering a new Macbook Pro 15" i5, but quite frankly I'm totally fed up with Jobs and Apple acting like 3 year olds. If they can't man-up and admit their mistakes on the iPhone4 platform, what else will they do?

Being a pissy little tattle-tale who tries to diminish all of your competitors is not convincing me you have a premium product. In fact, the opposite is true.

Grow up Jobs.

[4u2nv Posted Jul 25th 2010 8:47PM]

LoL nice try apple.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fup7fb1qIM&feature=player_embedded#!

[4u2nv Posted Jul 25th 2010 8:51PM]

APPLE responds and amits its flaws, then Steve Jobs removes video see it below!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMl_71dqeR8&feature=player_embedded#!

[ffud Posted Jul 25th 2010 10:05PM]

i havent been able to reproducse this holding my x that way or by holding it in any other way even when ictry to cover as much as that bottom part as possible. lame what a n00b move.

[dyinman Posted Jul 26th 2010 4:12AM]

Wow, neato, so if you just barely touch the Droid X it drops signal? Oh wait, it doesn't? OK, never mind...

[groberts1980 Posted Jul 26th 2010 10:51AM]

To all the Apple haters out there, Apple is just showing that they're not the only phone that has this problem. They're just the first one to get called to task on it. I would do the same thing in their position.

[jroc74 Posted Jul 26th 2010 12:11PM]

@groberts1980


......Your post, and many like it, is the real problem with this entire Apple antenna campaign...

Dont let Apple pull the wool over your eyes.....

[groberts1980 Posted Jul 26th 2010 12:27PM]

@jroc74 No wool over my eyes. I just happen to have an iPhone 4 that has NO problems dropping calls. None whatsoever. Why is everyone refusing to believe that other phones don't have signal attenuation problems?

[robamb2002 Posted Jul 26th 2010 1:08PM]

@groberts1980

The thing is, they are the only ones with this problem... the signal degridation for this phone is due to interference when the two antenna are shorted out, not when the antenna is blocked by mass. the reason the bumper helps is because it prevents the short of the two exterior antenna.

[Josh K Posted Jul 26th 2010 3:19PM]

@groberts1980 They're showing that they can't take legitimate criticism well, at all. The quickest way to showing how little you acknowledge that you might actually be wrong is immediately pointing out the 'flaws' of others.

[jroc74 Posted Jul 26th 2010 8:29PM]

@Josh K

These last 2 posts are 100% dead on.

I dont hate the iPhone. I dont hate Apple products.

I hate how Apple is trying to deflect attention from the real issue. And ppl are actually believing it. Which is sad all around.

After this, I seriously would think twice about Apple products.....I wanted an iPhone. If it was on Verizon before Android phones were I woulda jumped on it fast.

After this, I wouldnt care if the iPhone was the only phone Verizon sold, I would either get another brand off Ebay or switch carriers.

[robamb2002 Posted Jul 26th 2010 1:04PM]

These are two completely different problems that apple is comparing! Yes all phones can loose signal strength by blocking the antenna, but that is not why the iphone 4 is loosing its signal. Its not because of signal blockage, it is because of signal interference. The exterior antenna is exclusive to the iphone and is the reason for the degridation of signal.

[Josh K Posted Jul 26th 2010 3:17PM]

Does Apple really think that this is a realistic PR recovery method? The problem isn't that Apple's design is prone to dropping reception but more that they hyped the hell out of their 'innovative and amazing' design and how it helped antenna issues.

[jroc74 Posted Jul 26th 2010 8:32PM]

@Josh K

THANK U. They touted it as innovative...... All was fine in iPhanatic land until a problem with the great innovative design had a chink in its armor.

Next time Apple, stick it inside the phone. Then maybe none of this wouldnt have even happened....

[Level Posted Jul 26th 2010 5:48PM]

this can only mean one thing, Apple does not have an redesign cure for the iphone and is trying to convince everyone that the iphone operates normally lol...

[tenux73 Posted Jul 26th 2010 11:21PM]

I think it would just be normal (or a must) for Apple people to condemn others instead try to improve or their products and admit its flaws. I think its their company policy to do so. To Steve, get another "Job"s

[fredphoesh Posted Jul 27th 2010 9:53AM]

Steve Jobs = WANKER

[needa Posted Jul 27th 2010 10:27PM]

if it is not news worthy... engadget would not be posting it,,, correct? lmao.

apple is doing a good thing. they are letting people know that this is an issue in all cell phones. not just theirs. knowing that they probably have someone driving around all day death gripping a phone looking for that perfect spot to make their video is the thing that i dont care for.

[MRCUR Posted Jul 31st 2010 9:30PM]

They're all gone... No more videos on Apple's Antenna Design page: www.apple.com/antenna/

[SilverSatin Posted Aug 1st 2010 6:38AM]

anyone got the personal email adres of Steve jobs ?

i wanna send a big " F*****CK YOU!!!!! " to em

[deepfoo Posted Aug 3rd 2010 11:05AM]

Apple is using FUD in a desperate attempt to divert attention from its own issues. Know how many people complained en massed about their Droid phones? Right, none. Because there isn't a legit issue.

With the mass growth in Android of late, it is no wonder Apple is taking off the gloves. Anything wrong with that? Nah. But I think it's more likely to back fire. They really don't seem to understand what they are doing to their own brand perception.

[geolemon Posted Aug 10th 2010 2:53PM]

So unbelievably sad.

Rather than trying to make a superior product, they are trying to show that everyone else is almost as crappy as theirs is...
..."therefore our crap is justified. Shut up and be happy"

I may NEVER be an Apple customer with negative campaigns like this - really shows some insight into the company's mentality.

Immaturity.
This is like the little kid who was picked on, so he now thinks he will feel better if he picks on everyone else.

We're big boy adults out here, Apple. The only way to show there's no problem, is to fix the problem you have - not attempt justify it.
Spend money on improvement R&D, not manipulative and negative PR.

I'm so glad I'm not an Apple customer.

[Mishka Posted Aug 11th 2010 12:03PM]

I love my iPhone 4, and don't have the problems some are experiencing with their antennas. Seriously, Steve, move on. Shut up, fix whatever the hell you have to, and keep innovating. That's what Apple does best.

[squaremon Posted Aug 20th 2010 2:20PM]

every phone has their issue =(