Apple Admits to iPhone Connection Flaw. But Not THAT Connection Flaw

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Paul Thurrott

Windows IT Pro

InstantDoc ID #125535

Apple on Friday issued a rare public apology for a years-old programming flaw in its iPhone series of smartphones that the company says overstates the quality of the device's wireless connection. This, Apple claims, is the reason why so many iPhone 4 users have experienced connection problems. But the explanation seems to skirt around the root cause of the problem. That is, that the iPhone 4's complicated new antennae system simply doesn't work properly.

"Users observing a drop of several bars [which measures connection strength] when they grip their iPhone in a certain way are most likely in an area with very weak signal strength, but they don't know it because we are erroneously displaying 4 or 5 bars," Apple claims. "Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place."

In other words, according to Apple, there's nothing uniquely wrong with the iPhone 4. Instead, every iPhone ever manufactured has erroneously overstated the device's signal strength. And with the iPhone 4, holding the device in a certain way (i.e., left-handed) causes it to magically display the correct signal strength.

"We will issue a free software update within a few weeks that incorporates the corrected formula," the Apple statement continues. "Since this mistake has been present since the original iPhone, this software update will also be available for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G." (But not the original iPhone, as Apple doesn't support products more than two years old.)

As I noted in Friday's Short Takes, iPhone users have almost universally slammed AT&T for its poor wireless network, despite the fact that AT&T's network seems to work better for non-iPhone users. This, I wrote, suggests that some of the animosity users have directed at AT&T was better directed at Apple. Last week's admission by Apple verifies this. In fact, part of Apple's upcoming fix involves "adopting AT&T’s recently recommended formula for calculating how many bars to display for a given signal strength."

Customers who are unhappy with the iPhone 4's reception can return the device for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Since the iPhone 4 first shipped to customers on June 24, this suggests that Apple's promised fix will be provided by July 24, so customers have a chance to see if that really does correct the problem and then act accordingly.

Unfortunately for Apple, the iPhone 4's connection problems are in fact related to how people hold the device. In test after test online, users have demonstrated the device loading web pages fine when held in a certain fashion and then failing to load them at all when held in another way. The only sure-fire way to prevent this problem is to hold the device in a certain way or to use a $29 Apple "bumper" accessory case that prevents the hand from touching the affected area. A class action lawsuit is already underway by customers upset about this issue.

Apple's newest smartphone also suffers from other annoying defects, including yellow-splotched screens on some devices and a weird yellowing effect in photos taken with the iPhone 4's camera. The iPhone 4 (and the related iOS4 software update) also slows Exchange syncing down dramatically; Microsoft says it is helping Apple develop a fix for that problem. Additionally, a bug in the iPhone proximity sensor causes the device screen to go black at inopportune times.

What this all points to is an endemic problem with Apple's secrecy-based development process, which prevents the company from adequately testing its products in the real world before release. Were the company more concerned about creating high quality products and less about event marketing, flaws of this number and magnitude would never make their way into the hands of tens of millions of customers.

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1, in my Nokia manual it tells you where the 3G antenna is -its in the bottom of the unit. If you hold the unit like a chocolate bar it can affect the phone as it has to use more power. But you don't hold a phone like that. It doesn't matter if you are left or right handed either. The manual mentions where the antenna is, but it doesn't tell you how not to hold the phone, nor does it have to advise you need to spend more your money in order to fix a design flaw.

I do wonder if this is another case of Apple's form over function.

Gordon7/9/2010 12:14:31 PM

O - I think you need to reread Anand's analysis. You are the one with your fingers in your ears. Yes the iphone suffers from attenuation more than other phones. Nobody is denying that, except for maybe Steve Jobs :). You are so caught up in that fact, you are blinded to everything else Anand writes.

Despite this problem, he could not get the phone to drop calls no matter how hard he tried. He also flatly stated the antennae is improved. Its better than the 3GS.

Why can't you see the forest for the trees?

Therefore, as my original post stated, Paul is wrong when he says "the new antennae system simply doesn't work properly". It does. It works better than the old phone and despite more attenuation, it hold calls.

I also never said that the article stated the phone was better than the competition. You seemed to bring that out of nowhere.

I mentioned Nokia, as another post talked about them. They also specifically have in their manual a diagram of how not to hold the phone. That is the same way that the iphone has the attenuation problems.

17/7/2010 5:38:49 PM

"Why don't they come with a $30 bumper as well?"

So what you're doing is only listening to Anand when you *think* he's making your points (when he's not), but then sticking your fingers in your ears when he doesn't?

He's the one who said Apple should add a coating or subsidize a bumper... Because other brands don't have this problem to an *excessive* degree.

You also keep making these other pointless arguments, e.g. Nokia. They never experienced 20dB of signal attenuation when holding a phone. All phones will experience some attenuation. No other phones will experience 20dB of attenuation. It's really quite simple. It's a logarithmic scale -- 20dB is a *lot*. That's 200 times less, over baseline, or 20 times worse than the Nexus, and about 100 times worse than other HTC devices (TP2 goes about -5dB when held). And then you mention, "Hey, it was better than previous iPhones." The problem is everyone knows previous iPhones had bad antennas. Bad enough that Apple publicly admitted to fudging their algorithm for displaying reception. Anand *never* said it was better than competition, only better than previous iPhones.

I don't understand how someone can love a company so much, it's impossible for them to admit they make mistakes. Crikey, you guys like you probably even think the Newton was a runaway success. Or even the Apple TV, which they're trying to sweep under the rug and figure out how to pretend the first version never existed. The only good thing, you could hack it and run Linux.

Intel screws up, Microsoft does, Apple does, etc.

"Um, the latter survey covered the years from 2007 to 2009."

Great, at that time 80% of the installed base had faulty hardware. What's your point? A *new* 40nm Xbox has 0-3% failure chance because they *learned* from their mistakes. You do realize they were still on their first (defective) hardware rev in 2007?

O7/7/2010 10:41:27 AM

Test

developer7/7/2010 9:56:19 AM

"Guys, while your debate is "fascinating", I think we should take a step back and agree on something: for the price of a new Iphone 4 (whch is quite expesive), Apple MUST give us the bumper included, not tax us $30 more."

The iphone is pretty much the same price as other similar smart phones, like the Droid and Evo. So why are you not calling those expensive. Why don't they come with a $30 bumper as well?

THAT is the main problem here since the hardware issue won't leave until the next production run (hopefully).

"We should also agree that Apple NEEDS to expand its beta testing in order to match their high marketing expenses, since they're not Nokia or any other cellphone makers with dozens of different models, Apple only makes ONE main model so the least they can do is make it the BEST possible model BEFORE it leaves the factory."

This is what Apple does. Why does their beta testing have to match their marketing expenses? That is a poor comparison, and they have nothing to do with each other.

Yes, there is an issue with the antennae. Even Nokia has this same problem. They did the same thing Apple did and said not to hold the phone that way.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/28/nokia-muses-on-grip-styles-says-you-can-hold-your-phone-any-wa/

17/7/2010 8:50:58 AM

Guys, while your debate is "fascinating", I think we should take a step back and agree on something: for the price of a new Iphone 4 (whch is quite expesive), Apple MUST give us the bumper included, not tax us $30 more.

THAT is the main problem here since the hardware issue won't leave until the next production run (hopefully).

We should also agree that Apple NEEDS to expand its beta testing in order to match their high marketing expenses, since they're not Nokia or any other cellphone makers with dozens of different models, Apple only makes ONE main model so the least they can do is make it the BEST possible model BEFORE it leaves the factory.

Padilla7/6/2010 9:39:05 PM

@O.
"Vand: You just like making up numbers?"

54.2%
Game Informer's survey of 5,000 console owners finds over half Microsoft's machines fail once, 41.2% fail twice
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6215590.html

SquareTrade found that the Xbox 360's failure rate was far higher than its rivals. Some 23.7 percent of those surveyed failed within two years of purchase: 12 percent from the infamous "Red Ring of Death" and 11.7 percent from other problems, including the "E74" error.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6216691.html

"lets quote failure stats for things made 5 years ago!"

Um, the latter survey covered the years from 2007 to 2009.

"dismissing bad behavior"

Well one is the result of poor ergonomic design (one has to be careful how they grip it) and the other is a complete failure of between a quarter to half of units produced within 2 years (depending on which survey you go by).

"Anyone who stood in line to buy the darn thing is probably a rabid fan, and would lie if there were a problem anyway."

I think my posts covered all the problems; it's just that, except for the antenna issue, most people are not getting the yellow screen, and the white balance situation must not arise that much because there are no more stories other than the one. The proximity sensor story picked up steam over the weekend but most concluded this would be fixed with a software update. The antenna issue is mainly a problem in low reception areas; this seems to be the conclusion of most reviewers, including Anatech. If fact he said he himself gets great reception where he lives and that if you start out with 5 bars that they may go down with a death grip but you will not lose the call, only at 4 bars and lower. This is my situation; no need for you ad hominums. By the way, since you read the Anatech review, I guess you noted that it was a glowing review, from a non-"rabid fan." This also seems to be the consensus of reviewers overall.

Vandeley7/6/2010 8:51:44 PM

"In reality, reporting based on SNR makes a lot more sense, since I couldn't make calls drop driving around an entire day cupping the phone, despite being at -113 dBm (1 bar) most of the time."

Why would he be cupping the phone if it had a case on? That makes no sense. You cup the phone to get the biggest signal loss, as he showed in the chart. Cupping with the case on is pointless as you won't lose any signal. Why would he be doing that and making a point to state it. The point of the SNR is that even with a poor signal, the phone has good reception.

The only time he specifically said that he had the case was when he went into area that he previously could not get reception.

Please show where he says all these tests have the bumper on.

17/6/2010 8:09:04 PM

Re the discussion on Microsoft, it's funny how people focus on KIN. Yes, it failed, but is it important? No not really. If Windows Phone 7 fails then that would be worth mentioning.

Those saying Microsoft is failing are obviously focusing on a very specific area. Publicly, Microsot is doing extremely well with Windows 7 (the OS keeps getting praise and has made history with its sales figures), Office 2010 and obviously, the Xbox 360 lineup - there's also alot of other products that you don't see publicly that do very well for them that can't be ignored "because they're not consumer related" - the fact is without those behing the scenes products alot of consumer stuff wouldn't be the same (Exchange Active Sync, for example). Maybe Windows Phone 7 will be part of that list soon too ;)

Matt7/6/2010 7:42:17 PM

It's time to change the name of the mailing list. May I suggest 'applegrouch'.

Colin7/6/2010 7:27:12 PM

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