iPhone 4 signal problems

Amp34 said:
Maybe he should change his Avatar to...

not-listening.jpg


As well... ;):lol:

EDIT: Maybe "Steve Jobs Jr" should be his tag? :p
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Id be happy with that.

fix due any day in OS upgrade, 1.7 million sold so it makes no difference. Storm in teacup over, Apple haters will find the next thing to jump on.
 
Never said you were Chris. I don't hold my phone in a way that has affected it, so it is not a worry to me, I would be pretty sure though that to get out an update so quickly will be to do with the Antenna issue. No other problems have been noted with OS4 apart from the slowness on older devices.

I just think that although there is a problem with reception, which I am sure will be sorted by a software update, the amount of people who are affected holding their phone normally is tiny, I wonder how many would have had this fault if it was not jumped upon (as it rightly should be) by the mass media.

How many of those with the phone have problems with signals using the phone normally?

Yes you can if you jam your left hand into the corner and hold it there and wait.

It's just that I have heard very few "My phone is useless now when I make calls" Rather than "My phone is faulty too, I can make it do the same thing as all the other people who jam it into their palm"

This has been my point all along. There is a fault, but the likelihood of affecting the average user is slight, unless you make it do it.
 
My point all along is that I'm not holding the phone abnormally. I'm not deliberately making it do something for the heck of it. Clearly enough other people hold it the same way i do for it to make the national news. It isn't even just about dropped calls, i get no service if i happen to bridge the antenna just browsing the web. Again I'm a left hander for data too.

Anyway, let's hope the update fixes it.
 
ding76uk said:
jam your left hand into the corner and hold it there and wait.
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But all you need to do is put one finger over the black line and instantly your phone will not transmit. Remove finger and it will work again.

How you hold your phone is irrelevant. 'Jam' your hand where you like. The fact is it shouldn't happen.
 
Oli R C said:
But all you need to do is put one finger over the black line and instantly your phone will not transmit. Remove finger and it will work again.

How you hold your phone is irrelevant. 'Jam' your hand where you like. The fact is it shouldn't happen.
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Not saying it should happen, they bodged it on release, but it will be addressed in a software update. Even Apple could not handle the fallout from this if there is no remedy.

Similar problems happen to a lot of phones on release day models, just because it is Apple and the volume the problem gets magnified.

People are saying it is a relatively simple fix via update, as the contact of hands in the "Grip of death" can be compensated for via stuff that goes way over my head in terms of the banding etc.

It will be resolved and the phone will still be amazing in terms of what it offers, just that a cock up got made that wasn't sorted at launch. Jobs reply was better than the normal Apple no response, but was pretty stupid all the same.

I have had no real troubles in use with mine yet, so the problem does not affect me personally in every day use.

I have ordered a case though (although some say that wont stop it), but I was going to anyway, as I never treat my phones well, and have found a gorgeous case, although waiting time will be about a month, but worth it.
 
a phone that costs as much as the ip4 shouldn't have any issues, they get enough money to do the r&d on the damn things that any function of the phone shouldn't have problems let alone a basic function connected with it's main purpose

imho.
 
this happens with all phones not just apple ones
look at all the high end nokia's exactly the same on release
most of the people moaning and panicking about the issue either don't have the phone or have no intention of getting one
 
Hmm a new issue has come to light this evening. Looks like when in speaker mode, the iPhone disables the mic so noone can hear me anymore.

Works on my wife's 3G with iOS4 so I presume this is another hardware problem, probably specific to my phone. Anyone else have issues with speaker mode?

Mine is also refusing to respond to incoming calls sometimes despite sufficient signal. I think it's just a bad one. My first iPhone 2G also didn't respond to incoming calls either.
 
Speaker mode has been fine on mine...
 
Chris.
While I feel for you with this phone, I don't think you are doing yourself any favours. Have you spoken to Apple or the dealer you bought it from?
It defiantly seems there are some it affects and some it doesn't. Mine is fine. Me and a few mates in the pub can't get it to loose signal in any shape or form. I don't have a yellow line. My speaker works, as does the mic, and I don't have piercings, so the phone doesn't do strange things when held to my ear. It just works.
I sincerely hope you get yours swapped for a good one. When they work, they are brilliant. I love mine. I would hate for this to put you off Apple.
I think back to my TVR. It cost loads, and spent more time being fixed than it did on the road. With TVR, it was excepted as Par for the Course.
 
I've given our two new iPhones a good test drive and I don't have any problems. For the first 20 minutes, my phone couldn't send txts whereas my wife's phone could. But all is well now. And definitely no signal/antenna/grip problems.
 
jmsjabb said:
Chris.
While I feel for you with this phone, I don't think you are doing yourself any favours. Have you spoken to Apple or the dealer you bought it from?
It defiantly seems there are some it affects and some it doesn't. Mine is fine. Me and a few mates in the pub can't get it to loose signal in any shape or form. I don't have a yellow line. My speaker works, as does the mic, and I don't have piercings, so the phone doesn't do strange things when held to my ear. It just works.
I sincerely hope you get yours swapped for a good one. When they work, they are brilliant. I love mine. I would hate for this to put you off Apple.
I think back to my TVR. It cost loads, and spent more time being fixed than it did on the road. With TVR, it was excepted as Par for the Course.
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James, could you check one thing for me. Call yourself on a landline and answer it. Hold the landline to your ear, with the mouth piece away from your mouth, preferably covered (or at least where you know it won't pick you up).
Hold your iPhone to your other ear and talk into it so you can hear yourself on the landline. Whilst talking, or maybe making a constant noise, like humming, move a finger over the black line on the bottom left of the iPhone (i.e. bridging the two antennae). Is there any loss in transmission?
 
@jmsjabb yeah I'm waiting new stock for a replacement. I see today reading and Southampton have new stock so hopefully not much longer for me now

This post was really about finding out how widespread these issues are. Seems like my phone has more problems than just the antenna one. It won't put me off apple although every iPhone I've had has had to be replaced. 50% hit rate isn't good but I still love iPhones!
 
ding76uk said:
Jobs reply was better than the normal Apple no response, but was pretty stupid all the same.
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So in your opinion an arrogant dismissive reply is better than saying nothing?

Your defensiveness for apple really goes too far mate.
 
joescrivens said:
So in your opinion an arrogant dismissive reply is better than saying nothing?

Your defensiveness for apple really goes too far mate.
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What other option did he have?

Say nothing, everyone would be all over him.

Admit a problem, well that would be even worse and lead to a flood of returned phones worldwide, that would cripple Apple's reputation.

Say it is just a case of holding it different, knowing that firmware people are working overtime finding a solution that will get rid of the problem. Means 3 things.

1. He responded, which he had to do

2. He played down the fact that a lot of people fanning the flames were anti Apple, and that people were making their phones do it, rather than it happening in every day usage. How many people really would be affected by this in daily use, rather than being able to make a phone do it?

3. Seemingly the firmware fix is in place to be rolled out any day, meaning the end of the problem within a week of release, which is great, and more than a lot of other phones which had problems on release took to rectify them.

That is the crux, other phones have problems on release, even the extensive ones, but Apple are always going to be under scrutiny when the release any product.

Jobs could not do anything that would have resulted in him not being dragged over hot coals. What else could he have done? And for goodness sake don't say be honest and admit the fault, because there is no way any company would ever do that, or indeed could do that.
 
surely saying ' yes we've identified an issue with the phone, and we are working to release a firmware update in a matter of days to solve the issue, in the mean time when holding the phone try not to bridge the join in the antennae"

which suggests that there is a problem, we're fixing it, dont panic, in the meantime do this"

sounds alot better than
"hold your phone differently" which i personally translate as "theres a problem, but we cant be bothered to fix it, so you'll have to adapt"

Yes i agree jobs is in a no win situation whatever he says, but his response did sound very arrogant and dismissive and by carefully selecting his words could have made himself look better
 
ding76uk said:
What other option did he have?

Jobs could not do anything that would have resulted in him not being dragged over hot coals. What else could he have done? And for goodness sake don't say be honest and admit the fault, because there is no way any company would ever do that, or indeed could do that.
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Absolute codswallop.

Firstly by saying nothing he is neither accepting or denying there is an issue, the fix has come out quickly so him saying nothing would have meant nothing, to anyone.

Secondly, by saying what he did he is in fact claiming that there isn't a fault at all and the fault is with the handler. There's a big difference between not admitting there is a fault and insinuating there definitely isn't one

Thirdly, he could have just acknowledged the email by saying they would look into it. Again, not admitting there is or isnt a fault either way or committing to a fix.

Any of the above are the standard responses from tech companies, I should know I work in one!
 
come on guys, microsoft have been selling duff software (vista) and hardware (xbox360) for years...where is the angry mob with pitchforks for that? (especially the 360, 33% failure rate???)
 
matty said:
come on guys, microsoft have been selling duff software (vista) and hardware (xbox360) for years...where is the angry mob with pitchforks for that? (especially the 360, 33% failure rate???)
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I curse and swear at my computer every time I turn it on, but seeing as the rest of the world does the same thing, my voice won't be heard :thumbs:
 
joescrivens said:
Absolute codswallop.

Firstly by saying nothing he is neither accepting or denying there is an issue, the fix has come out quickly so him saying nothing would have meant nothing, to anyone.
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Do you really think that if he had said nothing, it would have been "He is denying this problem and not even honouring us with a response"

joescrivens said:
Secondly, by saying what he did he is in fact claiming that there isn't a fault at all and the fault is with the handler. There's a big difference between not admitting there is a fault and insinuating there definitely isn't one
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Jobs official statement read

“Gripping any phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas. This is a fact of life for every wireless phone.”

“If you ever experience this on your iPhone 4, avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band, or simply use one of many available cases.”

Where in that is he blaming the user? It is the classic time buying tactic. This is the thing that is being taken and saying his reply was your holding it wrong. Where in that does he say that, he just says avoid and does not accuse anyone of holding it wrong. This is where the truth is being distorted. Buying time is being done right there, but the press love jumping on a story and running their version of truth.


joescrivens said:
Thirdly, he could have just acknowledged the email by saying they would look into it. Again, not admitting there is or isnt a fault either way or committing to a fix.

Any of the above are the standard responses from tech companies, I should know I work in one!
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If they did that they would make it sound like they knew of the fault, but were hoping no one would notice. He really is never going to win. As you say it is the standard response, and everyone would see through it.
 
matty said:
come on guys, microsoft have been selling duff software (vista) and hardware (xbox360) for years...where is the angry mob with pitchforks for that? (especially the 360, 33% failure rate???)
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Did you not see them? There were pyres of vista boxes set alight with flaming Xboxes! I think microsoft have had the angry mobs for a long time now. And Vista wasn't even that bad after SP1- it actually is what sits under W7 pretty much!
 
I went into my local store and guy said...Although there are phones availble behind the scenes, o2 are telling customers 3 week wait. He thinks thats so they can solve the signal issue. He advised me to wait 3 or 4 weeks and get one thats (hopefully) faultless
 
I've just got a cheap case off ebay (£25 for a bit of plastic???? :lol::lol::lol::shrug:) and it's solved the falling signal problem.

They were talking about it on Radio 4 earlier today, basically they said you could return the iphone as it's not fit for purpose, either way the response from so far from Apple is not good enough.
Personally I'm holding on for a fix, most probably a software one (I hope...)
 
Edtog said:
I've just got a cheap case off ebay (£25 for a bit of plastic???? :lol::lol::lol::shrug:) and it's solved the falling signal problem
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Oh how this tickles me...
£500 for an over priced phone with a design flaw and shove it in a £25 case :D
 
I'm curious as to how a software fix will resolved this issue.
The video on youtube clearly shows the guy bridging the two metal surrounds with a finger.
Perhaps Messiah Jobs can fix hardware issues like no other man can :D
 
if you just turn it upside down its fine
 
Oli R C said:
James, could you check one thing for me. Call yourself on a landline and answer it. Hold the landline to your ear, with the mouth piece away from your mouth, preferably covered (or at least where you know it won't pick you up).
Hold your iPhone to your other ear and talk into it so you can hear yourself on the landline. Whilst talking, or maybe making a constant noise, like humming, move a finger over the black line on the bottom left of the iPhone (i.e. bridging the two antennae). Is there any loss in transmission?
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I don't honestly think there is.
I have tried in good and poor areas, and it picks up a signal as good, if not better than the 3G I had.
I also have tried with hot sweaty hands and still no difference.
I just presume I have a good one.
( I read somewhere there was a manufacturing fault and they carried on for a while before fixing the problem. Some phones therefore have left the factory faulty. )
 
matty said:
come on guys, microsoft have been selling duff software (vista) and hardware (xbox360) for years...where is the angry mob with pitchforks for that? (especially the 360, 33% failure rate???)
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But MS will at least fix it for free (not ask you to pay £25 for the bumper)

MS never told you to "don't play it that often then"

The 360 might have 33% failure rate, but the iPhone 4 has a basic design flaw that affects 100% of the unit.
 
Raymond Lin said:
But MS will at least fix it for free (not ask you to pay £25 for the bumper)

MS never told you to "don't play it that often then"

The 360 might have 33% failure rate, but the iPhone 4 has a basic design flaw that affects 100% of the unit.
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it took MS 2 years to extendwarrenties for the xbox..

and the iphone 4 isnt 100% borked, at least 1 person in the thread doesnt have the fault :p
 
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