Latest Gear Live Videos
Bleeding Edge TV 364: ElementCASE Vapor 4 kills iPhone 4 antenna signal
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Accessories, Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos, Wireless / WiFi,
We took a trip down to Cedar Park, Texas to visit the fine folks at ETS Lindgren, a company that builds anechoic chambers and testing solutions for things like smartphone antennas. We learned a lot, and at the end of the day decided that we wanted to see if they’d allow us to test the iPhone 4 antenna by itself, and then test those results against an iPhone 4 inside of the ElementCASE Vapor 4.
The Vapor 4 is an $80 case that looks great, but we’ve been hearing that users were having issues with dropped calls and data signal loss. We wanted to know if the case was the reason, or if it was the iPhone 4 antenna itself. Get a look at our scientific test, and the results, in this episode!
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Apple explains smartphone antenna performance
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi,
Following this morning’s iPhone 4 press conference, Apple has put up a page detailing the attenuation and signal loss of the antenna. They include videos of the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, BlackBerry Bold 9700, HTC Droid Eris, and Samsung Omnia II (basically, iOS, BlackBerry OS, Android, and Windows Mobile) all showing the same issue, and explain why it happens.
Don’t forget, Apple is offering free cases to all iPhone 4 purchasers through September 30th, and if you’ve already bought one, they will even give you a refund.
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Apple iPhone 4 press conference prediction
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Corporate News,
In just about 30 minutes, Apple will be holding a rare press conference to address issues surrounding the iPhone 4. They’ve been pretty vague about the content that they will address, but it’s pretty obvious to all that they will be talking about the antenna issue that many have been complaining about (although we also wouldn’t mind hearing about a ship date for the white iPhone 4, and an update on the proximity sensor issue.) We figured we’d take a stab at predicting what Apple is gonna do. Aside from going over numbers and explaining what’s going on, it seems that the easiest and most inexpensive fix would be to offer up a gift card to those who have purchased an iPhone 4 already to cover the cost of a Bumper Case, while offering a bumper case to new buyers at the point of sale. So, we think we’ll go with that.
Now it’s your turn—hit us in the comments and let us know how you think Apple will handle this mess.
iOS 4.0.1 now available
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,
Apple just released iOS 4.0.1, which they say “improves the formula to determine how many bars of signal strength to display,” and also gives the signal bars a visual facelift as well. You can download it now. Let us know how it goes!
ColorWare offering custom-painted iPhone 4 with antenna fix
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Design, Handhelds,
The folks over at ColorWare are at it again, this time offering their custom color design services for the iPhone 4. The interesting bit here, though, is that while they aim to make your iPhone 4 more stylish, they are also in the process of confirming that letting them add a bit of style to your device will also solve any death grip antenna woes you may be experiencing. Now, a $29 Bumper Case from Apple will do the same thing, and that’s a hell of a lot cheaper than the $250 ColorWare will charge you while also offering protection from damage—however, some of us choose style over function, and that antenna fix is just a nice value-added bonus to getting a spiffed up custom device.
Read More | ColorWare iPhone 4
Cases.com handing out free iPhone 4 silicone cases
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Hot Deals, Wireless / WiFi,
So, you know how some folks are complaining that their iPhone 4 has a signal degradation issue when touching the antenna in a certain spot? Well, one simple way to solve it is to use an iPhone case, so that you aren’t directly touching the stainless steel band on the outer perimeter of the iPhone 4. The thing is, the Apple iPhone 4 Bumper case is $29, which is ridiculously overpriced. However, the fine folks over at cases.com are offering up a free iPhone 4 silicone LifeGrip case to anyone who asks. You do have to pay for shiping, but in the end, you are paying $3.73 total for a case that will get rid of any antenna-related reception issues, and protect your iPhone from drops as well. Can’t really complain about any of that, now can you?
Read More | iPhone 4 LifeGrip Case
Is your iPhone 4 defective?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Features,
As with any new major product launch, the iPhone 4 isn’t without some manufacturing issues. Some users are reporting that their signal will drop if they touch the antenna on the lower left, other are reporting yellow spotting on the display, and some others are saying that their volume buttons are inverted. So, we wanna hear from you—is your iPhone 4 acting up in any way, or is your unit awesome?
