iPhone 4 signal problems

chrisgeary

chrisgeary

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I'm sat with my wife on the sofa, she has my old 3G on o2 and I'm on the new 4 on o2. She has 4 bars, my new phone either has 1 or 2 or keeps going to no service. Ive heard reports of similar things on the web.

Anyone else having signal issues?
 
You will find plenty of websites reporting the problem.
Because the antenna is built into the surrounding on the case, with you hand over it, the signal drops.
 
hashcake said:
You will find plenty of websites reporting the problem.
Because the antenna is built into the surrounding on the case, with you hand over it, the signal drops.
Click to expand...

Not quite but close, its more to the fact that you are bridging the 2 antennas with your skin, which is conductive.

Major design flaw.
 
I have a 3Gs and the signal quality is very poor compared to my old Blackberry. If the iphone was a half decent phone it would be a great piece of kit!
 
Well Apple do have a lot of control over their products so why not how you hold the thing :razz:

hmmmmmm still gonna get on methinks, me 3g is just not quick enough
 
Apparently holding the phone in the wrong place is an issue for most mobiles. However, if you use it with a case/cover it is supposed to eliminate the problem.
 
I've got a skin on order anyway from best skins ever which may or may not prevent the issue from happening. If it does not, I'll be seriously considering returning the phone. This is not acceptable. Sure, holding any mobile phone reduces the reception slightly, I get that. But to actually reduce it to no service just by holding it "the wrong way" is a design flaw. I can't believe Jobs has written this off as user error. That almost angers me enough to return the phone anyway. Such arrogance!
 
How are people defending this? at all?

Fair enough if you don't have a problem phone, or you live in an area and move around in an area with signal so strong that it does not degrade no matter how you to hold it. However, that is not a defence. The fact of the matter is that there is a blatant design flaw here. It applies to enough phones to stop me getting one. It is not like it is isolated and the chance of getting problematic one is low. I tried 3 in the Apple store in birmingham today and they all presented with the same fault).

If you have to change the way you hold the phone then you acknowledge there is a problem but accepted it. I do not accept that, why would anyone accept that? You spend all that money on it, don't you want it to be perfect? We are not talking about something minor here, the phone struggles to make phone calls simply by picking it up! I will not be fob off with "change the way I hold my phone". I will hold it every damn way I feel thank you very much, nor will I accept getting a £25 bumper as a solution. What if I want to use it as it is out of the box? A £10 phone doesn't need to any after thought fix, why should a £600 phone? Frankly, if Apple accept the bumper IS a solution then the consumer does not need to pay for that solution from his own wallet. Even if this can be fixed with the bumper, I am voting with my wallet by not getting it until they fix it. Out of principle.

I like apple stuff, but I hate this phone, and the company is losing respect by the minute.
 
I'm not best pleased about it, it really affects me when I'm using the App store or iBooks, as well as texting, not so much when actually using the phone though. It's ridiculous that this should even be an issue though, and it appears I now have to spend £25 on a 'bumper' to ensure it doesn't happen.
 
I'm expecting Apple to start flogging a 'hands-free kit' solution/workaround to act as an external antenna! I think I'll hold off the iP4 for now and maybe go down the Desire route...
 
Is it really such a problem? I don't know anyone who uses an Phone without a case or skin of some sort.

I was in O2 Cheltenham today when I heard they had a large and unexpected delivery this morning. I played around holding the phone in different ways. The only time I managed to get the reception bars to change was when I wet my fingers and bridged the gap on the lower left. And.... the signal bar strength went UP from 2 to 3.
 
2blue4u said:
Is it really such a problem? I don't know anyone who uses an Phone without a case or skin of some sort.

I was in O2 Cheltenham today when I heard they had a large and unexpected delivery this morning. I played around holding the phone in different ways. The only time I managed to get the reception bars to change was when I wet my fingers and bridged the gap on the lower left. And.... the signal bar strength went UP from 2 to 3.
Click to expand...

For me, it is a matter of principle too. And you know they will fix this, and when you come to sell it, the question of "is yours the one that can't make calls?" will be asked.
 
ding76uk said:
All I can say is, i have had no problems with mine when holding it in any way yet, including bottom left.

Storm in a teacup anyone?
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It made it onto the BBC, Guardian and all media.

I tried 3 phones, all affected, it's not a problem with an app or minor crashes. It's a phone that losses signal by themere placement of your hand. a £600 no less.
 
Raymond Lin said:
It made it onto the BBC, Guardian and all media.
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Because it will sell papers, and get them viewing news channels. There are voices of reason out there though.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/handheld/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225701470

Really, as it says in the article, all phones have similar issues. Just that this is a way to make a massive news story.

TBH I couldn't give a flying one. Mine works fine, and i am very happy with it. I was buying a case anyway, so that may solve this issue that I have not experienced at all. Had no issues when on call or using the net, so I must "hold it right". Have to say though, Jobs really did a "Great Job" of calming this down though, what an idiot.
 
that reply from jobs is brilliant!!! talk about pwned!

love it, and glad i dont own one myself!
 
Gary! Ha! Good plan!

It most certainly is not a storm in a teacup unless your cup is massive. I've done a test tonight with the 4 and my old 3G. Seated in the same place in the house i can receive a call and talk but as soon as i bridge the antennas (eg holding it as i always have) the call gets choppy and eventually dies. I repeated this three times. In the same place, the 3G works perfectly.

It is a design flaw. It is wrong for Jobs to tell us its our fault for not holding it right. It is wrong for Jobs to make us buy a solution. I will test it again with a skin applied but i don't want a "bumper" and i suspect the skin wont cover the metal enough to resolve the issue. I probably will take it back because i can't be arsed to have a new 18 month contract if i don't have a new phone to show for it.

Oh btw, this fault was tested with the phone entirely covered with clingfilm!
 
the 3g had the same problem when it came out. I'll give a few weeks and it will be forgotten in the same way. A simple transparent plastic skin, like the Zagg parts around the outside would stop the problem.
 
Matty.. Are you sure? I never had any problems with the 3G. You write like you think this is a few people moaning about some small issue because they live their lives to moan about something. This made the national news in several countries! Hardly an issue that will just blow over. And why should we have to buy something to fix a design flaw?
 
chrisgeary said:
Marty.. Are you sure? I never had any problems with the 3G. You write like you think this is a few people moaning about some small issue because they live their lives to moan about something. This made the national news in several countries! Hardly an issue that will just blow over. And why should we have to buy something to fix a design flaw?
Click to expand...

But is it not possible this could be the same problem, except grabbed hold of by a few people higher up the chain and then jumped on by national and international media to create news?

There is no current passing through the outer metal piece, so how can this conductivity of skin happen?
 
chrisgeary said:
Marty.. Are you sure? I never had any problems with the 3G.
Click to expand...

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10012420-37.html

There is the storm in the teacup theory explained. Just apple are so overly scrutinised by the media these days, both tech and non tech alike. Not saying it isn't their fault, but it is what it is, nothing new, and something to make news

Come on folks, move along nothing new to see here:bonk:
 
@ding you clearly don't understand the design differences between the two phones. There is a difference, iphone4 is flawed and you wont convince me, or the many others who have proven it, otherwise. I urge _you_ to please move along :)
 
ding76uk said:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10012420-37.html

There is the storm in the teacup theory explained. Just apple are so overly scrutinised by the media these days, both tech and non tech alike. Not saying it isn't their fault, but it is what it is, nothing new, and something to make news

Come on folks, move along nothing new to see here:bonk:
Click to expand...

wow, i thought i was bad, i see a tagline swap coming on!
 
chrisgeary said:
@ding you clearly don't understand the design differences between the two phones. There is a difference, iphone4 is flawed and you wont convince me, or the many others who have proven it, otherwise. I urge _you_ to please move along :)
Click to expand...

As flawed as your perfectly working 3g? Same problems, same solution will come in firmware, Apple make more money, the world goes round.
 
As i said, the 3G also running iOS4 does not have the problem. It is not the same issue. Please stop saying it is. IMO and many others believe it too, it is clearly hardware. I'll be happy if they fix it in software but I'm not convinced.
 
Raymond Lin said:
If it is an OS problem then why would Apple's response be "hold it differently"?
Click to expand...

V Good point, but surely whatever the issue, Apple will come up with a solution very quickly and it will all be over.

Just the whole think of Apple make a mistake, and everyone jumps on this huge anti apple thing, and calling the phone crap bugs me. It happens to other brands too, there was a supposedly a similar thing with the Nexus one, and several other devices over the years.

It is still an amazing phone, and that will still remain even after the attenna issue has been sorted.
 
chrisgeary said:
Matty.. Are you sure? I never had any problems with the 3G. You write like you think this is a few people moaning about some small issue because they live their lives to moan about something. This made the national news in several countries! Hardly an issue that will just blow over. And why should we have to buy something to fix a design flaw?
Click to expand...

nope, same problem

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-10115685-233.html
http://www.iphonehacks.com/2008/07/boost-signal.html
http://bindapple.com/iphone-3g-problems/

there were also the same complaints with the ipad dropping wifi


FYI, i want one of these, my contracts is within range so im in the right zone to get it, i already have a 3g so im ripe for upgrade!
 
chrisgeary said:
As i said, the 3G also running iOS4 does not have the problem. It is not the same issue. Please stop saying it is. IMO and many others believe it too, it is clearly hardware. I'll be happy if they fix it in software but I'm not convinced.
Click to expand...

dropping signal isnt a new problem. the way it drops the signal is..
 
I have a 3GS which I was thinking of upgrading. The only issue I've had with the 3GS is that people complain the quality is terrible when talking to me on it and I know it's not a network issue as my wife's on the same network with a different phone which is fine from the same location. I've had two and they're both like this. I like all the features (apart from the camera but I have a camera for photos) but wish it did the fundamental job of being a phone well. These issues worry me and are making me think I ought to wait a bit before upgrading to version 4.
 
The 3GS was flawed in terms of signal strength. Never as good as nokias. When I heard the external areial I ditched my 3GS for the iP4. I bought a bumper for protection and couldn't have been more please to have signal 90% rather than 50% of the time at my desk at work. I've tested and seen the problem without the bumper but any disappointment is far overshaddowed by how awesome the device is. I now hope to sell my almost new 3GS on eBay. I did note in Jobs keynote he talked about the new areial but didn't say there was going to be a much better signal, I think he knew it would come back to bite him! (written from my iP4)
 
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