iPhone 4 details

[complacent]

lol, Retired Navy Seabee Craig Bissett wasn't happy with his iPhone 4 problems... so he shot it with a Barrett M82A1 rifle.

Damn. I wish I could waste that much money just for the heck of it.

[schvin]

interesting signal reporting analysis: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3794/the- ... 4-review/2

[chicken n waffles]

July 2, 2010
Letter from Apple Regarding iPhone 4

Dear iPhone 4 Users,

The iPhone 4 has been the most successful product launch in Apple’s history. It has been judged by reviewers around the world to be the best smartphone ever, and users have told us that they love it. So we were surprised when we read reports of reception problems, and we immediately began investigating them. Here is what we have learned.

To start with, gripping almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by 1 or more bars. This is true of iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, as well as many Droid, Nokia and RIM phones. But some users have reported that iPhone 4 can drop 4 or 5 bars when tightly held in a way which covers the black strip in the lower left corner of the metal band. This is a far bigger drop than normal, and as a result some have accused the iPhone 4 of having a faulty antenna design.

At the same time, we continue to read articles and receive hundreds of emails from users saying that iPhone 4 reception is better than the iPhone 3GS. They are delighted. This matches our own experience and testing. What can explain all of this?

We have discovered the cause of this dramatic drop in bars, and it is both simple and surprising.

Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong. Our formula, in many instances, mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength. For example, we sometimes display 4 bars when we should be displaying as few as 2 bars. Users observing a drop of several bars when they grip their iPhone in a certain way are most likely in an area with very weak signal strength, but they don’t know it because we are erroneously displaying 4 or 5 bars. Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place.

To fix this, we are adopting AT&T’s recently recommended formula for calculating how many bars to display for a given signal strength. The real signal strength remains the same, but the iPhone’s bars will report it far more accurately, providing users a much better indication of the reception they will get in a given area. We are also making bars 1, 2 and 3 a bit taller so they will be easier to see.

We will issue a free software update within a few weeks that incorporates the corrected formula. Since this mistake has been present since the original iPhone, this software update will also be available for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G.

We have gone back to our labs and retested everything, and the results are the same— the iPhone 4’s wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped. For the vast majority of users who have not been troubled by this issue, this software update will only make your bars more accurate. For those who have had concerns, we apologize for any anxiety we may have caused.

As a reminder, if you are not fully satisfied, you can return your undamaged iPhone to any Apple Retail Store or the online Apple Store within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.

We hope you love the iPhone 4 as much as we do.

Thank you for your patience and support.

Apple


Press Contacts:
Natalie Harrison
Apple
harri@apple.com
(408) 862-0565

Steve Dowling
Apple
dowling@apple.com
(408) 974-1896

cn: we've known since gen 1 that iphones falsely report generous signal strength, but finally we've been caught with our pants down so we're going to correct the issue.

[Sabre]

Apple to hold iPhone 4 press conference this Friday

[chicken n waffles]

http://gizmodo.com/5587535/this-is-how- ... have-grown

As promised, the new iPhone system update corrects the bar signal display. Also as promised, it provides another "enhancement": Taller signal bars! Free tip: If you paint flames on the back of your iPhone 4, it runs 2.3x faster.

I kid you not. This is 100% real, and was previously announced by Apple in their press release. I personally think it's hilarious.

Sadly, neither the fixed signal bar display nor the taller bars will solve the antenna reception problem. Hopefully, something positive will be announced this friday. Like free bumpers.

iFail

[complacent]

They're supposed to be calling a press conference on Friday... Perhaps they'll come iClean?

[Raven]

I feel almost like Apple is punking us, they can't be this dumb. Friday, "haha, fooled you, we rigged it to do this from the very beginning as a practical joke. So we're here to announce a software update that removes this and you can all go on with your lives."

[complacent]

I feel almost like Apple is punking us, they can't be this dumb. Friday, "haha, fooled you, we rigged it to do this from the very beginning as a practical joke. So we're here to announce a software update that removes this and you can all go on with your lives."

[Mr Kleen]

now it goes to 11!

[Sabre]

Apple just finished their press conference about the iPhone 4 antenna issues that have been widely reported and discussed in the past few weeks. Steve Jobs started by showing that the problem wasn't limited to iPhones, using videos of the BlackBerry Bold 9700, the HTC Droid Eris, and the Samsung Omnia 2 as examples, all of which dropped bars while being gripped in certain ways. He said, "This is life in the smartphone world. Phones aren't perfect. It's a challenge for the whole industry. Every phone has weak spots." He went on to say that only 0.55% of all iPhone 4 users have called in to complain about reception problems, and that the return rate on the iPhone 4 so far is less than a third of the return rate for the 3GS. Jobs then said that according to their data, the iPhone 4 drops an average of less than one additional call per hundred than the 3GS. He continued by pointing out that because the 3GS was based on the 3G, there was already a large supply of Bumpers, which most customers left the store with. When the iPhone 4 came out, the old Bumpers didn't fit, so stock was lower and fewer customers used them (80% vs. 20%). Therefore, Apple's solution to the antenna problems is to give a free case to every iPhone 4 purchaser before September 30. Refunds will be offered for those who already purchased one. Since they can't make the Bumpers fast enough, they'll be supplying other cases from third parties. Jobs also acknowledged recently reported problems with the proximity sensor, promising a future software update to fix it. Engadget's liveblog of the conference has a ton of pictures and more direct quotes from Jobs. It's worth looking at if only for pictures of Apple's anechoic testing chambers.

[Raven]

And their stock is going up. I wish I had money to invest.

[complacent]

i'm pretty satisfied with the way they handled it.

personally, I think it was a classier response than most other companies offer when problems arise.

but then again, i'm a bit of an appl fan.

*shrug*

[Sabre]

Apple Engineer Told Jobs IPhone Antenna Might Cut Calls

Last year, Ruben Caballero, a senior engineer and antenna expert, informed Apple’s management the device’s design may hurt reception, said the person, who is not authorized to speak on Apple’s behalf and asked not to be identified. A carrier partner also raised concerns about the antenna before the device’s June 24 release, according to another person familiar with the situation.

The latest model of the iPhone carries a metal antenna that surrounds the outside of the device -- a design chosen by Apple executives because it yielded a lighter, thinner handset. It has also resulted in dropped or degraded calls that led Consumer Reports to refrain from endorsing the iPhone 4, weighed on the company’s stock and stepped up pressure on Apple to issue a fix.

[Sabre]

antenna_aid.jpg

[complacent]

Apple Engineer Told Jobs IPhone Antenna Might Cut Calls

Last year, Ruben Caballero, a senior engineer and antenna expert, informed Apple’s management the device’s design may hurt reception, said the person, who is not authorized to speak on Apple’s behalf and asked not to be identified. A carrier partner also raised concerns about the antenna before the device’s June 24 release, according to another person familiar with the situation.

The latest model of the iPhone carries a metal antenna that surrounds the outside of the device -- a design chosen by Apple executives because it yielded a lighter, thinner handset. It has also resulted in dropped or degraded calls that led Consumer Reports to refrain from endorsing the iPhone 4, weighed on the company’s stock and stepped up pressure on Apple to issue a fix.

Did you see that Caballero was at the conference on Friday? And he also called the story bullshit.?

[Sabre]

Nope, didn't know that at all Hmm, still makes me wonder.

[scheherazade]

Did you see that Caballero was at the conference on Friday? And he also called the story bullshit.?

I've used an iphone4 two times.

The first time, it was fine. I even tested this whole antenna business and managed to lose two bars.
All in all, I wasn't too bothered. I just adjusted my hand and it was fine again.

The second time, I was sitting at ihop and I tried to search for a video.
We were sitting there for a while, and the phone had plenty of bars the whole time.
I touched it wrong, and a few seconds later it dropped off the grid completely.
I literally had to wait for it to get signal again. Soon as it did, I was back at full bars.

I'm not even a common user, and if I can encounter it 1 (unintentionally) of 2 times, no way someone didn't see it.

Hell - no way MANY people didn't see it. It's just too easy to cause.


My point? Maybe the man is being gracious to his employer.

-scheherazade

[complacent]

I'm not even a common user, and if I can encounter it 1 (unintentionally) of 2 times, no way someone didn't see it.

Hell - no way MANY people didn't see it. It's just too easy to cause.


My point? Maybe the man is being gracious to his employer.

-scheherazade

A point I'd be willing to consider... but looking at the pictures and related articles regarding their 100 million dollar testing facility, I'm inclined to think that either they knew and let it go, or they really didn't see a problem. Fwiw, I've seen behaviors like you described on almost every smartphone I've owned in the last six years... I'm not sure what that says about the industry as a whole, but I don't see it being a huge deal either.

[Raven]

Rest of the cell phone industry calls BS on apple's "all smartphones have reception issues" claim.

http://gadgetcrave.com/other-smartphone ... line/7756/

[Libra Monkee]

Apple is offering iPhone 4 Owners a free case to compensate the Antenna issues.

Would you like to know more?

[chicken n waffles]

i read today that manufacturing difficulties have prolonged the wait for the white iphone 4. prolonged "indefinitely." as if they needed another ding lately.

[zaxrex]

Hahah. I LOL'ed

[complacent]

[Sabre]

[Sabre]

Technical guess on what is holding up the "white" iPhone.

Well, Apple just confirmed yet another delay, and again, gave customers no indication as to why they'll be waiting into 2011 for their white iPhones. However, Cult of Mac has spoken with a source connected to the company who says the delays are related to leaking light wrecking photos captured with the device's camera.

"You don’t get accurate pictures on the white iPhone because of the color of the glass back. It washes out the pictures," the source told Cult of Mac, adding that Apple is struggling to isolate the camera sensor and may have to resort to a full redesign.