Thinking of returning iPhone 4

[no golf clubs at all]

I am more concerned that the "fault" has NOT been fixed by the addition of the £25 bumper! 

Sure, it improves it but I really have started now to notice the issue, particularly when surfing/ browsing...perhaps the build up of heat in the hand has something to do with making it worse.

Bit sick of the issue now, the forums across the planet are going tonto over this issue, I am sure the yanks will slap some kind of class action on Apple soon.

[cmdrfire]

There's already a class-action lawsuit in progress in Cali.
Gizmodo's also campaigning for, if the fault can't be fixed, free "bumper" covers.

[MitchGTI]

well ive had my 4 since release and have had not one single problem with it? its the best phone ive had admittedly i was a little bit dissapointed but still is a great phone! and i get more signal now then i ever had, i never used to get wifi or a bar of signal in my bedroom now i get 2 bars of wifi and 3 bars of signal! so i cant understand where all this signal loss is coming from? maybe a bad batch? or 2? or 3? or 4?....

[cmdrfire]

well ive had my 4 since release and have had not one single problem with it? its the best phone ive had admittedly i was a little bit dissapointed but still is a great phone! and i get more signal now then i ever had, i never used to get wifi or a bar of signal in my bedroom now i get 2 bars of wifi and 3 bars of signal! so i cant understand where all this signal loss is coming from? maybe a bad batch? or 2? or 3? or 4?....

Depends entirely on how you hold the phone; the RF antenna design is such that you get a better signal than most phones, but if you hold the phone such that you bridge the 3G and WiFi antennae your hand acts a conduction path which attenuates the signal. It's not a batch issue, it's a design issue. If your normal holding position means you don't bridge the gap, or you use a bumper or case, you'll often get better signal than you would with a 3G or 3GS. If your natural position bridges the gap, prepare for dropped calls and loss of signal.

[MitchGTI]

i use a case but i had it with out a case for over a week and it had not one problem signal? and i dont no anyone else bar on here that does suffer from the problem?

[andrewparker]

So it's looking increasingly likely that Apple will issue a recall on the iPhone 4.

There is going to be a news conference at 6pm that will issue the antenna problems.

[no golf clubs at all]

Well.... Note my words above.  If it's a free frickin bumper they can think again because the bumper does NOT fix the issue....

[Richn83]

I am more concerned that the "fault" has NOT been fixed by the addition of the £25 bumper! 

Sure, it improves it but I really have started now to notice the issue, particularly when surfing/ browsing...perhaps the build up of heat in the hand has something to do with making it worse.

Bit sick of the issue now, the forums across the planet are going tonto over this issue, I am sure the yanks will slap some kind of class action on Apple soon.

Could be that the moisture on your skin along with saline solution (sweat) on your hands as they warm up will help increase the conductivity of your hand increasing the bridging effect of your hand.  Bear in mind I dont have an iphone 4 but I wouldnt be very happy if I got told to have a bumper round the aerial that materially changed the design and appearance of my device in order for it to no longer have bridging issues.

And I would be suprised if a software tweak could fix the problem, since its a physical issue, maybe apple should release a special glove 

[cmdrfire]

Gizmodo is speculating that Apple is doing a "stealth" recall. Some dude apparently had his swapped at an Apple store and the replacement unit appeared to have a slightly matte coating on the antenna.

[MAT ED30]

Mines dropping signal down to 1 bar lots now no matter how it's held and mine has a bump around it so that is bollox if they think it solved it   

[vRS Carl]

There is no way on this Earth Apple will recall that many iPhones

The most they will do is offer compensation or a free bumper.

Personally i haven't had a problem nor can i replicate the problem. As i have now covered it in Carbon Fibre i doubt a bumper will make any difference

[neg]

Even if the bump solves it slightly is not really a 'solution' from a company like Apple, plus isnt this just covering the antenna anyway so effectively reducing the signal slightly anyway

I agree on the recall though, fat chance that happening - I dont mind being proved wrong though

[andrewparker]

I really think Apple will recall. It doesn't matter how many phones it is, their reputation is worth more than a few million phones.

The free bumper thing is a no-goer for me, it's a total admission of failure, which they're fixing with a botch job.

[vRS Carl]

I'll happily eat my words if they do but it would cost them billions.

They would have to take everyone's phone off them and then either refund them or give them another phone to tide them over while they fix the problem.

I can't understand how a bumper doesn't fix it as the antenna is now insulated by the rubber so it shouldn't matter how you hold it then unless some part of the antennas are not covered by the bumper.

I reckon they will provide a software update to fix the Algorithm calculating the Bars to display and then possibly give free or heavily discounted bumpers.

The could always give us the case they used to try and disguise the prototype that got Lost/Stolen  

[vRStu]

Sky News have been citing that there may be a recall.

I've ordered one and there is around a 3 to 4 week wait - Emergency redesign maybe??

I think if they did a recall it would be in the form of a swapout for a replacement so you wouldn't be without a handset but there maybe a delay while more are manufactured.