5 ms·

I don't think Apple is planning on fixing it, as that would require a massive recall. Take it back and wait for iPhone 5.

jsz0 16y ago
They could make changes to future production runs however (assuming it really is a widespread issue which I'm still not really convinced of)
- tvon 16y ago
  I've heard enough "cannot reproduce" reports to suspect it's a minority of devices, still that's a lot of people affected. My suspicion is that there is a coating process that is failing in some cases, which would mean it could probably be resolved for future production runs.
- azim 16y ago
  I've only been able to reproduce it in areas where the signal was awful to begin with. In areas where my 3gs drops calls weekly, using other people's 4's I can reproduce a dropped call with some regularity. My guess is that it's so hard to reproduce because even by attenuating the signal by holding it wrong, a lot of users are in an area where the signal is strong enough that it doesn't matter.
  - Retric 16y ago
    Anandtech had an interesting article where they showed both the 3GS and 4g having problems based on how you hold it. With the 4g's worst case being better than the 3GS's worst case, however the loss was more dramatic so the perception is worse even though the device is significantly improved. Edit2: here it is: http://buzz.amaltas.org/story/anandtech-iphone4-gets-better-cellular-reception-even-thogh-measured-signal-is-lower.html http://buzz.amaltas.org/story/anandtech-iphone4-gets-better-...
mechanical_fish 16y ago
If Apple has to they will give everyone who complains a free "bumper" case. Those things will probably cost Apple less than a dollar. I'm thinking of just buying bumpers preemptively, since they will also solve the vital "which of these otherwise identical iPhones is my wife's phone and which is mine?" problem.
- powrtoch 16y ago
  Unlikely, according to this (posted to HN eariler today) http://mashable.com/2010/06/29/leaked-iphone-4-docs/ http://mashable.com/2010/06/29/leaked-iphone-4-docs/
- nooneelse 16y ago
  They seem reluctant to give cases away, which is a bizarre move, imho. A few thousand or tens of thousands of cases would sweep this ongoing PR bleed under the rug, simple-dimple. That is, until the lawyers get into it. Then it gets legs of its own, can go on for eons, and there is the very real possibility of a document subpoena revealing some mention of the possibility of the problem by an engineer which can be spun up into punitive fines.

jsz0 16y ago

They could make changes to future production runs however (assuming it really is a widespread issue which I'm still not really convinced of)

tvon 16y ago
I've heard enough "cannot reproduce" reports to suspect it's a minority of devices, still that's a lot of people affected. My suspicion is that there is a coating process that is failing in some cases, which would mean it could probably be resolved for future production runs.
azim 16y ago
I've only been able to reproduce it in areas where the signal was awful to begin with. In areas where my 3gs drops calls weekly, using other people's 4's I can reproduce a dropped call with some regularity. My guess is that it's so hard to reproduce because even by attenuating the signal by holding it wrong, a lot of users are in an area where the signal is strong enough that it doesn't matter.
- Retric 16y ago
  Anandtech had an interesting article where they showed both the 3GS and 4g having problems based on how you hold it. With the 4g's worst case being better than the 3GS's worst case, however the loss was more dramatic so the perception is worse even though the device is significantly improved. Edit2: here it is: http://buzz.amaltas.org/story/anandtech-iphone4-gets-better-cellular-reception-even-thogh-measured-signal-is-lower.html http://buzz.amaltas.org/story/anandtech-iphone4-gets-better-...

mechanical_fish 16y ago

If Apple has to they will give everyone who complains a free "bumper" case. Those things will probably cost Apple less than a dollar. I'm thinking of just buying bumpers preemptively, since they will also solve the vital "which of these otherwise identical iPhones is my wife's phone and which is mine?" problem.

powrtoch 16y ago
Unlikely, according to this (posted to HN eariler today) http://mashable.com/2010/06/29/leaked-iphone-4-docs/ http://mashable.com/2010/06/29/leaked-iphone-4-docs/
nooneelse 16y ago
They seem reluctant to give cases away, which is a bizarre move, imho. A few thousand or tens of thousands of cases would sweep this ongoing PR bleed under the rug, simple-dimple. That is, until the lawyers get into it. Then it gets legs of its own, can go on for eons, and there is the very real possibility of a document subpoena revealing some mention of the possibility of the problem by an engineer which can be spun up into punitive fines.