Hmm inttresting... I haven't been able to see whether mine has this issue as I am awaiting a port, but what I wondered is will a bumper make this more or less of an issue as I've ordered some already.

Does this just affect 3g signals or 2g as well? I dont have 3g at home, which is fine, I use Wi-Fi, and doesnt affect my 2g signal at all. So if it does affect both, my phone is not one of the ones affected...

it effects signal full stop. not sure if wifi has anything to do with it.

im just hoping its software

I have just been into town where there is 3G coverage and sure enough the signal bars dropped from 5 to zero bars when gripping the phone in the palm of the hand. I don't really jd the phone on this manner so it shouldn't really bother me, but it does ....

Yes, but they've been wrapped in a plastic 3GS shell to disguise them.

Only when outside of the apple campus - not in the labs. It's perfectly normal metal antenna behaviour and I'm pretty confident will be shown to be entirely benign - the bumpers & cases will prevent the apparent drop in the metering due to insulation stopping conductivity into the skin but the radio will go on unaffected even without the bumper doing that. We are all antennae in some way or shape, for any radio device on our person. It's just we don't get shown the effects very often any more, but put your hand on top of an AM radio and you can demonstrate any part of the body doing funny antenna things.

Just tried this with my Desire but no loss of signal. Was going to wait for iPhone4 but got the HTC cos it was a hell of a lot cheaper.

So glad I did now.

I am surprised at this does seem like a flaw. When first read reports I thought it was a combo of antenna and AT&T as I hear that service drops calls daily.

BTW I hold 3GS in the left and by the sides. I can't really see how else you are too hold a phone.

Your desire doesn't have external antennae - it's not even the same issue. It's not even a problem. "number of bars" is not an indication of a strong phone signal even, but it's a bit late to be getting into that. It's simply a measurement issue for a meter and has no bearing on dropping calls, though idiots on blogs trying to block out whole antennae with their hands on purpose will likely get some luck eventually. This isn't how phones are designed to work though, obviously. They are designed to work how we usually hold or store them, not cradled like tiny babies.

If I hold my phone one side is almost fully covered from the palm unto the thumb and I have small hands. The vids I have seen have been users holding with fingers not even covering the phone as much as you would be naturally

Yes but they don't demonstrate anything except a fluctuating meter. *goes round in circles*

Steve Jobs reply to the reception issue regarding iPhone4: "Just avoid holding it that way"

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/24/a...re-holding-th/

Seems like a hardware issue rather than software. Was going to rush out and get the phone yesterday, so glad I didn't especially after reading Apple's response to this. It's a absolutely disgusting way to treat people who just spend hundreds on your product.

Only way their going to solve this is to recall all iPhone4's sold, sort out the issue and give them back to people or provide a free solution wheather that's a case or something else.

I just know there's going to be replies to this story with people defending Apple but your in the majority as the signal issues are wide spread news at the moment so obviously it is a serious problem no matter what you say.

That really isn't good enough, it's a very expensive premium product and users should not have to change the way they use the product because of what looks like an idiotic design flaw.

There is a motor inside that moves the antenna up but the software is not active.


Ugly plastic(polycarbonate for the want of a better word) is the unacceptable solution.

Presumably this is how Steve would like you to hold it

Alas, I'm not that dextrous. If I held it like that and poked my finger at it, it would be in pieces on the floor in less than 30 seconds.

What a farce.

http://tweetphoto.com/29006342

There are videos of people covering JUST the bottom left of the phone while in a call, and it drops after all the bars vanish and the bars are replaced with "Searching..." , so your theory that the bars are misleading is wrong. The calls are being dropped.

Heres one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03PQyWp0mWE

In that video he simply has the phone sat in the palm of his hand. He isn't suffocating it or covering the entire phone, yet the call drops.

Seems it affects the 3G and 3Gs as well, people are only noticing it in the 4 because they know where the antenna is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeLjZps-Ygo

Edit: Really good article from someone who really knows what he's talking about http://www.antennasys.com/antennasys...-antennas.html

Mine shows a full signal but if i grasp it with my hand as most ppl do it drops to 1 bar.

I even tried to hold it with a glove on and the signal doesn't drop, only happens with I hold it with my hands.

Testing it more it seems to only effect the signal if you grasp the lower portion of the phone which TBH is a rather strange way to hold it if your making a call. If you just hold it like normal and grasp the sides in the middle of the phone the signal remains fine.

He really has lost it

And yet people will still defend him/apple to the death! i'm really glad i held off buying a sim free one now.

I think Apple will now have no choice (and rightfully so) then to give out their 'bumpers' for free with every iPhone... Otherwise this is going to be one PR disaster Apple will not be able to recover from.

I think the bumpers look ugly though, and so do others so this isn't really a brilliant solution to the problem. It is shocking the way that they treat their customers.