The iPhone 4 antenna problem is recognised by Apple [AAPL] although they still believe it works just fine.
With my own iPhone 4 I have found results that vary. In a good signal area the bars do not shift at all no matter what right or wrong way I hold the phone. The problem only seems to surface in bad signal areas where bridging the two antennae together causes the already weak signal to drop. It really isn’t a huge issue from my own testing and hasn’t limited the way I use the phone. Occasionally the signal blobs out but not really any different to other smartphones or regular mobile phones I have used.
Either way, Apple has a support document in place that emphasizes that the signal is overall better than previous iPhone models. Also the company confirm that under no circumstances should a free bumper case be handed out. The full text can be found below.
Over the weekend some details on the Apple site were spotted that indicated a fix could be incoming in the way of an iOS 4.0.1 update. The update is believed to fix some calibration issues in the baseband as well as reduce lag between switching frequencies. However, this update that was supposedly due early this week obviously hasn’t arrived yet. Perhaps the software fix cannot fix a hardware issue/non-issue in most cases. As mentioned above though, in my testing it doesn’t particularly cause any issue with the way I use the phone and certainly no issues in terms of making/receiving calls on the device.
1. Keep all of the positioning statements in the BN handy your tone when delivering this information is important.
a. The iPhone 4’s wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped. Our testing shows that iPhone 4’s overall antenna performance is better than iPhone 3GS.
b. Gripping almost any mobile phone in certain places will reduce its reception. This is true of the iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS, and many other phones we have tested. It is a fact of life in the wireless world.
c. If you are experiencing this on your iPhone 3GS, avoid covering the bottom-right side with your hand.
d. If you are experiencing this on your iPhone 4, avoid covering the black strip in the lower-left corner of the metal band.
e. The use of a case or Bumper that is made out of rubber or plastic may improve wireless performance by keeping your hand from directly covering these areas.
2. Do not perform warranty service. Use the positioning above for any customer questions or concerns.
3. Don’t forget YOU STILL NEED to probe and troubleshoot. If a customer calls about their reception while the phone is sitting on a table (not being held) it is not the metal band.
4. ONLY escalate if the issue exists when the phone is not held AND you cannot resolve it.
5. We ARE NOT appeasing customers with free bumpers DON’T promise a free bumper to customers.
Via: BGR
This antenna issue will give a lot of trouble to manufacturers of cases for iPhone. For some of them, I suppose it’s already too late, as they hurried to release cases for the new model as soon as possible.
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