Antenna

Consumer Reports Recommends the iPhone 4S, We Do Not Recommend Consumer Reports

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated February 19, 2018

Remember how Consumer Reports refused to recommend the iPhone 4 because of its infamous reception problems? Now, the influential magazine has given the iPhone 4S a different diagnosis, coming to a rather different conclusion.

Consumer Reports is being considerably nicer to Apple's latest iPhone, saying that it does not suffer from any of the antenna-related reception issues that plagued its predecessor.

As a result of the improved antenna found in the iPhone 4S, Consumer Reports is now willing to let bygones be bygones, and is happy to list the handset as a "recommended device." But that's not all...

iPhone 4S Death Grip Test

Guest Author ∙ October 15, 2011

Remember the iPhone 4 antennagate debacle? For those of you who don't, when Apple released the GSM iPhone 4 last year, users began to notice that when the handset was held with the left hand, connecting the two antennas, cell reception dropped significantly (this was dubbed the "death grip"), often resulting in complete signal loss.

Although Apple tried to fix the antenna problem with a software update, the update did not completely rid the iPhone 4 of the issue. Apple then decided to give out free bumper cases, which seemed to prevent the antenna problem from occurring.

Last week, Apple announced the new iPhone 4S, in addition to an improved 8MP camera, Siri, and new A5 processor, included a redesigned antenna...

What’s Different About the iPhone 4S Antenna?

Oliver Haslam ∙ October 6, 2011

One part of Apple's iPhone 4S announcement that perhaps isn't getting all that much talk time (see what I did there?) is the new, redesigned antenna system. That's particularly interesting considering how eager everyone was so talk about it, back when the iPhone 4 was suffering from the good ol' AntennaGate debacle!

So, what's so new about Apple's latest redesign of something that most phone manufacturers never even talk about at all?

Cydle i30: The digital TV Receiver for Your iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 27, 2017

Forget about streaming services like Hulu Plus and Netflix, what about if you want live TV? Apps like SlingPlayer do a pretty good job of broadcasting your TV content, but it requires some sort of internet connection.

For folks who just have to catch the local news at 9 on the go, comes the Cydle i30. The slide-on accessory will enable users to receive local OTA (over the air) digital broadcasts, right on the iPhone...

White iPhone 4 Antenna and Proximity Sensor Tested

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 11, 2018

Italian tech blog iSpazio has already posted one of the web's first unboxing videos, and now they've followed that up with another video showcasing the white iPhone 4's potential issues, if any.

Among the many rumored reasons why the white iPhone 4 was ever delayed in the first place was due to the fact that the material used caused proximity sensor issues. This understandably wasn't up to snuff with Apple's notorious quality assurance standards.

Eventually all of those issues got straightened out. Was it the white paint after all? We still may never know the true reasons behind the delay, but it's good to know that whatever was holding the white version of Apple's top selling smartphone back, has been fixed...

The video shows the iPhone handling any potential proximity or antenna issues like a champ. This is likely to do with the reengineering of the proximity sensor, and some tweaks to the iPhone's antenna.

We're sure iFixIt will have a full tear down of the device to spot the differences between it and the black iPhone 4 before two shakes of a donkey's tail.

Now who's ready for some good old-fashioned white iPhone 5 rumors to begin?

First Lawsuit Filed For iPhone Location-Tracking Debacle

Guest Author ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

I had a feeling this was coming. The very first lawsuit has been filed against Apple for the highly controversial tracking of location data from the iPhone and iPad.

According to Bloomberg, a lawsuit was filed against Apple on April 22nd in Tampa, Florida, at a federal court by iPhone user, Vikram Ajjampur, and iPad user, William Devito. The two iDevice users claim that Apple has been surreptitiously tracking the location of iPhone and iPad owners.

They claim to have filed the lawsuit in an effort to stop the alleged data collection by Apple.

Weird Way To Improve Your iPhone 4’s Reception

Alex Heath ∙ March 20, 2011

Still suffering from the antennagate problem with the iPhone 4? How about spotty coverage on AT&T?

A strange and inventive method will supposedly help your reception strength. Next time you find yourself with crummy coverage, put your iPhone in a glass. You probably want to make sure it's empty first...

iPhone 5 to Have Aluminum Back and New Antenna Design?

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Apple originally used a plastic back for the iPhone, then they switched to a glass backing for the iPhone 4. The glass back coupled with the antenna issues in the iPhone 4 did not bear well for the device, and it appears that Apple is considering using an aluminum back for the iPhone 5.

A report from the Taiwanese Economic Daily News claims that Apple is abandoning the glass backing from the iPhone 5 in favor of a stronger aluminum covering. The source also suggests that Apple's new antenna will be inside the device's rear Apple logo...

Don’t Hold Your iPhone Too Close to Your Head, Apple Says So

Cody Lee ∙ March 7, 2011

I'm sure we have all, at some point, heard about the possible dangers of extensive cell phone use. But if you're like me, you have continuously brushed off the claims, with an I'll-believe-it-when-I-see-it mentality. Well, maybe it's time we paid attention.

In your iPhone 4 booklet, about 5 pages in, is a warning about Exposure to Radio Frequency Energy. Well, it's just your standard legal disclaimer in case a freak accident happens, right? Wrong. If you continue to read on, the user manual actually requests you hold your iPhone 5/8 inch away from your body...

Consumer Reports Doesn’t Recommend the Verizon iPhone Due to Antenna Issues

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Proving that they do have something against Apple, the fine folks at Consumer Reports have refused to give the Verizon iPhone their official recommendation. After testing the Verizon iPhone for antenna issues, Consumer Reports determined that the same "antennagate" issue that plagued the original iPhone 4 on AT&T also plagues the CDMA version of the iPhone.

Despite the Verizon iPhone being generally well received by the public and press, the stubbornness of Consumer Reports prevails with their verdict of judgement.

Apple to Customers: “You Don’t Have to Hold it Wrong Anymore”

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated November 5, 2017

If you're in the US and go to Apple's website right now, you'll probably going to be greeted by the image of 2 iPhones: the AT&T one, and the newly released Verizon iPhone. If you have a closer look at this image, you can see that the position of the hand is different from one phone to the other.

The hand barely touches the AT&T iPhone, whereas it is fully gripping the Verizon iPhone. So, is Apple trying to tell us something?

New Verizon iPhone Has Antenna Issues Too

Sébastien Page ∙ February 8, 2011

Just when you thought we were done with the antennagate, a new video from iLounge surfaced, showing that the Verizon iPhone is also affected by an antenna issue. When held in the prior "death grip" position, the Verizon iPhone loses substantial cellular signal, just like we previously saw with GSM iPhone 4.

Additionally, the CDMA iPhone 4 seems to be affected by a loss of wifi signal when held snugly in landscape mode. Both issues seem to be taken care of with the use of a case...