antenna

Apple may have offered a solution to faulty antenna allegations, but that hasn't stopped customers from getting the courts involved.

On Friday yet another lawsuit was filed against Apple for "misrepresenting and concealing material information in the marketing, advertising, sale, and servicing of its iPhone 4--particularly as it relates to the quality of the mobile phone antenna and reception and related software."

The suit was filed on behalf of Steve Tietze and others in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and is seeking class action status. Tietze accuses Apple of unfair competition, … Read more

Consumer Reports on Friday may have gone a long way toward alleviating consumer concern over the iPhone 4's reception issues, saying the problems are not "unique, and may not be serious."

The consumer watchdog group posted a story on its Web site acknowledging that if the iPhone 4 is held in a certain way, signal loss may result. However, it also said the loss is nothing different than you get from any other phone on the market today.

"Indeed, all cell phones, from the mightiest smartphones to the most basic flip models, must consistently overcome a … Read more

Apple's recent explanation of iPhone 4 reception issues--that they're linked to Apple's miscalculation of how it measures signal strength on iPhones--has left many people wondering what that five-bar icon displayed on the phone really means.

Earlier on Friday, Apple issued a statement blaming iPhone reception issues on a software miscalculation rather than on hardware design. Since the iPhone 4 launched last week, thousands of consumers have complained that when gripping the phone around the lower left-hand corner of the device, the signal degrades or calls are dropped.

Apple acknowledged the problem, and explained that customers were simply … Read more

There's a fix coming for the iPhone 4's antenna problems: Apple will make the signal strength meter go higher, no matter what. Seriously? Yes. Also, Steve Jobs did not say, "It's just a phone," Microsoft doesn't care which way you insert your batteries, and there is no space dust on Hayabusa.

Apple now blames reception issues that many new iPhone 4 customers are experiencing on a software miscalculation rather than on hardware design. But will a software update really fix the problems that many customers are reporting?

I'm not sure I am buying Apple's explanation.

Since the iPhone 4 launched last week, thousands of consumers have complained that when gripping the phone around the lower left-hand corner of the device, the signal degrades or calls are dropped. Apple acknowledged the problem, and explained that customers were simply covering up the antenna with their hand. CEO Steve Jobs told consumers … Read more

Apple will issue a free software update "within a few weeks" to fix a reception problem affecting its newly released iPhone 4.

In a statement released early Friday, Apple said it was "stunned" to learn that a formula it had used to calculate the reception strength of its smartphone was wrong. Apple also said that customers can return undamaged iPhones within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.

See also: "Poking holes in Apple's iPhone 4 antenna explanation"

Here's the text of Apple's Friday statement:

The … Read more

After the shortest time on market ever, the Microsoft Kin has been unceremoniously yanked from market. Which, I guess, you could see as swift and decisive action on Microsoft's part, rather than a total failure of the company's mixed-up mobile strategy. Or both. Also, Apple lawsuits, Google's uncertain future in China, and the Woot monkey finds a new home at Amazon.

There's one surefire way to solve the iPhone 4 antenna problem: don't let your hand or fingers come in contact with its metal band.

Easier said than done, right? Unless you're willing to constantly use the speakerphone, a headset, or a pair of gloves, your only viable option is to keep the iPhone in a case--or, as some have discovered, wrap it in a rubber "bumper."

iPhone Guru blogger Oliver Nelson crafted a clever DIY iPhone 4 bumper solution out of one of those rubber wristbands you probably have sitting in a junk drawer.

It'… Read more

Barely a week since the public got its hands on the iPhone 4, the first lawsuit over it has been filed.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland on behalf of Kevin McCaffrey, Linda Wrinn, and others on Wednesday, the suit accuses Apple and AT&T of knowingly distributing a phone with a malfunctioning antenna. The plaintiffs are seeking class action status. The iPhone maker and its exclusive carrier partner in the U.S. are accused of a laundry list of infractions, including: general negligence, defect in design, manufacture, and assembly, breach of warranty, … Read more