The PatrickPost

Problems with new iPhone?

With many iPhone users reporting signal difficulties on their new piece of kit, Apple has been floundering in how they’re dealing with the problem.

When the phone is held at the bottom left hand corner, signal strength diminishes, which could cause a dropped call, or an inability to make a call.  Ironically, the problem is caused because of Apple’s big engineering success, integration of antennae into the steel casing around the new iPhone model.  When a person’s finger or palm touches both sides of the antenna on the bottom left, it causes a sort of short circuit that interferes with the signal.

Apple’s original solution (from Steve Jobs), was “Don’t hold it that way”.  Verging on the arrogant, methinks.  Solution number two is to buy (at a not insignificant price) one of Apple’s new ‘bumpers’ which are designed to protect the phone if it falls.  That solves the short circuit issue.

Apple created an official response which it has been sending out to all complainants:

“Gripping any phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas. This is a fact of life for every wireless phone. If you ever experience this on your iPhone 4, avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band, or simply use one of many available cases.”

Whatever the cause, Apples response to date has not been, shall we say, ‘complete’.  Rumours that there will shortly be a software fix in an updated iOS4 download remain unsubstantiated, but users that have waited and queued to get their shiny new iPhone 4, and have shelled out will not all be happy until a more substantial resolution is offered by Apple.