iPhone 4 users are apparently experiencing decreased reception bars on the iPhone 4 when hands cover the external antennas. Steve Jobs revealed that the iPhone 4’s slenderness (see pictures of old 3G and 4 on the right) was due to shifting the UMTS, GSM, Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS antennas to the outer stainless steel rim of the smartphone, but that decision may be coming back to haunt the Apple's customer service department for a short while. Bars are lost when the phone is held by its bezel, because your hand is bridging the antennas located on both sides of the the bezel. However, if you slip on a cover or case, therefore killing any connection between your conductive skin and the metal bezel, the issue goes away. You can also learn how to hold the phone correctly (see in the picture above).The video posted below isolates the problem to the lower left corner of the iPhone 4 and readers of Gizmodo were allgedly able to replicate the loss of reception on their iPhones.
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Here's another way to prevent (even virtually eliminate) iPhone 4 dropped calls/bad reception: http://oran.gs/VR :-)
Friendly disclaimer, I work for Wilson Electronics.
Wilson's boost worked great for me on the iPhone 3G. I assume it fits the smaller iPhone 4 version as well when I get it in the mail today?
Anonymous, It will work great with the iPhone 4 (do you have the iBooster? If so, it may not fit as snug as before, but we're creating a mold to fix that!). I'd recommend the Sleek for new buyers though since it's got adjustable arms and should work very well with the iPhone 4.
Is Apple holding up a house of cards? I think that this could become a major issue that will motivate buyers to hold off on making purchases until AAPL corrects the issue. If buyers delay purchases then this could affect expectations for the stock. Iphone4 growth is already embedded into the stock price - any changes to these expectations could have implications for Apple's stock and the markets overall. http://displacedema.blogspot.com/2010/06/apple-is-holding-up-house-of-cards.html
Apple looking to hire Antenna Engineer - iPad/iPhone
Responsibilities: Define and implement antenna system architecture to optimize the radiation performance for wireless portable devices. The candidate should be able to design antennas suitable for wireless handheld devices with excellent radiation performance, including TRP, TIS, SAR, and EMC. Work closely with other RF and antenna design engineers, mechanical and industrial designers, and EMC engineers to integrate the antenna design in our products. The candidate will be expected to performance radiation performance measurements, create test plans, execute them, publish test reports, provide feedback to the other design engineers, and lead some of the manufacturing of antenna.
Skills and Experience:
* 10+ years of experience in RF with at least 5 years in antenna design and test for wireless consumer products.
* MSEE required, PhD is preferred.
* Must have working experience of antenna design and tests, anechoic chambers, and RF test equipment. Hands-on is a must.
* Must have strong problem solving skills and strong working knowledge of radiation performance. Antenna and wave propagation theoretical background is essential.
* Experience with different wireless communication systems such as GSM/GPRS/EDGE, 802.11, Bluetooth, etc., including the corresponding system level specifications (e.g. ETSI 51.010, 51.05…) is essential.
* Experience with regulatory requirements and process for wireless consumer devices, including FCC, PTCRB, CTIA, ETSI, TIA/EIA, etc.
* Excellent communication skills required, both written & verbal.
* Detail oriented - taking data, using Excel, and making meaningful tables/graphs/averages.
Preferred Experience:
* Experience with simulation tools such as XFDTD, HFSS is a plus.
http://jobs.apple.com/index.ajs?BID=1&method=mExternal.showJob&RID=55852&CurrentPage=1