This has been the main topic on the internet all day: the iPhone 4 has reception issues. Many people are reporting that when holding the phone in the bottom-left corner, the signal drops. Bars go down, you get No Service on your iPhone.
We haven’t had the chance to test this issue (because we haven’t got an iPhone 4…yet) but we’ve read many reports of users either frustrated or surprised that they haven’t been able to replicate the issue.
Now the interesting part: Engadget has got an official statement from Apple, and published an email Steve Jobs sent to a new iPhone 4 customer.
The official statement:
“Gripping any mobile phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas. This is a fact of life for every wireless phone. If you ever experience this on your iPhone 4, avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band, or simply use one of many available cases.”
Steve Jobs, on the other hand, says that you just have to avoid holding it in that way. Or buy a Bumper instead, and there won’t be any reception issues.
We think this is a little bit crazy, but in fact I’ve replicated the same issue on my iPhone 3GS by holding it very tightly. It’s just…I didn’t see this Apple / Jobs statement coming.
Nice to know anyway, I’m definitely going to buy a case.
