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iPhone 4 Reception: Apple Response, No Recall, No Free Cases,
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by NowPublic Staff | June 30, 2010 at 01:49 pm
2119 views | 0 Recommendations | 2 comments
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Apple Job Posting: Jobs Available At Apple For Wireless Antenna Engineers
More and more user tests, more tech experts have confirmed that there is a indeed reception issues with the new iPhone 4 but Apple says the problem is not worth addressing and its up to consumers to figure out their own fix. So forget an iPhone 4 recall, forget free cases or bumpers that would resolve the wireless antenna issue, and bet that a software upgrade will somehow solve the problem.
The Boy Genius Report has a document that it says are talking points for customer service representatives who field complaints about the iPhone 4G reception problems. The final talking point for Apple Care representatives - unlike the quality of the calls on the iphone 4 - is loud and clear.
We ARE NOT appeasing customers with free bumpers – DON’T promise a free bumper to customers.
And tech experts say the problem is not simply a matter of a software fix. It is the actual design of the iPhone 4 specifically the placement of the phone's antenna. A steel band runs around the outside of the new iPhone 4 - that steel band is apparently the antenna. The Wifi, Bluetooth and GPS antenna is in the black band at the lower left of the iPhone 4.
When I first saw the iPhone 4's design spelled out watching the keynote online, I immediately assumed that Apple was going to apply an insulative coating atop the stainless steel. Perhaps even use diamond vapor deposition (like they did with the glass screen atop the iPhone 3GS) to insulate the stainless steel from users. We now know rather definitively that this isn't the case.
The smart guys behind the tech site Anandtech conducted an extensive test of the new iphone 4 and they conclude that there are indeed issues with the reception and that there is no software fix. Holding the iPhone gingerly and in a particular position delivers good reception. Gripping it firmly sees the reception rate drop. Adding a case or bumper brings the iPhone on par with comparable devices.
Meanwhile, Apple seems to be looking for Wireless Antenna Engineers to help with the design of the iPad and iPhone.
Responsibilities: Define and implement antenna system architecture to optimize the radiation performance for wireless portable devices. The candidate should be able to design antennas suitable for wireless handheld devices with excellent radiation performance...
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (2)
at 14:14 on June 30th, 2010
Hello, would the media please stop calling the iPhone 4, the iPhone 4G!! It does not send or receive data at 4G speeds as the HTC EVO can. It is not a 4G phone. Apple has never called it the iPhone 4G, it seems only hack media are using this moniker.
at 14:25 on June 30th, 2010
Sorry, one more comment... any sort of actual research, like maybe watching the keynote yourself (it's available on apple's website and iTunes), and you know that this statement "the Wifi, Bluetooth and GPS antenna is in the black band at the lower left of the iPhone 4"is totally wrong. There are 3 black bands that separate the metal band running around the outside of the phone, one is false, put there for symmetry, the other two separate the band into two separate antenna's. One is for Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS (the left side of the phone, excluding the lower left corner), the other for the cell reception.What is happening to some phones (actually quite a small number now that polls have been released), is that if you bridge the black band separating the two antenna on the left bottom of the phone with your hand, it somehow shorts the antenna and you lose some reception.There you go, take these two comments and rewrite your post please.