iPhone Reception Issues Due To Poor Testing

Antenna Specialists Blames Apple, AT&T, FCC For the iPhone 4's Reception Issues

Have you been getting poor reception from your iPhone 4? We’ve had more than a few articles here covering the iPhone 4′s new reception problems, but who’s at fault for them? Spencer Webb is an antenna specialist and consultant who runs website AntennaSys. He’s not to blame for the iPhone 4′s issues, but he’s been the go-to guy for comment on why this is happening. He says – blame the FCC, Apple and AT&T for poor testing.

As Mr. Webb explains, the testing process for both the FCC and AT&T only requires the phone to be against the head, but they don’t require the phone to have a hand around it. As Webb explains, mobile phones did away with the traditional pull-up antenna some time ago, and went to an internal one. Because of SAR radiation, the antennas are located at the bottom of the phone, where you talk in to, the furthest away from your precious brain as it can be.

According to Webb, both the FCC and AT&T (which must approve everything running on it’s network) test the phone running against the human head, but they don’t test it with a hand holding it. Webb estimates that if you cause an electrical short between the antennas (see picture above), then reception on the phone will take a nose dive.

What’s a workaround? Webb says putting the phone in your pocket and using a Bluetooth headset should work. The problem is that that will draw more radiation into your body. Surely a problem – but what’s an iPhone owner to do.

Some have reported success with a case, or by putting black electrical tape over the slots that separate the GSM antenna and the Bluetooth antenna, to prevent them from shorting out.

Anybody found a good workaround for the reception? Does a case improve the issue?

Credit: Source.
Related Stories on TFTS:
  • Apple vs HTC: ITC Sides With Apple in Final Ruling In First HTC Complaint

    Apple Scores One More Victory Against HTC, ITC Issues Final Verdict Favorable to the iPhone Maker

  • New iPad Wi-Fi Issues Can Be Fixed While You Wait for Apple’s Solution

    iPad 3 Wi-Fi Reception Problem Deemed Fixable As It’s Not Hardware Related

  • Apple iTV Already In Testing at Rogers & BCE in Canada?

    Apple TV Prototype Already in The Wild, Features Include Siri Voice & Hand Gestures Controls

  • iOS Address Book Privacy to be Protected by Explicit Permission, Apple Says

    Apple Issues Brief Statement on iOS Contacts Debacle, It Kind of Ditches Responsibility For What Happened

  • Microsoft Allegedly Internally Testing Windows Phone 8

    Rumors Say That Microsoft Testing WP8 Apollo Ahead Of October Release, Dual-Core Processors & Bigger Screens Incoming?

  • No iPhone Nano Coming From Apple, Says Tim Cook

    Apple CEO Denies The Possibility Of Apple Making A Cheaper, Smaller, Prepaid iPhone



  • Comments are closed.