Official new iPhone 4

[blairh]

Press conference this Friday. The picture will become more clear then.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/14/tech...dex.htm?hpt=C2

 

[texas_jack]

Not sure if this has been posted. NSFW (language)
http://www.americablog.com/2010/07/i...g+(AMERICAblog)

 

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by blairh

Press conference this Friday. The picture will become more clear then.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/14/tech...dex.htm?hpt=C2

I'm not optimistic. Probably likely to be more obfuscation and blaming of others, in line with Apple's usual modus operandi.

I have continued to note sub-par reception from my new iPhone everywhere. Yesterday, in my kitchen, where I've never even remotely had a problem, I noted my reception was down to 1 bar, even with the phone just sitting on the table. Frankly, I'm not convinced that it's just down to bridging the gap on the antenna.

Also, I've noted the iPhone doesn't seem to lock out the screen when I'm holding the phone to my cheek. I cannot hold the phone between my cheek and shoulder as I often do when doing something without putting the call on speaker, or hanging up by accident, or muting myself. I have had this problem nearly every time I try to do it (I do it a lot), whereas in ~2 years of owning a 3g, I never once had that problem. Perhaps it's a change in the software, or just down to the form factor, but another point for "buyer beware."

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by Douglas

I'm not optimistic. Probably likely to be more obfuscation and blaming of others, in line with Apple's usual modus operandi.

I have continued to note sub-par reception from my new iPhone everywhere. Yesterday, in my kitchen, where I've never even remotely had a problem, I noted my reception was down to 1 bar, even with the phone just sitting on the table. Frankly, I'm not convinced that it's just down to bridging the gap on the antenna.

Also, I've noted the iPhone doesn't seem to lock out the screen when I'm holding the phone to my cheek. I cannot hold the phone between my cheek and shoulder as I often do when doing something without putting the call on speaker, or hanging up by accident, or muting myself. I have had this problem nearly every time I try to do it (I do it a lot), whereas in ~2 years of owning a 3g, I never once had that problem. Perhaps it's a change in the software, or just down to the form factor, but another point for "buyer beware."

Have you tried exchanging your unit for another one? I am experiencing none of the problems you describe.

 

[SirSuturesALot]

July 15 (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc.'s senior antenna expert voiced concern to Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs in the early design phase of the iPhone 4 that the antenna design could lead to dropped calls, a person familiar with the matter said.

Last year, Ruben Caballero, a senior engineer and antenna expert, informed Apple's management the device's design may cause reception problems, said the person, who is not authorized to speak on Apple's behalf and asked not to be identified. A carrier partner also raised concerns about the antenna before the device's June 24 release, according to another person familiar with the situation.

Apple's industrial design team, led by Jonathan Ive, submitted several iPhone designs before Jobs and other executives settled on the bezel antenna, said the person familiar with the company's design. Caballero, the antenna expert, voiced concern in early planning meetings that it might lead to dropped calls and presented a serious engineering challenge, the person said.

The metal bezel surrounding the handset would need to be separated in sections to create individual antennas capable of handling particular ranges of the radio frequencies for different wireless networks, the person said. If a user covered one of the seams between the sections, their finger would act as a conductive material, interfering with the signal, the person said. Consumer Reports suggests iPhone 4 users cover the antenna with duct tape to help mitigate reception woes.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/201...cut-calls.html

 

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by imageWIS

Have you tried exchanging your unit for another one? I am experiencing none of the problems you describe.

No, I have not. I most likely will not. I have no desire to go down to the Apple Store, stand in line for three farking hours, and then have one of the snot-nosed kids down there chuckle under their breath as I describe the problems, completely and blindly disbelieving.

It would be a little bit like the conversation you and I are having.

Why go through the aggravation?

 

[holymadness]

I think you can make an appointment at the "Genius Bar" online.

However, be warned that you cannot return your iphone because of the antenna issue, so you have to make up some other excuse.

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by Douglas

No, I have not. I most likely will not. I have no desire to go down to the Apple Store, stand in line for three farking hours, and then have one of the snot-nosed kids down there chuckle under their breath as I describe the problems, completely and blindly disbelieving.

It would be a little bit like the conversation you and I are having.

Why go through the aggravation?

You could make an appointment to exchange it and save yourself the aggravation of waiting in line. If they can give you another phone that works, why wouldn't you take it instead of just complaining that your phone doesn't work?

 

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by imageWIS

You could make an appointment to exchange it and save yourself the aggravation of waiting in line. If they can give you another phone that works, why wouldn't you take it instead of just complaining that your phone doesn't work?

Originally Posted by holymadness

I think you can make an appointment at the "Genius Bar" online.

However, be warned that you cannot return your iphone because of the antenna issue, so you have to make up some other excuse.

^This.

Do you really think they're going to take me seriously down there? Do you really think they're going to just give me a new phone based on my word of saying "Hey, I don't think my reception is very good, I seem to be dropping a lot of calls, and the screen doesn't seem to lock out when I've got the phone to my cheek very well, not like my old phone, how's aboot you give me a new one?"

Are you for real?

Look, I've had issues, real, discernible issues with iPhones before. I had a serious battery issue, easily provable (they didn't deny it, like they've so far largely denied this antenna issue) that took three separate trips before they'd give me a new phone, and even then all they gave me was a re-furb that I had to pay for. (Only like $79, but still.)

This is the same company that sent out thousands of **** monitors on iMacs and never owned up to it. People were out thousands of dollars and Apple didn't give a crap.

Obviously, I still think the iPhone is a wonderful device. I'm having to make some compromises - I'll get the phone covered in one of those films, I'll have to stop holding it in the crook of my neck, I'll drop a few calls. Sucks for me, but overall I still like many of the features, and like any other product, I'll just have to accept some of the compromises.

But it's not particularly out of bounds to complain about my disappointments on a public forum. And I'm well within my rights not to put myself through the same aggravation I've been through before, particularly when my own experiences, and those of others that I know, lead me to believe my efforts would be fruitless.

 

[dave]

I got mine on Monday and so far haven't had any problems...So far...

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by Douglas

^This.

Do you really think they're going to take me seriously down there? Do you really think they're going to just give me a new phone based on my word of saying "Hey, I don't think my reception is very good, I seem to be dropping a lot of calls, and the screen doesn't seem to lock out when I've got the phone to my cheek very well, not like my old phone, how's aboot you give me a new one?"

Are you for real?

Seeing as two people at work were able to exchange their iPhone 4's without any problems, I don't know why you would also have an issue.

So, yes, I'm for real.

 

[SirSuturesALot]

If you hope that iOS 4.1 for the iPhone is going to fix the iPhone 4's current antenna problems, sorry, but it doesn't. According to early tests of the new software, the iPhone 4's signal attenuation problem still exists after updating to the 4.1 OS. There is, however, a very curious thing going on with the signal bars.

According to screen captures, the signal bars themselves are slightly bigger with iOS 4.1 than they are with 4.0. The smallest bar of the iPhone's signal display (the one on the left) is nearly invisible in iOS 4.0. It is noticeably bigger in iOS 4.1, in fact, based on a visual compiled by Gizmodo, it is twice as big as before. The second bar is perhaps 20% bigger, and the third bar is perhaps 10% bigger. The fourth and fifth bars have not been changed in size.

Let's get something straight: The size of the bars displayed by the phone have no correlation to the actual signal strength. This is flat-out visual trickery, if you ask me, and clearly shows how Apple is trying to change how the problem is being perceived rather than do anything to fix it. Perhaps we'll learn exactly what's going on here from Apple during Friday's iPhone 4 press conference.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/...ubSection=News

 

[LawrenceMD]

you could at least try. sheesh. defeatist behavior. i've done the same exact thing with my macbook battery, static-y ipod earbuds, white spot on macbook monitor, ect.

i've had the battery replaced (it was over a year old and over 400 cycles), the earbuds, and monitor (on a 2.5year old macbook) because it was all under warranty.

i set up an appointment walked right into the west village apple store and asked, acted ignorant, then outright asked if said defect can be replaced and it all was...

i have no doubts that if i did the same for my iphone 4 they'd replace it.

if its out of warranty then its an uphill battle, but if its still within warranty (another reason to spring for applecare) if you plead a case with a legitimate problem it will be repaired/replaced.

another thing never buy applecare through apple just look for ebay sellers where you can find applecare for 20%-50% cheaper.

Originally Posted by Douglas

^This.

Do you really think they're going to take me seriously down there? Do you really think they're going to just give me a new phone based on my word of saying "Hey, I don't think my reception is very good, I seem to be dropping a lot of calls, and the screen doesn't seem to lock out when I've got the phone to my cheek very well, not like my old phone, how's aboot you give me a new one?"

Are you for real?

Look, I've had issues, real, discernible issues with iPhones before. I had a serious battery issue, easily provable (they didn't deny it, like they've so far largely denied this antenna issue) that took three separate trips before they'd give me a new phone, and even then all they gave me was a re-furb that I had to pay for. (Only like $79, but still.)

This is the same company that sent out thousands of **** monitors on iMacs and never owned up to it. People were out thousands of dollars and Apple didn't give a crap.

Obviously, I still think the iPhone is a wonderful device. I'm having to make some compromises - I'll get the phone covered in one of those films, I'll have to stop holding it in the crook of my neck, I'll drop a few calls. Sucks for me, but overall I still like many of the features, and like any other product, I'll just have to accept some of the compromises.

But it's not particularly out of bounds to complain about my disappointments on a public forum. And I'm well within my rights not to put myself through the same aggravation I've been through before, particularly when my own experiences, and those of others that I know, lead me to believe my efforts would be fruitless.

 

[SirSuturesALot]

^ You must have missed the instructions AppleCare reps were given. http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2010/...ng-procedures/

1. Keep all of the positioning statements in the BN handy – your tone when delivering this information is important. a. The iPhone 4’s wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped. Our testing shows that iPhone 4’s overall antenna performance is better than iPhone 3GS. b. Gripping almost any mobile phone in certain places will reduce its reception. This is true of the iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS, and many other phones we have tested. It is a fact of life in the wireless world. c. If you are experiencing this on your iPhone 3GS, avoid covering the bottom-right side with your hand. d. If you are experiencing this on your iPhone 4, avoid covering the black strip in the lower-left corner of the metal band. e. The use of a case or Bumper that is made out of rubber or plastic may improve wireless performance by keeping your hand from directly covering these areas. 2. Do not perform warranty service. Use the positioning above for any customer questions or concerns. 3. Don’t forget YOU STILL NEED to probe and troubleshoot. If a customer calls about their reception while the phone is sitting on a table (not being held) it is not the metal band. 4. ONLY escalate if the issue exists when the phone is not held AND you cannot resolve it. 5. We ARE NOT appeasing customers with free bumpers – DON’T promise a free bumper to customers.

Problem? What problem? There is no problem, sir. Please go home.

 

[Rambo]

Take it back Doug. You got yourself a lemon.

In today's Bloomberg they quote an Apple antenna engineer as saying the design was fucked from the get go and an unnamed person at AT&Fuckyou saying that it would cause problems. I think they're pretty much up a creek at this point.