On June 24th, Apple released the new iPhone, iPhone 4. The majority of consumer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Much has been said about the fact that the new iPhone is sleeker than previous generations. Likewise, new iPhone owners agree that the retina display is pristinely clear. And, the list of improvements and upgrades goes on and on for the iPhone 4. Despite all of the good things that have been said about the new iPhone, however, there has been one problem that many consumers are reporting. More than anything else, new iPhone owners have been reporting problems with the antenna on the iPhone 4.
When the first consumers began reporting problems with the iPhone antenna, many believed that perhaps the problem stemmed from faulty software. Since this time, however, it has been revealed that the problem actually stems from the way that people hold the iPhone. What this means is that there will not be a software update to fix the problem with the new iPhone. And while this may come as disappointing to new iPhone owners looking for a quick fix to their iPhone antenna problem, the good news is that the problem could be solved by something as simple as holding the phone in a different manner.
A number of technology specialists have investigated the problem, and they have found that the problem is one primarily of design. The Apple design team placed the antenna inside the stainless steel band that circles the iPhone 4. The idea was that placing the antenna where users normally hold the phone would increase signal strength. As it turns out, the theory has held true, and the iPhone 4 has stronger signal strength than any other iPhone to date. Of course, there is one exception: When users cup their hands over the phone in a certain way, it causes the iPhone to drop its signal.
Apple has commented on the problem, and pointed out that this type of issue arises in every phone out there. But because the antenna is placed in the outer shell of the iPhone 4, the problem becomes more pronounced than in other phones, resulting in dropped calls. As it turns out, the problem is one of physics, and it is impossible to avoid – even for Apple.
New iPhone 4 owners will be relieved to hear that there is a quick solution to the iPhone 4 antenna problem. An iPhone bumper case that surrounds the outside of the iPhone 4 is available for purchase at the Apple Store. This bumper case makes it much more difficult to drop calls on the new iPhone. Unfortunately, Apple has not gone so far as to subsidize these cases or give them away to iPhone owners for free. Fortunately, however, the rubber bumper cases only cost $29, which is well worth the investment.
