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Heads Up: iPhone 4 Reception Issues

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by stream, Jun 25, 2010.

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  1. stream

    stream Senior Member

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    Update from Apple below. According to the press release, the signal strength algorithm used to display the bars was faulty--and has been since the original iPhone. A software update will be issued within a few weeks to address it.

    So this doesn't fix any signal degradation caused by touching the phone in certain ways, it only displays it correctly.

    A cynical person might say they've been inflating the signal display...

    Letter from Apple Regarding iPhone 4

    July 2, 2010

    Letter from Apple Regarding iPhone 4

    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
     
    #41 stream, Jul 2, 2010
  2. web1b

    web1b Active Member

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    That kind of makes sense since many said the phone had 4 or 5 bars and holding the phone was all it took to go to zero bars and have the signal fail and drop the call.
    If they really only had 1-2 bars of signal at the location, that's more understandable and explains why the dropped call problem didn't happen with everyone (some people really had an actual "real" 5 bars of signal at their location).
     
    #42 web1b, Jul 2, 2010
  3. pixelmixer

    pixelmixer New Member

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    Still skeptical. Touching the black gap between antennas should not reduce the signal, regardless of displayed value. My coworker has demonstrated how he can make a call drop by bridging this area of the phone. In the same environment I will have a solid 5 bars displayed on my iPhone 1. There might be more to this "software" fix than Apple is revealing in their letter. Wonder if it includes a firmware update as well?
     
    #43 pixelmixer, Jul 2, 2010
  4. web1b

    web1b Active Member

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    Just because the phone displays 5 bars doesn't mean you had a solid signal. That is what this update is supposed to fix.
    After the fix, when you have a low signal, it will show 1 bar and you will know that you need to be extra careful about how you hold the phone since you are hanging on to the call by a thread.
    After the update, when you see 5 bars, you will be able to relax and not worry about how you hold the phone.
    Apple is saying the iPhone now shows up to 5 bars when you might only have a 1 bar signal.
     
    #44 web1b, Jul 2, 2010
  5. Dark_matter_doesn't

    Dark_matter_doesn't Prius Tinkerer

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    I paired my iPhone4 to my Prius without problems. One has to do it twice, once for phone, once for music. Same process as on my 3GS.

    RE the signal strength meter issue: go to this site to access a numerical power meter in dBm://http://www.techdc.com/iphone-special-diagnostic-codes

    Be aware that the change is permanent - this transferred to my new phone automatically.
     
    #45 Dark_matter_doesn't, Jul 2, 2010
  6. richsc

    richsc New Member

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    I paired my iP4 to my Prius 2010 without any problem whatsoever. I've also not had any trouble with dropped calls no matter how I hold the phone, even if the bars change, which apparently is a software display problem. Calls so far are a lot more reliable than my 3G.
    I really don't use it for surfing at all, so Safari performance isn't a real concern.
     
    #46 richsc, Jul 2, 2010
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