Despite some reports that Apple went in and fixed the “antenna-gate” issue that plagued the iPhone 4’s initial launch on AT&T, Consumer Reports says it’s still a problem.
Early adopters will likely remember the frenzy that surrounded the iPhone 4 release last year, after reports surfaced about how holding the device on specific parts of the edge caused the antenna connection to break, making it possible to drop calls or never connect in the first place simply by holding the phone in a normal way.
Apple fought back, saying there was no problem with the device, and in a memorable Steve Jobs rant, anyone who experienced issues was told they were merely holding the phone the “wrong way.” The company refused to admit any fault in the design despite admitting that the iPhone 4 suffered more dropped calls than any previous iPhone, but eventually crumbled to the pressure and offered free cases to circumvent the issue.
It came as quite a surprise, then, when Verizon’s iPhone 4 was said to have erradicated the issue. Given Apple’s firm stance that there was nothing wrong with the phone, it seemed uncharacteristic for the company to go in and “fix” it, thereby admitting some sort of fault.
According to Consumer Reports, Apple’s claims that there is no “death grip” on the Verizon iPhone are false. When users hold the device from the edge at the lower left steel band, dropped calls are likely and network connectivity is reduced.
A teardown of the iPhone 4 has revealed that there is an extra “gap” in the cellular band, making it more difficult for users to break up the entire signal, but Consumer Reports wants consumers to know that it is still very possible.
