Apple antenna issue a 'physics problem,' actually software problem

Brian Klug and Anand Shimpi at tech blog Anandtech have conducted most of the hands-on experiments comparing different smartphones in addition to their reception as soon as the antennas are covered. They sum up their findings with this: "At the completed through the day, Apple should add an insulative coating in to the steel band, or subsidize bumper cases. It's so easy."

The bumper case is definitely a rubber holder basically surrounds the outside of this mobile phone, and that also Apple started selling within 24 hours since iphone for $29. Apple has recently said it isn't giving the cases away for free. It's not clear why the corporate wouldn't make this happen, specifically when what the problem is might be reproduced by many, even though it varies by place and person.

At CNET, there we were capable of producing it, as have louis vuitton ipad 4 case several users who've posted YouTube videos. But Klug and Shimpi have measured and recorded approaches holding the iphone4 in a number of locations, the resulting signal drop, and compared it with theiPhone 3GS running the new ios 4 and theAndroid-based Nexus One. They did the experiment six times with each phone and averaged the impact for all device.

They conclude that Apple's design selected putting the antenna into the metal band the place where a user normally props up phone does improve signal strength. Yet when the user's hand cups chanel galaxy s3 case the unit, the signal is markedly decreased. The signal is "very understanding of direction, ambient conditions, and cell breathing," they write.

"The email address details are pretty self explanatory," they add. "Inside an incident, the apple iphone 4g performs slightly far better than the Nexus one mobile. However, attenuation gets measurably worse depending how you will offer the phone. Squeezing it just tightly, you will drop roughly 24 dBm. Holding it naturally, I measured around 20 dBm."

It occurs in most phones, as Apple said with its only official statement at the matter last month. But those other phones do not need the antenna built into the phone's case, knowing that doesn't mean the symptoms tend to be avoided, Klug and Shimpi conclude.

"There's nothing Apple nor people performing to receive around physics, simple. It is something which demonstrably affects every phone's cellular reception."