Apple Official Statement: iPhone 4 Complaints
Apple has published an official statement of response to concerns at the iPhone 4 signalling problem. We have a feeling that some are going to be totally placated by this response while others will see it as a cop out, not addressing the easily reproducible data and call drops. Have it out in the comments!
Repeated in full below.
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
[9to5mac]
Tags: antenna design, iphone, product launch, reception, reproducible data, Update
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:34 am
Ummmm, what? How about a free bumper, you jackasses!!!! Recalculation? It’s sort of a little late to be revising formulas now is it not? If only Toyota and BP could issue a recalculated software update!!!!!!
July 2nd, 2010 at 10:25 am
thats why i hate apple i may have a product by them but the way they handle them is redicolous i mean its mine just leave me alone u know. I DECIDE WHAT I DO WITH IT. but yeah fuck steve jobs
July 2nd, 2010 at 11:09 am
Haha the article made me laugh aswell as the comments.. I doubt that their “new formula” is really the solution to it. Fess up. They already are hiring new employees for the antenna design.
July 2nd, 2010 at 11:49 am
Yeah formulas my ass, they just had to come up with an excuse while they try to figure out how to fix the problem. The next update is just gonna be a still image of the five bars that never go away lol that will fix the problem.
July 2nd, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Sosly do you have reception problems with your iPhone 4 or is it just random iP4′s or all of them??
July 2nd, 2010 at 1:54 pm
unbelievable but expected from the Company that never admits any mistakes or takes any blame for anything…wait are they the Federal Government
July 2nd, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Utter bullshit!!!
Ok so they say there’s a ‘calculation error’ and that this goes way back to iPhone 3G and 3GS. If that’s the case, then why has this issue not been reported/complained on before?
I never had any reception issues with iPhone 1, 3G, 3GS – but now iPhone 4 clearly drops signal DRAMATICALLY when I cover the bottom left of the phone. It was in an excellent 3G coverage area, I had full signal strength, I covered up the bottom left of the phone and within 5 seconds “No Signal” came up!
There’s a clear design fault here, and maybe there statements about holding any phone could inhibit signal to the phone, but surely not in a way that you’re supposed to hold the phone!?!
I think that apple should come to their senses and recall all of the phones already sold. My advice to anyone who has bought the phone is to do what I’ve done – RETURNED IT>GONE BACK TO 3GS>AND WAIT FOR THE FIX.
Hell if we do this we can force apple into fixing the damn thing!!!
Stop being a money magnet and go back to being a people magnet!
July 2nd, 2010 at 5:49 pm
i doubt any of you even have 4′s. It seems everyone who talks trash doesn’t even have one. There really is no issue unless you are trying to make it drop signal. I love my 4 and everyone I know that has one loves theirs too.
GRGUKBTN I am calling bs on your story. There is no way it dropped service in 5 seconds. After what you have said here I would guess you never even had one.
July 2nd, 2010 at 8:06 pm
You’d be surprised on who all has one. I sure do and I have a service drop. Not a significant but a noticeable one. My 3GS never did. I hold my phone bottom left because it’s how I did with my 3GS. Now I have to train myself otherwise because THEY SCREWED UP. I can assure you I have a iPhone 4 and It has been PROVEN there is a “death grip”. Get off everyones back. Even if they don’t have one, I’d complain too. I really enjoy it, but sometimes it’s hard when I all of a sudden from 5 bars go to 1 bar and my call gets dropped or my download slows dramatically. I paid $300 for this thing. I believe it better be damn good.
July 3rd, 2010 at 12:21 am
Well all i have to say is never buy in on new iphones within the first month of launch, especially if there is some ground breaking technology that has never been used before such as the antenna system.
July 3rd, 2010 at 6:32 am
I agree with Will Jones here, never buy the 1st batch of iPhones released after launch. And to those who are complaining and not even owning the iPhone 4, stop talking crap about the phone cuz you don’t even have it yet. You didn’t experience it yourself yet so YOU DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT TO COMPLAIN. To those who own one and experienced the drop, well I guess Apple really screwed it this time. Gotta give Apple a break, they redesigned the iPhone completely so expect heavy bugs and shit to happen. I mean other phones have their bugs and shitty features too. Give Nokia for example, Nokia N series tend to hang a lot and lag. Palm Pre has it’s tendency to Drop Calls and Die. Basically, nothing in this wonderful world is perfect. We just have to make do with what with have. And look, Apple is giving refunds for unsatisfied customers. Isn’t that enough?
July 3rd, 2010 at 7:16 am
Are idevices users that stupid. I think apple think we are. Formulas a bad calculations. Wow are u serious. I still can beleive that. Fuckin apple always stickin people in the ass!!
July 3rd, 2010 at 1:33 pm
@an0ther – unfortunately for you I did have one, I had one reserved for me on the release day (here in the UK). Luckily for us the phone came out in the US before us, and the reception issue was made aware to me before I bought the phone. It wasn’t just a simple case of testing the phone once, but the quickest signal drop for me was approx 5 seconds. I can’t say it was as I don’t sit on my arse all day with a timer quantifying results to publish on blogs such as this!
No I just noticed that every time I covered up the bottom left, and it didn’t need a tight grip either, I lost reception. Some times down to 1 bar and the ‘edge – circle’ and most times to ‘No Signal’.
I love apple products and am not here to slate apple at all, but on the iPhone 4 they messed up with a pretty important feature of a phone (if not the most important) – RECEPTION. Please don’t defend your phone because you love it, defend it because it’s superior. And this mess up makes the phone a little bit of a shitter!
I’m not going to buy the iPhone again until after Christmas, when they have sorted this shit out. Like one of the previous reports said – if there wasn’t a problem with the antenna, then why did apple just hire 5 new staff to deal with the product?
On a final note – do what you want, if you like your phone then cool. If not, then why settle for second rate products?
July 3rd, 2010 at 4:35 pm
But I do have one! And have since the 24th.