iPhone 4 Left Hand Antenna Issue

What happens to the 3G data rate when you hold the iPhone 4 using your bare left hand? This issue has been widely reported and it does not seem to affect everyone, but I have isolated it on my phone to a bare-skin connection between the antennae on the left (volume button) side of the phone. I could not replicate it by connecting the antennae on the right side. My normal left-handed grip on the phone causes the signal to drop both when I am talking (I have experienced dropped calls, but they are more difficult to quantify meaningfully) and when I am using the data connection. Although I am holding the phone a bit oddly in the video to keep it in frame, it does not take an unusual grip to produce this result. I tried the test after washing and drying my hands thoroughly and it produced the same results . Some say that this was also an issue on the 3G and 3GS, but that was not my experience with the 3G. I no longer have AT&T service on my 3G to test this, however. The obvious and easy solution here is to use a case (I have verified that a case solves the problem), but it is more than a little disconcerting that Apple either missed or chose to overlook this issue.

UPDATE (2010/07/03): After a solid week of reviews and testing, Anandtech has posted the most accurate and thorough review of the problem that I have seen. I highly recommend this read to understand the problem: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3794/the-iphone-4-review/2

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• apple
• iphone
• antenna
• left
• hand
• at&t
• reception
• problem
• cellphones
• gadgets
• technology
• wireless
• smart phones

[MrPatrickp0078]

so is the problem solved?

[illiteratemonk]

@MrPatrickp0078 It actually is. Although my signal strength is certainly less impressive than the old bar system would have indicated, the case has completely resolved the drop in signal quality issue. The Speck PixelSkin case is fantastic. At this point the main problem that I have is that the proximity sensor keeps turning the screen on while I am talking. The result is usually muting myself, engaging speakerphone, initiating Facetime, or even hanging up on a call. Hopefully 4.1 will fix this.

[illiteratemonk]

Free Case offer Update (2010/07/23): Apple's free case application just went live in the App Store. There's a decent selection of 3rd party cases in addition to Apple's black bumper. I went with the Speck PixelSkin HD case. It appears to be the only rubberized soft case in the bunch. Although these have a bit more bulk and are more difficult to get out of your pocket than hard cases, I've found that this style of case is more protective for my general use. Any of the cases should fix the issue.

[illiteratemonk]

4.01 Software Update (2010/07/15): With the new software update, the total starting bars at my testing location now hovers between 3 and 4 instead of holding steady at 5. When I hold the phone as demonstrated in the video, it continues to drop to 1 bar. This means that my original starting signal with AT&T was not so great as it seemed (somewhere around -87dB based on Apple's new calculation at the 3-4 bar point). The drop is taking me down to -107dB or less. (See Anandtech for dB ranges)

[Maesterskurken]

You sound like a news anchor. Informative, yet sexy.

[illiteratemonk]

@patriotbaseballer Your Internet connection is not as fast as you think it is. Files are in bytes, but data transfer rates are almost always in bits. From the FCC's Consumer Broadband test page: "It is measured in terms of how many kilobits of data you can transfer per second (kb/s). File sizes are normally indicated in terms of "bytes," and a byte is equal to 8 bits. In other words, 1000 kilobits per second is equal to 125 kilobytes per second."

[sdjokr1]

his looks long!

[alvinchiew1]

Just use bumper then problem solve

[Pitlord1470]

no the problem is not solved,the iphone 4 is stupid as crap,hope the next one doesent have this problem :D ,cuz if u cant use the iphone as a PHONE ,what good is that?

[Kwn92]

throw it in a lake

[UniversalWoW]

@siscopiso I use a protective "shell" or whatever its called, and with that on the iphone i don't get the antenna issue. Otherwise no antenna issue even with the shell off?:)

[CPGustafson]

@illiteratemonk Try covering the worlds 3rd largest country with 3G. It's not easy. Verizon will have a nationwide LTE network by 2013 though.

[chemical93girl]

the phone looks really long

[odracirseraoseia1999]

What an irritating voice...

[siscopiso]

@UniversalWoW do you get the same antenna issue in Sweden?and if I may ask which operator are you on? Tack!

[MrPatrickp0078]

@illiteratemonk thnx for the info ;)