My review of iPhone 4- very impressed

I was asked by someone to come back and post a short iPhone 4 review. Otherwise this is my last post on WA for sometime.

Played with my IP4 this weekend. Very impressed. Verified the left hand side sweet spot - yes it attenuates RF (I measure in dBm) and Data speeds severely.

But I can deal with it...without a case.

Interestingly, bridging the 2nd 'sweet spot' black band, at the top of phone (near the earphone jack) where the two antennas also meet has NO effect. NOR does touching the metal anywhere else. The black band at the right lower side is only cosmetic...it is still one piece of metal, a U- L shape from top to bottom of phone.

Also I can touch just below or above the left bottom sweet spot...no effect on data speeds. So I think the reason has to do with the way this Penta-Band antenna is fed RF...and how difficult/complicated that is to do without consequences. But having a metal external antenna is, in general, not bad...one can touch it anywhere else with NO effect. There seems to be no general antenna detuning going on just by touching the metal band (except at the 1mm wide sweet spot)

Actually the left bottom sweet spot ( 1mm x 6mm wide) is only 0.01% of the total area of the metal band...pretty easy to avoid...much easier to avoid than one of my old stubby antennas.

Placed my Bold 9700 3G in dBm mode (ALT + MNLL) and held it at its sweet spot...verified that it drops the same dBm as the iP4. Unfortunately, most of my other Nokia's don't allow for field test mode, so I can only use bars.

Here are Apple's tests (note the footnote...must begin in a weak celluar area of around -90 dBm to see the 'bar' effect, i.e. 5 bars on the old bar scale). Apple - Smartphone Antenna Performance

Nokia is being quiet now because they know that for decades they have printed manuals to avoid certain spots on all Nokia phones. (Nokia backs Apple's Defense)

My results on the IP4:

Touching the metal band anywhere else (single or multiple fingers): no effect on dBm. Data speeds are (at -99 to - 107dBm RSSI), 1800-2595 kbps download; 258-376kbps upload.
Touching with my thumb and index finger of the same hand(i.e. 'bridge'), just above and below the lower 'sweet spot': some to no effect...speeds seem sluggish, but still 1200-2000 kbps download. The further separated the two fingers the effect was nil.
Bridging/touching directly the lower sweet spot: kills the data loading speeds completely. lowers dBm severely.
Bridging/touching directly the upper sweet spot: NO effect on dBm or speeds: 1800-2500kps downloads.

Summary: this phone has so many good features that I can deal with the RF issue like any intelligent geek can....just don't place my finger in the wrong spot...sort of like not placing your finger over the camera lens. Whereas competing smartphones don't do what I need from a smartphone...so going with them has more problems for me. (just my opinion and situation)

BUT, I agree....Apple makes devices 'for the rest of us'...meaning non-geeks. So it should have been more consumer friendly. AND, at least Apple should have placed a warning in the manual. But the antenna reception is improved over the 3GS...if you avoid the sweet spot., so the external antenna ideas does work.

I also got a bumper...because I use cases sometimes. It works (eliminates the sweet spot) and gives no problem. But I'm mostly going 'naked' with a Sena Ultra Slim case. I tried insulating 'Kapton' tape (a DuPont product used in transformers, PCs, and radios) over the lower gap. It was not thick enough to solve the problem, but helped a little, but speeds reduced to 555 kbps. So I kind of doubt duct tape will solve it either.

I can safely recommend the iPhone 4 to anyone who likes Apple products and a good smartphone, as the majority of (3 Million to date) users have found. Wonderful phone. My spouse will get one when they are available again.

Best,

VF

P.S.: For a good tech review on how the IP4 matches up with other phones see the 16 chapter review by Anandtech.com at (Apple's iPhone 4: Thoroughly Reviewed - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News). Read through all the chapters.

P.P.S.: Ruben Caballero, the 'little engineer' who "told Jobs the antenna might have problems", is actually one of the patent holders for the design (Slot Antenna Patent). He is a world respected RF engineer. I doubt he was the ignored EE at Apple, as portrayed. He was just being cautious about his own work. I'm I the only RF guy who has heard of anechoic chambers before Friday?

P.P.P.S: No problems with the proximity sensor...works well like earlier iphones. No yellowing (that was according to the mgfr a glue drying issue that went away after a few days).

 

Well, these comments deserve an answer I suppose. I realize that most of you would not want an iPhone, even if it were given to you for free. I think someone once said (RR?) that he even hates the look of Apple's stores That is fine. I don't expect to or want to convince you.

But I do have an IPhone 4. I also have a Bold 9700. I spent most of the weekend mapping out the sensitivity of the IP4 antenna to being held or touch...all the around the perimeter, looking for and understanding the weak spots for my own interest and decision making. I did the same for the proximity sensor.

I have data points for my iPhone, not for other peoples iPhones. I'm not trying to sell you one or generalize to all phones and how people use them; I'm only telling you how my iPhone 4 operates...it is the only one that I truly can report on.

I do have one advantage above all of you...I actually own an iPhone. I also own a Bold 9700. These are how my phones are operating. Maybe some of your Bolds don't operate the same way. Maybe we are doing the tests differently. So too with the iPhone commentators on the Web...some don't have a real issue with the antenna...others are screaming bloody murder. I don't dispute that some others have problems with the proximity sensor. Please, is it necessary to dispute that I do not?

But it is what it is.

I've never owned a phone that was perfect or flawless. I had a very nice Nokia 6131 before the iPhone. It was a very nice phone. But the Nokia audio designers decided to place the microphone at the flip phone hinge, instead at the phones bottom end near one's mouth. It had problems, ( I think Bobolito said he measured about 10 db audio loss, Idk). But it worked, I lived with it, because the phone, overall was very nice. Nokia eventually came out with newer models that changed that.

So I mapped out the iPhone antenna problem. I found that I don't have to baby it, it works for me how I use/hold the phone, even in horizontal mode (which is actually easier). I can live with it, just like I lived with other phones. I thought I would need the bumper...but I don't. It really is not important anyways...most people protect the iPhone, for some reason, with cases anyways.

But I'm not here to convince you, but only to inform you about what I've learn. Because, quite frankly, there is very little solid information out there, except from AnandTech, Consumers and a few others that actually measure in dBm, or data speeds. All of them say the problem is 'here' on the X, on the black band. Not with the rest of the antenna, or the phone.

I agree, it is a small thing for me to weight against all the other features. I did the table test vs hold the phone normally too. On the table and then in my hand, four fingers on the left edge by the volume controls and my thumb on the right edge, the back of the phone in my palm.

No change, zero, nothing in dB. Started at -90 and it stayed there. I squeezed the phone really tightly...very abnormal...I got a 6 dB reduction.

But someone asks me , I have no problem recommending the iPhone, with these cautions.

Please don't derail this discussion.

 

I own multiple homes. One in the rural country, pop. less than 20,000 with signals around -90 dBm to -110. Another in the heart of largest city in the northeast, Boston, with signals from -90 to -51 dBm. A third home is between the two extremes.

NYC is a special case, like LA, as everyone knows, including ATT.

Yes you would take a free iPHone...but sell it on eBay for $800.

P.S. : I didn't say the BB 9700 is dropping calls all the time...Just saying that when the Bold's sweet spot is disturbed correctly, I saw 10 to 16 dB drops. The iPhone's sweet spot is more severe than that.

 

Check Apple link in OP.

 

I don't see the redness of the thumb, but in any case I didn't have to grip our BB firmly; nor did I have to do the same with my Nokia 6230. Yankee it is not all BS...unless you are willing to admit that videos of people placing nickels or one's index finger on a 1mm spot is normal too. As silly as walking around with your finger in your ear.

But it is a mute point; this is not the true purpose of the videos. I've read a lot of posts and seen lots of videos on this. There are a lot of people out there that are different from you Yankees368; They think that NOTHING should affect RF reception. Apple ( and me) are trying to wake some people up from that illusion. That is the point of the video...RF disturbance happens, especially with a tight grip...Nokia agrees.

Secondly, I admit, and so did Apple Friday that that little 1 mm spot is severely sensitive...more so, on average, than the board area of most internal antennas that I've seen. But, clearly now, the assumption that making an external metal band antenna was a fool's folly, is NOT true.Gripping the metal band is not detuning the antenna in general. Nor is touching the twin spot at the top of the phone causing any problems...why shouldn't doesn't it BTW? Clearly a unfortunate sensitive spot exists...but it is not the disaster that that some are reporting (who never even held or used the phone).

Yes bars mean nothing...but if Apple used dBm...most people would not know what that means and/or would want to know why that was left out! If you ever worked in a technical area, you've got to know how uninformed people can be...you got to talk to them at their level. And for a phone user, he sort of knows what bars mean in practice...one get calibrated via feedback and usage.

Believe me, I was concerned. By the time I got my iPhone 4, I had less than 1 week left to decide whether to return it or not. So I checked it out nervously. But my fears where unfounded...even without a bumper or case.

My hand does not really come near that spot...and being near it is okay. You have to be right on top of it. With my four fingers on the left hand side of the phone...i'm no where near the spot. Horizontal, for browsing, I'm normally holding between my fingers the glass back and front. So I can hold that antenna (that takes up the full perimeter of the phone,sans 1 mm) any which way I desire...and no effect to worry about.

So Charlyee, in practice, using the IP4, it is not a problem for me at all. And i doubt most people. Fortunately we humans are a smart bunch and learn what not to do. And most phones are designed for right handers...the volume controls are set up that way for most, so it is pretty easy to learn. I can see where a left hander may have a problem...so that 7% of the population, but it is doable. If I could learn QUERTY or 0-9 SMS'ing, one can avoid that spot and truly enjoy a remarkable phone.

(We bought a $2,000 oven this year. NIce glass top. But I still need to aware if burners are hot or not. I can't tell by looking at them. Just life.)

So I am finding that there is a lot of misinformation out there and it spreads like crazy..esp among those that don't even own an iPhone.

As I said, I did these tests for myself and other potential iPhone users. I'm not interesting in converting anyone. Just correcting some of the BS out there.

Sorry Mobile Mike. You have said this before. I just don't understand what you mean. The Android and iPhone seem to be identical smartphones and are in competition with each other...at least that is how Google and Apple look at it. It is a nice thing to think, to smooth out all these conflicts, but I don't agree, if I understand you.

 

I'm not familiar with this. However as I posted in the OP above, I was in a rural area, with data speeds that were (at -99 to - 107dBm RSSI), 1800-2595 kbps download; 258-376kbps upload.

Today, in Boston, I ran the speedtest.net program with the following download/upload speeds. I ran the phone in both vertical and horizontal holding mode. The below screen shot is from the horizontal test (Speedtest.net appl doesn't rotate with the phone). Both test gave the same result.

I was holding the phone horizontal: my left thumb over the volume key area (wifi antenna) and my left index finger on the top of the phone ( 3g antenna). My right hand was a mirror image on the right side of the phone...my thumb very near the 'sweet spot', but not over it and the right index on the top of the phone, on the metal band. Therefore connecting the wifi antenna with the 3G through my right hand too.

So both my hands were on the metal external antenna and both with connecting the wifi and 3G antennas.

Note the RSSI of -87dBm (about 3Bars). BTW, the battery on this IP4 is phenomenal! Know how the first days of a phone, one plays so much that you barely get 8 hours out of it? Well, the battery is showing 39% and the phone was on 24 hours! That includes 1.5 hours of phone time. Total usage was 6+ hours ( but included some ipod time).

As you can see, the data speeds are very good, even with both hands on the antenna. But does this answer your question about ATT crippled upload speeds? Should I be getting more than this?

BTW. If I do place my index finger right over the sweet spot...I will stop the data meter in its tracks. Remove it and it goes back up to full speed. Interesting, as I said before, placing my index finger over the 2nd location where the two antennas are separated (black band at the top of the phone) does nothing. Speeds are unaffected. The purple arrow means that the GPS is on...to locate a nearby server.

 

I agree, why all the drama? They do compete, however if you mean that the analogy is like MS-Apple, that after MS copied Apple's icon, mouse, windows OS 25+ years ago, but they are running in parallel today, I can see that point. But I think some of this mobile phone competition gives us great phones as you say...but also causes phones to rush to market and we get a whoops factor... BTW, did you see that Google is canceling the Nexus One as supplies run dry? Gotta feel sorry for those guys who bought one.

But back on topic. The more I think about it, the IP4 antenna is quite phenomenal...acknowledging it flawed sweet spot. I'm also totally shocked at the ignorance of the media and many posters in other forums that are running wild with posts and not really thinking.

So I have established on my phone (as other professionals have) that I can touch/handle the external band anywhere without affecting the RF reception or data speeds at all...unless I touch directly or 'bridge' with one finger the sweet spot on the lower left hand side. Naive posters will state that this is obvious! You are bridging two antennas (wifi and 3G) and detuning it all.

Okay, so why in the photo below does bridging the mirror gap on top of the phone have NO effect on signal whatsoever? Note that the lower right gap is only cosmetic...it is still one piece. Apple places a black band there too, making it seem that the bottom U is the antenna...but it is only for design looks.




That is point/question 1: why is one sweet spot sensitive but not the other sweet spot that connects the two antenna also?
Number 2: some 'experts' say that antennas by FCC rule must now be at the bottom...clearly this phone's 3G antenna goes from top to side to bottom...and other phones have antennas on the top ( see Apple link in my OP, Droid HTC ERIS).
Number 3: Some experts say that a coating would fix the problem...I don't see that. Kapton tape did very little to fix it. And how to you coat two metal surfaces with a non metal part in between?
Number 4: Touching the sweet spot (either) has NO effect on WiFi data speeds. Why is that?

See the problem is not so simple or not understanding RF 101 by Apple.

The more I think about this, the Apple external antenna is remarkable. Touching it does nothing. Except at the one of two possible spots. So a flaw exists, but it seems like a miscalculation that didn't occur at the other sweet spot on top of the phone. And over all the gain received by the external placement is great (as Anandtech.com reports, and me too).

(I got a feeling that Motorola may be giving lip service how they would never make an antenna like that, but behind closed doors their feeling like they missed the boat...They probably see how to tweek it and get rid of the remaining sweet spot that Apple overlooked...but Apple has patents on the design.)

But there is so much ignorance going around. In today Wall Street Journal it was written (WSJ):

"Antenna experts agree with Mr. Jobs's statements that all cellphones are affected to some degree by a user's touch. For that reason, designers typically go to considerable lengths to minimize the antenna's contact with the hand, in some cases adding duplicate antennas to reduce the potential signal weakening that engineers call attenuation.

Jason Lohn, a professor of electrical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, said the competing phones Apple used in its videos "don't have the antenna's bare metal exposed to the hand, so I'd be surprised if the effect of the hand would be as pronounced as it was on the iPhone 4."

Not all experts think the iPhone 4's design is a bad idea. Haim Harel, president and founder of wireless chip maker Magnolia Broadband, said Apple may have created a design "breakthrough" if it can perfect external antennas for cellphones."

Clearly Prof Lohn never held an IP4 in his own hands... I might just give him a phone call.

So the iP4 has a flaw, but it probably is miscalculation as opposed to being naive about antenna design. From a market POV, if they can do something before the next IP5 comes out that is simple, they may incorporate that in models in mgfr now. But since the sweet spot is easy avoided, and/or since 80%+ of iphone users have cases anyways...it may be a minor problem for this gen...once the 'perfectionist' return their phones.

well, that IMHO. So don't flame me for it please. I really like this phone. I didn't appreciate how much thinner it is in width, not just thickness. The battery is great so far, screen is phenomenal, and lots of other interesting things under the hood too.

Anyhow, that is all that I have to post about the IP4. It's a keeper for me.

 

Okay, empathy is a better word. I like the Nexus too. But having an unsupported product line is no fun.

Baffled? I stated multiple times that the 'spot' on the iP4 is a flaw. But it is simple risk assessment.

I determined that the risk is low for me touching that spot (haven't done it yet). The risk is high that I would be very unhappy with other ATT smartphone offerings (or non ATT Nokia smartphones, for example).

I would be very unhappy with Droids on Sprint or Verizon...I travel internationally a lot and I want a world phone. TmobileUSA has a poor footprint for me in the states.

If my risk assessment is off...well I ordered a bumper with my preorder before all the hoopla started. I use cases, and have had my 3G and 3GS mostly in cases. I liked the bumper because it showed the back off, and raised the back and front of of any surface when placed on a table. It also gives a little more grip to the phone. Actually, I would prefer that Apple just make a soft grip back instead.

It is not to hard to understand. I can live with it, as I said in my OP, and really enjoy this iPhone.


P.S. I heard about the download speed glitch...but obviously it doesn't affect me. My understanding is that it is an Alcatel equipment problem.

 

Nope, but I will have a look.

On topic again. Today I'm in a strong RF area. - 46 dBm to -58dBm. My iphone read -46! I never had a phone that read more than - 51.

Okay. So I placed by index finger on the lower sweet spot....NO reduction in data speeds at all. This confirms more specifically that in high signal area one is okay to touch the phone's sweet spot...at least for data.

But something else was interesting. Actually I saw this once over the weekend too, but thought it was a fluke. Three times, while at -55 dBm, I could not reduce or attenuate the signal...so not only did the data speeds remain high...but the dB did not change either- remained at -55. So is is just noise interference and not only RF signal loss? Another time, I got the signal to go down to -78, but again no real reduction in data speed.

True, in strong RF areas one does not see the problem, but this a little more info on what may be going on. So I have even less worry about touching the wrong spot, and hints at some of the variation in users observations.

So these screen shots are with my finger on the lower sweet spot:

 

I'm sure signals can go very much higher than -46...I just never had a phone that allowed it to be displayed before. A minor point.

I think whatever the effect the finger has...it is more complex than simple RF attenuation theory will hint at.