“I must say, I was mystified at first. I’ve never seen it on the iPhone unit I’ve been reviewing. I can’t even reproduce it, no matter how hard I try. I’m sitting here right now. I’m wrapping my hand every which way — I’m even holding it with two fists, completely concealing the silver band around the edges — and my four-bar signal strength doesn’t waver. On Twitter, most of my followers seem to indicate the same thing; it’s a problem that just doesn’t exist for them,” Pogue reports. “But clearly, the problem exists for some people. PC Magazine, for example, has been able to reproduce the problem. For them, it happens only if (a) your hand is somewhat sweaty and (b) you hold the phone in such a way that your fingers are covering all three black gaps in the stainless-steel band around the phone’s edge. (For this reason, left-handers seem to be the most-affected population.) In that configuration, signal strength drops a little.”
Pogue reports, “If you do experience the iPhone Death Grip problem, one easy way to eliminate it is to put the phone in a case. Even a ‘bumper’ solves the problem — like the $30 one that Apple sells. It’s a thin rubbery silicon band, available in a range of colors, that covers the metal edge entirely… The paranoid might ask: Why is Apple introducing bumpers now, with this phone? Is it trying to profit from its own design flaw? Or, less conspiratorially: Shouldn’t Apple at least offer free bumpers to people who are having the Death Grip problem? I’ve asked Apple about the problem three times, and nobody’s gotten back to me…”
Pogue writes, “This doesn’t seem like a problem that Apple can fix with a little software update; it’s baked right into the design of the iPhone 4 itself. And considering the hysteria that surrounds the phone, combined with ignorance about the nature and probability of the problem, it could wind up being a huge black eye for Apple and the phone.”
Read more in the full article – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: Only time will tell if this huge black eye will go away on its own (not likely) or if Apple will have to “take a loss” on those 29-cent (probably even less) rubber bumpers for which they currently overcharge US$29 by including one in every iPhone 4 box as they should have been doing all along.
Ugh, those IDIOTS. Steve Jobs gives a quick reply to a complaint, and before you know it, people are discussing it as if it’s Apple’s official statement on the matter. Jobs is human, you know? For all you know, he might have been in a bad mood and just went: “Well just don’t f***ing hold it that way.”
Granted, being in his position, his words hold a lot of weight, and he should have been more careful about what he says, but it’s ridiculous how seriously everyone’s taking it. I can only imagine how painful it is to be the center of such attention.
Why-oh-why does every article I read state “It’s more of a problem for left-handers”?
That’s wrong. I’m very much right-handed, but, like many other right-handers, I use phones with my left hand, so that I have my right hand free to take notes or use the mouse/keyboard/trackpad etc.
It’s a bigger problem (if it’s really a problem) for left-handed use. Not left-handed users.
I’d be careful with the porn sites, too…
Just watched the news on the local CBS affiliate here. Reporter demonstrated the problem – then back to the anchors who followed up by informing their audience if any of them were thinking about buying an iPhone, they shouldn’t because they don’t work.
Steve Jobs better be thinking of something and quick. Anyone have a prediction of how long before FCC or some fed agency steps in and requires a total recall of the iPhone 4?
Maybe Steve should just swallow hard and do it – may be the only way to salvage what’s left of Apple’s credibility. Beleaguered has made a return.
rubber baby buggy bumpers-rubber baby buggy bumpers-rubber baby buggy bumpers-rubber baby buggy bumpers.
If Face Time is the biggest of the new features, the revolutionary antenna has to be the second biggest.
And, all the while, Jobs & Co. knew it was defective.
Now what? Is the problem just going to be ignored in hopes it will go away because all smart phones have some kind of problem.
Well, my friends, comparing an Apple product to those made inferior by it, is an incredible unbelievable turn of events. The result is when Steve says “boom – it just works” no one is ever going to believe him again.
I could probably be considered an Apple fanboy but yea, I notice the rabid bars dropping holding the phone like a NORMAL person. I hope they address it.
The issue seems to be related to the 3G frequency. At home, where my signal strength has always been poor, I can recreate the issue at will.
Away from home today, I couldn’t reduce the 5 bar signal no matter what I tried. Possibly older 3G towers are to blame?
Go to uxcell in China and see what they have.
Breathe on your hand for a little while – make it moist and the problem will occur. Dry hands / low humidity – probably less of an issue.
@Here’s where we are
I have a one liner for you. DUMB!.
Since MDN forgot to Include is, if Steve git rid of AT&T;then this signal problem would surely go away because it’s clearly an AT&T;problem….
I honestly hope someone at MDN is getting tired of folks saying this when it isn’t relevant, it would make you understand how we feel about your constant venom towards a certain carrier.
This is so goddamned stupid. Scandal?
Fer fuck’s sake. I have sweaty greasy paws. I death gripped the phone, watched the bars go down, and made a call. No problem. This bullshit generates clicks. That’s that only “scandal” I see.
This comment thread is an example of people who do not own nor have even touched an iPhone 4, speaking out their collective butts as if they are experts.
I guarantee the vast majority of the two million (or whatever large number) of ACTUAL iPhone 4 customers are oblivious to this “issue,” because they are typical consumers who don’t read Apple or tech news web sites. And they are not having any problems to complain about. You don’t hear from them, do you (?), because most people do not bother to post a comment just to say everything is A-OK and they are happy iPhone 4 campers.
So for all of you who have never touched an iPhone 4 (and even don’t have any iPhone or iPod touch), imagine holding a Hershey chocolate bar like a mobile phone. Where and how do you hold it in “talk position”? I hold it by the side edges, toward the upper half of the bar. I think this is natural for me, because it allows the weight of the phone to dangle under my hand, rather than holding up the weight of the phone with a tighter grip from the bottom of the phone. Also, the precise location of the ear speaker is more critical than the location of the mouth microphone. Therefore, having your hand on the upper half of the phone makes it easier to place the ear speaker at the right location. Am I right? Isn’t that how you hold a “candy bar” type mobile phone? If your answer is YES, this issue is totally irrelevant to you, because your fingers would be nowhere near the bottom half-inch of the iPhone 4 (where those “gaps” are located).
So, at least for me (and probably many of you), this REALLY is a “non-issue.” Also, it is important to note that…
(1) I went to the local Apple Store today so I could actually hold a real iPhone 4 and play with it. Even when I tried to hold the iPhone 4 in a way that was uncomfortable to me and intentionally covered that gap (and even the entire bottom half of the iPhone with both hands), I could not get this problem to occur. There was no effect on those on-screen “bars.”
(2) MDN and others have said, even when the “bars” disappeared on the screen, actual talk performance did not diminish. So even if you hold your iPhone at the bottom, it is likely that you will not notice anything because you are not looking at the screen while the phone is in “talk position” against the side of your face.
(3) Most of the pro media reviewers said that in terms of dropped called, iPhone 4 was a significant improvement over the previous iPhone. That means Apple designed a BETTER antenna for the iPhone 4, and it works better in “real world” use.
But I repeat, this is TOTALLY IRRELEVANT for me (and probably you too) because I would not hold an iPhone in “talk position” and have my fingers or hand close to the bottom half-inch of the iPhone. So I don’t need to put a piece of tape over the gap and Apple does not need to give me a “bumper” for free. I don’t need to worry about this (non) issue.
If only the people who have actually touched an iPhone 4 were allowed to participate in this online discussion, there would be no discussion.
I tested this on my 3GS w/iOS 4 and my wife’s 3GS w/iPhone 3, standing in the same spot in my house. Both reduced the bars, but it was more pronounced in my 3GS w/iOS 4 (drop to 1 bars from 5). My wife’s phone dropped to 2 bars from 4. My hand had to be a little sweaty to bring about the change. There was no drop when my wife’s silicon case was installed.
I believe there is a software issue, but that there is a hardware component. Apple is probably correct in its claim that this affects all smartphones, but it seems as if iOS 4 is more sensitive to registering the drop. It may be as simple as iOS over-reacting to the signal drop, or maybe just over-reporting the loss.
Well, it could be that David Pogue is dead, and thus doesn’t dampen EM waves the same way a human does.
@somethingfornothing
MFN must be in Dire Straits.
Can’t reproduce it on my iPhone 4, but now I can reproduce it on my son’s iPhone 4.
Have problem?
Buy a case?
Don’t want to? Prefer whining?
STFU!
It’s less an iPhone than a die-Phone!
replicate it here. My next move is to see if others can on my phone…
this is definitely an overhyped bs issue. people are freaking out and they don’t even have the phone.
typical with every apple product launch. wouldn’t be complete until some bs sticks and bloggers run with it. the funny thing is even MDN is falling for it. c’mon! This happens every time.
Everybody kwitcherbitchin. I can do the same thing with my 3G iPhone. Big freakin’ deal. And Mr. Pogue, the bumpers are siliconE. With an E on the end. There’s a difference.
MDN’s almost always takes the side of Apple. It is a blessing that their take on this particular issue sides with us consumers. It is very true: Apple should give us this “bumper” to help correct the problem.
My biggest problem with Apple (and the media/bloggers) is the loss of contacts on the iOS update when you update your old phone. No one seems to be covering that issue.
I’ve noticed that my signal decreases when I turn my iPhone off
It’s easy for all of you who don’t suffer from this problem to say that it’s not a big issue.
Well it is/was for our family, we are already located badly with respect to ATT coverage, we usually only get 2-3 bars. I had to buy a bumper case for my wife and my daughters (they didn’t mind it though) ’cause we got dropped calls constantly.
I didn’t want any case so I learned to hold the iPhone in a different way, works fine now, but it was annoying at the beginning.
All of us are right-handed but we are accustomed to hold the phone in our left hand (leaving the right hand free to carry things or write something with a pen etc)