Apple admits signal problems in iPhone 4

Yeah, they are absolutely right, all mobile phones I've used have lost network connection as soon as I hold them. That's totally normal!

By Grunthos on 25 Jun 2010

I expected better

How could such a big fault slip through alpha much less beta testing? Saying our product is broken but buying this handy widget as a work around doesn't inspire any condience either. If this is an engineering fault Apple need to fix this fast or the cool crowd will turn on them. It was one thing not being able to send MMS but not being able to make calls...

By JamesD29 on 25 Jun 2010

Not!

By Grunthos on 25 Jun 2010

You have to laugh

My Nokia 6680 let's me make calls whenever I want.

Really if they can't make a phone that reliably picks up a signal what on earth is the point?

By SillyCasper on 25 Jun 2010

Hard to tell if its just a few users complaining or a genuine problem effecting most people. I've an iPhone 3GS and before buying saw lots of messages in forums about how dire it was in terms of battery life. But having owneed and used one for about 4 months its worked fine for me.

Look forward to the PC Pro review of the iPhone 4

By cyberindie on 25 Jun 2010

What's in a name!

Sorry.I thought the current batch of Smartphones were for mobile computing.I did not believe they were ment for actually making phone calls on them.Seriously,Is everyone loosing sight of what a mobile phone is acually , primarily for...Err....Like making Phone calls...a clue I believe is in the name !!

By Jaberwocky on 25 Jun 2010

One thing I would ask is did Steve Jobs go on the same PR course as the BP oil chairman?

By cyberindie on 25 Jun 2010

At last a left handed mobile phone!

As a south-paw my life has been marred by scissors I can't use and Mice that don't feel comfortable in the hand. At last a phone just for me -sadly I can't justify the cost!

By milliganp on 25 Jun 2010

"Signal loss is perfectly normal in handsets"

My goodness, I'd better take my Sony 750i back, it's clearly faulty as it never loses signal when I pick it up.

I'm left wondering, what is the colour of the sky on "Apple World"?

Once again, aesthetics triumphs over, well, y'know, actual functionality and all that gumpf.

Shame really, I was seriously considering getting one of these from Tesco on a 12 month contract. But Apple had to go and spoil it by being... well, Apple!

By Lacrobat on 25 Jun 2010

From what I've heard it is a design flaw and not a specific batch. I've seen about 20 or so videos from different sources showing the issue. I was hoping to get one but I don't think I will now. The fact that the antenna is on the outside clearly makes this problem worse.
Apple do not help themselves by saying hold it different or buy a case. It won't be ultra thin with a case around it will it?!

By TimoGunt on 25 Jun 2010

The Solution?

"but Apple did suggest one solution to the problem - pay for an accessory"

Here's Lacrobat's solution. Given the eye-watering cost of this gussied-up big boy's toy, why don't Apple include a case with it?

Or is that too simple for our sandle wearing, bearded hippy corporate stooges?

By Lacrobat on 25 Jun 2010

No good for me then

I'm deaf in my right ear, so always hold phones in my left hand to my left ear. I'm an iPhone user and was hoping to upgrade to this, but I think I'll have to wait to see how this pans out first.

By GillsMan7 on 25 Jun 2010

My quote of the day, thought it was apt...

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled.
- Richard Feynman"

By rozman on 25 Jun 2010

I'm a Windows PC user but have a Apple iPhone 3GS.

Pleased with it but does amaze me how arrogant Steve Jobs is. Telling people its their fault for holding the phone the "wrong way" or that they need to buy a case to make the new phone work - amazing!

What next? It doesn't work if you hold it near your ear?

By cyberindie on 25 Jun 2010

Apple - "It Just Works - but only if used in a certain restrictive way...."

New slogan for Apple? Perhaps their next Mac can be designer to only work if the user is more than 10 foot away?

By cyberindie on 25 Jun 2010

Being told what to do...

Firstly, you could only buy the phone on the O2 network, you are forced to use rubbish iTunes, next you are told you can't play Flash, you can only install pre-approved apps, your submitted apps need to be approved...now you are told you have to hold the phone it in certain way, you can make video calls...only if the person you're calling has an iPhone 4 aswell...and only over wi-fi, cost of ownership over 2 years is ridiculous...I could go on. I still believe that their products are generally excellent but I honestly think that they'll be a victim of their success unless they start listening to what people want.

By chiwong888 on 25 Jun 2010

Being told what to do...

Firstly, you could only buy the phone on the O2 network, you are forced to use rubbish iTunes, next you are told you can't play Flash, you can only install pre-approved apps, your submitted apps need to be approved...now you are told you have to hold the phone it in certain way, you can make video calls...only if the person you're calling has an iPhone 4 aswell...and only over wi-fi, cost of ownership over 2 years is ridiculous...I could go on. I still believe that their products are generally excellent but I honestly think that they'll be a victim of their success unless they start listening to what people want.

By chiwong888 on 25 Jun 2010

I thought Jobs was talking about Apple's latest must-have accessory - the iGlove.

By raybarclay on 25 Jun 2010

I thought Jobs was talking about Apple's latest must-have accessory - the iGlove.

By raybarclay on 25 Jun 2010

What an apple product going wrong?....

It must be a conspiracy from Microsoft....or an extremely expensive way to get people to accessorize their phone

By Ajamu1 on 25 Jun 2010

@chiwong888

You'd think so, wouldn't you - yet Apple seem to sell more every time & their share price continues to grow.

Guess the 'sucker factor' has no bounds, as long as the perception is 'cool'

By greemble on 25 Jun 2010

Snigger, snigger

Does it really matter? People only buy Apple products as status symbols anyway. It's something to put on the table while one drinks one's latte.

It still looks nice, and that's what really counts, no?

By wanstronian on 25 Jun 2010

I couldn't care less about products as I don't feel any need for them myself but the arrogance of the company is simply staggering. Yellow tint on 27'' iMac? Naturall, live with it. Crappy Wi-Fi on an iPad? Move closer to the router. Phone with a patchy signal? Perfectly normal!

Honestly, how brainwashed you have to be to buy it all? I work with a guy who gets all that news in, admits it's a fail and then says that he still wants one even though he can't explain why and what for.

- I'm a PC. I have my limitations which I am perfectly aware of and don't make a fuss.

- And I'm an Apple. I live in a perfect world. Steve Jobs told me so.

By Josefov on 25 Jun 2010

Steve Jobs at D8

If you watch any of the videos of Steve's interview at this conference you are left in no doubt -Steve knows best on everything! Doubt or self-depracation just don't exist as possibilities.

By milliganp on 25 Jun 2010

THERES AN APP FOR EVERYTHING *

* except making a call

All phones lose signal sometime but paying £500 for a phone that cant get a signal through your hand is a new one What happens when you go somewhere where there is very little signal. Next they will recommend buying another phone that actually does the job its supposed to do

By patty on 25 Jun 2010

@Josefov

"I'm an Apple. I live in a perfect world. Steve Jobs told me so"

lol - that sums up the Apple 'cult'ure perfectly.

By Grunthos on 25 Jun 2010

Surely if it takes an accessory (eg the bumper case - only sold by Apple at an absurd price) to make the iPhone 4 actually function correctly, then are they not obligated to provide it to ensure 'fit for purpose'.

The arrogance is staggering - but will still succeed despite it all..

By Ade_J on 25 Jun 2010

Bad engineering

If the iPhone RF team failed to take this into account it is pretty shocking. In fact I would go as far to say that it is nearly impossible that they wouldn't have factored this in.

I'm an EEE and in the early 2000's did research work for a big mobile handset operator beginning with N. Antenna are normally designed in simulation first using tools like Ansoft HFSS and then prototyped and tested in an anechoic chamber using an RF source and a network analyser to plot the S-parameters of the antenna across the required frequency range.

It is common to have a mock up of a hand and head ( with as close a composition to the real thing as possible ) holding the phone to test for near field interactions. The feed cable to antenna under test and even the mount supporting it have an effect on the behaviour of the device and measures ( ferrite beads, baluns etc. ) are required to prevent leakage.

For any engineer to not factor in that a conductive body across a capactive gap in their antenna would not have an effect on it's performance is beyond belief.

By Rouleur on 25 Jun 2010

@Rouleur

An article on the Register makes an interesting point that these days the radio is now pretty much a 'bought commodity', with little thought given to it's robustness.

The fact the Steve Jobs referred to the case as a 'cool bit of engineering' shows that he was totally unaware of the problem at launch and the RF team totally missed it.

By Laurent on 25 Jun 2010

All (or most) modern phones have poor RF

All the manufacturers are so busy making fashion items that they have forgotten that some people actually want to make phone calls outside urban areas. God help anyone living in the country!
OK, the iPhone4 should have been fixed at beta & I'm in no hurry to hand on my 3GS to my GF for a few months. At least I can still read the display on my iPhone, unlike most smartphones with those horrid resistive displays.
No phone has ever matched my SE K700 for being able to make & receive calls in marginal conditions - my 3GS is very, very average in that respect!
It's high time for ALL phones to take an accessory aerial, if not a retractable one!!!

By busb11 on 25 Jun 2010

Should I be surprised with this. iThink not!
iP4 = status symbol. Style over substance. Expensive and stealable. Doesn't do good reception. I wonder how easily the screen scratches.

By monsieurtechnica on 25 Jun 2010

Should I be surprised with this. iThink not!
iP4 = status symbol. Style over substance. Expensive and stealable. Doesn't do good reception. I wonder how easily the screen scratches.

By monsieurtechnica on 25 Jun 2010

Jobs/Apple iPad Solution = stand closer to router
Jobs/Apple iPhone 4 solution = buy an accessory
My solution = don't buy one

By UserCan on 27 Jun 2010

Moment to get in

I think now it's a good time for some smart company to introduce a device as good as Apple's iphone or ipad, refering to engineering and succeed with it.
Apple's devices (hardware) are very good in my opinion, works generally quite well and lasts for quite long.
The big problem with Apple is that they are stupidly limiting the capabilities of the software part (and they pretend it is very nice). As a good example is bluetooth. (Who knew the iPhone 3G had a Bluetooth until they published the corresponding OS, 3 if I remember well?).
If someone else is able to offer similar "gadget" with same functionality, but more open, then I believe it would be very successful, and might beat Apple's devices.

Unfortunately Apple seems to be taking the same path as Microsoft did at the time of Win Vista, and I hope they will soon realize that and not end up victims of their success.

By alphasierra on 29 Jun 2010