antenna
Latest
Apple deleting mentions of Consumer Reports' iPhone 4 piece on forums, can't delete your thoughts
...or can they? In case Apple has somehow managed to perfect the art of selective disremembrance across a wide population, here's a refresher: Consumer Reports has thrown down the gauntlet, stating that it "can't recommend" the iPhone 4 until the antenna issues are fixed, issues that its labs and ours have verified quite substantially. Apple apparently isn't happy about that, and has taken to deleting threads about the Consumer Reports article from its support forums. Now, Apple deleting threads from its support forums is nothing new; outside of "regular" moderation, the company routinely deletes discussion of hardware flaws that it's not ready to 'fess up to, or just generally negative lines of thought about its products. Good thing the internet's a big place, and if Apple's not going to admit the antenna issue, there are plenty of ways to gripe about it. Feel free to express yourself in the comments below, for instance!
Consumer Reports confirms iPhone 4 antenna problems -- and so do we
Although there's never been any question that there's something going on with the iPhone 4's fancy new antenna system, we really haven't seen any rigorous testing confirming that the issue is real, severe, and affects every phone. That just changed: Consumer Reports tested three iPhone 4s and several other AT&T phones in their RF isolation chamber that simulates varying levels of signal from every carrier, and found that the iPhone 4 was the only handset to suffer signal-loss issues. What's more, CR directly says that its findings call Apple's explanation of a miscalculated signal meter into question since the tests "indicate that AT&T's network might not be the primary suspect." CR found that simply putting duct tape over the bottom-left corner is enough to alleviate the issue -- we're guessing that's Jony Ive's worst nightmare -- and says that while the iPhone 4 has the "sharpest display and best video camera" of any phone it's tested, it simply can't recommend the device until Apple comes up with a permanent and free fix to the antenna problem. Ouch.Of course, we couldn't sit around waiting for someone else to test the iPhone 4 in a more controlled way, so we actually asked our good friend Erica Sadun from TUAW to write us a bespoke signal strength app for iOS 4. Obviously we couldn't submit it to the App Store, but we've been running it on all of our phones here at Engadget and we can independently confirm Consumer Reports' finding that there's a serious signal attenuation issue with the iPhone 4's antenna -- every phone we've tested displays dropped signal when held with the bottom left corner covered. Now, what we don't know is whether that signal attenuation consistently affects call quality and data rates, which we suspect is more directly related to the network in the area; some of our iPhone 4s drop calls and experience low data rates with alarming frequency, while others -- like our review unit -- have almost never dropped a call and have had no data problems. However, now that we've confirmed and clarified that the antenna issue affects every iPhone 4, we can take on the next step, which is sorting out exactly when and where the issue is most severe. Either that, or Apple can do something to actually fix the issue -- we'll just have to wait and see. For now, check our app in action after the break.Update: To clarify, "here at Engadget" is a virtual location -- our iPhone 4s are actually located across the country in San Francisco, Chicago, and New York, and we saw the app respond that way regardless of location. Dropped calls and other effects weren't as consistent, however, and we're still testing to sort out when the effects of the antenna issue are the most severe.
Consumer Reports now 'can't recommend' the iPhone 4
After a recent positive blog post stating that the iPhone 4 reception issues were not something that should prevent someone from buying the new iPhone, the nationwide testing firm has now changed its mind and given a thumbs down to Apple's latest efforts. In lab tests, Consumer Reports says the signal "can significantly degrade to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you're in an area with a weak signal." Three iPhone 4s were tested in an RF isolation chamber, and while the signal fell out on the new iPhone, CR didn't see the same issues on an iPhone 3GS or a Palm Pre. The tests also showed that putting some duct tape (of course!!) on the lower left portion of the iPhone antenna strip helps a great deal, and they speculate a case would do the trick as well. The testing firm adds that the iPhone 4 scored at the top of the list in every other feature, so the reception issue is a deal-killer for the firm. CR says that Apple will have to provide "a permanent -- and free fix" before it recommends the iPhone 4.
Element Case, Ivyskin out iPhone 4 cases specifically to deal with reception issues
Can't find an official iPhone 4 bumper? Driving yourself mad trying to give your new smartphone white glove treatment? Fret not, as a couple of case makers have outed new iPhone 4 clothing that's meant to specifically dodge those naughty reception issues that seem to occur whenever your sweaty palm makes contact with that now infamous metal band. Element Case -- the same folks responsible for the downright lust-worthy Joule stand for iPad -- has just revealed their first iPhone 4 case, the Vapor (shown above). The company claims that its $79.95 enclosure provides an aircraft-grade, CNC'd aluminum frame lined with a shock-absorbent material, the latter of which "addresses iPhone 4 reception issues caused by direct hand to phone cradling." For now, it's up for pre-order (shipments are expected to start next week) in black / black and black / pink, with more colors to become available in the future. As for Ivyskin? It's stepping things up even further by naming its product the "iPhone 4 Reception Case." No need for subtly, we see. Hailed as the "world's thinnest polycarbonate shell" for Apple's latest iDevice, this here sleeve is the one to get if you're look to minimize added bulk and not cover up any of Cupertino's design cues. Best of all, this one retails for just $14.99 and ships with both front and back scratch-free body armors. Crazy that it has come to this, you know? Update: We're seeing reports that Ivyskin is charging but not shipping its case. Buyer beware. %Gallery-97091%
iPhone 4 defenders debunk reception, 'grip of death' issues
Most of the news about the iPhone 4 has been negative, particularly about the reception and 'grip of death' that causes the phone to lose signal and sometimes drop calls. Apple has famously responded to all the bad press, and perhaps has dug an even deeper hole for itself in terms of PR. All the chatter is not apocalyptic though, and I thought it was worth a moment to point out the other side of the proverbial coin, both from a respected antenna designer who has tested the new iPhone, and from the venerable Consumer Reports group.
Apple PR says recent Steve Jobs emails are fake
If you've been anywhere near the internet in the past few hours, you've undoubtedly heard about a Steve Jobs email conversation in which he told an angry iPhone customer to "calm down" and that the iPhone 4 was "just a phone." That email chain, which was published on Boy Genius Report earlier, was also reportedly shopped to AppleInsider a few days ago -- for a price. Well, now Fortune is reporting that they've been told by a "a top Apple spokesman" that the emails are fake, and the exchange never happened. Of course, emails are notoriously easy to fake, and Apple has not been in the habit of commenting on its CEO's online wanderings, so our ears pricked up when we saw this article. We've reached out to Apple and they have independently confirmed to us that the conversation is indeed a hoax. So as usual, take all of these Jobs-uncensored dialogues with a healthy grain of salt.
Apple's search for wireless antenna engineering talent
Apple is hiring! Can you guess what kind of talent they're after? Wireless antenna engineers, of course. On June 23rd, just after the Death Grip was discovered by the public, Apple published three listings for iPhone and iPad antenna engineers who can "define and implement antenna system architecture to optimize the radiation performance for wireless portable devices." Additionally, Apple is looking for two iPhone OTA Wireless Systems Engineers. All of these positions require several years worth of experience and Master's Degrees. Here's a chance to work for Apple, build something cool and keep us from having to wrap our iPhones in bracelets. Good luck to all applicants. [Via Engadget and TechCrunch]
Make your own iPhone 4 case from a souvenir bracelet
If your touch is like a Vulcan Nerve Pinch to the iPhone 4's wireless signal, you've got three choices: hold it differently, spend US $30 on a Bumper, or take a pair of scissors to a Livestrong bracelet. The iPhone Guru discovered that the bracelets fit perfectly around the body of the iPhone 4. After using a pair of scissors to cut holes for the dock connector, the silent mode toggle, and the headphone jack, the band was slipped onto the phone and ready to go. The iPhone Guru reports that reception is "much improved" with the band in place. At 10 for $10, they're much cheaper than Apple's Bumpers, and your purchase supports cancer research to boot. Of course, any instance of this type of rubber wristband will probably work. Alternatively, check out these decals on Etsy -- three 3-packs for $9! Live strong, iPhone 4. Live strong! Thanks to everyone who sent this in
AT&T, Apple sued over iPhone 4 antenna issue
This just in from the Whopping & Unexpected Surprises Department: in response to the iPhone 4's apparent reception problems, a pair of Maryland residents filed suit in Maryland federal court on Wednesday. They claim that Apple and AT&T knowingly sold phones with a defective antenna design. The suit focuses on dropped calls and poor data performance, of course. Specifically it says that "Plaintiffs have experienced numerous dropped calls, and as a result, Plaintiffs are left with a device that cannot be used for the normal purpose and in the normal manner in which such devices are intended to be used." The suit also mentions that the couple cannot return their phones (they bought four) without incurring large penalties. Their backing evidence includes their own experience, of course, but also a list of related stories published on sites like Gizmodo and Boy Genius Report. We don't yet know if "stuff we saw on the web" will hold up in court. It feels like this lawsuit was inevitable, as many are unhappy after paying for something that they feel cannot reliably perform its main function. We'll follow this story and let you know how it goes. You can read the full legal filing at All Things D.
How you hold your iPhone
Earlier this week were discussing the Death Grip and comparing how we hold our iPhones. I thought we should pose the question to you. Several readers added photos of their preferred method to our Flickr pool, and we noticed two main styles among them: the Cradle and the Death Grip. The Cradle is pictured at right. The iPhone rests on top of the pinky while the other fingers support it like a stand. The thumb is then free to reach and tap. The Death Grip is any hold that contacts the lower left-hand corner of the phone and bridges the gap between the two antennas, as that's what appears to trigger the signal issue. The results were nearly split: 9 of you used some variant of the Cradle, while 8 employed a full-on Death Grip. One fellow followed Apple's suggestion to a T, as you'll see in the gallery below. Thanks for sharing your photos with us, everyone. Now ... who's got antenna issues? Take our poll from earlier today and let us know. %Gallery-96633%
Droid X ad pokes fun at iPhone 4 antenna troubles
The world of corporate cheap shots has today been enriched in its number with one supersized ad for one supersized phone. BGR reports that Motorola took out a full-page spread in the New York Times on this final day of June, which was ostensibly dedicated to promoting the positives of its mighty Droid X. But Moto has also followed in the footsteps of Nokia in making a not so subtle jab at the latest king of the smartphone realm. According to the ad, one of the most important things about the Droid X is that: "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." Glad we got that established -- next Moto will be telling us the alarm clock on its phones works just fine too. Skip past the break for the untrimmed ad.
iPhone 4's antenna problem looks worse than it is, but it's still bad
The iPhone 4's antenna issues have sparked off a firestorm of debate as to the root cause -- Apple says holding the phone differently or buying a case are the best answers, while other are going down a more voodoo path -- but our friends at AnandTech have done some more scientific testing of the problem and come up with a few interesting results. Turns out the iPhone 4 actually performs slightly better inside a case than a phone like the Nexus One, which has had similar issues crop up, but it's slightly worse when held in the hand, reporting an average signal drop of 20dB. Here's where it gets a little wacky, though: the signal meter in iOS 4 is logarithmic, so that 20dB drop can either leave you looking steady at five bars or drop you all the way to zero, depending on what the actual signal level in the area is like. Take a look at the chart above and you'll get it: the range of values between one bar and four spans just 23dB, while the range for five bars is 40dB. That means holding the phone in an area with a strong five-bar signal will have no apparent effect -- you can lose 20dB at full signal and still see five bars -- but holding the phone in an area with weaker coverage will easily drop the meter to one bar, since the 20dB signal drop covers almost the entirety of the remaining 23dB scale. Oops. Of course, that's just the on-screen display, which Apple can and likely will tweak in a future iOS update. The real question is whether the reported signal has anything to do with performance, and Anandtech agrees with our general experience, saying that the iPhone 4's improved signal to noise ratio means it actually does a better job of hanging onto calls and using data when there's low signal than the iPhone 3GS. In their words, "this iPhone gets the best cellular reception yet, even though measured signal is lower than the 3GS." However, there's no getting around the fact that we've definitely dropped a couple calls with the iPhone 4 by holding it the wrong way, and Anandtech says the only real solution to the antenna issue will be for Apple to either subsidize free bumpers or add an insulative coating to the antenna band. We'll see what happens -- we've got a feeling an iOS update is on the way, but we'd definitely love to see Apple pursue a more aggressive solution to this problem.
Apple hiring iPhone antenna engineers for some reason
Three Apple job postings for iPhone / iPad antenna engineers to "Define and implement antenna system architecture to optimize the radiation performance for wireless portable devices." All three were posted on June 23rd, the same day that we started seeing widespread reporting of the left-handed reception issues. Coincidence? [Thanks, Abe]
Does adjusting or trimming the iPhone 4's micro SIM fix the antenna issue? Probably not.
Ever since Apple decided to do little about the iPhone 4's pronounced reception issues except suggest that users hold the thing differently and / or buy a nice case, the voodoo engineering remedies have been flying in full force -- sure, we'll admit we tried sticking some tape over the side of our phone (no dice), but we stopped short when people suggested we try a couple coats of nail polish (insanity). Even we have limits, after all. But the latest snake oil fix is definitely the craziest we've heard so far: according to a 13-page (and growing) thread at MacRumors, the iPhone 4's reception issue can be fixed by adjusting or even trimming the micro SIM so the contacts don't touch the metal tray. The popular belief is that touching the side of the phone somehow shorts across the micro SIM, causing (mumble mumble) and leading to dropped signal. Making things more interesting, Apple and AT&T are apparently using several different types of micro SIMs, including one with a significantly larger contact area -- you can check a shot of two of our iPhone 4 micro SIMs side-by-side after the break. 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.
Apple telling reps to smooth over iPhone 4 reception complaints, not to offer free bumpers?
BGR appears to have nabbed a document being distributed by Apple corporate to AppleCare reps tasked with handling iPhone 4 customers miffed with the antenna performance fiasco -- and for the time being, the recommendations are focusing on managing expectations, not fixing the problem. In a nutshell, reps are being instructed to pass on a more politically correct version of Steve's email by telling customers that they should "avoid covering the black strip in the lower-left corner of the metal band." Interestingly, they agree that bumpers might fix the problem, but they're emphatic in saying that they "ARE NOT appeasing customers with free bumpers – DON'T promise a free bumper to customers." And yes, that statement is complete with caps and bold in the source document, so they mean business, it would seem. If it's any consolation, Apple says that "the iPhone 4's wireless performance is the best [they] have ever shipped," but let's be honest: for those zapping their calls into the afterlife every time they brush their phone the wrong way, it's not much consolation at all.
How do you hold your iPhone?
With all the talk about the Death Grip, we've been discussing how we hold our iPhones. Most people, right-handed or left, have their own preference. Additionally, each person has several positions: One-handed carry, while not using the phone; one-handed swipe and tap with a thumb; two-handed touch type (usually the same for gaming/using apps) and the position used during a phone call. We want to see how you hold your iPhone. Take a picture and add it to our Flickr pool with the tag "iphonehold." I chose to photograph myself holding my 3GS in the "one handed swipe and tap" position, as that's how I hold it most often. But you can photograph any position you like. If you don't have an iPhone 4, post a picture anyway. We'll review them during the week and offer a round-up later.
iPhone 4 antenna problems were predicted on June 10 by Danish professor
Well, this must be one of the most epic "I told you so" moments in the history of consumer electronics. Professor Gert Frølund Pedersen, an antenna expert over at Denmark's Aalborg University, managed to get his concerns about the iPhone 4's external antennae on the record a cool two weeks before the phone was even released. In an interview on June 10, the Danish brainbox explained that he wasn't impressed by Steve Jobs' promises of better reception, describing external antennas as "old news," and suggested that contact with fleshlings could result in undesirable consequences to the handset's reception: "The human tissue will in any event have an inhibitory effect on the antenna. Touch means that a larger portion of antenna energy becomes heat and lost." Machine-translated that may be, but you get the point. Researchers at Gert's university have already shown that over 90 percent of any phone's antenna signal can be stifled by holding it in the right place, but he's highlighting the specific exposure to skin contact as a separate issue to be mindful of. Good to know we've got sharp minds out there, and as to his suggested solution, Gert says phones should ideally have two antennae that act in a sort of redundant array, so that when one is blocked, the other can pick up the slack. So, what are we going to do now, Apple? [Thanks, Andrew]
iPhone 4 antenna woes contextualized by dude in the know
It's the ultimate of ironies that Apple's externalized antenna array in the iPhone 4 -- hoped (and hyped up) to finally give us a phone every bit as good the rest of the device -- has become the cause of most rancor in the immediate aftermath of the handset's release. This morning you'll be rubbing both sleep and disbelief out of your eyes as you read that Apple's response to some people's reception problems with the 4 is to hold it differently. But, before we start ostracizing Apple as the singular offender here, let's hear from a man in the know. 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 -- 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. 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."
Hey Apple, you're holding it wrong
We're only holding it in the way that you showed us.
The science behind the iPhone 4's antennas
The iPhone 4's outer ring of antennas has been earning some grief lately as some owners have found that reception can change even based on where your hand is placed. Even Steve has weighed in on this issue via his itchy email finger. Spencer Webb of AntennaSys (an "antenna design" firm) knows the science, though, and he's shared a little outsider wisdom on how the iPhone's metal actually works. Webb starts by talking about the design of cell phone antennas in general. He says that most antenna placement these days is based on FCC rules about how much energy a device can send into a user's head; that's the reason most antennas are at the bottom of phones nowadays. Unfortunately, our hands are usually on the bottom of the phone, and the FCC doesn't test energy absorption through the hands, only through the head. What's the ideal way of holding your phone? You should hold it by the top, as if it were hanging in midair. Where does the iPhone 4 fit in all of this? Webb says the antennas in the new iPhone are on the sides of the phone, which means that, yes, there's potential for your hands to block energy. But there's always the potential for that, and Webb says that if you put your phone somewhere away from you and use a Bluetooth headset, none of it really matters anyway. What's the final verdict? Webb himself preordered an iPhone 4 to replace his original iPhone. Sure, the antennas might not be perfect, but given the quality of the phone (not to mention the experience), "good enough, is good enough."
