iphone 4 signal

[peahouse05]

Hello All
Youngest daughter bought an iphone 4 last week without telling me, as they do, but then wanted me to sort it out.
Had read about signal problems if you dare to pick the phone up, but still a surprise when you try it for yourself.
The phone was from Orange and the signal to my cheapo basic phone is never less than three bars. However the 3G signal on the iphone was between two bars and 'no service' even when held in fingertips. Put it down and three or four bars appear. The wifi connection seems to come and go despite being near full strength for laptops anywhere in the bungalow.
Its going RMA tomorrow and she is thinking of buying the same phone from O2, as eldest daughter and husband have this set-up with no problems and live about 1/2 mile away.
Have looked at Windows phones but youngest likes itunes and off course Apple is 'cool' - ye Gods how I wish for a trolley bus with a bakelite wireless, Dansette record player and a sailor with an Aldiss lamp - on second thoughts forget the sailor!
Rant over
Cheers
peahouse05

 

[EvanDavis]

Peahouse I got an iPhone 4 on an upgrade. I was excited abut it. Heard so many things about it. My last iPhone was good and I got good sevice out of it, alway al bars showing in signal, at home when connected to WiFi again good signal. Anyway got home, put sim in new phone and wala, only one bar signal. I thought ok leave it for an hour or two to settle etc, no luck, still the same. Changed sim into old phone, full signal, changed sim into crap LG veiwty, full signal. Back to iPhone 4. 1 bar. Called up O2, been my carrier, they sent all kinds of signals etc as they do when they test. Eventually they said send the phone back. I packaged it that day and sent it back. 2 days later I got a new one. charged it, put sim in and hey ho 1 bar signal. Again on phone to O2. Customer support man say " Mr Davis are you sure you have set it up right ? " he went through about 90 questions with me only to say send it back. I said cancel order, don't wanna know anymore. Me no happy

 

[V_R]

Well ive had an iPhone 4 for a while now, never had any signal issues, yes it does loose a bar or tw owhen you cover the black divider between the two antennas, but i never loose signal and it causes no issues in calls.

That will happen with any phone. Wifi is alway very good for me too.

Sounds like you may be in a poor signal area?

Your on 4.1 yes?

Mine is Jailbroken on 4.1 but should not be any different.

Evan, your story sounds odd to me, you know the iPhone 4 is a micro sim unlike any other phone right? So how did you manage to swap the sim into other phones....?

 

[EvanDavis]

Evan, your story sounds odd to me, you know the iPhone 4 is a micro sim unlike any other phone right? So how did you manage to swap the sim into other phones....?

Let m story sound odd to you V_R. Cast your eye on THIS site.. Now would Sir like to retract his statment of disbelief ?

 

[V_R]

It wasn't a 'statement of disbelieve'

Yes i forgot you could get an adaptor. I guess it must just be the way your tell it.

You could try this?

Interesting read here...
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3821/iphone-4-redux-analyzing-apples-ios-41-signal-fix


Still sounds like you got a dodgy phone though, The whole signal thing has been way blown out of proportion.

and i used to be an apple hater.

PS i fixed your link.

 

[peahouse05]

Thanks for the replies
Did not want to stir up a fuss but will try to update my experience of the iphone 4.
First, the SIM card adaptor is included in the box so you can use the mini SIM card in another phone but obviously cannot use a standard card in the iphone 4.
Second, attended eldest Granddaughter's fourth birthday party today with five iphone 4 owners in the room. They all switch off Orange or O2 3G service to use the phone as a phone in the Flexbury area of Bude - the 'ordinary' signals work fine as I know from my Nokia phone on Orange. But as they all obviously rate 'Apple cool' as more important than the thing working they are happy.
Third, they all have rubber 'thingys' around their phones - the best one apparently costs £25 but most are free. We are all made of electrolyte (salt and water) so are good absorbers of radio waves, also we make good capacitors as is evidenced by approaching a portable TV aerial. But I have never heard of any of this seriously affecting a mobile phone - are they not just meant to work or are you meant to shout at them from a distance?
Fourth and finally, Daughter's phone was constantly searching for the 3G signal or on one bar when held. With one bar the wifi was fine but as soon as it was searching the wifi connection became intermittent.
I conclude that the processor cannot cope with maintaining the wifi connection and searching for the 3G signal simultaneously. This may be all bo--ocks but I have deleted the set-up on this phone and will be RMAing it tomorrow.
If anybody is still reading this - thanks
peahouse05

 

[muckshifter]

aye, I'm reading ... and I concur, it don't matter if it works, and the i4 is a bad apple , but it's "cool" innit.

my brother has had 3 i4s so far ...

 

[crazylegs]

If its searching and hunting constantly the battery would be dead in double quicktime too!

 

[V_R]

I honestly dont get what issues people have having. Mine has been fine, better since the 4.1 update. Have you updated to iOS 4.1?

Did you read the link i posted above?

Reception in average conditions is sometimes significantly better on the iPhone 4 than on the 3GS. Take a look at the image capture below. In the same exact location we have better reception on the 4 than the 3GS. Granted this could be due to a number of variables outside of the phone’s antenna itself, but it happened enough times that it’s worth reporting. This is the positive to Apple’s external antenna design - you can and do get better reception.

The iPhone 4 is better at holding onto calls and data at very low signal levels. We’ve mentioned this one before but it’s worth reiterating. The new antenna does let me make calls and transmit data at very low signal strength. With the iOS 4.0.1 update I was able to make a call at -115dB on the 3GS, however the call did drop within a minute of starting it. By comparison I was able to have a much longer conversation without dropping the call at -120dB on the 4. By no means is this a scientific comparison, but anecdotally both Brian and I feel that the low signal strength performance of the iPhone 4 is better than the 3GS.

I conclude that the processor cannot cope with maintaining the wifi connection and searching for the 3G signal simultaneously.

Sorry but that is utter crap. The phone has one of the fastest processors out there...
Download aMonitor from the app store of you want to see just how much CPU time is being used.

I really think you have a bad/faulty phone.

 

[V_R]

Oh and to add something i forgot about earlier....

I never got a SIM adaptor with mine...

Maybe that is the difference, I got mine SIM free direct from Apple rather than Vodafone etc.

 

[peahouse05]

Thanks for all the replies,
Daughter has sent back the iphone and is going to order an HTC Wildfire PAYG - she just wants a phone that works as a phone and on the Internet with no downloading this and adjusting that. Bude is not quite the end of the world - there are mobile phone masts everywhere - these Apple phones should work without having to be handled with tongs - plastic ones please!
They remind me of the Austin Allegro with the 'quartic wheel' and 'linear speedo', or was that the Austin 1100?
Ok, bring back the sailor with the Aldiss lamp!
Cheers
peahouse05

 

[floppybootstomp]

That would be the Austin Allegro.....

There was also a square steering wheel cover available to suit for just 3000 Green Shield Stamps

Myself, I wouldn't own an iPhone if you poked me repeatedly with an overcharged cattle prod for a week, pretentious, fashion-concious tosh that I've read just too much bad stuff about. My daughter has one and she's fairly savvy but a few weeks ago she managed to erase everything on the phone, including all her contacts and music.

Mind you, a Blackberry appeals to me, but I don't need one.

I don't need one.

Don't need a laptop or Netbook either.

So I won't get any of those things

My Samsung phone on £15.00 a month simcard deal works fine as a phone.

Sorted.

 

[peahouse05]

Thanks Flopps
I agree, Daughters don't really need one - they both have access to laptops. I have a Nokia 'whatever' - cost me £45 PAYG. Even this was a disappointment as previously I had taken over youngest daughter's phones she got bored with. Unfortunately the last slide thingy touch screen failed and I had to buy the above.
She is now after an HTC Wildfire PAYG from Argos at £140 but it is out of stock until sometime. I really hope she buys this as her last touch screen 'God knows what else' will be coming my way. Hang on - I think this one is on contract - must ask her about that.
Has any organisation in the world ever estimated the cost of appearing 'cool'?
If you want to be really cool come to Crooklets Bay, Bude on Christmas morning and join the swim for charity.
Cheers
peahouse05

 

[V_R]

I had the google Nexus one before the iPhone4, the Wildfire is the Nexus's baby brother. A very good phone. Android is very good to, very customizable.

She will like it.

 

[EvanDavis]

I never got a SIM adaptor with mine...
.

no you wouldn't have. You bu it seperate

 

[V_R]

no you wouldn't have. You bu it seperate

You sure about that?

Thanks for the replies
Did not want to stir up a fuss but will try to update my experience of the iphone 4.
First, the SIM card adaptor is included in the box so you can use the mini SIM card in another phone but obviously cannot use a standard card in the iphone 4.

 

[EvanDavis]

You sure about that?

Yes I bloody am. I didn't get one with my phone

 

[V_R]

I give up. So coz you didn't get one no one did/does?

 

[EvanDavis]

I give up. So coz you didn't get one no one did/does?

Jesus Christ on a bike with square wheels. How old are you ?

 

[floppybootstomp]

Jesus Christ on a bike with square wheels. How old are you ?

Consider this a yellow card.