iOS Update May Tackle iPhone 4's Antenna Problems

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iOS Update May Tackle iPhone 4's Antenna Problems

Posted by Soulskill on Monday June 28, 2010 @05:41AM from the this-is-your-apple-a-day dept.

DJRumpy was one of several readers to point out rumors that Apple will soon be deploying an update to iOS 4 to combat the iPhone 4 antenna problems we discussed last week. This could be good news for users of the 1.7 million iPhone 4s purchased during the first three days of its release. (And no, Daily Mail, Steve didn't announce a recall, though there's speculation that this problem could be a boon for Android.) An anonymous reader notes an analysis of a teardown of the phone, which found that its parts collectively cost about $188, with the most expensive part — the LCD screen — costing $28.50 by itself. In other Apple news, Germany has demanded that the company "immediately make clear" what data it collects from customers, and what use it makes of that data (perhaps spurred by Google's Wi-Fi sniffing debacle).

23 of 282 comments (clear)

Interested to know... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-06-28 05:43 · Score: 4, Interesting

How a software update will fix an human-caused short circuit.
1. Re:Interested to know... by clone53421 · 2010-06-28 05:45 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  The fix is expected to address a issue in iOS 4 related to radio frequency calibration of the baseband. Readers who saw the original forum discussions say that the issue is believed to occur when switching frequencies; because the lag is allegedly not calibrated correctly, it results in the device reporting "no service" rather than switching to the frequency with the best signal to noise ratio.
  iOS 4 introduced some enhancements to how the baseband selects which frequencies to use, so it makes sense that the error may have crept into those changes. Additionally, this explains why iOS 4 has also caused similar problems for iPhone 3GS users.
  
  --
  Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
2. Re:Interested to know... by yakumo.unr · 2010-06-28 05:46 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Frequency calibration apparently http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/06/25/death_grip_hysteria_may_end_monday_with_ios_4_01.html
3. Re:Interested to know... by PPH · 2010-06-28 05:54 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Perhaps they'll enable the built-in Tazer and zap any users who grab it the wrong way.
  
  --
  Have gnu, will travel.
4. Re:Interested to know... by jsveiga · 2010-06-28 05:57 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  It won't but it will change the refresh rate of the antenna signal strength meter so you won't notice the signal going down anymore.
  ...so when the call quality gets bad, you'll be able to blame the network, not Apple.
  ...and on the transmit side, the software will pump up more average power than what the network power control requests, so your battery life will get worse, and overall network (WCDMA) performance will be degraded for all users in the neighborhood.
5. Re:Interested to know... by DJRumpy · 2010-06-28 06:03 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  The information I saw stated that they change the antenna priority from 'strongest signal' to 'most reliable', whatever that means. This change was introduced in iOS4. The same issues have also been reported in iPhone 3G and 3GS, which would seem to reinforce the idea that this may be software related. Although having the antenna's outside the case may exaggerate the issue, it does not appear to be the primary factor.
  iPhone 3G: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsfgAXmK0b4
  iPhone 3GS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9ztRup6cLs
  General YouTube results:
  http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...gnal+ios4&aq=f
  Additionally, here is the link that I first found reporting the antenna priority change:
  http://www.electronista.com/articles...rly.next.week/
  It will be interesting to see how Apple handles this. I recall they had similar issues with frequencies on the first generation iPhone.
  If the issue was strictly related to the external antenna's, we wouldn't be seeing this issue pop up once 3G and 3GS users upgraded to iOS4.
6. Re:Interested to know... by jsveiga · 2010-06-28 06:10 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  ... the iPhone 4 was designed to look for towers with lower congestion, even if they might have a weaker signal.
  That sounds strange. Only while in idle mode (no calls in place) a GSM/UMTS phone has some autonomy to select the cell site to which it will "listen" to.
  If the iPhone follows the UMTS standards, while in a call it reports received signal information from neighboring cell sites (or towers) to the network, and the network then decides which cell site(s) the phone will use (or switch to, what is called handoff). The phone has to obey the network's decision, so the only way that the phone software could affect the cell site choices would be to send "fake" (or wrong) received signal information back to the network (which would violate the GSM/UMTS standard).
7. Re:Interested to know... by djupedal · 2010-06-28 06:18 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  The phone is not in charge of decisions at that level, sorry.
  
  That's like each a commuter on a train deciding when the train will leave the station....
  
  Loads are governed by the cell network hardware. Some phones are in cars, moving thru rapidly and they may leapfrog...some are still and they may get priority. For those networks that 'breathe' (expand and contract based on load), it would be especially hazardous if the devices could negotiate which cell on their own....not going to happen :)
8. Re:Interested to know... by PPH · 2010-06-28 06:23 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Access the built-in compass and warn the user to face Mecca^H^H^H^H^HCupertino while placing iPhone calls.
  
  --
  Have gnu, will travel.
9. Re:Interested to know... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-06-28 06:33 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  And I suppose you have taken classes in waves & fields to justify your claimed expertise on this subject?
  The problem is, according to the theory, that the two antennae are short-circuited by your sweaty palm, resulting in a different overall antenna length, thus shifting its best frequency response to a different frequency than the one for which Apple tuned its reception.
  As such, both antennae are always in use, and if they are short-circuited, "temporarily cutting off the antenna not in use" is not only impossible but would not change the problem: the antennae are effectively one due to the short-circuit. Cutting one of them off wouldn't fix the short-circuit.
10. Re:Interested to know... by mrops · 2010-06-28 06:39 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  It will boost the transmit power so high that the user will feel a little tingle of an electric shock if the antenna is shorted by this obvious inappropriate use of this godly device.
  In related news, apple fanboys have chopped of their thumbs as it is obviously a flaw in human design.
  Religious leaders were heard blaming god for designing man in his faulty image while evolutionist think that humans will eventually evolve so that this antenna problem mitigates itself.
11. Re:Interested to know... by Stick32 · 2010-06-28 07:01 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Easy... You get the icon to always display 3-5 bars. Then everyone can go back to blaming AT&T's network for dropped calls, as usual...
12. Re:Interested to know... by Pieroxy · 2010-06-28 07:36 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Standards aren't Variables don't.
  Are you high?
  
  --
  Write boring code, not shiny code!
Steve responds by elrous0 · 2010-06-28 05:44 · Score: 5, Funny

Germany has demanded that the company "immediately make clear" what data it collects from customers,
"All of it," replies Steve.

and what use it makes of that data
"Good use," replies Steve.

--
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
1. Re:Steve responds by Tisha_AH · 2010-06-28 06:10 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Yes good old Stevie was claiming the problem was with the operators and demanded a modification of the UOS (user operating system).
  Sorry dude but it will be a few years before you can implant all of that Apple hardware directly into our brains.
  When I read his rather terse reply about "well, hold the phone differently" I was surprised. And this is from the company that made its riches by making hardware and software adapt to the users needs.
  Now it's like "the hell with you, we are omnipresent and omnipotent, you will bow down and kiss my ass".
  
  --
  Tisha Hayes
Source by Anonymous Coward · 2010-06-28 05:47 · Score: 5, Funny

AppleInsider article by Daniel Eran Dilger.
Oh dear.
Re:IOS == Cisco Internetworking Operating System by gnasher719 · 2010-06-28 05:57 · Score: 4, Informative

I call name collision. Please refer to the iPhone/iPad operating system as something other than IOS because Cisco used it first.
We are all glad that you noticed so quickly. However, the name of the iPhone and iPad operating system _is_ iOS and Apple is paying Cisco license fees for the use of the name. So since Cisco agrees with Apple's use of the name, I think that settles the matter. And all of this was known weeks ago :-(
Prices aren't close to right. by Mazin07 · 2010-06-28 06:07 · Score: 4, Interesting

Do these people still not know how cellphones are priced? A 8GB iPhone 3GS is about $530, and prices for the iPhone 4 are expected to be $600 to $700. The $199 price quoted in TFA is only after you agree to a ~$2000 contract.
Re:I already solved the antenna problems by blair1q · 2010-06-28 06:15 · Score: 4, Informative

As do all handsets
This is not true. Handsets used to have thest things called "antennae" that stuck out of the body of the unit.
They actually got better reception when held because the human body holding the handset made the other half of a dipole.
In new designs with the "antenna" buried in the phone, the human body just couples ground to itself and becomes a thicker shield.
How many here have an iPhone 4? by sjonke · 2010-06-28 06:47 · Score: 4, Interesting

If you do, do you experience the antenna shorting signal drop to zero issue? I'm curious, because 99% of the messages I see about this issue, on all forums, are from people talking about the problem, but who do not make any mention of actually have an iPhone 4 nor even of knowing anyone who has the problem. Now, maybe in fact everyone who has an iPhone 4 has this issue, but I am having a hell of a time trying to figure that out. And I'm trying to figure that out because I've got an iPhone 4 on order and I'd like to know if I should keep it. Android fans declaring, definitively, perhaps spurred on by the speculation of a specialist who doesn't have an iPhone 4 either, that the iPhone 4 has a fatal flaw does not tell me one way or the other. iPhone 3GS, 3G and iPhone owners saying that the iPhone 4 has a fatal flaw tells me nothing. The only people I want to hear from are genuine iPhone 4 users. So... do you have the issue?

--
--- What?
1. Re:How many here have an iPhone 4? by BitHive · 2010-06-28 07:53 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  I have one. I can indeed shave a bar off the signal strength meter by nestling the lower-left corner into my palm. Practically speaking, I haven't had any dropped calls or any problems at all. In fact, I see a larger fluctuation in signal strength just walking around my house. For me, this is such a non-issue that it's kind of mind-boggling to see so many discussions about this. I guess I don't care about my iPhone 4 as much as most people seem to.
2. Re:How many here have an iPhone 4? by greyhueofdoubt · 2010-06-28 10:32 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  I've been using my iphone 4 since it showed up on the 23rd. Everything about it kicks ass except for making calls.*
  I haven't been able to reproduce the issues with reception dropping to zero. I tried it with my hands, with wire, by holding all the metal surfaces at the same time, but nothing happened.
  What HAS been an issue is the proximity sensor. Long story short, the phone does a poor job of knowing when it's pressed to your ear, the screen turns on, and you end up either dialing numbers or hanging up. I had an iphone 3g and this was never an issue. For a sense of how bad the problem is: out of the 2-2.5 hours I've talked on the phone, it has hung up over 10 times. These aren't dropped calls, they are actually my phone hanging up.
  Very frustrating, but I imagine it's something that can be solved in software.
  -b
  *which, fortunately, I hardly ever need to do.
  
  --
  No offense, but I've stopped responding to AC's.
Re:IOS == Cisco Internetworking Operating System by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2010-06-28 07:09 · Score: 4, Insightful

I call name collision. Please refer to the iPhone/iPad operating system as something other than IOS because Cisco used it first.
You're about a month behind. The complaint that's currently fashionable is the antenna issue. In about two weeks it's gonna move on to something else, so try to keep up.

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"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)