“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.
‘freediverx’ sez: “Is it just me, or has MDN gone from writing shrill, comically one-sided pro-Apple stories to writing shrill, comically one-sided anti-Apple stories lately?”
This is nothing new.
– There are no more demanding customers than Apple customers.
– There are no more critical customers than Apple customers.
(Odd how that is lost on Windows victims).
Therefore, when Apple F*CK UP, as they have in this case, expect the so-called ‘Apple fanbois’ to be the LOUDEST complainers. Expect Apple fans to be the biggest activists correcting the situation. This has been going on since Apple was born. Crap from Apple has NEVER been allowed by its customers. This is one reason Apple products are consistently the best.
Believe me: Apple customers will NOT let Apple get away with selling the iPhone 4 with this blatant hardware bug.
So all you anti-Apple trolls can STFU, take a vacation and watch serious customers at work…
No need for strident language.
Too much of it shows up to often.
IMO
Thanks MFN for giving a fair unbiased report and if the rest of you are dumb enough to spend 30 on 29 cent maybe less than I can sell you a whole bunch Mdn is doing it’s job not hating there are differences there
@steve
‘…Of course if the media can take down a General with an article in rolling stone magazine…’
The media didn’t take him down. He did it all on his own.
Same thing happens to me… on my iPhone 3GS!
Non-issue.
Just the FUDers trying to stir up trouble.
I Love my iPhone 3g, and was going to wait to upgrade untill necessary. However, after hearing all the iPhone Bashers crying and lying, Ive decided to show my faith and support to Steve and Apple, and purchase the iPhone 4. Long live Apple…… Bashers be Damned !!!!!
If you Bashing BS Artists Hate the iPhone so much, why not JUST DONT BUY IT ! AND SHUT THE HELL UP ! The answer to my question is obvious. Why are you so damn dumb that you think we dont know from your disdain that you are full of HATE and CONTEMPT for yourselves, so you find a target to crap on to make yourself feel important. Me thinks you are IMPOTENT…… not IMPORTANT. Get some Frickin’ MOJO and build a life of your own, instead of trying to tear down what somebody else has already accomplished. Oh… Thats right….. you already TRIED that, but gave up because it was too difficult, and everybody else is to blame except yourselves. ‘Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ! APPLE RULES… APPLE IS THE BEST… NAR NEE NAR NEE NAR NAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Calm down, Barry, befor U have a heart attack.
We all welcome constructive information, and no malice is intended for those who contribute in a positive way. As for those of you who just want to put down Apple, or make crude remarks about those of us who think they are Great etc……. Why not create a better Company and a better product. We’d all love to see it! Then you could find out first hand, how it feels to be the Best, and still have to put up with whining pissing crybabbies like yourseves. Now turn around, and don’t let the door hit you in the ass.
I remember when the Macintosh Computers came out in the 70’s. Even back then, they were known for their elegance of design. Today, Apple products are STILL the easiest to learn, with the most elegant design, bar none. People who slam Apple just expose themselves as being dim witted and ignorant of the facts. It’s kinda like saying…. “Hey Everybody…… I’m a Idiot, i’m a Idiot “!!!!!!! Derrrrrrdaaaa!
I’m so glad to have found this site. It’s refreshing to finally see the Bashers being beatin to a pulp. I have put up with their misplaced aggression for far to long. Steve Jobs and Apple are the greatest thing to ever happen to not only Computers, smartphone and iTunes, but also for Musicians finally getting great exposure, especially the hard to find oldies, and at a reasonable price. All around, Steve and Apple have done a tremendous service for all of us. Well, all of us except the pathetic blubbering cry babbies that constantly dog them. I guess there are always unhappy campers that make their own selfish day by Bashing anybody who actually IS SOMEBODY. That’s okay, we know you when we read you….. Have a Great Day, Happy Apple Fans!! And Special Thanks to Steve & Apple ! The Rest of you can shit and slide in it!
‘José’ sez: “I remember when the Macintosh Computers came out in the 70’s.”
No you don’t. You’re hallucinating.
Either that or you meant to say:
“I remember when APPLE computers came out in the ’70’s.”
Here is where you can look up when the first Apple Macintosh came out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_computer