Palm Pre, HTC Incredible, Google (HTC) Nexus One, RIM BlackBerry 9650, Apple iPhone 3GS, HTC Droid Eris, and RIM BlackBerry 9700.
Curious.
Consumer Reports’s web page for this list is “behind a paywall that their coverage of the iPhone 4 antenna is not,” Gruber reports. “I’m sure they’ve been performing the exact same attenuation testing with all of these phones that they have with the iPhone 4, and that they have published precise technical standards regarding how much attenuation is acceptable to still qualify for a ‘Recommended’ rating.”
Full article – definitely on our “Recommended” list – here.
MacDailyNews Take: Obviously, at Consumer Reports, Apple’s iPhone 4 is held to a double standard.
It does sound like a “grudge double standard” – they set a ranking, get called on it, then refuse to budge.A bit immature, perhaps, and perhaps MDN (and many posters here) could be a bit forgiving of that.
As for the “pay-wall”, THAT is how they earn their money. They openly publish some information in blogs or get called to comment on articles by other news sources, but the articles for the magazine are for paying customers only. Nothing “hidden” there. Oh, or you could buy a printed copy!
Maybe Consumers Reports has to be able to see and touch the antenna to know that it is there. And the laws of physics are laws everywhere.
If Apple wants, they can invite a Consumers Reports lab tech to Apple’s testing labs and test they other phones for a real side by side tests.
If you all keep pushing, Apple will back up and sit on you!
I had the experience of traveling with my iPhone 4 and my iPad 3G this last week. On several occasions when I was either unable to get on the Internet with the iPad due to poor 3G signal strength, my iPhone tore into the Internet at incredibly fast upload and download speed. I tested them side by side on at least 8 occasions and the iPhone was always much more nimble than my iPad. I do use bumpers, but I tested this without, as well and the iPhone continued to be screamingly fast. I couldn’t squeeze off the signal. Consumer Reports is full of crap. This is the coolest phone/pocket computer I have ever used. I love my iPad, but am equally thrilled with my iPhone.
Read this article:
http://mbeans.com/spillingthebeans/baby/consumer-reports-fail/
Would you trust Consumer Reports Now? Would you put your baby at risk?
Can anyone explain to me how aapl stock will hit 300 with all these stock manipulations?
Consumer Reports … for your Grandparents.
Is it a double standard??
I thought what they were saying is that yes, all phones suffer attenuation, but it’s much more noticeable and prominent on the iPhone 4 because of the antennae design.
Isn’t that why MDN went on a rant about it on iPhone 4 launch day, because they noticed the attenuation much more than they ever did on iPhone 3g, or 3gs?
Interesting that MDN hates Consumer Reports when the say anything negative about the IPhone or Apple in general. So how is MDN a credible news source when the can’t accep criticism of any kind. It seems instead of Mac Daily News the should be called MacHeads daily News so when people subscribe they know this is a biased website and won’t give you the truth about anything Apple if it is negative. Prove me wrong MDN.
‘Antennagate’ is a ludicrous non-story story if there ever was one. It has been the result of Gizmodo and other sites throwing everything possible against the wall to see what sticks, in order to denigrate Apple and iPhone 4. Four of us in my family and extended family have iPhone 4s, and each and every one of them has performs flawlessly for the past three weeks.
Oops. Obviously, should read “…each and every one of them has performED flawlessly….”
@truthbetold,
You’re absolutely right. MDN helped ignite the fire and then threw gasoline on it – I remember reading about this (with my brand new iPhone 4) on 24 June. Click-whoring? I think so!
Perception is 90% of everything. We all know that the CR “non-recommendation” is bullcrap, but it gets press. Then the mainstream media picks it up and runs with it. Funny thing though – it isn’t hurting iPhone 4 sales one bit. I was in two Apple stores within the last week – one in Chicago, the other California. And both stores were PACKED. Every other person that walked in asked if iPhones and/or iPads were in stock.
There is no attenuation problem with the iPhone 4 – at least not any different from any other smartphone, period.
Look for this to backfire on CR big time. I bet in a short time they will retract and recommend the phone. What publication does not recommend a smartphone then turns around and gives it the highest score of ANY smartphone?
can you post a contact email for Consumer Reports. I would like to register a complaint about double standards.
Consumer Reports is using the Green Peace Model to drive free publicity and in hopes of driving more subscribers and more sales. For Consumer Reports the iPhone 4 issue is not about protecting customers or even providing customers with the best non-biases information. It’s about driving their bottom line and saving their bacon as a viable enterprise. No one under 70 pays for consumer Reports content and well no one under 60 is influenced by Consumer Reports.
Consumer Reports say the iPhone 4 hyped Antenna issue as a way to gain some free publicity and build their subscriber base hopefully with a younger demographic.
Where was/is Consumer Reports on the long standing issues with Toyota cars. Did Consumer Reports find and report the issues? Did they recreate the issue after someone else found it? Do they give Toyota a pass on the issues you bet that they do, why because Toyota is a big customer of Consumer Reports. So, is Consumer Reports un-bias you bet they are not.
Why you ask?? Because CR is run by a buch of whiny asswipes!
I smell a rat here. Somebody at the top of CR is really hateful or at least jealous of Apple’s success.
I haven’t read CS in years. They reminded me why with this garbage.
Didn’t Steve Jobs say something like Apple is looking for investors who are looking at then long term?
Well all those long term Apple investors know Apple and should know better than to give any attention to this fabricated fiasco.
As a little reminder, here’s a Consumer Reports review of itself: http://www.theonion.com/audio/consumer-reports-magazine-rates-itself-out-of-busi,12748/
Same thing they did with the Ford Explorer/Mazda Navajo years ago. Said the Navajo was in the Good and Better category, while the Explorer was ranked as Poor. Somebody at CR forgot that they were the same vehicle built in the same factory. Oops.
CR sucks.
Let’s take a look at Consumer Reports testing facilities and staffing, while we are grateful for their work they should not be considered the omnipotent source they have moffed into. They have been riding on their reputations too long. What’s good for the goose should be good for the gander (I don’t believe I just wrote that, I must be channelling my great auntie)
“My PC crashes a few times a day, but it’s ok, because all computers crash, even Macs!”
Anything wrong with that statement? Now apply it to iPhone 4 attenuation, fanboys.
Consumer Reports:
Take a group of journalists on stour of your testing facilities, then publicize your technical standards and engineering credentials so that we can all compare them to Apple’s or any other testing authority.
WE WANT TO KNOW HOW QUALIFIED YOU REALY ARE.
Hi All
I for one have asked Apple to appoint a charity that we can choose in place of receiving a bumper. Maybe to help restore wildlife ad nature back in the gulf rather than use resorces to produce bumpers most if not all of us do not need. this would show great support for Apple as well
Hi All
I for one have asked Apple to appoint a charity that we can choose in place of receiving a bumper. Maybe to help restore wildlife ad nature back in the gulf rather than use resources to produce bumpers most if not all of us do not need. this would show great support for Apple as well
Consumer reports refuses to change their tune re iPhone. Steve refuses to change his tune re iPhone. Seems like lots of folks just do not want to face reality. One reality I am facing is huge loss on my biggest stock holding with AAPL. Steve needed to get on this day one, not act like Bush and Obama both did on LA problems.
Let’s see: why might this not apply….
I’d have to say that it’s because there are actual laws of physics that are dictating the signal attenuation. As opposed to crappy software that can readily be rewritten from scratch.
By objective grading standards, versions of Windows prior to XP failed as an operating system, because they simply didn’t manage resources responsibly. Note that I don’t say “optimally”. The Windows operating system didn’t consistently perform basic housekeeping operations (e.g., it would release devices while they’re still being written to, etc.) until quite recently. This was true (and may still be for some device classes) through NT 4 and beyond.
So – to return to your flawed analogy – the computer crashes. It does so because the software that runs the computer is poorly written. It does not crash because there are laws of physics that say it must do so. Compare to antenna signal attenuation. While it could be caused by poorly written software, it could (and more likely is) caused by absorption of the signal by human flesh.
‘ “My PC crashes a few times a day, but it’s ok, because all computers crash, even Macs!”
Anything wrong with that statement? Now apply it to iPhone 4 attenuation, fanboys.’
Wow there is so much wrong with that statement.
Antenna attenuation is a very small but significant part of the laws of physics in operation that can only at this state of knowledge be minimalised to a degree. The argument is whether Apple has done so better, worse or equal to others efforts.
Pc’s crashing is in no significant way part of the laws of physics, it is nearly all about bad design or a lack of ability to know how not to design badly some avoidable others less so.
Either way I see no problem in saying that my pc, mac, hairdryer crashes no more than another brand when that particular product is arguably (and in this case undoubtedly) being criticised in a totally unbalanced and unfair manner for a range of reasons I won’t go into now. It is up to ALL manufacturers to improve performance be it a computer or a phone, not for any one to be attacked without rightful respect for objectivity in the matter. If a consumer organisation wants to be taken seriously it should openly (or at equal cost) do so for all competing products it reviews. When a publication claims there is no problem then changes its mind but hey come to us to read why, and pay to read similar stats on the opposition it is difficult to take its objectivity seriously.
Consumer Reports is bias and always have been. They do not represent the consumer, they represent the companies that pay them off.
Enough of this manic chitchat! Anyone who uses the iPhone – whatever model – is wise to use a case/bumper to protect this slippery little gem from accidental drops or skidding off your desk. Vanity is most likely the key reason for not doing so.
And voila! end of the attenuation tango.
Consumer Reports obviously has an axe to grind, and morons shouldn’t play with sharp implements. I have no argument with their expertise in evaluating cars and washing machines; but they know nothing about computers, digital cameras and many other categories of electronic equipment.
Hey CR, Eat me.
So now since Lord Jobs utters the words, everyone is on the ‘laws of physics’ bandwagon. Ridiculous.
Yes. Attenuation exists on all phones because of the laws of physics. I concede that fact. That does not mean Apple could not or should not have designed their product better to reduce this impact, or at the very least have it perform equal to or better than the 3GS. My analogy makes perfect sense, laws of physics has nothing to do with it. Every single product that exists on this earth mist follow the laws of physics, or thermodynamics, or any fundamental science. That does not excuse poor design or diminished performance.
“Why does Consumers Reports’ list of “Recommended” smartphones include all of the smartphones suffering from ‘holding it wrong’ attenuation?”
Consumer Reports, besides being only capable of analyzing gadgets as simple as toasters, jumped on the simple-minded bandwagon of ‘Oh look, X marks the spot’, the obviousness of the antenna junction point where the ‘Death Grip’ phenomenon is able to happen in some low reception areas. This of course does NOT represent fair testing of the iPhone 4. It only represents how easy it is to sway Consumer Reports with FUD. This is of course very unprofessional.