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Official statement from Apple

ghostface147

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Dear iPhone 4 Users,

The iPhone 4 has been the most successful product launch in Apple?s history. It has been judged by reviewers around the world to be the best smartphone ever, and users have told us that they love it. So we were surprised when we read reports of reception problems, and we immediately began investigating them. Here is what we have learned.

To start with, gripping almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by 1 or more bars. This is true of iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, as well as many Droid, Nokia and RIM phones. But some users have reported that iPhone 4 can drop 4 or 5 bars when tightly held in a way which covers the black strip in the lower left corner of the metal band. This is a far bigger drop than normal, and as a result some have accused the iPhone 4 of having a faulty antenna design.

At the same time, we continue to read articles and receive hundreds of emails from users saying that iPhone 4 reception is better than the iPhone 3GS. They are delighted. This matches our own experience and testing. What can explain all of this?

We have discovered the cause of this dramatic drop in bars, and it is both simple and surprising.

Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong. Our formula, in many instances, mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength. For example, we sometimes display 4 bars when we should be displaying as few as 2 bars. Users observing a drop of several bars when they grip their iPhone in a certain way are most likely in an area with very weak signal strength, but they don?t know it because we are erroneously displaying 4 or 5 bars. Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place.

To fix this, we are adopting AT&T?s recently recommended formula for calculating how many bars to display for a given signal strength. The real signal strength remains the same, but the iPhone?s bars will report it far more accurately, providing users a much better indication of the reception they will get in a given area. We are also making bars 1, 2 and 3 a bit taller so they will be easier to see.

We will issue a free software update within a few weeks that incorporates the corrected formula. Since this mistake has been present since the original iPhone, this software update will also be available for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G.

We have gone back to our labs and retested everything, and the results are the same? the iPhone 4?s wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped. For the vast majority of users who have not been troubled by this issue, this software update will only make your bars more accurate. For those who have had concerns, we apologize for any anxiety we may have caused.

As a reminder, if you are not fully satisfied, you can return your undamaged iPhone to any Apple Retail Store or the online Apple Store within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.

We hope you love the iPhone 4 as much as we do.

Thank you for your patience and support.

Apple


Here is the link:

Letter from Apple Regarding iPhone 4


So basically they are saying that they're going to update your phone to tell you that your reception is worse than it really is, bar wise. This doesn't fix anything. This isn't going to fix the people who live in lower reception areas from losing service completely or drop low enough to drop calls, where their previous iPhones or whatever they used works fine. I recall one time, with the original 3G, they tweaked the bars because they were incorrectly displaying the wrong amount of bars. So did the have it right at that time? I guess a lot of people are going to be in areas where they get 2 bars max, all day, everyday.

This is just smoke and mirrors and highly disappointing. They also need to address the proximity sensor, although I think they are going to sneak it in. It's a real simple fix, just give it more tolerance.
 
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kgvickers

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I've not yet "done my time" in line at an Apple or AT&T store to get my iPhone 4 but I've been reading everything I can get my hands on about the problems. The review on AnandTech was very informative:

Apple's iPhone 4: Thoroughly Reviewed - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

Their testing indicated that they could hold calls with the iPhone 4 in locations where the 3Gs would not. But it's important to note that they did have a case on the phone!

I played with my 3Gs and did the *3001#12345#* trick to put it in Field Test mode. At my home my best signal is around -68 dBm (as indicated by the phone). Cupping it tightly with both hands will drop that to as much as -103 dBm. However, in both cases, my phone still indicates five bars.

Antennas are very, very tricky and finicky beasts. They typically give the best performance when they are located away from anything conductive . . . like us! To complicate matters further, each person, due to individual physiology, will impact the iPhone 4 antenna differently.

I agree with you - Apple did goof this one up. On the one hand, they wanted that cool look that the edge antenna allows but now we all know the consequence. Obviously it needs some sort of non-conductive coating. Course that has the problem of eventually wearing off.

I don't think this is over for Apple. My guess is they will eventually capitulate and offer free or discounted cases to customers with persistent issues (meaning, of course, those that are willing to again do time in line at an Apple Genius Bar or on infinite hold on the phone with customer service).
 

ghostface147

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How convenient that the fix will arrive within a few weeks, which could mean it will arrive after your 30 day return window.
 

cardfan

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The ultimate fix is using a case or "hold differently" Or taking it back.

This software fix won't change anything.

I'm surprised Apple throws in that bit about returning if you're not happy. Um..Apple? People aren't likely to return it and go back in time to a 3GS. They'll return it and leave your ecosystem. While for others, it's not as simple as returning it. They are invested in your ecosystem.

But how about making sure people are satisfied? You've got one cure laying around called a Bumper. Surely you want to give that out before recommending they return iphones??? While you're at it, make some accessories that actually work with Bumpers/cases and encourage 3rd parties to do the same.
 

stkywik

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So, they artificially trumped up the signal strength meter on the 3G and 3GS to make it seem like reception was better than it actually was. This little quirk with the 4, though, has caused this decision to come back and bite them in the *** so they conveniently uncover this mysterious miscalculation in signal strength and will correct the formula.

In the end, I don't care. I get fantastic coverage everywhere I go on a daily basis.
 

bergman

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Has anyone found the field test mode code for the iPhone4? The old code (referenced earlier in this discussion) will not work on my 4.
 

ghostface147

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Has anyone found the field test mode code for the iPhone4? The old code (referenced earlier in this discussion) will not work on my 4.

The field test app itself is missing from the file structure. No code in the world will make it magically add a field test app.
 

iregret

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There's more to the story than this. Apple actually changed how the iPhone 4 deals with AT&T's cell towers. Instead of defaulting to the strongest signal, it chooses the best signal. That is why you see this happening on 3G and 3GS phones.

My guess is that software will help, but not cure the issue.
 

Ariyala

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This is interesting. As my other posts say, I don't have my i4 yet, however, I have a question. For those of you who are upgrading from 3G or 3GS - How was your service with those phones. To clarify a bit more - if you were at home and you used your old phone without troubles, and now you're having trouble with your i4, is this your phone issues or the tower/signal issues?
 

kgvickers

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Has anyone found the field test mode code for the iPhone4? The old code (referenced earlier in this discussion) will not work on my 4.

In the AnandTech article, the author explaines how he hacked the OS to display received signal strength on his iP4. I may try this when I finally get my iP4.
 

big9erfan

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There's more to the story than this. Apple actually changed how the iPhone 4 deals with AT&T's cell towers. Instead of defaulting to the strongest signal, it chooses the best signal. That is why you see this happening on 3G and 3GS phones.

My guess is that software will help, but not cure the issue.

The software update won't even "help" the issue of signal dropping. It's b/c the antenna is on the OUTSIDE of the phone and when our salt water filled bodies touch it just right we really throw it off.

The only thing the software is going to do is adjust how it relates signal levels to bars. (UPDATE: I have a followup piece about Apple’s new... • fscked.co.uk 5 bars that the iPhone 4 shows is a bit misleading with the 5 bar range being pretty huge and the 4 being less so and bars 3 - 1 being very very small, to where very little signal drop will take you from 3 - 1, but the same level of signal drop will leave you with 5 bars if you are in the right area.

Buy a case and reduce the impact of the human body on the antenna or return the phone. It's the two options we have.
 

clg82

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So my question is why does the phone work better with a case on it? And why did they suggest that fix from the beginning......Couldn't be more disapointed in Apple's "FIX"
 

clg82

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This is interesting. As my other posts say, I don't have my i4 yet, however, I have a question. For those of you who are upgrading from 3G or 3GS - How was your service with those phones. To clarify a bit more - if you were at home and you used your old phone without troubles, and now you're having trouble with your i4, is this your phone issues or the tower/signal issues?

Ariyala from the beginning I had worse service with my iphone 4 than I did with my old 3g.....Anywhere that I currently us my iphone 4 now I get worse services than I did with my old 3g......and I hold it the same way! I can't believe Jobs, I love apple and their products but they don't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling with it comes to them "backing" their products like other companies.......It just makes me wonder now how the next gen iphone will look.....will they move the antenna? Because that would show that it was a flaw and it took them that long to fix it............couldn't be more disapointed.
 

Hack-My-i

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How convenient that the fix will arrive within a few weeks, which could mean it will arrive after your 30 day return window.

take your iPhone 4 back on the 29th day if the new update isnt released by then and wait... thats what im going to do :D

.

As a reminder, if you are not fully satisfied, you can return your undamaged iPhone to any Apple Retail Store or the online Apple Store within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.
Here is the link:

Letter from Apple Regarding iPhone 4



also, he mentions "FULL REFUND".... so no restocking fee???????????
 
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BLiNK

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soooo that means that apple lied about the iphone's signal strength for 3 years???

then magically figured out it was wrong after they got caught???

16j0ncp.jpg
 

ghostface147

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I think that they had the signal display calibrated for when the antenna was inside the phone. Now that it's outside, it talks differently and Apple didn't change their end. Remember, they had to recalibrate the signal display when the 3G came out originally in 2008. I don't think they 100% forcefully lied, but some are making it out to be a lot more than it really is. This doesn't change the fact there for some, there are serious issues, regardless of signal display.
 

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