Today Consumer Reports updated their original review of the iPhone 4 after properly testing the device’s antenna. In their original review, CR recommended the iPhone 4: “The iPhone scored high, in part because it sports the sharpest display and best video camera we’ve seen on any phone…” They go on to praise the improved battery life, front-facing camera, and built-in gyroscope. During their time with the initial review test unit, they were “unable to replicate the [antenna] problems” that so many other iPhone owners seemed to be complaining about. For some reason or another, CR decided to bring the iPhone 4 into their labs to test the antenna problem head-on. (Why they didn’t do this in the first place is beyond me.) Their findings:
When your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone’s lower left side—an easy thing, especially for lefties—the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you’re in an area with a weak signal. Due to this problem, we can’t recommend the iPhone 4.
The tests were conducted inside a radio frequency isolation chamber, a room “which is impervious to outside radio signals.” After connecting “the phones to our base-station emulator, a device that simulates carrier cell towers” they concluded that all of their iPhone models were affected with the antenna problem. They also tested other AT&T smartphones (namely the iPhone 3G and Palm Pre) and “none of those phones had the signal-loss problems of the iPhone 4.” Boom.
CR goes on to say that these tests call into question Apple’s forthcoming software quick update which promises to fix the way the signal bars are displayed on the phone. After coming to this conclusion, they hint that the antenna problem is almost certainly a hardware issue, and a software update and blaming AT&T’s less than stellar network will not pave a way out of this sticky situation. Speaking of sticky, CR recommends that those affected with the antenna problem can remedy it by applying a small piece of duct tape over the antenna gap. Not only does this make the phone look downright ugly, it’s going to leave sticky residue and you just don’t want that on your hands (and mind). Go out and get a bumper case if you can’t manage to hold your phone differently. CR parts with these glum words: “Apple needs to come up with a permanent—and free—fix for the antenna problem before we can recommend the iPhone 4.” If the antenna problem is truly hardware-based (and it’s really starting to seem like it is), Apple needs to come out of hiding, admit their design flaw, fix it interally, and offer those affected with a free swap-out of updated models. Like stat.
[Via Consumer Reports]