Posted on 06/26/2010 9:03:59 AM PDT by PugetSoundSoldier
NOTE: The original article is in Danish; since not too many FReepers speak Danish, I've included a link to, and excerpts from, the Google translation of the page.
But the fact is the principle behind the iPhone 4-antenna system is far from new. And possibly it is even so problematic that it will reduce the phone's performance.
One of the leading experts when it comes to mobile phone antennas, is Professor Gert Frølund Pedersen from Aalborg University's Department of Electronic Systems.
...
"But the human tissue will in any event, have an inhibitory effect on the antenna. Touch means that a larger portion of the antenna energy becomes heat and is lost. This makes the antenna less efficient to send and receive radio signals, "says Gert Frølund Pedersen.
(Excerpt) Read more at translate.google.dk ...
Ping!
Not exactly - reports are that shorting the two antennas by touching the gap in the bottom left kills the reception. He is suggesting just holding the phone (and touching the antenna) will be a problem, which doesn’t seem to be the case.
Shrug. I wonder at the energy consumption that will be required for an antenna that size relative to the battery, and other functions.
Batteries, and such improve, but there will be a trade off in something else.
My Fiancée just got hers and is complaining about poor reception. We were sitting at an outdoor restaurant last night and I had receptions on my 3gs and she had squat on her 4.
regarding the antenna problem. I read that some iphone 4 version don’t have this problem because they apply some coating to the antenna. Some was shipped without the coating
I watched one yesterday lose it’s bars.
Well, he’s the expert, he predicted what would happen 2 weeks before release, and sure enough - we see his prediction true.
In other words, the current, “in vogue” apology that it is because of the FCC testing or some-such thing is just a lame attempt to deflect. People who are familiar with antenna design - like this professor - know it would be a serious issue (as it rightly is), and it’s strictly from position.
Antenna size isn't too much of an issue, but poor reception is. Cell phone networks operate with the approach of boosting power of the cell phone if you have weak signal, and going to full strength if you lose signal (so you can locate any cell tower).
Having poor reception - or constantly dropping your connection - will severely impact battery life. It'll be interesting to see if that becomes the next issue - much shorter battery life than expected.
An employee at one of my client’s offices bought his iPhone 4 yesterday, and we all played with it. At his office (in Woodinville, WA) we could not get any bars to drop; looked great.
He called me last night to let me know that, in Leavenworth WA (a small mountain town) he was using his old phone again because his iPhone could not operate if he held it. After a bit of discussion, we realized that at his office he is within line-of-site of 3 towers, and has 5 towers very close to his position.
In Leavenworth, he has one tower.
So perhaps having multiple, strong towers nearby masks the problem? That would also explain why it never happened at 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA - they have their own dedicated towers.
Basically you have so much signal strength from your closest tower that hampering your antenna does not impact reception too much. But get in a less-than-ideal situation and it all goes away...
Don’t forget that when they field tested the phone, they had it disguised to look like a 3gs with a big plastic case on it, which also probably masked the problem.
This antenna thing doesn’t bother me much, since I always use a case. What does bother me are the reports of it being extremely fragile. I’m worried that even in a case, a good drop could shatter the glass back, which would really be awful.
I’m pretty hard on my phones and I used to go through a smartphone every 6 months or so. My iPhone 3g has lasted me 2 years without even so much as replacing the screen. Now, they’re making me think twice about the upgrade.
I’ve heard the back shatters quite nicely, if dropped from hip-height (like taking out from a belt holster). It’ll be interesting to see what the long-term durability of the phone really is.
Specifically because of the “Gorilla Glass”; yes, it is harder, but that also means it’s more brittle (hardness and brittleness almost always go hand-in-hand, like thermal-and-electrical conductivity). It’s a side-effect of tempering any material. So it may end up being great at resisting scratches, but very susceptible to shattering.
No, he predicted the problem was touching the antenna would cause a reception issue. What is being reported is that by holding the phone a certain way you short circuit the cell antenna with the wifi/bluetoth antenna which causes reception to drop. A serious but different problem.
Researchers at Aalborg University [where Prof. Pedersen works - PSS.] have previously demonstrated that gradually reduce mobile antenna effectiveness in very great degree. Antenna effect may be reduced by more than 90 percent if you hold tight on your mobile phone where the antenna is located.But on top of the electrical disturbances which physical contact between skin tissue and the antenna metal will result.
Position is a huge problem; being able to touch the antennas makes it even worse. So it's a two-stage issue:
1. Antennas located in a bad place, where people hold the phone
2. Antennas exposed so people can TOUCH the antenna as well
The second issue (exposed antennas) can be addressed with a sleeve, skin, or coating; the first issue can only be corrected with a redesign of the device. If Professor Pedersen is correct, we might get reliably functioning iPhone 4s, but they will always have degraded reception in operation, at best. At worst, we'll see the phone being redesigned and replaced en-masse.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/24/some-iphone-4-models-see-signals-drop-to-0-when-held-left-handed/
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/24/confirmed-iphone-4-gives-fewer-bars-for-lefties/
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