I tried this on my Blackberry bold and the signal drops on that if you wrap your hand around it, but the truth is you dont hold phones like that when you use them. You grip the phone like the fella in the video and you would never be able to use it!

edit: by the way my Iphone4 arrived this mornign!

Well the bumpers make it look like the 3gs doesn't it? Which defeats the object of an upgrade. lol

I would be asking for a refund!

Many MacBook owners found that the performance of their airport cards (to pick up WiFi) started degrading after about 2 years of ownership.

The forums are full of it. Mine is the same, only working if the router is 5 ft away.

Apple just told me to install a new card, about £100 inc labour. I got a USB wifi dongle for £20 and now works upto 100 metres away.

Thing is Apple have never admitted to a problem and now this with the iPhone. Looks like extreme arrogance to me but then I am now wary of Apple products yet many people are blind and in love.

Oh and my Mac does crash and has fried 2 hard disks so far.

Exactly. I have a 3G and I love it, but if there was a fault like this with it, I would have kicked up a fuss, not bowed down to guru jobs and his mantra of 'it's never apples fault' but I guess he doesn't have to as some people are blind/stupid enough to buy everything that he says and follow him
with blnd devotion!

I assume you mean a refund on his Blackberry ?

With 50 billion dollars in the bank, I hardly think so.
What ridiculous hysteria. Have you actually read the article linked to above from someone who actually understands mobile phone antennas.

Yes we have - he is saying that Apple have made a phone that has poor reception. Why are Apple iPhones always crap at being phones? Surely that would be easy to get right but it is a typical Apple failing - lovely, lovely objets that are desirable to use and easy to use (within strict limits) but are actually crap when you need to use them.

Sorry but nobody holds the phone in such a way that they completely cover the bottom half of the phone unless they have comedy proportioned hands. Its not a giant problem, just typical hysteria.

From what I understand (and I may have this wrong), they don't have to completely cover the bottom of the phone, they just have to bridge a tiny gap in the outer casing - essentially making a connection across the gap.

There's more about the problem here

BTW - i think you're wrong. For this kind of money, and this kind of hype ("the most beautiful, precise thing we've ever made") and with no pre-release information that people who bought it would need to hold it correctly in order for it to work, customers have every justification for getting hacked off.

Personally, it doesnt affect me at all nor does it bother me. IM sure if enough people cause a big enough stink apple will allow returns for a 'fixed' model or at least provide a free bumper. This is just one of the perils of buying into a new product at launch.

Actually it is. I'm a giant and have very large hands, almost comedically large in proportion to humans

But it's not a new product it's the 4th generation of a product they have been working on for 5 or so years. This is basic stuff they should have perfected by now.

it may be the 4th generation, but the design of the antennae is totally new compared to the previous three generations (which all had internal, rather than external, antennae).

But yes, you'd think they would have noticed this during testing...

I see your point, however its a complete redesign, including the internals. I think a fix will be provided either way, however I still dont think its the end of the world. Its not something that will truely affect the majority of users.

Agree you do have to hold the phone a strange way for it to be effected, It's not something that will effect me on a day to day basis.

I called apple complained about the issue and they are sending me a bumper for free. If it still doesn't solve the problem they will exchange my phone for free. To be honest I don't think Steve Job's reply is genuine. Doesn't seem to be in line with anything official that has come out of apple regarding the matter. Customer services are defo following a very different approach.

Why would one write to Steve regarding this issue anyway?. Contact the amazing apple customer care and they will sort it for you. Problem solved.

iPhone 4 is FIRST GEN.

How you can say this hardware is 4th gen is bewildering

The issue will be fixed I'm sure via software soon.

I wonder if this will affect the video call facility as you'll have to hold it around the waist of the phone.

Shocking design flaw.

Well I'm having no problems with mine.

It's funny though, there are people whinging about this problem and they don't have or even intend to get iphones. Not sure what makes them such experts. Not doubt they enjoying bashing the iphone at every opportunity.

Can i say that i have had my iphone 3GS for 10 months now and i have been having the exact same problem as with the iphone 4, the only way i could get a good signal was to lay it down flat just like in the video, the signal bars would slowly disappear when i held it but reaper when i lay it down.

I am afraid you are very wrong their my friend, i have a 3G and an iMac, and was fully intending on getting iPhone 4 at upgrade time, so no personal quest against apple, but I do expect fully operational goods for the premium price that is paid and not be fobbed off by mr jobs. I can also see when apple are at fault and am not a blind slave to the brand like some on here.

You can hardly blame them can you. If Jobs and his fanbois weren't so smug about everything it wouldn't be mocked.

Exchange your phone for what?

I honestly can't believe the cheek of some people, their so far up Apple's a$$ they seem to be in total denial. The fact some of you are having to deny this problem is an issue just proves the point even more that it is an issue.

People have paid large sums of money for this phone (which some would say its overpriced) and they intend for it to work from the get go. There's people in certain forums such as Macrumors suggesting people adding some tape over the effected area or putting some nail varnish over the area which helps. To these people I ask in the nicest possible way 'Are you bloody kidding me?'.

Who in their right might is going to pay hundreds for a phone only they to have to tape a bit of it because you can't make a call with the phone. Apple are acting like nothing is wrong at the moment and it's frustrating alot of people. I think Apple & the people defending this issue need their heads checked in all honesty. Just accept Apple have messed up for once, Apple need to recall their phones now while they haven't maximised sales and sort them out! would be better for them to do it now rather than later