[cardfan]

That still puzzles me regarding CR's recent comparison.

Even CNET gets in on the act saying they gave it an "excellent" rating but just couldn't give it an "editor's choice" based on one issue.

Every reviewer is different. Especially consumer reports.

Lows: Can't create or edit documents. Virtual keypad makes dialing difficult without looking. Lacks a physical button for quick phone access. Doesn't include PIM software for your computer. Lacks single-key, last-number redial, and hard copy of users manual. Auto answer doesn't work with headset. Doesn't have preset text messages. Can't create custom preset text messages. Replacing the battery requires a service call, which also means losing the use of your iPhone for several days.

Check out their "lows" I think the iphone is capable of editing docs. But more importantly, these are what CR finds important enough to list as "missing"

A hard copy of the users manual? Really?

Preset text messages? Dialing without looking? Doesn't include PIM software for computer? Umm..what's mobile me and itunes?

Also, let's look at their criteria for reviewing a phone. They pick categories which are:

16gb Iphone 4:

1. Display (excellent)
2. Navigation (UI) (excellent)
3. Voice quality (good)
4. Phoning (very good)
5. Messaging (very good)
6. Web Browsing (excellent)
7. Multimedia (excellent)
8. Battery life (excellent)

16gb iphone 3gs

same as iphone 4 ratings with the exception
3. Voice quality (fair)

The iphone 4 led the way and sits atop their ratings easily. I'm not sure why the iphone 3GS though gets the same excellent rating for display as the iphone 4. Looking at other phones' ratings, nothing seems to be consistent.

In fact the only rating change from the 3GS to the iphone 4 is Voice Quality. They rate the iphone 4 good versus fair for the 3GS.

Doesn't make much sense. Shouldn't multimedia for the 3GS take a hit since phones can now record in HD? Shouldn't the 3GS read as 8gb now since the 16gb model isn't even sold? How can they recommend a phone (the 16gb 3GS) that isn't available now?

It isn't just iphone ratings that make you scratch your head at CR but others too.

[jsntrenkler]

Crazy huh? ... I am really interested to see how Apple Responds to this.

[Jellotime91]

If it were any other phone, they'd ignore the one issue and give it the editor's choice.

It's just the now typical scenario of bashing the iPhone to please the annoying Android fans who constantly claim everyone is against them.

[Fausty82]

Crazy huh? ... I am really interested to see how Apple Responds to this.

Apple's response has been to deny/ignore and delete any reference to it from their support forums.

[cardfan]

I don't mind if they don't recommend or whatever. But if your criteria review scores it a top score, then why isn't this issue reflected in the score?

Shouldn't CR rate the voice quality as "poor"? Shouldn't CNET revise its 8 out 10 rating for performance (or its 9.0 for design if the design is flawed?)?

But yet they didn't.

Click here to see CNET editors' review for Apple iPhone 4 - 32GB - black (AT&T)
Design:
9.0
Features:
9.0
Performance:
8.0
Overall score:
8.6

That's perhaps the highest scoring phone cnet has reviewed. Ever..

9.0 to 9.5 = 4.5 stars (Outstanding):
A product that receives a rating in this range scores high on all of its rating criteria. It succeeds at meeting all of its intended users' needs and has no meaningful drawbacks.

I guess this antenna issue isn't a meaningful drawback. Or is it? Which is it CNET?

CNET: Though Consumer Reports' latest findings are significant, it is not alone in reaching them. Indeed, during testing, CNET and other outlets have discovered that the iPhone 4 call quality degrades when you touch the gap on the left side. Like Consumer Reports, we've rated the iPhone highly on our official review--currently it has an "Excellent" rating of four stars--because of its many strong points, but we've withheld our Editors' Choice Award due to the device's continued call quality issues.

[noaim]

I think that reviews shouldnt impact anything I like the phone and thats all that matters not some review

[OTACORB]

Apple's response has been to deny/ignore and delete any reference to it from their support forums.

Exactly which is what is turning off more people than the actual issues themselves. This protectionist attitude that has been cultivated by Jobs has totally gotten out of hand over this issue. It is a PR nightmare and they just can't seem to get a handle on it.

The only way they are going to do anything even remotely like admit there is a real problem is if sales were to suddenly tank. Given the bad publicity there is little doubt that sales will be impacted, but to what degree is anyones guess. I kind of thought by now we would have gotten the magical 2, 2.5 or 3 millions sold by now, but nada!

But I guess it would add insult the injury to brag about how many you've sold knowing there are these issues and yet thus far NOTHING has been done.

[chobbs1]

So turn y'all's phones in. That oughta. Send a real message to apple.

[fresh1]

Consumer Report iPhone4 study flawed
Posted on July 12, 2010 by Bob


Let me start off by saying that for much of my career, I worked as an electromagnetic engineer on exactly the kind of issues that now face Apple on the iPhone4. But this isn’t about me. It is about Consumer Reports and its not so scientific testing on the iPhone 4.

Consumer reports “RF” engineers should know better than to think they can run an engineering grade test for an issue like this in a shielded room. And certainly not one with people in it.

To even reasonably run a scientific test, the iPhone should have been sitting on a non-metallic pedestal inside an anechoic chamber. The base station simulator should have been also sitting outside the chamber and had a calibrated antenna plumbed to it from inside the chamber.

I have not seen (update: i have seen the full video since yesterday afternoon) CR’s claim directly that the finger effect reduces the iPhones sensitivity by 20db as reported elsewhere, but unless CR connected to a functional point inside the iPhone that number is fantasy. Even the way they seem to have tested the change – by varying the base station simulator levels – seems to assume the iPhone receiver and/or transmitter operate in a linear fashion (the same way) across all signal strengths – bad assumption.

Bottom line. From what I can see in the reports, Consumer Reports replicated the same uncontrolled, unscientific experiments that many of the blogging sites have done.

I’m not saying that Apple has no h/w problem and they surely have a s/w issue. But I’m still wondering that if the software signal algorithm was not AFU’d in the first place how many, if anyone would talking about this “problem”

I also don’t know what part of this problem is Apple’s and what part is related to the AT&T network.

And we don’t know how the observed effect is, or is not, similar to other devices.

We also don’t know if placing a finger on the antenna bridge is detuning the antenna or detuning the receiver itself.

And neither does Consumer Reports.

Oh. Mr Job’s, right now, silence is not golden. I’m quite sure Apple has these answers by now… If not, send me a few more iPhones ( i bought 3). I’ll find a chamber and get you some answers in a day.

Ps. Blogged from my Iphone4 in a rest area on my way home from work, cause I just couldn’t help myself..


Consumer Report iPhone4 study flawed | Viewpoints by Bob Egan



Fresh1