Gikas continues, “We reached this conclusion after testing all three of our iPhone 4s (purchased at three separate retailers in the New York area) in the controlled environment of CU’s radio frequency (RF) isolation chamber. In this room, which is impervious to outside radio signals, our test engineers connected the phones to our base-station emulator, a device that simulates carrier cell towers (see video: IPhone 4 Design Defect Confirmed). We also tested several other AT&T phones the same way, including the iPhone 3G S and the Palm Pre. None of those phones had the signal-loss problems of the iPhone 4. Our findings call into question the recent claim by Apple that the iPhone 4’s signal-strength issues were largely an optical illusion caused by faulty software that “mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength.”
“We did, however, find an affordable solution for suffering iPhone 4 users: Cover the antenna gap with a piece of duct tape or another thick, non-conductive material. It may not be pretty, but it works,” Gikas reports. “We also expect that using a case would remedy the problem. We’ll test a few cases this week and report back.”
MacDailyNews Take: “We’ll test a few cases this week and report back,” but not until we milk this for all it’s worth. They already had iPhone 4 test units in their big bad “controlled environment radio frequency (RF) isolation chamber,” but they couldn’t test iPhone 4 in a few cases while they were at it? Puleeze.
Gikas continues, “The signal problem is the reason that we did not cite the iPhone 4 as a ‘recommended’ model, even though its score in our other tests placed it atop the latest Ratings of smart phones that were released today. The iPhone scored high, in part because it sports the sharpest display and best video camera we’ve seen on any phone, and even outshines its high-scoring predecessors with improved battery life and such new features as a front-facing camera for video chats and a built-in gyroscope that turns the phone into a super-responsive game controller. But Apple needs to come up with a permanent—and free—fix for the antenna problem before we can recommend the iPhone 4.”
Full article here.
AppleInsider reports, “The latest update from Consumer Reports is a 180-degree change from what it advised users earlier this month. In that report, the company noted that there was “no reason” to not buy an iPhone 4. The company said, at the time, that they were unable to recreate the signal loss issue.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Whatever. So, Apple will sell approximately eleven less iPhone 4 units to Consumer Reports’ geriatric subscribers (CR ought to be testing Jitterbugs, not smartphones). Using Consumer Reports as a basis for tech buying is like using Windows for color-sensitive print work. It’s something only attempted by the ignorant.
So, bottom line: Consumer Reports finds iPhone 4 superior to all other smartphones in most respects, but because you need a case for it if you’re going to cover the antenna while holding it a certain way — a case, by the way, that’s something most people add to their phones regardless — Consumer Reports won’t recommend it, at least until they milk as much free pub out of their “non-recommendation recommendation” as possible. For more, please read: Consumer Reports: Oh yeah, almost forgot, Apple iPhone 4 is also the best smartphone on the market – July 12, 2010.
Why do we get the feeling that Consumer Reports PR employees’ day jobs are at Greenpeace? They both seem to have the same modus operandi: Use Apple to gin up free publicity.
All that said, as we’ve stated consistently: If the iPhone 4 requires a case or a hardware “fix” of some sort, then Apple should provide one free of charge to every iPhone 4 owner.
Lol at Mac daily news, loving the respond they had for consumer report
Never a problem with any of my 3 iPhones so it must be a area issue, it’s all so confusing after reading post, love hate mdn apple????? Or AT&T;is the answer , I want a 3G micro cell !!!!!!
MDN.. you have lost all credibility. I will not go to this site anymore. I own an iPhone 4 and love using it. However, I’ll be the first to admit that there is a problem with the left lower corner. I use an Apple “bumper” which resolves the issue. CR is perhaps the most unbiased company around. They are respected by most consumers. I don’t believe you can argue with the idea of Apple taking responsibility for the issue and offering a remedy.
MDN… this is not journalism at all. Not coming back to you again.
A 30 dollar rubber band for a design problem is very heavy handed on Apple’s part.
I agree with CR, it’s simply not expectable for Apple to profiteer off of their own design error.
In fact, MDN, it’s shameful.
plasticmd (aka stupidfuck),
What part of MDN’s Take, specifically, “If the iPhone 4 requires a case or a hardware ‘fix’ of some sort, then Apple should provide one free of charge to every iPhone 4 owner,” are you having difficulty understanding?
I have an IPhone 4G and I generally fine performance has improved over my IPhone 3G. This being said Consumers Reports testing methodology does nothing to either prove or justify their recommendation to consumers other than this is a cosmetic blemish in the software as Apple is reporting. For those who experience the problem, from the responses on this blog 7 of 10 would acknowledge the problem exist but has no effect on performance. The other 3 just know there is a problem and maybe 1 of those 3 would say the IP 4 peforms worse than previous IPhones. A true performance gague would violate the warranty of all cell phones because you have to measure signal degradation at the output stage of the preamplifier to see if the antenna performance is truly failing. To get access to this site to measure this performance you have to crack the case or void the warranty.
Any recommendations should be made on actual operation of all units in real field conditions , not sterile laboratory conditions that
may lead to false conclusions. As an analog design engineer and manufacturing engineer, I have done thousands of hours qualification and quality testing on barcode scanners and can tell you that Consumer Reports methodology is definitely flawed. By doing the test the way they did it they simply tested the response of a piece of instrumentation that was admitted by Apple to be flawed inthe first place. The signal strength meter in any cell phone is equivalent to a speedometer in a race car. In a race car cockpit the most important instrument is the tachometer the speedometer in the cockpit is a flawed instrument and fairly useless to the driver. All the driver of the race car needs to know about his or her speed is wether they are in first place or not. The tachometer tell more about how the basic components. (engine, transmission, differential, tires) are operating. Consumer Reports has a track record on any new item of grading on cosmetics because this is all the information they can get on new units. Information like actual field performance, actual cost of ownership and customer service are usually gained after a year or so of operation in surveys of actual consumers that respond to their surveys. But by that time the hatchet job of relying on a cosmetic evaluation as to wether or not to actually recommend a product has already done it’s
damage. If you look at all the evaluation done by Consumer reports on new cars, the primary methodology for rating cars are
On the number of cosmetic evaluations primarily as a judgement of quality. This is not always a reliable indicator.
3 Pages on a Apple related, non political post. Amazing
I am not geriatric.
Has CR attempted to reproduce the signal drop for other phones (which we know is reproducible) and withdrawn any recommendations for them as well? If not, then they’re just another me-too wannabe reviewer jumping on the bash Apple bandwagon. The signal drop is real but keep things in perspective. And just because they don’t accept ads doesn’t mean they’re incapable of biased reporting or promoting their own agenda. In my opinion, CR just doesn’t get it and no one (absolutely no one) I know relies on CR when making their purchasing decisions.
@Literacy is Your Friend…oh wait, now MDN is back to that stance? Mea culpa on my part.
And don’t forget. You don’t have to use basic gray duct tape. It now comes in a wide variety of colors so your iPhone won’t be mistaken for someone else’s. Customize away.
And, this too, shall pass.
(I’ve been gripping iPhone 4s every which way I can and cannot get a single one to act as these blown-out-of-proportion articles proclaim. In fact, the scores of iPhone 4 toting clients I have, attest to it being the best phone they’ve ever owned – period. Look at all the unnecessary hooplah one stupid tech blog has caused.)
So, since Consumer Reports dared to say one of its testers experienced the low signal issue MDN and its followers feel compelled to attack CR. Go ahead, but be aware CR’s credibility far exceeds your own.
Whether or not some of the people here can reproduce the signal (and now, the proximity sensor) problems, the fact is lots of others can. In fact, the informal poll that was posted on MDN’s site asking viewers if they had experienced the signal problem showed roughly 20% of those who answered the survery had the problem with their phones.
Apple doesn’t have to completely redesign the iPhone 4 to fix this. All it would take is a thin, clear coating on the stainless steel band to prevent hands from directly contacting the band/antenna. It might cost a little more to manufacture the iPhone 4 in that manner, but what’s the price of bad publicity?
Oh my someone’s a little testy…
MDN you are losing more credibility than usual by your ignorant comments towards CR’s engineers and testing capabilities.
Apples not perfect, deal with it.
To all of you people who say there is no issue with reception (I’m looking at you, MDN), please give me hope that there really is no issue and that what I see with my 3 iP4s is just all in my head. Several people have demonstrated the signal loss issue on YouTube and other places, and now it’s YOUR turn to demonstrate that there is no loss.
Do this: Make a movie, post it on YouTube. Show us your iP4 sitting on a table with 2-3 bars of signal. Start Safari downloading something kinda lengthy. Pick up the phone and hold it in your left hand like someone would normally hold it. You know, like Steve holds his ( http://iphonehold.tumblr.com/ ). Show us the blue progress bar and the signal bars. If you somehow manage to continue the download and hold on to the connection, the next thing to do is to place a call, still holding it in your left hand.
If you can do this and survive then maybe I’ll go back and buy 3 new iP4s and try again. (I had to return my 1st 3 and go back to my 3GSs, which have always performed flawlessly where the iP4 would not.)
You know, it is possible that iPhone 4s that have a connection to an 800MHz tower are more or less immune to the reception problem, and those that are connected to the 1900MHz towers are the ones who experience it. Myself, I’m connected to 1900MHz towers about everywhere I go, but then again, maybe it’s just my area.
It’s time to force the MDN editors to cut back a bit on the kool-aid. I think Steve Jobs could take a crap in a box, and this site would be the first to give it two thumbs up.
I wish Consumer Reports tested Samurai swords cuz when I grip the sword a certain way, I get cuts. I think the sword is defective.
I’m still going to buy the new iPhone and recommend it to all my friends because I know there is NO BETTER phone on the market.
I think this is a very big deal. Apple is starting to look like a deer in headlights. Can only imagine how many tweets, magazines, websites, blogs, and news agencies will run with this. ::gulp::
Well, if Consumer Reports does not recommend an iPhone4, then it’s time for me to buy one.
CR really blew it with this one… but “Greenpeace?!?”
WTF…
If this really is a problem that can’t be fixed with software it’s a little bit sad but it’s not the end of the world.
And Apple actually said in their letter that they had gone back to the lab testing it all over again. I don’t think that Apples enginers are so stupid they will come up with other results than independent testing. Apple built the phone, sure they know how it works.
Doing a quick search of “consumer reports” within MDN and the only negative take seems to be when they make any criticism about Apple. The rest of the time MDN seems perfectly happy to broadcast their findings. Maybe they think their readers include the 11 geriatric folks who care what CR has to say?
I do not trust Consumer Reports. With good reason.
About 10 years ago, I worked in a retail store that sold computer printers. We had the usual suspects: HP, Canon, Epson, Lexmark, and at the time we also had Compaq. Yes, Compaq was selling rebranded Lexmark printers.
The exact same printer. Using the exact same cartridges. But with a Compaq label on them.
The difference? The Compaq printers cost $100 more, and the cartridges were about $2-$4 more each.
Yet somehow, Consumer Reports rated the Compaq printers BETTER than the genuine Lexmark printers. So let’s see, the exact same printer with a bigger price tag is better?
Your argument is invalid.