From: John Navas on
Consumer Reports has confirmed what we already knew about iPhone 4 --
touching its external antenna produces noticeable reception problems --
but with that finding offered a damning conclusion: This phone is not
recommended.

Ouch!

The verdict is a slap in the face to Apple, which earlier this month
tried casting the iPhone 4 problem as an optical illusion, caused by the
way the phone displays signal bars. Previously, Apple said that holding
the iPhone 4 in certain ways can affect signal strength, but has also
insisted that overall the phone gets better reception than any previous
model. For unsatisfied customers, Apple recommends holding the phone
differently or buying a bumper case.

That's not good enough for Consumer Reports, which tested three iPhone
4s in its radio frequency isolation room. Using a base-station emulator
to simulate cell tower signals, lab testers found significant reception
problems when holding the phone over its lower-left corner, especially
when the signal was weak to begin with.

Phones with internal antennas, such as the Palm Pre and iPhone 3GS,
didn't have the same reception issues. That's important, because Apple
has claimed that signal loss when covering the antenna is "a fact of
life for every wireless phone."

Consumer Reports confirmed that covering the iPhone 4's antenna with
thick, non-conductive material, such as duct tape, fies the problem, and
the group believes bumper cases will do the same. But despite loving
everything else about the phone, including its sharp display and 720p
video camera, Consumer Reports recommended downgrading to an iPhone 3GS
or another brand.

If you've been following the iPhone 4 antenna debacle, there should be
nothing shocking about Consumer Reports' findings. Experts and
journalists have learned basically the same things in their field
testing. Specifically, the phone gets better service most of the time,
but when held over its lower-left corner, it risks dropped calls or lost
reception in areas with low signal strength.

Still, the lab testing by Consumer Reports was conducted in a controlled
environment, lending more credibility to the real-world evidence we've
already seen. It's an embarrassment for Apple after the company's
attempts to downplay the issue. I'm sure this report will come up in the
class action lawsuits Apple faces, especially when the authority on what
consumer products to buy says the iPhone 4 doesn't deserve your money.

MORE:
<http://www.pcworld.com/article/200924/consumer_reports_throws_iphone_4_under_the_bus.html>
From: nospam on
In article <l7uo3657scltd3ksef67c6b94ov2e79qoa(a)4ax.com>, John Navas
<spamfilter1(a)navasgroup.com> wrote:

> Consumer Reports has confirmed what we already knew about iPhone 4 --
> touching its external antenna produces noticeable reception problems --
> but with that finding offered a damning conclusion: This phone is not
> recommended.

except that the phone has the highest ratings of all smartphones, quite
a contradiction.

<http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20100712/consumer-reports-by-the-way-
the-iphone-4-is-also-the-best-smartphone-on-the-market/>
From: News on
nospam wrote:
> In article <l7uo3657scltd3ksef67c6b94ov2e79qoa(a)4ax.com>, John Navas
> <spamfilter1(a)navasgroup.com> wrote:
>
>> Consumer Reports has confirmed what we already knew about iPhone 4 --
>> touching its external antenna produces noticeable reception problems --
>> but with that finding offered a damning conclusion: This phone is not
>> recommended.
>
> except that the phone has the highest ratings of all smartphones, quite
> a contradiction.
>
> <http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20100712/consumer-reports-by-the-way-
> the-iphone-4-is-also-the-best-smartphone-on-the-market/>


Yeah, the highest rated non-functional smartphone factice.