Look. We're really not going to get dragged back into this whole Antennagate thing. Because let's face it: Asking Apple to test somebody else's phone is like leaving a bottle of Campari in the same building as a certain Crackberry.com founder. (Or a cheeseburger in front of this site's editor.) We're pretty sure we know what the result is going to be.
For what it's worth, we've dropped zero (0) calls on our Droid X. That includes two trips to New York City, one of which Dieter Bohn wrote about in our Antennagate roundup where the only way he was able to call me on his iPhone 4 from the hotel next door was by yelling out the window.
Anyhoo, watch Apple's video after the break if you want. Try it on your own Droid X if you want. Leave a comment if you want. But remember this: You're doing what Steve Jobs wants you to do. Hope you sleep well tonight. [Apple] No thanks to everyone who sent this in.
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Do whatever tests you want to Apple, last I checked the Droid X wasn't on the "We dont Recommend" list for Consumer Reports.
Apple's phone isn't even the same Droid X we all have...
http://imgur.com/L3NUo.png This is the real dialer of a Droid X
compare the two yourself.
No, that's exactly what it looks like when you place a call and then bring up the dialer.
I stand corrected!
i just did that and you are totally right good catch....btw death grip for about 5 mins i went up a bar not down :)
That's funny, because my house is probably one of the worst dead zones for almost all carriers. Verizon is the only one that get's decent service.
Held the phone like the video, even wrapped both hands around where the main internal antenna area but bars go up for me too :-)
I'm not an Apple hater and do like most of their products, but come on, don't try pointing to others to mask you're own inadequacies. Man up and fix your sh*t!
I call shenanigans on this. I have yet to drop a call, and death-gripping my phone yields a change of <5 dbm in the signal strength page. Are these jokers serious right now?
lol Kevin and Campari inside joke?
Anyway... Does it drop a call?
And I wonder how bars drop as you hold it the same way... It went to 2 bars, then 1 bar, then 0 bars...
Apple seems very desperate.
Before, they didn't even recognize they had competition.
Now, they're taking shots at competitors on things like phone signal.
Matthew Miller was right. Apple's view on this whole situation makes it look so bad.
In the conference after Iphone4 release, they made it seem like a non-issue when Steve and his partners on stage held up their Iphones without cases... basically saying "You guys are imagining this problem" ...
I dont get what any of these tests prove. Doesn't Apple realize that dropping bars and dropping calls are two different things?
lol That's exactly the point, they're not trying to address the issue, they're trying to cloud the issue and somehow make it about something it's not.
This is the same reason they went around and mucked with the way signal bars are displayed on their first OS4 update. Basically they're trying to shift blame. First they shifted it on AT&T, the update basically made signal look worse everywhere (even if it is a more truthful signal representation), and now they're just trying to confuse people and pretend every phone has the same issues.
I'm not an Apple hater, frankly I think their antenna design has it's merits... If you've read Anand's articles you'd see that it's actually a GOOD design in areas with medium-to-high reception (it ends up w/better reception than most phones, even w/o a case), however in areas w/middling reception you end up worse off (and you end up dropping calls, even w/a bumper).
FWIW, if I cup the top of my EVO tightly I lose two of the three bars I have while roaming, I just tested it... I didn't have a great signal strength to begin with tho, like I said I'm roaming and I'm starting off at 3 of 6 bars. Thing is, the EVO's cell antenna is at the top right, there's no way you'd manage to hold it there naturally, 'cept maybe in landscape mode.
The WiFi antenna is at the bottom but cupping it around there doesn't seem to have a big impact on WiFi (and I'm at the edge of my router's coverage). It probably does have an effect but WiFi's generally stronger.
Ok... squeezed the crap out of the bottom of the DX... ZERO change in signal strength. Apple, quite whining, own up to your "mistake", fix your freaking mistake, and move on.
No reduced bars on my phone, even after trying for ten minutes. No dropped calls either. Keep failing Steve-o.
The problem is not that the signal attenuates, but where the antenna placement is. No one is going to hold a Droid X that way during a call. But people that hold a phone in their left hand are going to attenuate the signal on the iPhone, because it's "weak spot" is where the base of the thumb would naturally rest (especially holding a squarish phone like that).
I really like Apple products (iPhone excluded at this point), but this just really smells of trying to cover up one's faults, instead of responsibly admitting them. Don't companies realize that honest business brings in more customers yet? I'd have a lot more respect for Apple if they said "we screwed up" rather than "everyone screwed up, not just us"
SN: I haven't been able to reproduce this on my N1...so maybe HTC is on to something with their antenna placement and shielding.
where's the 3G or 1X symbol...
It disappears when you make a call. Try it. Call voicemail.
Funny how they have to do this in an area where the Droid X doesn't even get 3G signal, and they have the audacity to claim it's "full signal." If it doesn't get 3G, it's a super weak area already. If Apple can show me this while the phone has 3G signal, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, but they won't, because 3G signal would drop down to 1XRTT, which would still be fine, and then finally down to the signal level they're at right now.
I just tested this on my Droid X and i don't see this happen.
I call this FAKE.
Does your Droid X have a 3G beside the bars? I'd assume Motorola didn't take that functionality out of Android, so we can pretty much call this one.
It does have 3G next to the bars...but not while on a call like in the video.
The video is not making a call, it is just sitting at the dialer. I call BS on this.
It's a call in progress with the dialpad displayed. Note the red "End Call" button.
lol I just tried this (that grip is INCREDIBLY awkward to replicate, btw), and my bar just dropped by one. I let go of the phone and put it aside; a minute later it's still one bar short from being full. So it's coincidence on my part that made the bar drop, not the way Apple says it does.
Two minutes now, still at 3/4 bars. This makes me hate Apple, and especially Steve Jobs, all the more.
I just tried it with my DX. I didn't notice a change in my signal strength at all. I was also in a 3G service area. Apple wants to point fingers at everyone else but themselves. Come on Apple just admitt that you screwed up and move on.
this made me want to try it on my EVO and I found the top right corner to drop bars (from 5 to 2 and from 4 to 1) but never lost signal, always kept 3G and does not drop any calls. So yeah I belive what apple says that this happens to most phones, to bad none of them is as bad as the iphone...
PS: this does not affect my 4G or Wi-Fi at all, I get 2 out of 3 bars of 4G here and they stay the same no matter how I hold the phone...
I believe your WiFi and 4G antennas are located on the lower right corner, that's why they are unaffected when you cup the top with your hand (which is pretty awkward to begin with, only way I can see it happening is if you hold the phone in landscape).
WiFi does seem to be affected by cupping the bottom. I just tried it while at the edge of my router's reach, I could get the only bar of signal strength I had to disappear but it was still working so I guess WiFi reception is just stronger in general.
As for the 3G/cell antenna... Mine doesn't seem to drop more than 2 bars by cupping it, altho I'm starting off at 3 bars (I'm roaming atm) so that might be why I'm getting different results as you. This really isn't the issue people are having w/the iPhone 4 tho, Apple's just trying to confuse the public.
Dropped calls and interrupted connections are the issue, 'specially for people in areas w/weak coverage... It would seem obvious that if you have weak coverage you'll have issues, but the iPhone 4's antenna actually makes it worse. It does outperform other internal antenna designs in areas w/strong coverage tho, it was kind of a bad gamble on Apple's part...
Or maybe a long-term ploy to finally break ties w/AT&T, who knows.
This is a really sad sad moment for steve
I call shenanigans...but to other posters.
The phone is on a call when this is being done. Thats why you don't see the tabs at the top. Also, the 3G/1X icon disappears when you are on a call.
It's a real call...the bars drop, but the call doesn't. :)
1) I have yet to drop a call on my DroidX. 2) The supposed "Death Grip" doesn't affect my signal, even when held EXACTLY as shown in the video, with two hands, in my pants, with a fox, in a f***ing box, whatever. 3) Apple needs to own up to poor design, and be done with it. 4) Jobs can suck it.
That is all.
I watched mine for a minute untouched and the bars went up and down like they do from 2/3. When I held the back of the phone it went to 4.... Right Steve nice try. Had phone from launch and the only dropped calls are when Im on the phone with an I*hone user on their end :)
While watching Steve's press conference, I tried death gripping my Droid X. I smothered it with both hands. I had 2 bars, and it never changed. How are they making this phone do this? Am I the only one that thinks some independent (CNET, Consumer Reports, Engadget, etc.) source should test this???
Lol laaaaaaaaame for sure. But slow the role on the fbomb in the comments leads to bad steve type juju. ;)
Lol true, and lord knows I don't need that :-)
My droidx definitely has the best performance as a phone that i've seen since the original Moto Razr, and it might even be better than that! I'm very impressed.
Phil is such a wonderful objective journalist. Completely impartial and unbiased. I can believe everything he says.
Apple have lost all credibility with me. I am completely over their nonsense.
The best part of this is that Apple is increasing Android's numbers buying Android phones!
I have to agree with you on this. They have the audacity to lie to everyone and bring android down to their level instead of owning up and fixing their issue, all while still selling a ton of phones and making suckers out of the ignorant. We should start fighting back and exposing the lies with the truth. If we dont use our voices then we relegate ourselves to silence.
Actually you're doing what Apple wants you to do by being quiet. In case you haven't noticed the majority of people buying these phones can't see through the marketing. If you really wanted to bring this all to a halt you would simply make a video showing how none of the Android phones involved drop calls using the methods they are using. Then show how easy it is to drop a call or stop data with a single touch. Theres a time to be quiet and a time to fight fire with fire and this is the time. If you don't I bet you'll see Android sales dropping in a few months and find that the average Joe thinks that they are susceptible to death grips while the iPhone isn't. It's like no one but Apple understands the power of marketing in the world.
Well if u notice the way he's holding it no body holds the phone that way to make a call that would b very uncomfortable to hold for phone calls so Steve needs to stop been a Dick
i have a Pantech C630and to get the bars to drop i have to grip the phone tightly on the top and bottom of both the sides. i've only dropped one call in the last 2 years and i'm on AT&T.
it seems that on most phones you have to go out of your way just to get the bars to drop and even then a dropped call is not likely
Apple is full of B.S., i tried that on my Girls Droid X and had no problem. I also have pics to prove it.
I think this antenagate is a load of bs... people whom own a iPhone, I believe they are having this mystical 'deathgrip' . I think Apple is making a big deal out of nothing. Yes, giving away a bumper case is a nice gesture, but that not the real issue. The real issue, is Android (let me finish) . Android leap and bounds above the Apple OS, and Apple is scared. As Android is gaining market share, and getting more devices in peoples hand, Apple is slipping further down da ranks. They're use to this monolpy, now that they have competition, there nervous. I tell you what, if Apple head in the same direction, iPhone will be no more, and Android will be the dominant platform. But, I think this is an effective marketing campaign for Apple though. For one, Apple has sparked debate about antenagate, while diverting focus away from the platforms. And two, everyone is talking about Apple and their 'deathgrip' ...
At least they did this test in a call, most of the time they do it with the things in idle. Great idea testing a cell antanae while it is reducing it's power to bare minimum to conserve battery.
I tried it and get minor flux watching it in system status where you can see the Db signal strength. Real Signal had HUGE fluctuations so I am unsure which is accurate. Either way no dropped calls and best sound quality ever. TV on in the background and co worker couldn't even hear it.
My original Droid jumps bars when I'm not even holding it. Of course this depends on the area I am at. I'm definitely taking this as a grain of salt as well as the Nokia and BB videos. Find and fix the problem Apple!
Hey...Apple bought an Android phone, the only smart thing they have done recently.
Who holds a phone like that? Its so unnatural that it hurts my hand.
Nice try.
Let's imagine for a moment that Apple is right and the Droid X actually drops calls with the same grip as the iPhone. I fail to see how exactly that helps the current iPhone users with their own reception problems. Even if it were so, two wrongs don't make a right.
Very good point. Since I haven't heard any complaints on the Droid X or any other phone having this problem, this doesn't help them. They're beating around the bush by doing this.
The title of this article alone nearly had me in tears.
How can you expect them to hold it right? They never known how to use phones with screens bigger than 3.5 inches.
Seriously??? This is really getting old now Apple. U are giving out cases to fix your problem. END OF STORY. The more I hear about these problem, the more I remember how u half a$$ your hardware design.
Apple is headed in the wrong direction....
It may just be me, but look at those pictures...why is it that the phone has no bars 1 min before it has full bars? Is this supposed to mean that the death grip improves your signal and that is a problem?
Same as a lot of people here- I live on the edge of a dead zone and constantly alternate in and out of 3G. When I death grip my phone, 9 times out of ten the bars go up.
I wrapped my Droid og in tin foil and didn't lose any bars. Lol the only thing that kills my bars is my basement and I still get all my calls with zero bars. Never drop any calls either. Will do some investigating with my mother inlaws Droid x when I see her this weekend.
This kind of s**t is making me wonder if I should continue using their hardware... this is a bad road to go down and I'm not sure I want to follow them.
I've only replicated that loss of signal once...and I had to death grip the X underwater to do it. :)
I went from 3 bars of 3G to 4 bars, to one bar, to no bars, and to a red circle with a line through it.
I've dropped 4 calls so far, but that's a huge improvement over AT&T and my iPhone.
oh fuck here we go
lets see them do the incredible or droid 1, fuck even the zach phone.
If I grip the fuck out of my Incredible.. it'll drop to one bar, but I don't lose signal/data/ability to make a call.
Apple is just trying to bring every phone manufacturer into this antenna issue. Are they going to do this with every phone that comes out?
I want to see them try this on the original Moto Droid, I've tried every possible "death grip" and I have full bars all the time. If there's a drop in signal it goes right back up to normal. Because when a phone loses signal it puts out more power to maintain signal with the tower. So you'll see that initial drop but then you'll see it go back up once the phone pouts out the power to get that signal back.
I think what Apple is doing is holding the phones until the bars drop and going "See? See? It dropped!" Without giving the phone the chance to put out the necessary power to get that signal back. Those phones are not like the iPhone 4, where the new iPhone not only drops and completely loses the signal, that signal stays lost.
I just tightly help my Nexus 1 in my left hand and was surprised to see that I dropped from 4 bars of 3G to 3 bars of 3G. I repeated the process several times and got fhe same result. In this case it means nothing more than Jacka$$ Jobs is speaking a tiny bit of truth. He's still a communist idiot that is losing his mind.
I went to the Apple store the other to check out the antenna issue. I could hold the iPhone with 2 only fingers let alone the death grip and make the signal drop to 0 bars from 5 on the 2 phones I tried it on. I couldn't believe it. Apple you need to worry about yourself and your phone and not every other phone on the market. This is not the Apple I once knew.
/RANT=1
Ummm if you think this isn't Apple's normal behavior think again. Apple has ALWAYS acted like a douchebag. The only difference is they are in the spotlight now, where once they use to pull this BS behind the scenes. See everything from the iBook system board warranty extension to HTC lawsuits, to the BS MS ads about how Windows is so virus prone (Even after Vista's launch where most viruses would sit there and do nothing without the user approving the action.) to any of a number of other examples in the last 15 years. Apple and Steve "Douchebag" Jobs are nothing more then pathological liar/s, who need to be taken out back and beaten for driving the industry into closed hardware (Nonreplacable battery, DRM built into iPod and iPhone accessories to keep non-approved 3rd party hardware off the device.), closed software (Walled garden where you can't load your own apps without Unkie Steve's permission, which ironicly MS is introducing in Phone 7), and form over function (See thin over features, and leaving out features so they can make you buy the next version of the iWhatever.)
In short Apple is a cancer and needs to be snuffed out. They are 100x worse then Microsoft ever was back in the early 2000's. Because most people saw the BS MS was pulling and called shenanigans on it. Apple? All the iTards are going along with whatever they say because OOOOO its Apple and its trendy. And all the tech blogs are their lackies at this point. Giz? Engadget? Read through their articles. Even non Apple articles will advertise for Apple when given the chance.
/RANT=0
*sighs* Wow....that was therapeutic
That said, the iPhone is the only phone I can buy subsidised by a telco and not loaded by huge amount of bloatware, f**cking customized boot screen and other crap. Why is Apple the only company doing this is beyond me, but man, that reason alone is enough for me to stick with the iPhone for now. The 3GS that is.
Anyone notice that the clock says 505 when there is no signal and 4 bars at 506? If the signal drops from 4 bars to none, wouldn't the picture showing no bars happen later in time than the pic with 4 bars?
I tried death gripping my EVO every which way I could and could not get it to drop any of my calls. Nor have I dropped one single call during the past month and a half that I've had this phone. Apple is really looking like a little crybaby with all this crap. It really is pathetic. It also reminds me of when someone rips one in front of someone and tries to "recreate" the sound with their shoe, a chair, etc. Hahaha. Still smells like crap to me and I wasn't the one that dealt it!
It's not just the Droid X, according to apple. http://www.apple.com/antenna/
I can get my EVO to lose bars by holding the top of the phone. I would love to see Apple's video of that! Who holds their phone by the top? Much better antenna design.
i think the poll results speak for themselves
apple is full of it
i covered my phone on the top and bottom and i didn't lose one bar
lol your article was pretty similar to mine!
Apple really ticked me off with their latest stupid video...So I made my own video!
Check out my article where i cover their latest video and have my own response to its ignorance.
http://www.breakandmake.com/2010/07/24/apples-new-slogan-should-be-when-...
NOTE: I do not dislike Apple products, I dislike Apple.
Right this topic is about the X. On a related note, funny thing is, my Incredible often shows zero, zip, nadda, not-crap-for, none at all, no bars at all and yet I'm still making crystal clear calls with no drops.
Point is: Those bars don't mean diddly, every manufacture displays them differently. Had Apple actually shown the the signal of each phone in terms of dB vs. the the pretty little line graphs on top of our phones, just maybe could have Steve gotten away with his slander. But that really would not have worked out for them, now would it?
I call lawsuit from Moto in 5, 4,3,2,1....now
With body glove case and bare. Lost no signal. Did activate buttons though. How did they hold it that way without activating anything. And who the hell holds a phone like that covering up the screen?
I've had an iPhone before (upgraded to my DI) and I'll give it credit for the technology that its existence has prompted into competitive smartphone platforms. That said, this is by far the most ill-attempted ad campaign I've seen them pull. Not the same Apple from years past of trying to make the better, more user friendly product. This is more of "Oh crap, we made a mistake by having the MOST SENSITIVE EXTERNAL antenna on our phone, so let's show similar physics on other devices that aren't having as severe a problem and try to implement smoke and mirrors damage control." Surprising that they didn't think of that during quality control before millions of manufactured units were planned and are being sold to fill orders as we speak. I see their point, but their admission of flawed design is key for me to believe they are bold enough to not be blindly arrogant. Apple, ethics please.
Someone needs to make a video of the bars NOT dropping, and then let EVERYONE else post a video response showing the same. Even if the bars do drop, the call never ends. Its about time for consumers to do something....
Ok... I hope there is a language filter or something, because Apple is full of shit. Seriously, even the first videos were devoid of any data as to how they were conducted, or if confounding variables were held constant, but this last pathetic attempt is just painful; I dare any research body to reproduce this under test conditions.
Fuck Apple.
f*ck u jobs
Who would believe Apple making videos of other phones. Put the manpower into fixing your own iCrap.
I love the fact that apple has disabled the comments on their videos for losing bars on any phones. The reason being is its damn near impossible to drop bars... they know this but dont want people on youtube calling them out. I have Droid OG, and a Blackberry 9700 on Tmo.. and i hate to say it, i dont even have the problems that they claim even on my bold.
Are they really serious. Apple is now going after android in this way. With the new laws that treat companies as real ppl I think Motorola should go after Jobs. This is just plain wrong, Apple screwed up just edmit it and fix the problem don't try and go after everyone else. Anyone else agree that Steve Jobs is starting to go the way of Howard Houges. Soon he'll be locked in his giant apple pissing in an iPhone shaped jar creating a giant wooden "superphone". Please Jobs get ur mind back, I use to love your products but I actually sold my iPod touch just because of how your acting. What does everyone else think??? Crazy or not???
You sold your iPod touch over this????? And they call iPhone fans fanboys...
They knowingly manipulate the publics ignorance. Even if this issue does exist it's NOT THE SAME THING. The iPhone 4 will drop signal level if you cover the antenna exactly as any other phone, that's perfectly true. But the iPhone 4 ALSO drops signal level because holding the phone wrong causes a short between antennas, it's NOT the same thing. I'm quite confident that Apple is well aware of the fact and are very happy that it's easy to replicate the same symptoms on phones without the same problem.
"Tested" it for myself. Held it for twenty seconds with one hand on the bottom. Adjusted my hand to cover it more wholly for another 20 seconds. Placed both of my palms on the sides of where the antenna lies and it didn't drop any bars.
Note: We see here that Apple was using it's $100,000+ testing facility to prove this dropping bars occurs on other smartphones. This is made exteremely clear by the fact that the background in each video is different from the last, and not those expensive blue stalagmites of signal bar death!
Also the zoomed in croppings of the signal bars in the videos are:
1) Not the same phone as the one not zoomed in on. The movement isn't the same.
2) No one could hold a phone steady enough in his or her hand to allow one to video that small of a portion of the screen with that little jumping around.
Apple has shown so much intellectual and scientific dishonesty in this whole matter. I understand people like iPhones. I myself own a MacBook Pro and code on an iMac at work and will gladly tout the benefits of OS X when objectively compared to the other operating systems. But as someone who values the hard, nerdy truth in working with electronic devices, Apple has betrayed the ideals and cornerstones of what I feel are portrayed as the company's roots so many years ago. Digging into the innards of what truly makes things tick, breaking down computing to its lowest level components, and advancing the entire electronics industry with its educated discoveries. What has been demonstrated here, flings dirt in the face of the true geekdom upon which Apple's image so crucially leans. At least it used to. I hope more people realize how intellectually insulting this all is on Steve and Apple's part. What a disappointment.
Ridiculous!! I've had my Dx for 9 days and have not experienced any problems with signal issues or dropped calls. Give it up Apple, and admit you didn't hit iPhone 4 out of the park.
I have plenty of friends with iPhone 4 for much longer than 9 days and no dropped calls. Does that prove something?
Alrighty guys heres the best way to replicate this death grip took me forever to figure it out...
1. Get in a call, voicemail works great.
2. Apply deathgrip and watch your bars drop.
3. While still applying said death grip use other hand to end call, your bars will jump back to full, so this video took advantage of a display problem, not an antenna problem.
Can I ask a question here?
Who here holds their phone with their fingers ALMOST COVERING THE FRONT MICROPHONE?
Seriously. If you hold your phone like THAT, you're an idiot because you have your own fingernail rubbing against your face.
Hey Apple, while you're at it, why don't you see what happens when you put the Droid X in a lead box? I bet not even Superman can make a phone call from it there!
Point is, Apple is really desperate here. The grip shown in this video is not a feasible grip to use while on the phone. Your fingers would NEVER wrap around the front of the screen, which is likely the only way your palm would cover the BACK of the antenna so closely. Show me a REAL grip, and maybe I'll believe you're not a machine run on the bs of your marketing and PR teams...
I had the iPhone 3Gs and switched to the Droid X on 7/15.
I experienced many dropped calls with the 3Gs, even though it showed 5 bars. On or off a call, there would be 5 bars and then it would suddenly drop to zero bars and sometimes no signal. After finding out how to put the phone in Field Test mode, where it would change the bars to a numerical strength, I found that the 5 bars were BS, as the signal strength was fluctuating between -101 to -112 dB's. When iOS4 was introduced the Field Test mode was eliminated. I was still dropping calls, so regardless of what the bars were saying, the signal was extremely poor.
The Droid X has not dropped a single call yet. At home I get 1 to 2 bars and the signal strength is -86 to -88 dB's, much better than the iPhone. I'm sure the difference is also due to the change in carrier, but whatever the reason, better is better.
Anyway, I have held the Droid X normally, no loss of bars and it remained at -86 dB. I covered the bottom half of the Droid X both front and back with both hands, signal dropped to -87 dB. Covered the entire back of the Droid X with one hand and most of the front with the other and signal was -88 dB.
So, Steve Jobs, the Apple propaganda machine may work with the folks that have drank the KoolAid, but there are many more that haven't and the Android community has a lot of technical users that will see right through and discredit the propaganda.
I have to ask, why did iOS4 eliminate the Field Test mode?
This is getting hilarious. Poor Apple.
Enjoying my EVO, and yes, every phone will attenuate when the antennas are blocked by a hand, BUT, I would LOVE to see Apple try to do a comparo of the Iphone4's problems vs. other phones using THIS test:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TclSVCPzEs&feature=pyv&ad=6080547133&kw=...
While Apple is trying to bash it's competitors with half-arsed death-gripping of a phone, maybe they should try using the single-finger-death touch on competitor phones as displayed in this test. Something tells me that won't happen though. *not affiliated with Zagg or anything...I just think this is the most damning evidence I've seen of the antennagate problem. :-)
You guys are funny. Really. This phenomenon happens to all phones and if you're in an area of low signal strength it's going to drop if there is low signal. And yes, you can get the DX to do it as well. Try in an area of 2-4 bars (like a basement or something) and you will notice the drop. I have as where I work is in an area that's 2-4 bars.
Do I care? Nope - the phone works.
Do I think it is an issue for the iPhone 4? Nope.
Would it stop me from buying an iPhone 4? Nope - if the DX goes back the iPhone4 will be my phone.
Do I think the whole thing is blown way out of proportion? Yup.
Stop being blind fanbois (on both sides) - you are becoming the smug users you hate iPhone users for being.
At my office I get 1-2 bars and have tried to replicate this and could never get it to drop a call with my X. With the iphone simply using a finger shorts out the antenna even in areas with a good signal. Huge difference and can be demonsrated whether in-call or with it just sitting on a desk with nothing touching it but a finger. If you love the iphone great but don't pretend the design isn't flawed. This video just makes Apple look even worse and desperate.
Actually, in an area w/low signal the iPhone 4 will lose more of it's signal than any phone w/a conventional antenna design, even w/o a death grip... And it'll lead to more or quicker dropped calls.
In an area w/decent signal the iPhone 4's antenna design is actually pretty strong and outperforms many other phones. See Anandtech's articles... They did some pretty good testing. Apple should just fess up to this, a bumper or case will alleviate most issues anyway and I'm pretty sure the majority of people use one ('least from what I've seen in my area).
Instead Apple has decided to cloud the issue (all of a sudden it's about signal bars instead of dropped calls?) and offer free cases to appease people even tho they're saying there's no design issues... It's Apple that's handling the whole thing pretty poorly, unless it's just a ploy to make AT&T look bad (since the issue is exhibited most in low signal areas) and bring the iPhone to another carrier sooner rather than later. I wouldn't put this past Jobs.
I just have to notice how huge this guy's hand is. Do you think Apple advertised "Help Wanted: need man with large hands, must be able to wrap your fingers completely around a large cell phone, person with known static charge problem preferred. "
This may actually backfire on Steve when people see this and think, hey, that phone doesn't seem that big after all!
Itguy09, I understand your perspective (it does look like brand-bashing on the surface), but I don't think this is a case of anyone being a fanboi. Apple brought this upon itself by designing a flawed product to gain an aesthetic, and then told their entire customer base (and anyone else who cared) that they were holding the phone wrong. That's like Toyota telling the motoring public that sticking gas pedals aren't a manufacturing defect, and that they should simply fix the problem by replacing their floormats or that they should feather the accelerator pedal and not push it too far to the floor. This is a design flaw, plain and simple, and Apple is doing everything it can to deflect in order to prevent a costly recall. They've brought this ridicule upon themselves. Even Apple customers and loyalists are griping about this, so I don't see this as an Apple vs. Android issue, though Apple is certainly trying to make it one with these ridiculous videos.
See the video link in my post above yours...it's pretty obvious that the anntennagate problem is not "normal" antenna attenuation.
I don't think the design is any worse or better than others. Sure if you bridge the 2 antennas together you may drop the call. But how many people hold the phone like that in the real world? If you go looking for a problem of course you will find it.
Add to this the usual Blog Bitching effect where they blow things up to epic proportions to generate links, hits, etc and you have a recipe for disaster. It's happened with many other products and the best thing for people to do is evaluate the products and return as needed.
And, yes just this week Toyota tried to deflect the blame on Driver Error. There was an article in the WSJ that pretty much said Toyota is saying that most of the sudden acceleration claims were driver error. Pretty much the same thing.
Like I said - I personally don't care. To me the iPhone 4 is not flawed. I like my Droid X and it was not the Antenna issues that had me looking at Android. I wanted a change; I wanted to try the competition.
Umm, holding it with the left hand will bridge the gap with your palm y'know... Apple could have actually avoided most of this by just putting the gap at the top or bottom, even if it meant having less of an edge/side to use as an antenna.
Heck, if they hadn't made such a big deal about their innovative antenna design (effectively calling attention to the infamous gap) we probably wouldn't even be where we are and the discussion on dropped calls would be as vague as ever (more talk of AT&T, etc.).
They've handled the whole thing horribly for a company that's usually quite masterful in their PR. The MS executive that called this Apple's Vista was a doofus for saying so, but he was right. It's one of their biggest PR gaffes to date even more so than a technical failure (just like Vista was for MS).
Mr. Jobs has clearly stated that anyone experiencing this issue with their iPhone 4 is holding the phone wrong. I believe he mis-spoke. What he should have said is that anyone experiencing this issue with their iPhone 4 is holding the wrong phone.
I'd love to see a competitor come out with an ad like that.
Apple is full of it. I MAYBE loose a bar but it goes back and forth even when im not holding it depending on where I am in corolation with a tower..
You guys are missing the point. Apple is selling every iPhone 4 they make and that's probably more than all the Android phones combined. And expect a second surge when they finally release the white iPhone 4! So this issue doesn't seem to be affecting iPhone 4 sales. I couldn't say the same if this was an Android phone and that's where these demos might have an effect. The poll shows that 14% of Droid X users were affected by the death grip.
Create enough doubt and eventually Android sales, as well as the other phones, might be affected. Consumers, if faced with a problem that affects all phones, will go with the company(ies) they trust most. In this case, that might be Apple and BlackBerry. One last point. Consumer Reports, although they couldn't recommend iPhone 4 due to the antenna flaw, still rated it the best of all mobile phones. Wow! What does that say of all the others?
IMO, this is going to have the opposite effect. Even die hard Apple fanatics have seen this as a desperate attempt to deflect. Plus the damage has already been done to Apple's rep as it has made the news and pretty much everyone knows about it. This is just going to look like the pathetic attempt it is to discredit the competition. In my opinion, people aren't going to see Apple as being the better alternative as much as they used to.
What's driving Apple's sales right now is mostly their own users and while they're enjoying it now, slowly but surely we'll see a decline over the next few years as their not-so-loyal users get a better feel for the competition.
Apple has a stellar reputation that can withstand a little bruising and emerge with little or no effect. I can't say that for all companies. Yes, Apple does have a growing and very loyal user base that's also attracting and retaining Blackberry and Android users. Some of them want iPhones, but settle for the closest thing because it isn't available on their network. I know it's a popular belief that Android devices will eventually overtake the iPhone in marketshare, but I don't agree. Apple just needs to make the iPhone available on all US mobile networks once their agreement with AT&T ends; this and the release of new devices, would be the end of the competition! IMHO.
Im no fan of Apple I think they are the Nazi's of the tech world.
But that being said I have had my droid since launch, Left to Atlantic City day after I got the X NO ISSUES! Went home to Queens, NY no Issues.
Currently in Miami, FL, NO ISSUES
Leaving to Puerto Rico Tomorrow, There Im sure it i will be spotty, as VZ's carrier there (CLARO) isnt the greatest.
So, rather then producing a high-end quality product, Apple would rather prove how they're only as good as their competition?
Good news guys and gals, i think this means we will NOT be seeing the iphone on vzw anytime soon!
Is it me or do the X look small in that pic I mean I'm a big guy 6'3 and my hand can't cover the X like that
This is really disappointing to see Apple post this. While I am an Apple fanboy regarding many of their products, I have a Droid X instead of an iPhone and love the Droid X. That said, this video is misleading and strikes me as a petty attempt at trying to weaken the Droid's success. >(:|
i live up in the mountains in an awful deadzone for most carriers..verizon is the only one that doesnt drop and i cant get 3g at my house because i live in the middle of nowhere. :P deathgrip on my droidx didnt do anything whatsoever. i gained a bar. ive also never had a dropped call in the 2 weeks ive owned it. go figure.
newsflash apple - attacking all the other smartphones isnt going to magically fix the problems with yours. they sound like desperate, whining kids right now whose mom just caught them lighting the patio furniture on fire, crying that the kid across the street did it too, so they shouldnt get in trouble.
How has nobody mentioned this yet? The iPhone 4 antenna problem happens simply by bridging the antenna gap which alters the antenna's characteristics. This takes only a fingertip. This is a totally different issue than the "death grip" and blocking the entire signal/antenna. Apple avoided the bridge the gap topic and changed it to death grips, and nobody has even noticed this? They completely switched topics! That is blatant lying.
Of course all phones can lose signal if you completely block the antenna. But all phones cannot lose signal from a fingertip. Two different things completely, and the public (and most of these comments here, too) doesn't even know Apple switched it on them.
You're right. This PR stunt is an epic fail for Apple. I'm ready to see some retaliation from some of these other hardware manufacturers.
My brother in law works in R&D at the communication circuits lab at Intel and they have a Faraday cage there - basically a big copper clad room for testing circuits without threat of outside interference.
When showing me his lab he showed me this cage. I have a nexus one - and walking in there the signal drops pretty low (like in the video) - when he closed the door it slowly dropped off to zero like in the video.
Its REALLY easy to fake a video like this in pretty much any lab.
They have a video with the Eris too - my friend has one, and no matter how we hold it we can't reproduce the effect.
Face it, the Droid is basically unusable as a smartphone. Google will never learn how to program a decent OS.
Once iPhone is on Verizon, you'll all be happier and won't have to do all this Apple bashing anymore.
Troll.
Droid life did their own test of this..holding the droid x the way in the apple video is not only completely unorthodox and unnatural, it is painful
http://www.droid-life.com/2010/07/23/apple-tosses-droid-x-into-antennaga...
Really? Who holds their phone like that? Fingers all over the screen? how does it fit on your face?
Why dont they just wrap both hands around the phone like you were cupping a ball? Because everyone holds the phone like that.
Lets make real tests in real scenarios.
And let's forgot the fact that Apple should fix their own issues and stop attacking other phones
I was thinking about waiting for the iPhone4 to come to VZW but the more I look at this stunt the more I feel I cannot purchase a product from this company. I guess I'll go ahead and order my Incredible now.
Steve needs to stop being a douche and stop trying to deflect their antenna problem, he deflected the 3GS overheating problem by telling people not to leave it in cars or sun when it was infact a battery defect. Seems apple are too arrogant to admit their design flaws.
I know 2 Droid X users and neither can duplicate that signal drop and secondly NOBODY in their right mind would hold their phone like that (or the death grip), it's uncomfortable and not very ergonomic. The thing is that it only takes 1 finger to kill the signal on the iPhone 4 due to the opening gap, then he points fingers at other phones by doing the damn death grip, completely lopsided comparison.
I aired my grievances with the whole thing already on my blog.
The main point: Who holds their phone like this?
If you look at your Droid X in the sunlight just to the left of the ear-speaker there are two circles, the smaller circle on the left is the tiny LED notification light, but what is the larger circle directly to the right of that one? (so, in between the speaker and the LED) it looks strikingly like a front facing camera (obv it's not) but it doesn't appear to serve a purpose...
nevermind.. proximity sensor.