iPhone 4G?

[X]

Huh?! Apple's most vocal supporter doesn't have the iPhone or the iPad? Is there a reason? I mean if we go by posts, you make the iStuff seem better than sliced bread. Care to take the stand and testify why not?

That's old news! I've mentioned it at some point in nearly every Apple thread we have had over the years! Ask Rico. I own an iPod, a Nano from 2 years ago, and I have a iMac here at home. I have always had Mac computers. I do not have an iPhone because I really don't need one and I am on Verizon. When I had the opportunity to switch, at the end of the day I realized I wouldn't get a lot of use out of it for either my work or personal life. Outside of work, I spend 13-15 hours per week training and racing triathlon's. I never even get a chance to play cool video games, so no X-Box or Playstation. That's my hobby and it takes a lot of time. I don't travel for work and to be honest, don't like being THAT connected all the time. Now, I do want an iPad and will get one next year assuming they add a camera. An iPad is PERFECT for me for around the house or on vacation traveling.

That makes sense, but I honestly didn't know. I played with the iPAD a little more a few days ago and decided that for what I want I'm going to go with the Evolution Edge. I couldn't really read the iPAD in bright sunlight and having a reader side and letting it fold to protect the screens sold me. It's using Droid, but I think that Google has the money to keep supporting the OS for some time.

enTourage eDGe™ Specifications
Dimensions: 8.25" x 10.75" by 1.0" (closed)
Weight: approx. 3 lbs.
Internal Memory: 4 GB (3 GB for user)
E-reader File Formats: ePub, PDF
LCD Touchscreen Display Size: 1024 x 600 (10.1")
E-paper Display Size: 9.7" e-Ink®(1200 x 825), 8 shades of gray
E-paper Input: Wacom® Penabled®
Operating System: Linux with Google® Android®
Screen Rotation: 90 and 180 degrees
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth capability
Battery Life: 16+ hours utilizing the e-reader screen / up to 6 hours running the LCD screen
Battery Type: Lithium-ion polymer
External Memory: SD card slot, 2 USB ports
Audio and Microphone Jack: 3.5 mm each. Includes internal microphone and speakers.
Audio playback: MP3, WAV, 3GPP, MP4, AAC, OGG, M4A
Video playback: 3GP, MP4, Adobe Flash Lite (H.264)
Input: Stylus input on e-paper and touchscreen. Virtual keyboard. USB keyboard (optional)

[KingIsaacLinksr]

At this point, I'm just glad I'm waiting because I have the perfect opportunity for these two smartphone giants to duke it out, figure their crap out and then when Christmas comes, I'll get what seems best.  It's too bad the EVO is for Sprint only, that phone might actually be a good one to get. 

And btw, I don't own an iPad or iPhone either, that a bad thing?  (3rd gen iPod touch)

King

[Bryancd]

And btw, I don't own an iPad or iPhone either, that a bad thing?  (3rd gen iPod touch)

King

No, it makes you a Luddite like me. :)

[QuadShot]

Ok...I've completed my visit to the Apple store and this is what was accomplished...I walked out with a $20 "bumper" and a "sort of " fix.  I of course, went in armed. I had done some research this afternoon and discovered a few things.  First, there's a good possibility that the new operating system (iOS4) may be contributing to the problem of reception.  AND...not only the steel band around the unit, but the actual SIM card may be causing some of the issue.  It seems that the SIM card is now encased in a steel slider unit, whereas all previous models had plastic.  Well, the SIM cards have a tendency to make contact with the metal slider unit, which in turn butts against the metal antennae band which "shorts out the reception".  This makes sense.  So, from many articles on the internet, the fix is to remove the SIM card and reinstall it.  So, armed with this information, I confronted the "Genius" who, to be fair, was a nice guy, and let him tell us what the deal was.  He was honest, that Apple hasn't really come up with a viable solution yet, but the bumper does work well.  He demonstrated it to us on his personal iPhone4.  I mentioned the SIM card idea and he agreed, and said he actually had performed this trick on his as well.  So, we had him remove the SIM cards and reposition them in the slider, then reinsert.  We also purchased the bumpers (we get a pretty decent corporate discount, so it wasn't too bad) and honestly, so far...so good.  Our reception has increased.  We'll try out the Facetime function tomorrow to see if that improved. 

I made it very plain to him that if this didn't work, I was not going to keep the phone and he agreed. He indicated that if we have failed service we need to return them for a FULL REFUND (within 30 days of purchase of course).  I'll keep you updated if ya'll want....Al

[Feathers]

Hmmm, and here I am having just discovered some local stock, contemplating going and getting one. What to do...

[Rico]

Al -

Sounds like you did pretty well at the Apple store.  Like I said several posts back and you mentioned, it is both a hardware and software issue.  And Apple is quite aware of it (and has been aware of it).  This again is where some of the vaunted Apple style has worked against functionality.  See the thing for me with any cell phone is the PHONE part comes first.  I want good, solid phone service above all else (even "Angry Bird" apps).  Most people seem to accept bad reception and dropped calls.  I don't accept that.  I hope you continue to have good results with the 'fixes' provided.

[Jobydrone]

On my 3GS I have had connectivity issues (dropped calls) increase and poor connection on the 3g network ever since iOS 4 dropped as well, so I have to wonder if these so called antenna issues don't have more to do with the increased traffic, AT&T, and bugs with the new OS.

[Blackride]

Al -

Sounds like you did pretty well at the Apple store.  Like I said several posts back and you mentioned, it is both a hardware and software issue.  And Apple is quite aware of it (and has been aware of it).  This again is where some of the vaunted Apple style has worked against functionality.  See the thing for me with any cell phone is the PHONE part comes first.  I want good, solid phone service above all else (even "Angry Bird" apps).  Most people seem to accept bad reception and dropped calls.  I don't accept that.  I hope you continue to have good results with the 'fixes' provided.

I guess I take it for granted my BB on Verizon never drops?

[Bryancd]

On my 3GS I have had connectivity issues (dropped calls) increase and poor connection on the 3g network ever since iOS 4 dropped as well, so I have to wonder if these so called antenna issues don't have more to do with the increased traffic, AT&T, and bugs with the new OS.

I have a friend with a 3G who is having that issue as well since upgrading to the new OS, so there's defiantly a software issue they can address.

[Bryancd]

Here's Apple's open letter to iPhone users regarding part of the software issue:

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

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Hmm, what a twist?

[Rico]

Sorry, it doesn't jive with the independent lab tests or cover dropped calls.  I mean come on, signal bar display?  Doesn't matter what that reads - poor reception is poor reception.  And they are glossing over the antenna issue.  Many other phones use a 2 antenna system to compensate for this problem in gripping their devices.  This isn't over, but like I've said before I've heard many people complain about iPhones dropped calls and poor service in some areas in the past.  But for many, it doesn't seem to make them want to give up all those apps.  I mean who uses an iPhone for calls anyway?  ;) 

[QuadShot]

Yeah, I agree with Rico.  Bryan, where did you get that letter? And I have to aggressively disagree with their statement that gripping the phone the wrong way will decrease signal integrity...ah, guys...I RARELY hold my phone when I talk.  I usually use the included headphones, or my the bluetooth device in my car.  So I guess THAT theory is shot...
** Update on my issue - while I have noticed some increase in realiability, the problem persists.  I am currently at work, right about the center of Phoenix, and was on 2 calls that just dropped.  Boom! I AM using the bumper and had the SIM repositioned.  Whereas my reception is a "tad" better, we're still dropping calls.  It would be nice to believe that an OS update will cure this problem, but I can't see how that could solve a possible hardware/design defect. ** :P

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Yeah, I agree with Rico.  Bryan, where did you get that letter? And I have to aggressively disagree with their statement that gripping the phone the wrong way will decrease signal integrity...ah, guys...I RARELY hold my phone when I talk.  I usually use the included headphones, or my the bluetooth device in my car.  So I guess THAT theory is shot...
** Update on my issue - while I have noticed some increase in realiability, the problem persists.  I am currently at work, right about the center of Phoenix, and was on 2 calls that just dropped.  Boom! I AM using the bumper and had the SIM repositioned.  Whereas my reception is a "tad" better, we're still dropping calls.  It would be nice to believe that an OS update will cure this problem, but I can't see how that could solve a possible hardware/design defect. ** :P

Could be an AT&T issue which would be out of Apple's hands. 

Just sayin

King

[X]

Yeah, I agree with Rico.  Bryan, where did you get that letter? And I have to aggressively disagree with their statement that gripping the phone the wrong way will decrease signal integrity...ah, guys...I RARELY hold my phone when I talk.  I usually use the included headphones, or my the bluetooth device in my car.  So I guess THAT theory is shot...
** Update on my issue - while I have noticed some increase in realiability, the problem persists.  I am currently at work, right about the center of Phoenix, and was on 2 calls that just dropped.  Boom! I AM using the bumper and had the SIM repositioned.  Whereas my reception is a "tad" better, we're still dropping calls.  It would be nice to believe that an OS update will cure this problem, but I can't see how that could solve a possible hardware/design defect. ** :P

I would return it and wait for the update before buying a new one. I have a sneaky feeling that the update won't be out until after the 30 day mark for the early adopters.