The iPhone 4 Redux: Analyzing Apple's iOS 4.0.1 Signal Fix & Antenna Issue
by Brian Klug & Anand Lal Shimpi on July 15, 2010 12:28 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Apple
- iOS 4
- iPhone 4
- Mobile
Final Words
The new signal strength visualization in iOS 4.0.1 is simply going to be more honest with iPhone users. Whether that's going to result in customers confused about why their phone performs "worse" after the update or simply get really mad at AT&T remains to be seen. In the area of Raleigh, NC that I live in, it's tough to get better than -90 dBm on AT&T without driving a few miles away. Even then you're only at -80 dBm at best. I literally have to drive for about 10 minutes to see a fifth bar on the iPhone 4 now in my area.
Not everyone will like the new bars but you can't fault Apple for being more honest with its users. We'd still prefer if Apple allowed all users to see a numeric readout of their signal strength if they desired, but this is a step in the right direction for transparency at least. Unfortunately, that's only part of the problem.
Yesterday Microsoft’s COO referred to the iPhone 4 as Apple’s Vista. I’d actually take that one step further and call this whole situation Apple’s first Microsoft moment. And I don’t mean that in a bad way towards Microsoft, but rather that as a result of Apple’s own great success, it is now susceptible to the sort of fire that Microsoft has been for years.
When Apple had issues with battery life in Snow Leopard, CPU utilization while playing MP3s in Mac Pros, or even SSDs in 2nd gen unibody MacBook Pros the backlash just wasn’t there. While Mac users care about having problem-free hardware, there simply aren’t enough users to really create the angry mob that has happened in iOS land. Well there are a ton of iPhone users out there. This isn’t going to be the last time that Apple feels the heat.
A large part of it is Apple’s fault. At any company that regularly introduces new products there’s this concept of regression testing. It’s particularly prevalent in technology companies that have to deal with things like driver updates. The idea behind regression testing is to make sure that anything new you introduce doesn’t break anything that previously worked fine. While the iPhone 4’s antenna tradeoff is largely acceptable if you live in an area with good reception, if you don’t then it quickly becomes a problem. This combined with some of the other Apple follies I mentioned above leads me to believe that Apple simply needs to test more. This is something I’ve asked for in previous Mac articles.
And Apple honestly should have been more willing to discuss the issue publicly than it has been. There's no reason Apple couldn't have come public with its own testing showing the same results we showed in our iPhone 4 review.
The phone itself delivers better battery life than anything else in its class, has good performance and a wonderful screen. Whether or not the antenna design manifests itself as an issue really depends on AT&T’s coverage where you’re using the phone. As a result, AT&T can also share in the blame here. As I mentioned in our EVO 4G review, Sprint and Verizon appear to have slower data rates but more consistent coverage wherever I use them. In comparison, AT&T generally offers higher peak transfer rates but reception that varies more wildly.
Criticism that isn't constructive is rarely useful, and as we’ve just shown there are things that Apple can do to address the issue today. Using a bumper the iPhone 4 behaves no differently than the 3GS. Hold the phone as tightly as you want with a bumper and it’ll lose as much signal as a 3GS or Nexus One. Put some sort of insulating coating on the stainless steel band and you’ll significantly reduce, but not eliminate the issue.
Apple iPhone 4 with Bumper Case. Image Courtesy of Sarah Trainor.
The third option would be a redesign of the phone’s internals, potentially even taking a step back to something more reminiscent of the 3GS’ antenna design. I’m not sure this is necessary because of the options on the table today.
Our original assessment still stands: Apple should provide free bumpers to iPhone 4 customers. Nickel and diming is never the way to maintain a loyal customer base. Introducing a non-conductive antenna band and replacing existing phones in the market also makes a lot of sense, assuming Apple has found a way to do that. Apple planned a press conference for tomorrow to talk about the iPhone 4 and presumably these issues. In a little over 24 hours we'll find out how Apple views the situation and what it plans to do about it.
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SharksFan - Monday, July 19, 2010 - link
They probably just read the article and realized they were as well off with an iPhone 4 signal wise vs the compared Nexus One, so they stopped worrying.-121db cutoff and -24 signal attentuation means the phone should be good till -97db on average, before you grab it hard.
-121 cutoff and -20 signal attenuation means the phone should be good till -101db on average.
-97db vs -98db when compared to Nexus One when held "hard", and -101 v -102 when compared to Nexus One when held "normally".
Those are pretty much identical cutoff's btw.
So I guess you should be clamoring for a Nexus One recall too....
Maybe we can sue Google?
leexgx - Friday, July 16, 2010 - link
i did not even read that commentgilesrulz - Friday, July 16, 2010 - link
First, thank you for your two well reasoned and reported articles on this subject. Would you be willing to update the article to discuss Apple's indication that attenuation caused by conductivity is not the issue, and that it is caused by the normal physics of being meat bags?steve.h - Monday, July 19, 2010 - link
Yes! This is exactly what I am also wondering, and something I haven't seen addressed anywhere else. If the problem is mostly due to the conductivity of the skin interfering with the antenna, Apple hasn't been completely truthful in comparing their problems with problems faced by other manufacturers. It seems like a fairly simple test to perform, I am surprised none of the tech blogs I read have tried to address this yet. Of course anandtech is the only place any actual information gathering was done and reported in the first place, most of the rest was just fear mongering.Again, I am convinced that this is a non-issue either way for most users, since it only affects performance in a small number of cases. However, I'd be interested to see if Apple really was being intentionally misleading in their press conference by comparing their issues to other manufacturers.
atomez - Friday, July 16, 2010 - link
I got an iPhone 3G with OS4 (iPhone 4 no yet available here) and the same "grip of deat" happens! It usually got 5 bars signal strenght. Using the left hand GOD it dropped to 2 bars. Now with OS4.1 it shows 3 bars and drops to the same 2 bars on GOD. And you know what? It never dropped a call! So it's working fine for me. I understand the iPhone 4 will be the same.It's not a problem, it's a feature. Get used to it.
No one is fooling you. If you don't like it, just don't buy it. If you have it, go get the free bumper. Or just return it and get your money back.
Polakapalooza - Friday, July 16, 2010 - link
Essentially, then, you are equating — and, it appears, correctly so — the iPhone 4 with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "little girl," to wit:There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very good indeed,
But when she was bad she was horrid.
jms102285 - Friday, July 16, 2010 - link
Might I recommend to the readers who are upset at the passive-apple/anti-MS dynamic here an alternative:http://www.boygeniusreport.com/
For the past few years I have been coming here for the news on the latest/greatest reviews digging into the meat and potatoes of cutting edge hardware. Lately I've been very very disappointed at the disproportionate amount of content regarding Apple vs. the release of other new phones.
I understand that website hits lead to more advertising revenue and that Apple news gets hits, but couple that with the dare I say passive nature towards Apples mistakes versus other manufacturers' mistakes and it really hurts the integrity of what I come here for.
I also have been less than happy with the IT computing section as they really don't discuss much there. It seems like an afterthought compared to other sections of the site.
So peace out Anand, good luck here.
SunSamurai - Friday, July 16, 2010 - link
You wont be missed.Running off because of one too many apple related articles. Talk about childish.
screensurfer - Friday, July 16, 2010 - link
Just a few of things I noticed:1) Apple found 3 phones that have similar problems. Fine. I can find a dozen that don't have such "grave" problem. The problem with iPhone 4 is that its attenuation is "a record" for a smartphone when the hand touches it.
2) Apple took 22 days to find that the solution... is to patch it with a case. Bah!
3) AppleCare data: it's flawed in 2 ways: First, they should only present it when the 30 days are over, to have a more apples-to-apples comparison vs. 3GS (who's data might not be the same time period). Second, the fact that iPhone 4 is a much better device than 3GS: people are holding to them. Regardless, this is not an excuse to keep a design flaw.
4) ATT returns rate only. Where are Apple stores numbers? Could they show a different figure? I believe so, otherwise Steve would have shown their own numbers.
5) (My favorite lie with numbers technique): Average cell phone drops 1 call per 100. If iPhone4 drops <1 pp more than 3GS, it means that it drops up to more 100% more calls than 3GS!!!!!!!
6) They have figured out a better hardware that prevents this, they're just unwilling to recall the inicial production. Why? First, 30th September deadline; second, Steve implied it during the presentation that they were working on a hardware fix that "defies physics".
Please don't lie with numbers. I hope this helps to clarify the PR BS!
Snotling - Friday, July 16, 2010 - link
"Steve implied it during the presentation that they were working on a hardware fix that "defies physics"."yeah, I'm sure Steve Jobs will try hard to defeat the laws of physics...
do you realize how silly you sound?