  pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD |  WTF
quote:
Apple On iPhone Reception Woes: You're Holding It Wrong
This HAS to be a joke.
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"Net Neutrality" zealots - the people you can thank for your capped Internet service. | |
|
 | | | Re: WTF No it's not. You can hold a cellular phone wrong. If the system runs on vertically polarized signals and you hold it horizontally, you just reduced your signal 20 dB.
As far as Apple is concerned, yeah it's being held wrong. But what the hell were they thinking? Holding it in the wrong polarization is one thing, being able to detune the antenna by contact with your skin is completely another.
I'm sure they'll be giving away those bumpers for free from here on out. | |
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| | cahiattPremium
join:2001-03-21
Smyrna, GA | Re: WTF They obviously don't have left handed people working there. They would have tested it both ways..... | |
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| | | shoan
join:2006-02-27
Benton, AR | Re: WTF hmm I'm right handed but I have always held my phones to my left ear. An easy fix for this would be a thin dab of clear fingernail polish over the gap since it is non conductive and will prevent you from bridging the circuit with your hand. would be an easy fix in manufacturing to make something clear to cover it like the front face is already covered. | |
|
| | | | Reviews:
 ·Choice Cable TV
 ·Coqui/PRTC
| Re: WTF said by shoan:hmm I'm right handed but I have always held my phones to my left ear. Ditto here! I found it odd when I read that about right-handed. Do most right-handed people hold the phone in the right hand? I has always used my left hand for holding the phone because it is more confortable for me and also leaves my dominant right hand free for writing down things or doing other tasks. | |
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| | | | |  TomS_Git-r-donePremium,MVM
join:2002-07-19
Ireland
kudos:1 | Re: WTF On my desk at work my phone sits on the left hand side of my monitor, otherwise I find that the cord gets twisted up (to both the handset and also the headset)...
When talking on my mobile I tend to hold it in my left hand, and Im right handed. | |
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| | | | | | |
| | |  Homer JMmmm, Free Goo
join:2000-10-05
Springfield | They probably do have left handed workers. When they realized the problem, they figured out a new product they could sell fools who bought the Iphone for even more money. Why fix the problem when they can create a new product to further screw their customers. It's the Apple way. | |
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| | | | | | Re: WTF said by Homer J:They probably do have left handed workers. When they realized the problem, they figured out a new product they could sell fools who bought the Iphone for even more money. Why fix the problem when they can create a new product to further screw their customers. It's the Apple way. +1 | |
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| | | | |
| | |  Morac
join:2001-08-30
Riverside, NJ
kudos:1
·Comcast
| If all the testing they did was with the phone inside that fake 3GS shell, then it wouldn't matter since the shell would have prevented the problem from showing up.
Also the problem doesn't show up on all phones. Someone at my office has one and his doesn't have the problem. My guess is that there was supposed to be some kind of insulation around that spot and it's on some phones, but not others. That or it depends on the person's hand.
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The Comcast Disney Avatar has been retired. | |
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| | | |  davoice
join:2000-08-12
Saxapahaw, NC
·Comporium
| Re: WTF It's on some phones but not others.
One of my lemming friends bought one on day 1... it doesn't exhibit the problem. But before he bought his, he tested one in the store (AT&T) and that one had the problem.
I've tried it on his phone too and it doesn't exhibit the problem any way you try it or w/ anyone who's tried it.
My guess is that Apple has 2 OEMs manufacturing them... one of whom took a manufacturing shortcut (the ones that exhibit the problem) and one who produced it exactly as specified. That or Apple made a design change to mitigate the issue in the middle of first run production.
}Davoice | |
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| | | | | I would be screwed. Oddly enough I am right handed but use my left hand for phone calls on both Wireless and Land Lines.
Overall I thought it was a joke at first but when Apple released it then I really began to laugh. Oh well what did you need reception for on a Iphone. | |
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| | |
| | | | said by clickie:(...snip...) I'm sure they'll be giving away those bumpers for free from here on out. i doubt that, i mean, its apple, if you want it you pay for it, its not apples fault your holding it wrong and yes this is sarcasm but thats the way apple will look at it. | |
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| |  rolandeCertifiablePremium,Mod
join:2002-05-24
Columbus, OH
Linksys
AT&T Midwest
| said by clickie:I'm sure they'll be giving away those bumpers for free from here on out. Mhmmm... A little too much time on the Hookah this morning.  | |
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| | |  MadnessLike a flea circus at a dog show
join:2000-01-05
Quincy, MA
kudos:1
·Verizon Online DSL
1 edit | Re: WTF said by clickie:Mhmmm... A little too much time on the Hookah this morning. A quick hit off the iBong! 
--
It is said that every man has two smiles: one horizontal, the other vertical! | |
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| | | | KearnstdElf WizardPremium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | Re: WTF said by Madness:said by clickie:Mhmmm... A little too much time on the Hookah this morning. A quick hit off the iBong! downside is you can only smoke apple approved weed.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports | |
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| |  cdruGo ColtsPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
kudos:5
 ·Frontier FiOS
| said by clickie:As far as Apple is concerned, yeah it's being held wrong. It didn't seem to be a problem for 3 previous generations of iPhones nor millions of other cell phones out there. But yeah, I can see how it's the user's fault for holding it wrong and not Apple's fault for designing a phone that can be held in both the right AND left hands... | |
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|  JohnInSJPremium
join:2003-09-22
San Jose, CA
 ·PHONE POWER
·Comcast
1 edit | said by pnh102: quote:
Apple On iPhone Reception Woes: You're Holding It Wrong
This HAS to be a joke. Nope. Every cell phone manual includes directions on where to NOT hold it, as holding it where the antenna is will pretty much bork its reception.
Here's the block from my HTC Touch Pro manual:
quote:
To assure optimal phone performance and ensure human exposure to RF energy is within the guidelines set forth in the relevant standards, always use your device only in its normal-use position. Contact with the antenna area may impair call quality and cause your device to operate at a higher power level than needed.
Avoiding contact with the antenna area when the phone is IN USE optimizes the antenna performance and the battery life.
With a helpful picture showing you to NOT hold it in the upper left corner.
This has been pretty standard since they got rid of the actual external antennas (which you were told NOT to touch, when cell phones had those)
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My place : »www.schettino.us | |
|
| | | | Re: WTF said by JohnInSJ:said by pnh102: quote:
Apple On iPhone Reception Woes: You're Holding It Wrong
This HAS to be a joke. Nope. Every cell phone manual includes directions on where to NOT hold it, as holding it where the antenna is will pretty much bork its reception. Here's the block from my HTC Touch Pro manual: quote:
To assure optimal phone performance and ensure human exposure to RF energy is within the guidelines set forth in the relevant standards, always use your device only in its normal-use position. Contact with the antenna area may impair call quality and cause your device to operate at a higher power level than needed.
Avoiding contact with the antenna area when the phone is IN USE optimizes the antenna performance and the battery life.
With a helpful picture showing you to NOT hold it in the upper left corner. This has been pretty standard since they got rid of the actual external antennas (which you were told NOT to touch, when cell phones had those) May we see your iphone 4 manual with it's instruction not to cup it or hold it in your left hand, please?
Thought not..... | |
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| | | JohnInSJPremium
join:2003-09-22
San Jose, CA Reviews:
·PHONE POWER
·Comcast
| Re: WTF From »manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/iPh···uide.pdf
"Exposure to Radio Frequency Energy iPhone contains radio
transmitters and receivers. When on, iPhone receives and sends out radio
frequency (RF) energy through its antennas. The iPhone cellular antenna
is located at the bottom edge of iPhone, to the left of the Home button.
The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® antenna is located at the top edge of iPhone,
to the right of the headset jack.
For optimal mobile device performance and to be sure that human
exposure to RF energy does not exceed the FCC, IC, and European Union
guidelines, always follow these instructions and precautions: When on a
call using the built-in audio receiver in iPhone, hold iPhone with the dock
connector pointed down toward your shoulder to increase separation
from the antenna. When using iPhone near your body for voice calls or
for wireless data transmission over a cellular network, keep iPhone at
least 15 mm (5/8 inch) away from the body, and only use carrying cases,
belt clips, or holders that do not have metal parts and that maintain at
least 15 mm (5/8 inch) separation between iPhone and the body."
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My place : »www.schettino.us | |
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| | | |  ScottMoOnce in a LifetimePremium,MVM
join:2000-12-15
Stony Brook, NY | Re: WTF That tells me where the antenna is. It says nothing about not touching it. | |
|
| | Reviews:
·Choice Cable TV
·Coqui/PRTC
| It depends on the manufacturer. I have a Motorola phone and the manual says to hold it just like you would hold a landline telephone. It only makes a distinction if using it hanging from your neck in a lanyard or when using it for data to keep the antenna away from the body 2.5 cm. However the phone does not have an external antenna nor there are any illustrations indicating its location. | |
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| | | | | Re: WTF said by printscreen:It depends on the manufacturer. I have a Motorola phone and the manual says to hold it just like you would hold a landline telephone. It only makes a distinction if using it hanging from your neck in a lanyard or when using it for data to keep the antenna away from the body 2.5 cm. However the phone does not have an external antenna nor there are any illustrations indicating its location. tell me about it, my razor v3 gets 1 bar in the house, 3 bar's outside, id kill for an external antenna jack. | |
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| | | |  GbcueAlmost P.E.Premium
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA
kudos:8
·AT&T U-Verse
| Re: WTF said by thedragonmas:said by printscreen:It depends on the manufacturer. I have a Motorola phone and the manual says to hold it just like you would hold a landline telephone. It only makes a distinction if using it hanging from your neck in a lanyard or when using it for data to keep the antenna away from the body 2.5 cm. However the phone does not have an external antenna nor there are any illustrations indicating its location. tell me about it, my razor v3 gets 1 bar in the house, 3 bar's outside, id kill for an external antenna jack. There is an external antenna jack.
--
My Blog 2.0 | |
|
| | | | | | | Re: WTF said by Gbcue:said by thedragonmas:said by printscreen:It depends on the manufacturer. I have a Motorola phone and the manual says to hold it just like you would hold a landline telephone. It only makes a distinction if using it hanging from your neck in a lanyard or when using it for data to keep the antenna away from the body 2.5 cm. However the phone does not have an external antenna nor there are any illustrations indicating its location. tell me about it, my razor v3 gets 1 bar in the house, 3 bar's outside, id kill for an external antenna jack. There is an external antenna jack. source? ive looked all over the place for one, there isnt one. theres no schematic i can find that shows any contacts on the visible PCB under the battery either. so if there is indeed one. id love to see it. | |
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| | | | | | GbcueAlmost P.E.Premium
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA
kudos:8 Reviews:
·AT&T U-Verse
1 edit | Re: WTF said by thedragonmas:source? ive looked all over the place for one, there isnt one. theres no schematic i can find that shows any contacts on the visible PCB under the battery either. so if there is indeed one. id love to see it. The little circle on the back covers an antenna connector. Take it off and see what the connector is.
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My Blog 2.0 | |
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| | | | | | | | | Re: WTF well ill be a ..... after all this time. thanks!, looks like a small hole with a pin in it.. well not quight a pin, more like the inside of a barrel connector. | |
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| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Re: WTF thanks, i feel like an idiot for not figuring this out a LOT sooner, but ima happy idiot! thanks  | |
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| | |
| | | | In tests with my Touch Pro 2 using the fieldtest app, I was unable to alter the signal strength by more than 5dBm (which could be just normal fluctuation) when holding the phone normally, with either hand. Even when holding the phone with both hands wrapping completely around the phone, I could not alter the signal.
After lots of experimentation, I was finally able to affect reception by a good 10-15dBm by cupping the palm of my hand tightly around the top of the phone (The Touch Pro 2 manual identifies the top rear of the phone as being the antenna location) in a certain way.
--
"You do know that OS-X is built on BSD, which is a derivative of Unix. So in essence, you are still using Linux." --gregz | |
|
| | | Patient: Doctor, it hurts when I do this.
Doctor: Don't do that.
Ba Da Bump | |
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| KearnstdElf WizardPremium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | wait, why would holding an antenna reduce performance?
way back when i had a TV with Rabbit Ears, the reception improved when i touched the antennas.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports | |
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| | Morac
join:2001-08-30
Riverside, NJ
kudos:1 | Re: WTF Different frequency if I had to take a guess. The body must amplify certain frequencies and weaken others. | |
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| | jayzzer
join:2004-05-01
Kalamazoo, MI | If you have taken an EMAG course, you would learn about tuning antennas. Antennas can be tuned to a certain optimal frequency that depends on the resistance and length of the antenna.
By touching the antenna, you are changing the resistance and length, and therefore changing the optimal frequency for the antenna. The antenna still works, just not optimally, which results in a decrease in reception and battery life. | |
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| | | | said by Kearnstd:wait, why would holding an antenna reduce performance? way back when i had a TV with Rabbit Ears, the reception improved when i touched the antennas. because a tv antenna is "tuned" for a broad spectrum, a cell phone antenna is usually tuned for i believe 4 freq's
as pointed out above, touching it changes the length of the "dipoles" there by changing what freq its tuned for. | |
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| | | Bad service + Iphone 4 bad reception = WTF | |
|
| |
Phatty
join:2000-05-10
Valley Park, MO | Why does apple? Continue to stick with AT&T with such crap service?
Oh well, a couple years ago I may have gone Iphone on Verizon, but these days with Android running full steam I don't think I would even give it a try when/if they ever go Verizon. | |
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|
See 16 replies to this post |
|
bdon78I didn't do it
join:2009-05-18
Decatur, GA
1 edit | OH MY Well, at least they didn't make up long excuse full of technical jargon... they just came right out and said it.
In their defense, when the first Motorola Razor came out, I used to hold it a certain way.. bad reception. When I went into Tmobile and was told to try holding it differently, I almost freaked... but, I held it differently, it worked and I kept my oh so trendy Razor. | |
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| DodgePremium
join:2002-11-27 | Re: OH MY said by bdon78:Well, at least they didn't make up long excuse full of technical jargon... they just came right out and said it. In their defense, when the first Motorola Razor came out, I used to hold it a certain way.. bad reception. When I went into Tmobile and was told to try holding it differently, I almost freaked... but, I held it differently, it worked and I kept my oh so trendy Razor. Razor was a POS on so many levels. I've never seen one last more than 6 months before something cracked, broke off, or stopped working.
Going back to apple and it's fanboys, congratulations, you have created an empire of evil that you all oh so hated in Microsoft. I wish Toyota had the same mentality and would have just said you are pressing the break pedal wrong | |
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| |  Smith6612Premium,MVM
join:2008-02-01
North Tonawanda, NY
kudos:21
·Frontier Communi..
·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: OH MY Call my phone an exception, but I have a Razor here which is over 3 years old and the only problem we've had with it is the battery indicator. We can easily solve that problem by ignoring it for one complete discharge and then giving the phone a complete recharge. It is with Verizon Wireless and has great signal on it.
--
This is a signature, eaten by spring. | |
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| | rolandeCertifiablePremium,Mod
join:2002-05-24
Columbus, OH Host:
Linksys
AT&T Midwest
| said by Dodge:Razor was a POS on so many levels. I've never seen one last more than 6 months before something cracked, broke off, or stopped working. I am perfectly happy with my RAZR v3. It has lasted me for over 3 and a half years and still going strong. I have even dropped it a few times on the ground and it is none the worse for wear. Even the original battery takes a good charge and lasts exceptionally well still. I get great reception pretty much anywhere I go. No complaints here.
--
Scott, CCIE #14618 Routing & Switching
Too bad those that know it all can't do it all.
»www.thewaystation.com/techref/tech.shtml
»blog.thewaystation.com/ | |
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| | |  56403739Less than 5 months leftPremium
join:2006-03-08
Naples, FL
kudos:2 | Re: OH MY My wife's RAZR is still going strong after more than three years and it lives in the black hole she calls a "purse". My LG is still going strong after more than three years of being dropped, dragged and generally abused with only one new battery. Both work great and they are on the evil AT&T network. I have iPhone-owning friends asking to use my phone to make calls because theirs won't.
Apple expects the faithful to buy a new ______ every time an updated version is released, and they cash in on every PR-driven rush. There is no money in getting it right the first time... | |
|
 aaronwtPremium
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA
·Verizon FiOS
| be held a certain way? If a cellular phone has to be held a certain way to get good reception, it is not worth owning that phone. I've been using cell phones for 16 years. And if I was ever told to hold a phone a certain way to make a call, that phone would be going back for an exchange. But I have never seen that issue with the dozen or so phones I've used over the last 16 years. | |
|
 FBGuyyippee ki yayPremium
join:2005-03-19 | I can relate I don't like being held the wrong way either. | |
|
 Hookem99Deep In The Heart
join:2007-07-18
Pflugerville, TX
kudos:1 | Not on mine.... I have tried and tried, but I can not duplicate this issue on mine. Maybe I am holding it wrong too! | |
|
 banditws6Shrinking Time and DistancePremium
join:2001-08-18
Frisco, TX
·RoadRunner Cable
| Ridiculous This debacle has put me off getting the iPhone 4. I hold my phone in my left hand, and when on long calls I tend to let the lower left corner sit in the heel of my hand to support the weight.
Even if it works with no issues, I'm moving later this year and the towers / signal strength where I'm going are an unknown quantity that might exacerbate this problem.
I understand that all cell phones can experience signal degradation if you hold them a certain way, but usually that "certain way" is an awkward manner that most people don't naturally gravitate to. If I really death-grip my iPhone 3GS I can lose a couple of bars of signal, but I never drop calls like some of the i4 owners are claiming. It sounds like it's way too easy to interfere with the antennae on the new one.
The flippant "UR DOING IT WRONG" response from Apple suggests they're not going to do anything to fix this (likely they can't do anything, as it's inherent to the phone's design), and I'm not a fan of bumpers or cases, so I give up.
I will wait till my contract is actually up next summer and take a look at the next iPhone to see if they've fixed this stupidity...and I'll look at the Android handsets as well.
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"I'll follow the law until it's just stupid." -Ted Nugent | |
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contsolePremium
join:2003-12-30
Bloomfield, CT | Real Antenna I hated giving up an old Samsung I had. Besides being dual band tri-mode, it actually had a real 1" antenna on it. I believe it used the body of the phone and the capacitively coupled body of the user as the ground plane and it worked a heck of a lot better than the next couple smart phones I got with no external antenna. | |
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RX300
join:2004-02-23
Bluff Dale, TX | I Don't Get It What would the response be if Microsoft had put out a product with a fault like this ? | |
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|  GlobalMindDomino Dude, POWER Systems GuyPremium
join:2001-10-29
Hollywood, FL | Re: I Don't Get It said by RX300:What would the response be if Microsoft had put out a product with a fault like this ? Or any issue with an Android device for that matter, or well, ANYONE else. Remember, Apple's perfect.
Seriously though, a few folks have posted about the "standard" holding technique to enhance performance on other devices. Page 169 of my HTC EVO manual shows the device's antenna position and instructs "normal use position" to not interfere. Indeed I think if you are left handed, holding the device in your right, you'd probably block this location. And hell even a few iterations of a "normal" position I think could see me blocking it somewhat and I'm right handed.
Is it in the iPhone manual on how to hold it? Can't say, don't have one. Either way though, it's funny when you think about all the hype about the antenna, which I'll be honest I kinda like their solution, too bad it may or may not work as designed.
A case, unless it's shielded somehow shouldn't create a problem. If it does, even when we're talking about a plain ol rubberized skincase, you've got a real issue there since hell, I should be able to at least protect the darn thing.
--
TheGlobalMind.com / Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go? / Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason. - Ralph Waldo Emerson / Free market capitalism is the best path to prosperity. | |
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| | | | Re: I Don't Get It You seem to forget the Google Nexus One reception issues which Google has "ended investigating". Selective memory much? | |
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|
 pranky
join:2001-04-17
Mount Kisco, NY | Money Maker I am sure they will figure out a way to market the new iGrip instruction manual | |
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 JohnnyG101MafiaosoPremium
join:2000-12-25
Charlotte, NC | done.. This will be the last iPhone I own. Between this and the crappy battery life; Don't know which is worse. | |
|
| | iPhone 4 LH - Coming Summer 2011 quote:
Apple's all new, never before seen, technologically advanced, innovative new iPhone model will be coming out Summer 2011, dubbed the iPhone 4 LH (Left-Handed). This new model will be geared towards left-handed individuals, and will feature an antenna on the right side of the phone instead of the left, so left-handed individuals can enjoy crisp-clear voice calling and high-speed data connections on AT&T's fast and reliable network.
You heard it here first, folks. | |
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 exocet_cmYou delete it, I'll find itPremium
join:2003-03-23
New Orleans, LA
kudos:2 | Class action lawsuit It's only a matter of time | |
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 CylonRedPremium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County | Now he blames lefties »www.dailyfinance.com/story/steve···9530549/
quote:
Because it might not work.
Apple (AAPL) issued a statement Thursday night after widespread complaints of iPhone 4 service failures by people gripping the phone with their left hand. Turns out lefties cradle the device in such a way that bridges a small gap that separates the Bluetooth-WiFi-GPS antenna from the GSM-UMTS antenna. This, apparently, causes the device to lose its 3G signal, which is needed to make regular cell phone calls.
See full article from DailyFinance: »srph.it/bfRxpz
What a joke - just build the damn phone properly. Reason 456 not to get a iPhone...
--
Brian
"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain | |
|
 AnClarPremium
join:2003-07-31
Belton, TX
1 edit | Excuse me while I pull up a chair I do so love to watch the reactions when people find these supposed major, deal-breaking faults in an Apple product! Antenna attenuation issues have been around as long as antennas, it ain't limited to the iPhone. But what is so hilarious is to watch the back and forth between the Apple fanbois and the Apple haters! It's more fun than watching the World Cup!
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When in danger or in doubt run in circles, scream and shout! | |
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| | Your Holding it wrong Apple! | |
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|
See 6 replies to this post |
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 linicxCaveat EmptorPremium
join:2002-12-03
United State
·Cass Communicati..
·CenturyLink
| Is it the checken and egg, or the old pea in shell game? Sixty years ago Bell had an awesome copper to the home phone service. It rarely failed even in very foul weather. Seven years ago Bell provided more than decent and very stable DSL to rural. I had one 20 minute down-time in two years whereas local Wisp was out two weeks. However Ma Bell does not have its too few towers and cell service right yet. Meanwhile phone makers and cell providers are racing to meet the future before they have the present firmly in hand.
Who among cell users would willingly chose a difficult to use phone that is tethered to a less than stable network? I think what most users do not understand is that the majority of cell phones are over-rated. Most do not perform well in large crowded cities nor in rural areas. There is no hope it will ever change as long as technology is proprietary and phones can't roam on every tower.
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Mac: No windows, No Gates, Apple inside | |
|
1 edit | . Even the 'there's an app for that' dude is holding it wrong. They are going to have to reshoot all their ads just becuase they have a CEO who's too stupid to keep his mouth shut.
»www.youtube.com/watch?v=szrsfeyLzyg
Well done Jobs. Maybe it's time Woz was running this company. Jobs always sucked at hardware.... | |
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| | | Re: . Yes, Steve Jobs is a terrible businessman. Just look at how much his company's stock has dropped since he returned. After the sales failure of the iPod, the iPhone and now the iPad, I just can't understand why he is sticking around. | |
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| | | | Re: . Apple is like the old catholic church, left handed people are EVIL!!!!!!
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Email/MSN: Michael at hardwaregeeks.comAIM: MikeR35292 | |
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| |  AlcoholPremium
join:2003-05-26
Climax, MI
kudos:3
·Comcast
| said by gattaca:Yes, Steve Jobs is a terrible businessman. Just look at how much his company's stock has dropped since he returned. After the sales failure of the iPod, the iPhone and now the iPad, I just can't understand why he is sticking around. Yeah because we all know he personally invented all of the three things mentioned 
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I found the key to success but somebody changed the lock. | |
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