There is no such thing as the perfect handset. Simply put, everything has its own design and manufacturing flaws. While Apple’s iPhone 4 may have suffered such issues (and indignities) worst of today’s new devices, going all out and pointing fingers is never a good idea.
Many of you may recall the whole antennagate issue that had Apple naming names and dropping brands like the entire mobile industry had a problem –and they did specifically state that outright. They even made videos to show their point. But one quick look and everyone can easily tell, the real antenna issue is not when a phone loses signal bars because it was being held in a funny way (upside down, flipped around, held with two hand cupping most parts, etc). It is when a phone completely loses signal strength because a pinky or ring finger is located where it should normally be when using the device.
All phones have antennas, and covering up the parts near the antennas will certainly affect performance –which is the same issue with the HTC HD7. While the phone does not suffer from the iPhone 4 syndrome, it does lose more bar than the typical smart phone.
HTC is aware of the issue and has stated that the problem is not that big of deal –and they are absolutely right. The most one can take off a good coverage is about two to three signal bars, completely losing connection would require going to an area with weak signal strength and holding the phone in a silly way using two hands. Seriously, that is not something to complain about.
The most interesting thing here is that HTC chose not to bring up Apple –the mere omission shows a level of professionalism that is so rarely displayed by the Cupertino based company. Steve Jobs ought to start jotting down notes on his iPad about this.
Posts Tagged ‘antenna’
Apple Could Learn a Thing or Two from HTC
Monday, December 6th, 2010Apple Rakes in More Profits as Steve Argues with Google
Wednesday, October 20th, 2010It certainly did not surprise market analysts when Apple announced that they have sold about 14.1 million units this quarter alone –that brings a continued level of growth for the Cupertino based company. While the gross margin for Apple has dropped from 41.8% to 36.9% many believe that it will still pick up when the last quarter of the year rolls around.
In the meanwhile, CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs is busy once again making his stand about the concept of open source known. The man declared that Apple provides a more stable environment for end users as compared to the Android OS. This is quite true, considering that the number of customizable settings on the Apple iOS is quite limited, and the fact that the only way to use the iOS is on Apple devices, there is certainly a degree of uniformity to the way the experience is executed.
However, this does not support Steve’s argument that the iOS is more “open” than the already open source Google Android mobile platform.
Moving on to more Apple related news, there is plenty of excitement over the latest released images of what might be the newest iPhone handset in the works. The initial screenshots reveal little other than the fact that the internal seems to have changed a bit from the iPhone 4. However, some state that the new handset may just as well be a second version of the iPhone 4 that addresses the antenna issue.
For those who missed out on the whole antennagate controversy; it has been proven that the hardware of the Apple iPhone 4 was badly designed in regards to the antenna. The device’s antenna has a weak spot that would lose signal strength when it comes into contact with the finger –and that spot is located on the side of the phone most likely to be held when making calls.
Apple iPhone 4: Coming this Friday on 3 UK
Thursday, July 29th, 2010Virtual mobile network operator 3 UK has confirmed that the Apple iPhone 4 is indeed coming to their network and that the smart phone will be ready for release on Friday.
The big launch is going to see 3 UK stores opening early and plenty of people queuing up for the device. However, 3’s representatives have announced that interested buyers should call ahead in order to schedule an appointment that would allow them to reserve a handset in advance. There is no official statement from Apple or 3 UK regarding how many stocks will be available in the stores so it is important for people to book in advance as queuing up will not ensure that buyers will receive an iPhone 4.
Considering how much issues the iPhone 4’s antenna has, it is surprising how the demand for the product has not gone down. According to reports, Apple’s stocks have taken a dip after the issue of the antenna problem got out of hand and that despite the large demand for the iPhone 4, Apple needs to consider changing their production methods.
A couple of weeks back, the Cupertino based company held an emergency conference with Steve Jobs at the helm of the event. According to Jobs, the antenna issue is something that affects all mobile phones and that this is not just a problem for Apple, but for the entire industry as well. However, it has to be noted that the average smart phone will lose about 10% to 30% of signal strength when the antenna comes into contact with human touch. The iPhone 4 however, loses a solid 90% due to the way that the antenna and the handset were designed.
Apple has since stated that they will be giving out free bumper cases for iPhone 4 owners. The bumper case will prevent the antenna from being accidentally touched during phone operation.
Apple Antenna Issue: German Testers Investigate
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010It is never a good thing to hear that the antenna issue is a challenge to the entire mobile phone industry. After all, avoiding the problem has never really been a good idea in the first place. But that is exactly what Apple is trying to do with their most recent statements regarding the iPhone 4 and its’ faulty antenna. However, these reasoning and arguments can only go so far, other mobile phone makers have given their reactions, and even consumer groups are taking an active role.
Take the German group, Stiftung Warentest. They recently took an Apple iPhone 4 and put it through heavy testing in order to determine what the problem truly is. According to the results, the Apple iPhone 4’s antenna is truly faulty –to a point that no other antenna has been designed that bad.
We all know that blocking, touching or interfering in any way with an antenna will affect signal strength. For mobile phones, this usually achieves a negative effect (with some radios, human contact might actually be a signal boost), and the entire industry is already aware of the situation. This is why most phones are designed with antennas that are out of the way, unlikely to be touched, and most importantly, does not lose much signal strength.
On an average, about 10 to 20% of signal strength can be lost if the device’s antenna is touched. For the Apple iPhone 4 however, the slightest contact with human skin will cause the device to drop about 90% of signal strength –enough to kill any network connection with a strength that is not at full signal.
One major factor here is that on an average, signal strength is anywhere from 70% to 90% in most urban areas, which means that even in these high signal areas, iPhone 4 smart phones will be completely useless unless fingers are kept away from the antenna.
RIM News Update: Onyx 9780 in Images, Bold 9700 in Apple Sham
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
Manufacturer Research in Motion’s BlackBerry series of mobile phones has always managed to capture the interest and attention of many people in the industry. From their wholly dedicated business model handsets to the more made-for-everyone devices, each BlackBerry model has been created and designed with the interest and needs of users in mind.
It is surprising how Cupertino based Apple has managed to bring in RIM’s BlackBerry Bold 9700 smart phone to the recently held emergency conference to discuss the antenna problems that have been plaguing the iPhone 4.
According to Steve Jobs, all mobile phone antennas will lose signals when touched by human skin, and that devices such as the Bold 9700 are no different. This remark quickly drew the attention of the co-founders of BlackBerry, who immediately released a public statement countering Apple’s allegations.
More importantly, they stressed the fact that BlackBerry handsets do not need to be used with a casing in order to work properly –as is the problem with the iPhone 4. Other mobile phone manufacturers such as Samsung, Motorola, LG and Nokia have expressed similar statements as well.
In other BlackBerry related updates, the BB Onyx 9780 has just been leaked in a close up image that reveals how the new smart phone looks like. Keeping in tune with the original BlackBerry form factor, the device has a 2.44 inch TFT display on top and a physical QWERTY keyboard on portrait orientation below. The slight curves and 4 row lay-out will prove to be familiar and reassuring for many existing BlackBerry users.
The device has been revealed to be using the new BlackBerry OS 6, which is supposed to be geared towards multimedia playback more than anything. While the device will certainly prove to be a superior messaging and texting handset, it will also have a better user interface when it comes to handling media files such as music and videos.
Fixing Apple’s Image After iPhone 4 Issues Cost £114 million
Monday, July 26th, 2010
To sustain their free bumper program, Apple will be investing about 114 million GBP into manufacturing new cases to giveaway. With about 3 million users and counting, Apple’s supply is hardly enough even if they stopped selling their supply of bumper cases on their online store.
The announcement regarding the company’s budget overages to supply users with their free bumper cases came from Apple’s own Peter Oppenheimer in a talk discussing the performance of the mobile industry giant. This analysis was focused on what went on during the last three months and Oppenheimer stated that the 114 million GBP expense was not going to be included into the company’s figures for Q3.
The outspoken Chief Executive Officer over at Apple, Steve Jobs, was the one that delivered the news about the free bumper cases to their loyal customers. This was done in order to pacify any users who were angered by the controversial reception issues. Unlike other mobile phone units, the iPhone 4 had an uncanny tendency to drop calls when the lower left portion of the device comes in contact with human skin. In short, the reception issues were caused by poor planning of the iPhone 4’s antenna position. This flaw makes the unit hard to use by left handed consumers.
Upon analyzing their product’s issues, Apple found out that recalling every single iPhone 4 out in the market will net them a total of 1 billion GBP in expenses. Compared to the 114 million GBP, they will suffer more losses from the latter and thus they have opted for the most cost effective solution.
The free bumper giveaway will be available for iPhone 4 owners up to the month of September this year. What lies in store beyond that month is anyone’s guess but rumors are already surfacing about an iPhone 5 with superior reception.
Demand for Apple iPhone 4 Sustained
Friday, July 23rd, 2010
It seems that despite the relatively bad publicity Apple got at the end of last Friday’s emergency conference, people are still dazzled by the stylish new form of the iPhone 4 to realize that they are purchasing a broken smart phone –that or nobody really seems to care as owning the latest Apple handset is the in-thing for this generation.
Steve Jobs and his crew at Cupertino are still adamant that the iPhone 4 has no problems whatsoever, and if this denial is based on the sheer number of sales the iPhone 4 generates, then we doubt that they would ever change their tune anytime soon. According to Apple’s chief of operations, retailers are still calling in constantly in order to acquire more units of the latest Apple smart phone. At this point, the company is literally selling every handset that they can produce.
Return rates are still a major statistic that Apple loves to point out; chief of operations Tim Cook parrots Jobs’ statements regarding the lowered return rates for the iPhone 4 when it comes to the antenna issues. They insist that there were more 3G units that were returned. While it is easy to believe this data, the lower return rates do not immediately imply customer satisfaction. Not all dissatisfied iPhone 4 owners are willing to refund their smart phones.
In a reaction to Steve Jobs’ generalizing statements and naming of specific handsets during the conference, various mobile phone makers have made public reactions. Research in Motion was the first to give a reaction, followed by Samsung over the weekend and HTC at the start of the week. Nokia and Motorola, despite not being named directly in the conference, have also expressed that their handsets do not suffer from the same antenna issues as the Apple iPhone 4.
HTC Calls Foul on Apple’s Presentation
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
Steve Jobs singled out three mobile phone makers last Friday night during the emergency Apple press conference. He was discussing the antenna and claimed that the problem is a challenge for the whole industry and that other mobile phones are also suffering from the same problems.
However, that is far from the truth. Samsung and Research in Motion have already made their official statements regarding the issue after their handsets were included in the Apple presentation (the Samsung Omnia 2 and the BlackBerry Bold 9700). Now, the last of the three companies mentioned in the event, HTC, has also made a statement regarding the issue.
The Taiwan based manufacturer’s chief financial officer spoke to the Wall Street Journal and indicated that their company does not agree with Steve Jobs. According to HTC CFO Hui-Meng Cheng, “The reception problems are certainly not common among smart phones, (Apple) apparently didn’t give operators enough time to test the phone.”
Which is actually quite true, after all, the iPhone 4 is the only mobile phone that requires a casing to be used properly. Even Apple’s older handsets do not suffer from the same issues –which basically show that all the statistics that Jobs presented on stage are not worth listening to.
Of course, the real issue here is that in a single night, Steve Jobs did not only manage to bring in the ire and disapproval of so many Apple iPhone 4 owners, but also managed to get on the bad side of several industry partners. Motorola and Nokia, despite not being mentioned in the conference, also voiced their disapproval of the notion that “all phones are equal”.
In the end, the conference did nothing but announce that Apple is giving out free cases. The antenna issue remains unsolved and industry has more reason to hate Apple even more.
Samsung and Motorola: Also Unhappy with Apple
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010In a single evening, Apple not only managed to belittle an issue that affected over a million iPhone 4 users (all of them actually), but the Cupertino based company also managed to insult various mobile phone manufacturers.
Nokia and RIM have already made their voices heard as they reacted to Apple’s lecture about mobile phone antennas. RIM gave a particularly strong rebuke of the issue, stating that their devices to not suffer from the issues as the iPhone 4 and not a single BlackBerry handset needs to have a casing to be used properly.
Anyway, the BlackBerry Bold was not the only handset that was mentioned by Apple, they also stated that HTC devices and the Samsung Omnia 2 were prone to losing signal strength.
This was one remark that the Korean phone maker did not take lightly. While the company has yet to make a major announcement, a spokesperson for Samsung stated several key points, “The antenna is located at the bottom of the Omnia 2 phone, while iPhone’s antenna is on the lower left side of the device. Our design keeps the distance between a hand and an antenna”.
Samsung also added that they test their products thoroughly to ensure that quality is top notch –and at the very least, these phones do not suffer from the same instability that the iPhone 4 is suffering from at the moment.
Motorola, while not directly being attacked by Apple, has already made a sentiment regarding the issue. They told reporters that they believe that consumers do not appreciate what Apple did: telling people how to hold a handset is never a good idea, after all, these buyers understand how to use mobile phones. They also stated that to avoid mistakes like the one Apple made, Motorola devices have an internal antenna instead of having it located outside where it is jammed easily just by touch.
Steve Jobs: Giving Out Free iPhone Cases
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
The announcement that Apple has given in the emergency press conference was that Apple would be giving out free cases to all iPhone 4 owners. It has not been disclosed as to how the cases will be distributed, though one of the slides clearly indicated that it can be shipped.
According to Jobs, all buyers of the iPhone Bumper will be refunded (though it was not said that the refund would be full) and that they would not be able to produce ‘enough Bumpers’ which means that the cases are not going to be the nice looking iPhone Bumpers that are being sold on the online store. At this point, any details on what the free cases would be are speculations.
Of course, Apple has once again avoided the issue of admitting that the iPhone 4’s antenna has real problems. Steve Jobs has been adamant in stating that there is no Applegate and the issue also exists in other handsets as well. Naturally, that last bit did not go too well with other mobile phone manufacturers –particularly RIM, given that the Blackberry Bold 9700 was used as an example of this. RIM have released an official statement regarding the issue.
They stated that their phones have no problems like the iPhone 4 at all, and a BlackBerry handset does not require the use of a case to ensure that calls are not dropped.
Jobs also stated that Apple does not rely on “a wall of PR” to handle problems which is why they take things on “personal level”. He has failed to see that it is for the benefit of Apple that they need a wall of PR protecting the public and companies in the industry from Apple’s aggressive and often offensive actions.
Anyway, going back to the free cases, it is rather odd that it has taken Apple over three weeks to come out with this solution. After all, most of the existing users have been posting it on various boards, forums and Tweets –as well as on some official Apple channels.