Am I missing something here? Probably I am. Bruno, you know more about cell phones than I will ever want to. I don't even own a cell phone, and when I did it was a $21.95 phone on a $6.67 per month pre-paid plan, and in the year that I had it I probably used it a total of 20 minutes.

That said, has there ever been another phone that lost 90% of its data transfer rate when held in the fashion that 90% of the users would normally hold it? As outlined above, I am probably speaking from a position of invincible ignorance here, and if so you can slap me down and I'll have no hard feelings. But you'd better do it with facts, not mere opinions. I base my assertion that "...the iPhone 4 has a fatal flaw that no other phone in history has ever had" on the fact that when held normally the data transfer rate doesn't just get a little bit worse (like apparently most phones do) but drops precipitously to a small fraction of its nominal value.

Steve Jobs said something to the effect that the problem affects only one half of one percent of the users. This is a classic example of how to lie with statistics. The truth is that only one out of every two hundred users complained about the problem. No doubt the phone works quite well if all you do with it is make phone calls, and probably (I'm just guessing here, no hard data) that is all most users do with it although why such a user would spend $300 to buy the phone and another $100 a month to keep it connected, instead of $21.95 and $6.67/month is beyond me. However, if it is used to its full capabilities (i.e., as a SMARTPHONE) then 100% of the users are affected.

If the phone is held in a normal fashion and used as a Smartphone, there is a serious problem that has not been overblown.

tanstaafl.

Some reports (such as the one I linked to) clearly show that the data transfer rate falls from 1500kbps to zero (or damned close to zero) immediately upon a light touch directly on the problem spot, without anything else obscuring the antenna. Bruno, if you can give any evidence at all that any other phone ever has had a problem like this (not mere attenuation, but near instantaneous apparent complete loss of signal), I'd love to see it.

Bitt, I didn't say that any other phones had as severe a problem. You've also seen people testing the problem spot with no loss of data signal though, right?

I'm pretty sure I had also already mentioned that I believe Apple knew about this issue prior to the iPhone's release and it may even be one of the reasons behind the bumper design.

I do find it strange however that even with the small percentage of reports (given the number of sales) that Apple's testing prior to release would not have prompted them to take swifter and more overt action, such as having bundled bumpers right from the start.

Apple treat testing very seriously and let me tell you how many friggen man hours were spent at ATI because 1 system restart in 3000 would hang a Power Mac or some up with screen corruption. Some of their tests had an even lower margin for error, like 1 in 5000. We're talking show-stoppers here.

Yes, I've seen people demonstrate their inability to reproduce the problem. I bet occurrence of the problem has a lot to do with the signal in the testing environment, from frequency to strength, relative strengths of various frequencies, and probably other factors. That was my point with the Pinto, not to make some sort of car analogy. The problem is that the problem occurs, and it's really significant, even if it doesn't occur in every situation.

I would imagine that most of the iPhone4 real-world testing was done in the SF Bay area, or there and a few other select places. I doubt that there was testing in Peoria, for example. I bet that this problem rarely, if ever, occurs in Apple's prime testing locations.

The problem that I have is that Apple clearly screwed the pooch on this, and won't admit it. ("Doctor, it hurts when I touch the spot." "Don't do that!") The next revision will almost certainly have this problem resolved, and they'll still claim that there isn't a problem, even though they will have clearly taken steps to resolve it.

I think having the antenna be integral to the case is a great idea when you're concerned with space savings. But putting the dielectric at a point where virtually everyone is going to touch it is retarded. I'm not going to claim to be an antenna expert (or novice, even), but rotating the assembly 180° so that the dielectric point is on the upper right, where it's very unlikely to be touched during normal usage, would seem to be a no-brainer.

I don't know... most of the reporting I've seen has been "the iPhone 4 has a fatal flaw." Full stop. Sometimes there has been an additional statement to the effect of "my previous iPhone didn't have this problem."

Apple marketing, however, seems to be trying to spin the press as you suggest. Everyone else, however, knows that the question of whether other phones have the same problem isn't relevant -- unless you're Apple, trying to deflect criticism. Sorry Apple, but just because everyone else makes shoddy pieces of junk, doesn't mean you get to make shoddy pieces of junk, too. Especially not when you've built your brand on not making shoddy pieces of junk.

But heck... I don't care. I neither have, nor want, a cell phone.

They have admitted that there's a problem though. Jobs even referred to the left side as a "weak spot."

Jobs using the word "problem" specifically.



He even admits that they made a mistake...



John Gruber's take which is surprisingly similar to mine:




Isn't this what's happening with the Nexus One? Remember back in February? http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/nexus-one-3g-problems-persist-after-update-is-it-a-design-pro/

Heh. Now I'm picturing the iPhone as the fourth-level boss, and I have to shoot at the glowing orange spot on the lower left corner when it turns and exposes it to me...

Okay, fair enough.


From the article you linked:
Maybe it's my interpretation, but a phone showing max bars and transferring data at 1500kbps is unlikely to be having a "weaker 3G signal". And it's still demonstrating a meatbag signal attenuation problem, as wrapping your hand around the bottom of the phone (admittedly a normal way to hold it) is the problem, not the presence of a single digit.

Again, there is a problem with every cell phone ever made that human bodies are good RF signal attenuators. This affects all models of the iPhone, the Nexus One, the Pre, etc. Again, every cell phone. It affects some phones more than others, frequently due to asinine antenna placement. I in no way disagree with this assessment. The iPhone may well actually be better in this regard. I can see how an external antenna might be a good solution to this problem.

But the issue with touching the spot is unlike any other cell phone problem description I've ever heard. You have watched videos of people demonstrating the problem, right? The one I linked is a good example. It is basically impossible to use the phone at all if touching it any less than in these demonstrations. I find it very hard to believe that the signal reception (or transmission, maybe) is concentrated in a single spot on the antenna. Assuming it's not, there's something else going on besides normal attenuation. And, if it really is concentrated there, then placing that single spot on one of the most easily obscured surfaces of the phone is an obvious design flaw of its own. There are any number of better spots. Between the two volume buttons, maybe. On the top or bottom of the phone. At the diametrically opposed corner, etc.

I thought it was because the black piece was plastic separating two different antennas. Put your finger there and you're bridging them.

Me too.

Then again, holding the phone with fingertips on either side of the phone, even when avoiding the iSpot, would also bridge the two antennas. So that can't be it.

There's a black spot on both sides of the phone. And the metal bands run one along the bottom and one over the top of the phone. It's split in two along those black parts, AFAIK.

I would assume that, too. Is there some other phone on which you can do that?

This is the image (well, as far as I remember from the original announcment) of the antenna system:



Although it's not entirely clear on the opposing side, it looks like the other notch is purely cosmetic and that there is no break in the antenna on that side.

That's not really beside the point, though, is it?

Not that I know of. It's part f what makes the product look so good however. And part of what allowed the model to shrink in size yet fit a larger battery. I think we agree that it's a problem. But it's not a problem that has nor will affect everyone. It's also a problem that for some affected people is manageable.

I think a huge problem is the issue with the proximity sensor causing calls to hang up and other oddities. This seems to affect more people than the antenna problems, it just hasn't gotten the same amount of press because it was harder to pin-point and demonstrate. Seems like Apple will address this one in software. You can hold the phone without touching the black spot, you can put the phone into a case. But you can't really use the phone traditionally without putting it up against your head.

On a much more positive and constructive note I've been in the studio having some fun with the iPhone4's camera.

It has proven to be very capable, here is one of about 100 shots we got...



This image has been edited in Lightroom then Photoshop, cropped and reduced in overall size, but even the raw jpg is pretty good, see this 100% crop...



A great bit of kit to have in your pocket wherever you go!!!

Cheers

Cris

It is very easy to demonstrate and reproduce the proximity sensor issue. All it takes is an iPhone 4+3G/3GS and a piece of paper, dead easy.

The reason the proximity sensor has got less coverage it people (fairly sensibly in mine and sounds like your opinion) expect it to be fixable in software.

The antenna issue however appears* to be unfixable. And adding a Bumper is not a fix. With the Bumper on:

- it doesn't fit in my TomTom dock
- it doesn't fit in Apple's dock
- I can't plug my third party headphones in
- I can't connect my card charger/FM transmitter
- I can't plug my third party charge cable in

If I have to take it out of the Bumper every time I want to do one of these things it is going to dramatically increase the likelihood of me dropping and damaging the phone.

I've tried not touching the spot when holding it, but is very hard for me to achieve. Even if I start a call not touching the spot it is very easy for a finger to wander back on to it.

And it really does take the tiniest touch to trigger it. There is no where on mu 3G that a simple touch can kill the signal.

* I had hoped there would be some way they could tweak the software to at least lesson the problem, but this looks very unlikely now

The only thing I'd point out here is that while they did address this somewhat quickly (for a large company), I do not believe they handled it well up until then.

Quite frankly, Apple needs to, as a rule, stop Steve from replying to emails from the public (and most press). I actually do think it's cool that he does that, but nothing good has ever come out of it for them as a company (that I know of). Anyone disagree?

Cris, IMO, lighting always makes the shot. Good job, nice result.

Antenna-aid bandage.

Too add insult to injury, it would appear that every time I fit or remove the Apple Bumper it makes small scratches in stainless steel surround on my Apple phone

This antenna stuff has really affected Apple. I've never seen them do anything like this before.

http://www.apple.com/antenna/

It's basically a follow-on to what was said at the press event. They show images and video of the iPhone 4 along with competitor's products being held and causing signal loss.

I think Steve can still go to bed at night comfortably:

Apple handset profits humiliate the rest of the industry

They make more _profit_ than HTC, Motorola, RIM, Nokia and Sony Ericsson. *Combined*

Damn, didn't know that.

Next take a look at the iPad profits as a percentage of everything Apple does.
http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-ipad-ipod-mac-2010-7

If the rest of the PC industry didn't think they were in trouble before (especially with regards to new products/segments), they'd better think again. I'm pretty sure the iPad is going to steam-roll everything else in unit sales, let alone profits. Why wasn't I this bullish on this fruit company back in 1996/97... Argh.

Damn, this is the best piece John Gruber has ever written. Seriously.

http://daringfireball.net/2010/07/lyons

You may not appreciate it if you haven't ever read a "Fake Steve Jobs" blog post before.

Are you (and Gruber) seriously unable to distinguish between covering large parts of the surface area of a phone and touching a single spot?

I think you missed the point of the link (and the point of its contents).

I'm not sure if I've seen you address it, yet. Bruno, do you acknowledge that there is a major reception issue caused by touching that one troublesome spot on the phone? And do you acknowledge that that particular issue is unique to that particular phone?

For those who still have their iPhone 4, your free case is here: http://www.apple.com/iphone/case-program/

Clever that they made an app for this to validate eligibility. Also allows picking from quite a few different cases outside the Apple Bumper.

Mine is in the FedEx system somewhere, on it's way back to Apple. The local store didn't want to accept it back since the iPhone was an online order. Ended up having to go to AT&T to get a new SIM for my older 3GS to reactivate it. Once I activated the 4, the old SIM was completely deactivated.

I do miss the niceties of the iPhone 4 already. but I also enjoy being able to use the phone part again without a case or other thing on the phone to fix a design flaw. Would be nice if Apple could fix this properly by September, but if not, I'll be waiting for next years model.