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Leak shows Apple’s position that nothing is wrong with iPhone’s antenna

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 · 9:47 am · 53 Comments

“The antenna issues plaguing the iPhone 4 have infuriated many iPhone users (and rightfully so), but have you ever wondered how Apple is training its employees to deal with the fiasco? Well thanks to one of our Apple connects, we now know the exact procedures AppleCare reps must follow when dealing with any reception complaints regarding the iPhone 4,” The Boy Genius reports.

“Clearly Apple is taking the position that nothing is wrong with the antenna, although that’s not surprising since most companies will never willingly admit their flagship product is potentially suffering from an unfixable flaw,” The Boy Genius reports. “But does anyone else find it interesting, if not troubling, that there is no mention of an impending software fix?”

Full article, with the procedures AppleCare reps must follow when dealing with any reception complaints regarding the iPhone 4, here.

MacDailyNews Take: Now when you call up, you can follow along as the reps tick off the procedures or go buy yourself a case or bumper, or simply wait for more info. We’ve yet to drop a call by holding our iPhone 4 units the “wrong” way.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Lurker_PC" for the heads up.]

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Comment Feed

53 Comments

1 2 3 Next »

egbweb

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 9:50 am · Reply

Have had no issues by holding mine the “wrong way”.
ken1w

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 9:53 am · Reply

@ MDN Take

> We’ve yet to drop a call by holding our iPhone 4 units the “wrong” way.

Exactly… Most of the hysteria is coming from how signal strength is represented on the screen (something you can’t even see when the phone is at the side of your face making a call), NOT from actual iPhone performance when making a call.

So if Apple is going to roll out a “fix” with its first iOS update, it just needs to adjust how signal strength is determined and displayed on the screen, not fix any “reception issue.”
Ray

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 9:56 am · Reply

Never forget….There are a lot of companies out there that want to sell smart phones too. They will say anything to discredit the iPhone. First we had retina boy, then the antenna holder’s union, and now recently the multi-tasker truthers.

This “negative” wave of accusations will not end. just get used to it.

my $0.02
MacBill

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 9:58 am · Reply

I cannot reproduce the issue on my iPhone 4.
Doesn't Work

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 9:59 am · Reply

Constantly dropping calls and watching the signal fall when I hold my phone like Steve did during the roll out at WWDC keynote.

I can avoid the problem by holding the phone with my thumb and fingers on the glass front and back without making contact with the steel band around the edges. But, I can’t talk on the phone while holding it like that. Nor can I access apps holding it that way.

So, the phone just doesn’t work. I will absolutely return it before time runs out although I would prefer a fix and an apology from Steve for lying to us about how technically superior this badly designed, failed product is suppose to be.
Chris

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 9:59 am · Reply

I can reliable reproduce the issue, but it doesn’t affect the way the phone works.
ken1w

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 10:01 am · Reply

@ Ray

You forgot “iPhone 4 sucks because there was a problem during the Steve Jobs WWDC demo” (that was the FIRST one). And “iPhone sucks because ATT sucks,” of course.
Dwight Schrute

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 10:03 am · Reply

Doesn’t Work, you are so full of crap. Go back to the Microsoft forums, idiot.
MacBart

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 10:03 am · Reply

I have never had this “problem” on my iPhone4, and I don’t know anyone who has. I think it’s mainly hysteria started by a very few. If someone tells you there might be a rock under your mattress, even though there’s not, you’ll feel it every way you turn.
Mr. Reeee

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 10:04 am · Reply

@Doesn’t Work…

Simple solution. Buy a case. If you look, you’ll discover that there are actually several cases for the iPhone 4 available.

Imagine that.

For me, one of the funnest parts of getting a new iDevice is deciding which case to get. Besides, a case helps protect the thing from scratches and dings, too.
ken1w

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 10:06 am · Reply

@ Doesn’t Work

You are a pathetically incompetent “troll.”
FloridaT

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 10:09 am · Reply

Do problems with my reception – hysteria and fud – this kind of crap has happened around every apple phone launch – some folks just like to make themselves heard….
Jason

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 10:09 am · Reply

Have had no issues. I put on a black bumper before I even activated it. Thumbs up Mr. Reeee! Get a case – it solves the sweaty palms issue and protects “The Precious”.
binkdog

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 10:12 am · Reply

Way worse problem is the proximity sensor issue while on a call: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2475509&tstart=0

This is happening to me daily and driving me crazy I keep hitting mute, blasting my eardrums turning the speaker on, and hanging up in people and dialing someone else!

Hopefully it’s just a software issue as the screen does initially turn off.
Shinobi

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 10:14 am · Reply

I believe most of this hype is all just coming from Apple haters and competing Companies like Nokia, Google, etc.

I am sorry guys…this will not slow down iPhone 4 sales!

I just bought 2 of them yesterday! It is really a none issue.
Irritated with the Masses

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 10:15 am · Reply

I stood in line 19 hours to get my iPhone 4, and while I do feel that’s a bit excessive (did so with my friend just for the experience, and I’ll be reordering from now on) I would do it again. This phone is awesome.
The death grip hysteria is driving me nuts! Steve Jobs’s email was straightforward and YouTube videos from users across the country have verified his claims.
My friend has dropped something like 12-15 calls in a week and is ticked, but he uses a bumper and can’t replicate the death grip, so it’s an unrelated network issue on AT&T;’s end most likely and Apple gets the blame. I wonder how many of the “real” death-grip sufferers are similarly mixing 2 unrelated issues?
m159

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 10:16 am · Reply

Love the display, the apps, the clarity, the speed, the chip, the battery, the styling, the company. Between my wife and I, we’ve had every version of the iPhone (and use Macs at home and work).

But every call I’ve made on the iPhone4 has the proximity sensor randomly activating the mute button or the alarm klaxon blasting (ring tone selector). Frequently, especially if it’s a sweaty day I also have the antenna problem causing reception break-up or even dropping the call. I can live with the bumper if I have to, in order to have this transcendent device, but I sure hope there’s a software fix for the proximity issue.
Bream Rockmetteller

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 10:16 am · Reply

I’ve got a “Barely There” case waiting to be filled with iPhone goodness, hopefully next week some time. We know the answer to this now-rhetorical question, but, why hasn’t a similar angst level been achieved for Droid or Nokia phones that have exactly the same “signal degradation” problem? Yeah, you know why…
Bongo

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 10:17 am · Reply

I can’t believe how many are defending apple like this. There are enough videos and reports from people (many on this board) to make it very likely that this is a real issue.

I can only imagine the ridicule that any other company would get if they had this same problem. Time to take off the rose colored glasses, people. The iPhone 4 is an amazing device, but we need to demand an explanation/fix for this problem.

Even if this turns out to be minor or a nonissue, Apple needs to handle it better. Their reputation of making quality products is on the line here.
O

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 10:19 am · Reply

Been using my iPhone4 for several days now… holding it however I choose.

No antenna issues. No proximity issues.