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“The company’s antenna information page, which previously showed various test videos of rival smartphones – like the HTC Droid Eris, Motorola DROID X, Nokia N97 mini and BlackBerry Bold 9700 – displaying attenuation issues when held in certain ways, has been pared down to just a brief blurb on the Apple antenna design and test labs,” Davies reports. “No videos of devices with dropping signal meters, no reports on where to hold smartphones in order to best undermine their wireless performance.”
MacDailyNews Note: Apple’s updated antenna page is here.
Davies reports, “Instead there are just a few paragraphs on the testing process and how Apple engineers took the iPhone 4 out into the wild.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Those videos did their job already. No need to continue making them available. Apple’s point has been made loud and clear.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
I love my iPhone 4!
Apple should leave them there
Point made – no point in giving them a free and populated podium to continue spreading FUD from.
Finally got my iPhone 4 so I can discuss my observations.
Haven’t had any problems with dropping voice calls. Where there is a problem is data transfer. I often browse with the phone in my left hand, using my right hand to scroll. Fairly often the reception drops to one bar and webpages either don’t load at all or take a very long time. Not too pleased about this as my 3G did not have this problem. I can’t attest to the overall performance of the antenna bein stronger because i never used to drop calls in the first place. All i do know is that data transmission is affected when i use the phone in my natural position. I don’t have a bumper yet so I’ve yet to try it with a barrier.
This issue aside, the device is amazing. Most noticeable is the blazing fast speed and retina display. Much easier on the eyes.
Overall, I’m very happy with the phone but I will be shocked if the next revision has such a poorly placed antenna.
iPhone4: best instrument I’ve ever owned.
And please note – in no way am I spreading FUD. These are my real observations. I have nothing to gain by putting down Apple. I think we’d all be better off if everyone gave fair an objective reviews.
“Overall, I’m very happy with the phone but I will be shocked if the next revision has such a poorly placed antenna.”
———————-
Agreed. I’m still trying to figure out why the bumper offer goes until September 30.. Perhaps that may be the day when a revised iPhone 4 is announced?
Antenna placement in the lower portion of the phone is mandated by FCC. Has been for sometime. S’why “death grip” is pretty much the same position in 3G/GMS phones.
Exposure of those contacts seems odd though.
@MikeK
Steve Jobs said the Sept 30 date is just so they can reevaluate. I think they didn’t want to commit themselves to giving out free cases indefinitely based on just the three weeks of investigation and wanted to remain open to finding other solutions. I expect that if they don’t figure anything else out, they will extend the free bumper offer, but they may drop the 3rd party case options if they have ramped up the bumper production enough by then.
I got the Defender OtterBox case and I am very happy with it and the problem with the antenna, if there ever was one, is a moot point.
I really love the iPhone 4 and I know for a fact that blows anything on the market clean away.
Droid phone? Evo?
Bitches please, they’re all junk beside the iPhone 4, but those fanboys won’t admit it because they are Apple haters.
GD Windows people.
I dropped one call out of about 10. Examining how i was holding, i noticed the side of my middle finger was resting on the line at the bottom left corner. Simply sliding that finger up a little fixed my issue. Also having a case now fixed my issue, and keeps my phone safer along side my screen protector.
Small issue thats easily avoided and/or patched with a case.
Everything else is Brilliant, and i love my i4
For fun go read the trash collecting at TechCrunch.
http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/31/antenna-videos/.
@theloniousMac
I know the antennae needs to be at the bottom. The location of the gap, however, is very poorly placed for many people’s natural grip. I wonder if it’s possible to relocate the gap somewhere on the bottom, maybe between the mic and dock connector. It would require some re-design but would solve a lot of the problems, I think. Seems like Apple went for the symmetrical look, having both bridges at the same spot on either side. I bet this will change.
For my location, I would choose an internal antenna that is less affected by attenuation, like the 3G/3GS. It will be interesting to see which direction Apple will go for the next model.
@ theloniousMac,
“Exposure of those contacts seems odd though.”
Until about 6 years ago, all cell phones had exposed antennas. Exposed antennas give a much stronger signal.
Exposed antennas started to disappear when microwaving your brain became a popular myth.
Perhaps a thin coating on the exposed metal is all that’s needed. It could be sprayed on the part before assembly.
@MDN if antenna gate is so over why do you keep giving it attention. When you do these loser hacks win every time.
Great job I agree with MDN in that apple did prove it’s point they make average products like everyone else and instead of fixing a problem and standing out they will bring there competitors down to there subpar level
Apple’s highlighting of the signal attenuation problems in their competitors’ phones was both justified and disingenuous. Justified, in that it’s possible to find a “death grip” position in most mobile phones. Disingenuous, insofar as many iPhone 4 users can achieve signal fall-out by merely bridging the two antennas with a finger. Overblown yes, but it’s a design flaw nevertheless.
Unusually for this topic on MDN, there’s a lot of reasoned comment above. Like some other posters, I suspect that the September 30 deadline for the provision of free bumpers indicates that a design modification is in the offing. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine that Apple’s engineers aren’t working frantically on this issue behind the scenes.
And like Big Al, I’m guessing that the most practical and economical solution (until a major redesign — iPhone 5 — is completed) would be a thin, clear, plastic coating, applied at the end of the manufacturing process.
@ Eric speilberg
TROLL!
@Eric Speilberg
Before you take another crap through your fingers, learn the proper usage of “there, their and they’re”.
Moron.
Actually, Big Al, I had one of these back in 2000
http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_8210-19.php
and it was a fantastic phone, but the internal antenna was at the top (best I remember).
Also, I recall the instructions explicitly stating to not cover the antenna area for best reception.
Got an iPhone4 first day never had a problem and am loving everything it does!
@ Mark S.
LOL. “Bitches please,…” That slayed me.
The videos are still available on Apple’s official YouTube channel and can be found at http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Apple+-+Smartphone+Antenna+Performance&aq=f. The official posting have “By Apple” as the author.
Our family owns four iPhone 4s, and they have worked perfectly since Day One.
@YouCan’tFixStupid
their, there, they’re
To those of us using screen readers, they all sound the same. Take your grammar corrections back to the third grade classroom. This is a content and creative writing site; we try to judge people severely for what is said, not how it’s experssed. You sound like my old boss (a former middle school English teacher) whose obsession with grammar led him to miss the point all too often. He alienated far too many people for his harshness in correcting how others expresses themselves.
Don’t let your obsession spoil the fun! lol
PS None of this applies to articles or publications, only to passionate comments.