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iPhone 4 Ingenious Antenna Design May Cause Reception Issues

Categories: Apple, Hardware, iPhone
By: , IntoMobile
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010 at 10:14 PM

Apple never fails to innovate when it comes to hardware and software, and the iPhone 4 is no exception. It is unbelievably slim, the retina display is something to behold and the frame is sectioned into areas that help the antennas transmit and receive data. The iPhone 4 just about does it all, doesn’t it? Well, it turns out that some innovation might backfire when not thoroughly tested. The latter on that list of new features, the antenna-frame integration, is apparently causing reception issues when touched or held just the right way.

If this turns out to be a serious and common issue, Apple will have its hands full. We’re hoping that this won’t be the case, and perhaps the few reported problems will be just that – few. Check out the video below and catch a glimpse of it for yourself.

[Via: MobileCrunch]

UPDATE: Here’s another video from Insanely Great Mac showing the problem when you touch the bottom-left corner of the iPhone 4 and the opposing side.

UPDATE 2: Here’s a few more recreations. If you find any more, drop a link in the comments!

Looks like a rubber bumper would fix it…

This guy seems to think it’s not an iPhone 4 issue, but an iOS problem. Eeeeeenteresting.

We’ll see if we can find some good ones, but here’s a link to a YouTube search for “iPhone 4 Reception“

About The Author

Marc Flores

Marc has been a mobile fanatic for the better part of a decade and has had more devices pass through his hands than he would care to count. Originally from Los Angeles and briefly in San Francisco, Marc now lives in Brooklyn where, unlike Will Park, he longs for simpler times and simpler technology. All the while, he writes about gadgets and wireless technology as he tinkers, hacks and ultimately breaks most of his gadgets in the process. Marc has written about the mobile industry for Boy Genius Report, MobileCrunch, Laptop Magazine and has had his work appear in the Wall Street Journal, Gizmodo, CrunchGear and more.

  • Tim

    Happens every time to me. Seems like its every time I put my finger on the vibrate/ringer switch. Also hearing it happens every time you cover the lines on the antennae. There are three of them around the phone. Too bad, its so nice.

  • Leo

    Does anyone know if putting case on the device will affect signal for better or worse?

  • kumaclimber

    I wonder how long before this gets blamed on at&t like everything else…. Has anyone ever thought "gee the iPhone seems to be the only phone that has massive dropped call issues. I wonder if apple doesn't know what they are doing when it comes to designing a phone? Nope cause that would make sense so lets just blame at&t even when most phones have the same ability to hang on to a call as any verizon phone… It must be at&t's network not the f***ing phone. ITS APPLE THEY DON'T DESIGN PHONES THEY ARE NEW TO IT THEY DESIGN PRETTY DEVICES THAT HAVE A GREAT UI. Thats all… If you put the iPhone on verizon it will have the same damn problem