Apple iPhone 4 signal problems: Some perspective

While there’s little doubt that the iPhone 4 has issues with its signal, it’s impossible to say how many people have been affected

Shoppers have been queuing up to buy the iPhone 4, but they haven't been returning the handset in their droves, despite well documented signal issues Photo: RAY TANG / REX FEATURES

Apple is holding a hastily convened press conference this evening (UK time) to discuss the ongoing issues surrounding iPhone 4.

It’s an almost unprecedented move – Apple rarely arranges media briefings for anything other than new product launches, so it’s a testament to how serious an issue these reported problems have become for Apple that it’s taking the unusual step of dealing with its critics face to face.

The exact number of people affected by the “death grip” – the loss of a signal whenever the iPhone 4 is held in the left hand – remains a mystery; there is certainly a significant number of understandably vocal iPhone 4 users who are suffering from dropped calls or poor reception.

The issue seems to be hardware-related – the stainless steel band running around the centre of the iPhone 4 houses the antennae, and it’s not impossible to imagine that covering one or more of those antennae would have a serious impact on signal strength.

It’s a matter of some conjecture as to whether or not Apple was aware of this problem before the iPhone 4 went on sale; Bloomberg reports that a senior engineer warned of possible issues, while a spokesman for Apple has challenged Bloomberg to prove these claims.

Apple’s reluctance, up until now at least, to fully explore and explain the precise nature of these signal problems has not helped matters. Instead, it has created an information vacuum in which rumour and speculation has reigned supreme.

The company has admitted to a software issue that causes the iPhone to display an incorrect number of bars, thereby giving a false impression of signal strength; but so far, it maintains that the “death grip” reception issues are common to all mobile phones, and that a simple way to get around the problem is to hold the iPhone differently, or to use a case or a bumper. The iOS 4.0.1 software update has corrected the signal display issues, but will not correct problems caused by holding the phone in a certain way.

It’s very difficult to know exactly how many people have been affected by this issue. A ring-around of network operators by gadget website Pocket Lintrevealed that very few people have returned an iPhone 4. Our own investigations paint a similar picture, with the number of iPhone 4s returned well within the expected parameters. Vodafone, for instance, said that only a “very, very small” number of handsets had been returned.

So, with no hard and fast numbers to go on, I’m afraid anecdotal evidence is the only option. Here at the Telegraph, there are several members of staff with iPhone 4s, on all of the major networks. My own iPhone 4, a white model on the Vodafone network, has behaved impeccably; likewise, a colleague’s newly acquired black handset on O2 is operating as expected.

On Twitter, there’s a mixed response: fellow technology journalist Gordon Kelly says that he can recreate the “death grip” problem on every iPhone he has tested; Time Out journalist David Phelan says his white iPhone is absolutely fine; meanwhile Alisdair Binning, a graphic designer, says he does experience a loss of signal, but that slipping his iPhone 4 in to a case completely resolves the issue. Even Apple’s own discussion forums have almost as many people saying their iPhone works perfectly as saying there’s a signal problem.

Apple’s handling of this entire situation has been poor; while the company excels at stage-managing product launches and generating a buzz of excitement around new products, it needs to polish up on its crisis-management skills.

The first thing it needs to do at this evening’s press conference is to be absolutely honest about the nature of the signal problem, and give some idea of how many people it affects. Is it common to all handsets, but only triggered in certain situations? Or is it more likely to affect people on certain networks or in certain geographical locations?

The second thing it needs to do is to remedy this problem – fast. A full-scale product recall is unlikely, and, judging by the mixed experiences of users, unnecessary; instead, simply offering each iPhone 4 user with a bumper, free of charge, to cover the antennae, should satisfy those who have had problems. It won’t please everyone though, and Apple should be prepared to offer full refunds or replacement devices to the most disgruntled customers.

Apple prides itself on making products that “just work”, and the company has been humbled by this debacle. But by acting swiftly, it can stop this drama turning in to a crisis, and go someway towards repairing its battered reputation with consumers.