iPhone 4 "Antennagate" - Really that big an issue?

rarisgod · #1 08-08-2010, 06:44 AM

http://www.ipodtouchfans.com/blog/7353/
So I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been reading a lot about the iPhone 4 supposed antenna issues. But I personally think its been blown WAY out of proportion. I don't doubt that there has been a few issues, but I don't think this problem is big enough to mark the phone as a complete failure. In the above article, they even call it the "ill-fated antenna". I think because of the device's huge popularity that it had a much bigger reaction than necessary. According to MacRumors, theres been more reported dropped calls from the iPhone 3GS than the iPhone 4.

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/08/04/...an-iphone-3gs/

Anyone else think this issue has been hugely blown out of proportion?

hover · #2 08-08-2010, 06:57 AM

it was overblown when it was in the news 3+ weeks ago. Now? Not so much....now, it's Lindsay Lohan.

Oh, the power of the press. Don't get iotanet started.

tplyons · #3 08-08-2010, 09:55 AM

Yes, way out of proportion. Once I slapped a case on my iPhone 4, the issues went away.

People think you shouldn't need a case, but then again, I wouldn't walk around with a phone that costs $600 to replace without some sort of protection.

Noseferatu · #4 08-08-2010, 10:28 AM

I have an iPhone 4 and it is definitely overblown. I got mine on July 25, and I've had no problems even without a case. You literally have to suffocate the damn thing for it to lose service.

hover · #5 08-08-2010, 02:32 PM

yeh, not once did anyone gripe about the fact that AT&T service is spotty and ****, no....they were too busy with the witchhunt over the phone.

That said, I still think it's crap that it's even an issue as these "bugs" should be sussed out before hitting the market, but whatevs.

Thunderscreech · #6 08-08-2010, 03:22 PM

I don't think it's a big deal, but it does show that Apple can't just release things that people will buy mindlessly. I mean, REALLY? HOW COME NO ONE NOTICED THIS DURING THE PROTOTYPING PHASE? This is a lot like building an airplane that has a problem where whenever someone reclines a seat the wings fall off...

baalroo · #7 08-08-2010, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunderscreech

I don't think it's a big deal, but it does show that Apple can't just release things that people will buy mindlessly. I mean, REALLY? HOW COME NO ONE NOTICED THIS DURING THE PROTOTYPING PHASE? This is a lot like building an airplane that has a problem where whenever someone reclines a seat the wings fall off...

Because there's nothing abnormal about the "problem." I don't think I've owned a phone that didn't have the same "problem," and I've been carrying cellphones since the mid 90s. It's just that normally phones aren't picked over with a finetooth comb. In the past with all my old phones when I held the phone in a way that killed the reception I just thought "oops, can't hold the phone like that... it kills the reception," but the iPhone is held to a higher standard than a "normal" phone.

yehongxiang · #8 08-08-2010, 09:58 PM

I'm from Singapore and there haven't been any reports of dropped calls since the phone was launched here two weeks back.

I think the problem may lie with the network. Singapore does have a better network than the States (smaller country, easier to manage) and that's probably why there aren't really many dropped calls.

iamlowsound · #9 08-08-2010, 10:20 PM

Buy a case for it, problem solved. Next!

lowsound

**Eric Perry** · #10 08-09-2010, 06:08 AM

A coworker of mine just replaced her 3GS with the 4. No noticeable difference in service whatsoever.

PSPookie · #11 08-09-2010, 06:42 AM

When you're trying to fill 24 hours with news you have to have something to talk about.

Tsal · #12 08-09-2010, 07:01 AM

The local newspaper did a test on the problem, and they noted that with some carriers, the signal dropped one bar. So no, it hasn't been a huge problem to start with, but the "fine comb" thing certainly affects all Apple products - it's really a fault of their publicity strategy, to go over the top with the marketing.

MJ5150 · #13 08-09-2010, 07:26 AM

Maybe so, but that is the world we live in today. Nothing slips under the radar anymore.

-Mike

SteveC · #14 08-09-2010, 07:34 AM

It's a non-issue as it happens to MANY phones if held a certain way. It is brought to light by Apple-haters and general trouble makers. I'm still waiting for our area to have service and when we do my wife and I will each have one, along with our iPad's and our iMac at home, my MacBook at work, etc., etc.

WalterBush · #15 08-09-2010, 08:03 AM

Like Star Wars fans eager to bash Lucas' latest effort, or WoW fanatics complaining about the latest update imbalancing their game, there's always going to be somebody who cries "foul" when a much-anticipated product fails to meet their unrealistic expectations. Or if it costs too much. Or if it becomes trendy, and they're no longer part of a small club of fans.

The media latches on to stuff like this because they seem to feel a need to tear down whoever is most successful at the time...remember how long they hounded Bill Gates over both real and perceived flaws in Windows and othe MS products?

carbonfold · #16 08-09-2010, 08:09 AM

When I use my iPhone, I typically somewhat "cup" it from the bottom to the side. Never had a problem with my first gen iPhone until I got the iPhone 4. I would get a dropped call or data drop from time to time (and it is annoying). It adds to the annoyance that you drop cash and/or contract for 2 year on something that is not operating like you thought it should. Somewhat like a recall or campain on a vehicle that you just bought new.

However, it wasn't so bad that I hated it. Honestly, I only had this issued until my Otterbox case came it. After that, of course, no problems

.

i_got_a_mohawk · #17 08-09-2010, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamlowsound

Buy a case for it, problem solved. Next!

lowsound

I thought Apple were sending out cases for all of the iPhone 4's now anyway, so you wouldn't even need to buy one!

rarisgod · #18 08-09-2010, 11:27 AM

Yeah that's what I thought. I don't have an iPhone 4, but I'm so tired of hearing about it and having it referred to as this catastrophic move for Apple when
1. they've sold HOW many of them, regardless of antenna "issues"?
2. The 3GS had more dropped calls!

It's just because it's Apple that their products get critiqued at such a high degree.

Although, on the other hand, don't you think that if a device sells for $700, it should perform properly?
Just sayin', I don't think the device is worth that much money. But people will buy!

FL Knifemaker · #19 08-09-2010, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tplyons

Yes, way out of proportion. Once I slapped a case on my iPhone 4, the issues went away.

People think you shouldn't need a case, but then again, I wouldn't walk around with a phone that costs $600 to replace without some sort of protection.

That's exactly how my daughter feels about hers......although she said she never noticed any issues before she bought her case.

GregC · #20 08-09-2010, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tsal

The local newspaper did a test on the problem, and they noted that with some carriers, the signal dropped one bar. So no, it hasn't been a huge problem to start with, but the "fine comb" thing certainly affects all Apple products - it's really a fault of their publicity strategy, to go over the top with the marketing.

This. Complain all you like about how poor Apple has been under the media spotlight, but they put themselves right there with the endless claims about the superiority of their products. And the initial poo-pooing of the problem was pretty weak, coming from a company that has prided itself so fiercely on the quality of its products and put a premium price on them. Personally, I've never had a cell phone with this issue--then again, they seem to be prevalent among smartphones (ironic?

) and I have yet to lay out that kind of money for a phone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hover

yeh, not once did anyone gripe about the fact that AT&T service is spotty and ****, no....they were too busy with the witchhunt over the phone.

Granted, that should have been brought up more. But it was Apple's choice to sign an exclusive deal with AT&T for however many years and subject buyers of their products to AT&T's crappy service. As a former AT&T customer, I shook my head in disgust when Apple did that.

FWIW, I'm on my second iPod and think they're great.