Apple's iPhone 4 antenna reception explanation: "We were stunned"
Apple finally addressed complaints about the iPhone 4's alleged reception issues in a statement today:
From Apple:
Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong. Our formula, in many instances, mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength. For example, we sometimes display 4 bars when we should be displaying as few as 2 bars. Users observing a drop of several bars when they grip their iPhone in a certain way are most likely in an area with very weak signal strength, but they don’t know it because we are erroneously displaying 4 or 5 bars. Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place.
To fix this, we are adopting AT&T’s recently recommended formula for calculating how many bars to display for a given signal strength. The real signal strength remains the same, but the iPhone’s bars will report it far more accurately, providing users a much better indication of the reception they will get in a given area. We are also making bars 1, 2 and 3 a bit taller so they will be easier to see.
We will issue a free software update within a few weeks that incorporates the corrected formula. Since this mistake has been present since the original iPhone, this software update will also be available for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G.
This is an archived version of the technology blog. For updated coverage, see the current baltTech location: baltimoresun.com/balttech
Comments
I wonder if this applies to all the "I" devices. I bet it does.
Posted by: SXS | July 2, 2010 10:48 AM
At this point there is no answer Apple can give to its customers and critics that will satisfy any of them.
Yes, they messed up. Yes, they have been handling it badly. Yes, people will still line up to purchase the Apple Technology Crack, because in the end it is better then everything else in the market today even with its flaws.
Wake up people we cannot have our cake and eat it too.
Posted by: Kenn | July 2, 2010 11:19 AM
Good article Gus. Here is a funny spin on the same release. Hope you and the readers like it.
BTW, what the heck is going on in Apple-town? Lots of missteps...but they still sell these things by the millions.
http://www.dailygoat.com/2010/07/apple-announces-stunned-iphone-suck/
Posted by: Brian | July 5, 2010 4:08 PM