Consumer Reports: 'We were wrong about the iPhone 4'
One of — if not the — most respected product-testing labs has reversed its original positive opinion of the iPhone 4, citing results of its comprehensive testing of the Jobsian handheld's pesky antenna. "Consumer Reports has confirmed that the iPhone 4 has an antenna problem," says spokesman Mike Gikas. "We tested multiple …
..for confirming that Jobs is a lying piece of crap.
It has a lovely habit of catching out charlatans and soothsayers...
...he's just not as intelligent as all his fans ASSume him to be. Maybe he's the ultimate shill; the ultimate mouthpiece. Maybe he's the bite out of the apple.
When they came out saying it was a software fault I did wonder how they were going to explain the you tube videos showing the fault ONLY when they are bridged... Waiting to see them backtrack again will be fun!
Im going to go an patent rubber coated arials before apple get onto the idea...
No doubt idiots run Apple.
Yea, put some duck tape on that device. It will improve it.
Normally I'd be all for that sort of advice. If it can't be fixed with duct tape then it ain't worth having!
But since this is Apple and I'm a Reg commentard I say Cupertino should be bombed to oblivion, all Apple fanboys burnt at the stake and Steve Jobs encased in carbonite as a warning to (and reanimation risk for) future generations.
"No doubt idiots run Apple."
Well, Apple make some pretty decent profits, so no doubt even bigger idiots run some of their competitors...
"Yea, put some duck tape on that device."
That'll stop you from touching the ariel, so it's cheaper, better and smaller solution than El Reg's suggestion that Apple gives away free cases!
btw. It's "duct tape" - unless of course you're talking about some vetinary-only tape for use on aquatic avians that us normal people never get to hear about?
Would that be tape made out of ducks, or tape used on ducks? Is that like tape used on hamsters?
"Duck Tape" is an actual brand of duct tape.
http://www.duckbrand.com/
So calling it duck tape could also be correct.... Sort of like saying "Scotch Tape" for adhesive tape.
If only I had some Penguin Tape for my 12 year old Linux Box....
"That'll stop you from touching the ariel"
Is that "ariel" as in the Disney character, or as in the washing powder?
"unless of course you're talking about some vetinary-only tape"
I believe the Patrician's name is spelled Vetinari, and I shudder just to think of what he might do with such exclusive tape.
Here it is.
http://www.amazon.com/Duck-All-Purpose-Duct-1-88-Inch-45-Yard/dp/B0006HX2MK
"I believe the Patrician's name is spelled Vetinari, and I shudder just to think of what he might do with such exclusive tape."
He wouldn't do anything, he'd just casually leave a roll sitting on his desk when you turned up for a meeting with him and let you imagine the worst yourself.
as it's being put on a mobile phone wouldn't that make it a cell-o-tape?
...but around here we like our Hoovers, Aspirin, Sellotape and www.duckbrand.com
The thing about Hoover and Sellotape is that they achieved synonymity by innovating or by cornering the market and cementing their own presence in the public mind.
Duck tape is only called Duck because they're trying to cash in on the fact that the world seems to be full of idiots who can't spell "duct".
... you mean disprin or paracetemol, never heard anyone ever say Aspirin, except in Hollywood movies, or for thinning out your blood.
I'm with you on the rest though.
Are you saying you think paracetemol is brand name for aspirin?!
Glad you're not my doctor!
Aspriin???? To be honest, everyone I have ever met calls it Aspirin. Not disprin.
Parrots Ate them all on the other had.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/02/magazine/the-way-we-live-now-3-02-03-on-language-why-a-duck.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
apparently - (and other sources on the net bear this out) "duck" is the original word used
Blue Peter could fix this, no problem.
"btw. It's "duct tape" - unless of course you're talking about some vetinary-only tape for use on aquatic avians that us normal people never get to hear about?"
btw Duck Tape is a brand of duct tape. Don't spend much time at the ole home and garden store do you, smartass?
Oh, and by the way, it's "veterinary ".
that it's really called gaffer tape.
I'm told that it's short for godfather, a nickname for the head electrician in a theatre (running the gods, i.e. alll that stuff over the stage an audiences heads) as he (invariably male) would hold it as it used to be rather expensive.
No gaffer tape is different. When you peel it off you don't have sticky bits left behind. Duck tape is designed to stay stuck, gaffer tape is designed to stick for a time (say holding down cables) then come off clean when the job is done. It also costs a lot more then duck tape.
last time I checked, the Gods were the really cheap seats. Very high up above the lighting rigs, where you can't see the back of the stage, which is why all the luvvies come right to the front of the stage to be seen by everyone. The stuff above the stage is the flies, which is they fly stuff in and out of the stage.
But tape belonging to the Stage Manager, so the boss or 'gaffer', who's job seems to be wandering around the stage, putting stuff on the floor to mark prop\scenery positions does make sense.
No, the final letter in 'duct' gets absorbed into the first letter in 'tape' when spoken together, and the words seem to be 'duc tape' As most people don't use tape on their ducts or know what a duct is, but do know a duck when they see one. Quack quack
Apparently in Finland and Sweden they call it Jesus tape.
as an anonymous coward, I ask one question. Does the antenna issue occur with the white iphone? could the need to rectify such an issue explain the fact that this model is not currently available?
they admitted shipping delays to the white iPhones weeks before the antenna fault (not an issue, now we can call it a FAULT!) came to light. I suspect it really is just a fact that they could not get a durable white finish on the glass back that they were happy with.
Now if only they had tested the ANTENNA as much as the white finish...
Ok, you know that black iPhone and its antennae problem, its actually caused by the phone being black! I know, I know, it sounds crazy, but think about it, black as a colour has a different light wavelength than white. And therefore, the delayed White iPhones will work much better... Nothing to do with the White iPhone being re-engineered...
Now Apple has done it - I delayed buying one due to "not wanting to be an alpha tester", and boy am I glad I did....
The problem is, I STILL need to buy one, even knowing the faults, as the battery on my 2 year old 3G isn't that good anymore, and I really do want to use iOS 4. And I have too many applications to really want to move to Android.
Does anyone that actually HAS an iPhone 4 have opinions (sure to be) on how much of an issue this is for them in real life? Without a case or bumper? I'll probably wait a week or two at least to see what Apple's reaction to this is, but I'd love to know what others are experiencing.
I've had the phone about a week now, and can say that the issue is certainly real. As I am right-handed, my usual grip for one-handed operation of the phone is fine. But for two-handed operation, holding the phone in the left hand resting against the base of the thumb, the signal will drop to nil. Using the phone two-handed in landscape mode tends to be OK for me.
I have been using the phone without a case.
Check the web they are videos on how to change the battery. will call for a soldering gun and patience.
I've had one since the day after it came out (NOT a fanboy though) I'd have to say there's a lot of variation in how big a problem this can be - if you're using the internet or have just 2-3 bars then touching it in the bottom left or indeed almost atall on the metal can sometimes kill it (and even when you remove your hand it remains confused for a few minutes).
It's not so much of a problem for phone calls in the middle of a city, or even data usage in mid-city, since the signal's so strong it doesn't really do too much harm, but it's still not ideal - there's large areas with just a couple of bars in all cities due to buildings/etc after all.
It's been obvious to me since day one that regardless of what Apple would say (and have said) it's clearly a major fault with their hardware design. It's not affected me too much, but when it has and then Jobs comes out with some BS about it being a faulty signal indication code snippet which makes no sense whatsoever it's rather annoying. I've not bought a bumper simply because selling bits of plastic & rubber with likely a 10000% markup, when they've likely only been made because Apple had this problem, is scumbaggish. I'll be buying a decent case from someone else at some point though, likely even if/when Apple is finally shamed/forced into giving free bumpers out.
Let's be frank: unless Jobs is an utterly arrogant & deceptive little toerag, he knowingly lied to all iPhone 4 owners & fanboys and has been since this first came to light. If he
I'm sorry, but that's one of the major reasons I've refused to buy an iPod, iPhone, or MacBook Air: when the battery runs out, you throw the whole goddamn' device away (or, iirc, in the case of the MacBook Air, you send the whole damn computer back to Apple to have the battery replaced).
Jeezus, that's just wasteful as hell, man. After forty-odd years of warnings about pollution, resource depletion and "throw-away society", producing devices like that is just goddamn' criminal.
The battery on iphone 3g and up is taped into the device...and connected using sprung contacts.
But you have to remove the motherboard as the battery is underneath it.
LOADS of tiny little screws...
I'm a right handed person, and therefore in the habit of holding the phone in my left hand in order to reliably touch things on the screen. Holding it naturally causes the reception bars to drop from five to one in my central London flat (though it retains the 3G signal) and from five to three in my not-quite-so-central office.
I have heard about the 3G battery replacement, and I am rather handy with a soldering iron myself.
And I am aware that preserving my 3G is ecologically the "sound" thing to do.
But I bought the 3G KNOWING it would only really be current for 18 - 24 months. I am burdened with a sock drawer full of unused mobile phones: a BB Bold 9600 (that I really should sell), a 1st gen HTC Touch, a huge HTC WinMobile slider with a 3" touchscreen and a full qwerty keyboard, even a Moto A780 Linux touchscreen phone that is rare as hen's teeth. There are a few even older ones kicking around as well, and an N95 that is missing, presumed dead.
The point is, I only have one left trousers pocket, and I want a current phone in it. The big deal for me is the new camera and flash, funnily enough - I seem to carry either my full DSLR set-up, or just my mobile. Guess which is more available most of the time? So that is something that just replacing the battery will not fix...nor will it get me iOS 4.
But thanks for everyone's input - it is very very instructive. I suspect that Apple will start giving away bumpers soon, but I hate them and probably will just watch the way I hold it, as several have said they do. The fact that Tescos does a 12 month contract for the iPhone 4 may make buying one palatable - you can put up with flaws if you know that in a year it will be replaceable with a fixed model - and I can always sell my old one to keep it out of a landfill! Well, I probably have to, I am running out of room for socks in that drawer...
I got the bumper before this issue was raised to stop the fascias getting scratched and to give a little cushioning if i drop it.
I haven;y noticed any problem at all.
...and I don't have any problems at all. I do have it in a case of course, but for me that's normal; I've had mobile phones since 1994 and always had a case on them. I like to upgrade from time to time, so it protects the resale value, stops them getting scratched up from the inevitable knocks that real life gives, and probably in this case stops me having any problems with the signal strength. It's at least as good if not better than my old 3G, and definitely better than my partners current 3GS. It's actually as good as my Nokia 6230 which I still have and keep as an emergency phone (or use abroad with a local SIM), and that's saying something as Nokias in my opinion are the best in that field.
I've had my iPhone 4 for a few weeks and I've had no problems at all with it. However, I wonder if it's just not a problem where I am. I'm with o2 and their signal is just fine in Manchester area UK.
Yes, I have one! I live in an area with a strong singal. I've made calls with and without the bumper and don't have problems. However, if your area isn't too great with signal, I couldn't recommend it without testing it myself.
Bottom line is - I'm having no problems but I do live in an area with very good signal
You can change the battery but it is quite scary unless you are comfortable taking electronic devices to pieces. I changed the battery on my 3rd generation iPod once it became utterly unusable and I was almost surprised when it worked perfectly afterwards! Looking at the guide for the newer iPhones it is even more difficult as the battery is soldered in. It really should be easier to do.
I had the problem with the iPhone 4 reception losing 3G signal completely from 5 bars when bridging the bottom left area without a case on. I got a bumper, and still got the signal loss from 5 bars to 1 bar, but it just about held the 3G reception still.
Sold it on eBay and made £200 profit... Waiting for the re-engineered version to come out in September..
I have one and love it. No problems whatsoever. Only advice, advice I would have given anyway, is get a case to protect your $600 phone. The bonus is the case you get now insulates you from this problem (assuming you would have had the problem at all). I am completely happy with mine and I think the issue has been overblown by Android fanboys.
You can get a new battery installed on any of those devices. Problem solved. Rant defused.
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