Letter from Apple Regarding iPhone 4

Apple is insulting the public with this statement. Only the iSheep will be stupid enough to believe that it's all a software issue.

Why don't they just recalibrate the damn thing to show no bars all the time. Then just think how amazing the phone will become? "I can make crystal clear calls on my iPhone even when it has NO BARS!!"

And how fortuitously, this "update" will be released once all the early adopters are past their 30 day return window!

 

So I did read that correctly, I thought it may be due to a lack of coffee.

 

Sad. Software patches and spin aren't going to solve a harware problem. But then spin and software is what Apple does best, so I guess it's what they reach for first. And I guess they don't want to face the idea of recalling 1.7 Million phones. Hmm.. looks like it's time to kick back with some popcorn and see how this one plays out opcorn:

 

Gizmodo article

 

Great! Now my iPhone4 will go from 2 bars to No Service instead of 4 bars to No Service when I hold it. Meanwhile the 3GS next to it will be recalibrated to 2 bars, and stay at 2 bars while I hold it. Then I'll be able to complain about crappy AT&T 2 bar coverage AND about how bad the iPhone 4 antenna issue is!

 

Apples signal bar "patch" is smoke and mirrors to make you look away from the real hardware problem. If you look at RSSI (signal strength in dBm) you should see the same thing regardless of "patch" or no "patch"

...seems Apple is really angering even their most loyal customers. Not good for biz. A part of me has pity for them for making such a glaring antenna mistake, and another part of me is rolling on the floor laughing because they made such a glaring antenna mistake. C'mon, a first year RF student can tell you if you touch the antenna's dipoles you change their properties. I knew Apple wasn't good at RF, but had no idea they were that bad

...speaking of a good laugh, this really cracked me up :lmao: ..."Get a case?! Hans, this is why you're broke every week!" :lmao:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h3Ogt2L44Q]YouTube - Hitler Reacts to the iPhone 4 Antenna Issues[/ame]

 

So if you look at it, Apple can push the blame over to AT&T for poor signal strength rather than a problem with the design after the software patch. Funny thing is AT&T is giving them the proper formula to calculate the strength. Now iPhone users will have proof of poor signal strength. :biggrin:

 

... Is Apple taking a page from the BP and Toyota handbook?

Of course they're damned if they do and damned if they don't. Not an enviable position to be in...

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out in the long run.

 

Actually, Toyota now says they never actually had a "sticking gas pedal" problem, it just turns out that they mis-calibrated the speedometer. They re-calibrated it now to show "0 mph" when the gas pedal is pressed to the floor, and the problem is solved

They indeed did.
Apple Dumps iPhone 4 Restocking Fee | News & Opinion | PCMag.com
...but why?

 

In addition to "Hitler's" reaction, which RR posted in this thread, blogger John Gruber posted this Translation From Apple’s Unique Dialect of PR-Speak to English. I thought it was funny, but then, I'm not offended by "swear words". If you are, you've been warned.




SW

 

For Apple to say they were unaware of the RSSI-to-bars mapping scale is complete BS, and I think everyone can smell that. I'm sure they were well aware that they were keeping the bars artificially high to give the "perception" of a better signal, Apple loves to control details, especially highly talked about and visible ones like signal bars. On the other hand, if Apple said they were unaware that some mundane RF parameters were set wrong, like power control (see first iPhone), handover parameters, etc, then I would definitely believe that

 

I feared sooner or later Apple would turn into their fiercest rival, Microsoft, and settle on their own little planet of perception by feigning ignorance, then blaming faulty calibration (or whatever the heck it is) for the i4 signal issues.

If it weren't for the fact they still make great products, I'd start running the other way...

 

I wonder if Apple is going to make the new formula a part of the carrier profile data. After all, why would any other carrier want their signal strength calculated using AT&T-supplied formula?

 

I thought along those lines too at first "Why would Apple apply an AT&T parameter to a phone sold world-wide on many networks?". But then, signal bars are arbitrary and meaningless, so really it doesn't matter. Network operators are usually more concernerd with "real" issues, like parameters that would affect their network or call quality.

On a side note, I think most phone makers should really reevaluate how RSSI is mapped to signal bars. Most phones I see already show "full bars" at around -90dBm, which is not really a "great" signal. You drop a call around -100 to -110dBm, and as you see you can lose -20dB walking from one room to another, so your -90 could become -110 very easily. I think "full bars" should only be at about -80 or so. Well, the scale is roughly from -110 (worst) to -40 (best) so scale the bars however.

 

The most glaring thing about this is that the majority of iPhone 4 buyers were users of the previous iterations of the iPhone. Presumably, they've been gripping those older iPhones in much the same manner. After all, we're creatures of habit. If they never noticed such a precipitous drop before, how can it just be attributed to the calculation of signal strength?