Cupertino-based company Apple seems set to show to the world that the reception issues that its iPhone 4 was said to be plagued by are not limited to it. In fact, the company wants to show that, since there are so many smartphones affected by weakening of signal due to certain “grips of death,” the so called antenna issues with the iPhone 4 are no issues at all, and that this is actually something normal when it comes to holding a mobile phone in the hand.
Following demonstrations that included phones from RIM, HTC, Nokia and Samsung, Apple has added a new device to the list, namely the DROID X, showing that the most appealing devices on the market show similar behavior when held in certain ways. The special page Apple put in place for the 'antennagate' affair on its website displays video demos that include the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS, as well as the DROID Eris, Nokia N97 mini, Samsung Omnia II and now the DROID X.
According to Apple, all antennas (not restricted to mobile phones) “can experience attenuation.” When it comes to smartphones, “signal loss typically occurs when [the] hand attenuates the most sensitive part of the antenna.” The videos published on the company's website show how the aforementioned devices lose signal when the grip of death is applied. Since DROID X, one of the hottest smartphones on the market today, has just been added to the list, chances are that other devices would also emerge there.
It is rather interesting that Apple chose to approach the reception issues on its iPhone 4 this way. RIM, HTC, Nokia and Samsung already reacted to Apple's move, saying that there are no signal issues with their devices as the design avoids situation in which users would actually hold the phone is a way that affects the signal strength. For comparison, Apple chose to place the antenna on iPhone 4 into a steel bracket surrounding the mobile phone, which is permanently in contact with user's hand.
As stated above, DROID X is currently one of the most popular devices on the US market. Verizon Wireless, the carrier which launched it a few weeks ago, has run out of stock from day one, and says that the phone would ship to customers with delays. However, DROID X is not the only Android device out there selling like hot cakes. Recently, Google announced that it is activating 160,000 Android-based mobile phones a day (two devices per second, or 4,800,000 handsets each month), and the figure grows constantly.
Stevie J is so determined to prove himself is right it is comical.
No one holds a touch screen device like that, with their fingers wrapped around the front and touching the screen. This would cause the phone to do random things when the screen was touched, signal loss would be the least of your problem. Instead, you quickly learn to hold them by the edges. Apple's choice to place a bare metal antenna on the edge of the iPhone was a bad choice.
As I understand it the Droid has two antennas, one in the back of the phone and another somewhere else. The goofy artificial grip shown in the video is apparently what is needed to partially block this scheme.
A typical "fanboi" response (heavy sarcasm). Yeah just like the iPhone is not held in a way that attenuates the signal in real usage scenarios. I have one been using it since day one and have ZERO issues, even though I know how to reproduce the drop. So please drop this bs.
"RIM, HTC, Nokia and Samsung already reacted to Apple's move, saying that there are no signal issues with their devices"
This is NOT the case! Not a single vendor said this. They gave non-denial denials at best and even Forbes called them out on it. NOT one said Apple was wrong or lying. GET IT RIGHT!
Comment #5 by: NotTellinYou on 24 Jul 2010, 17:30 UTC
I'm very curious as to the reproducibility of this, and somewhat skeptical on the validity of the video. After all, haven't we learned from all this that bars are somewhat bogus measurements? If apple wants people on their side, they should be showing a comparison of dB drops between devices.
Additionally, the reason i'm questioning the video - there's no 3G icon next to the bars. Since we know absolutely nothing of the testing environment, it makes me wonder whether they had to find some remote location without 3G coverage to produce these results. If you look at photos in all of the Droid X reviews, it should have a 3G icon next to the bars. And considering the prevalence of 3G coverage across the US on Verizon, what conditions were needed to make this scenario happen?
Comment #6.1 by: NotTellinYou on 25 Jul 2010, 02:47 GMT
@Ryan, I'm sure you offered similar observations and questions for iPhone 4 videos as well heh?
Comment #7 by: Paul Johnson on 25 Jul 2010, 01:00 UTC
Now that the Motorola and Verizon employees have had a chance to post, lets go back to the Droid X full-page ad that appeared in the New York Times shortly after the so-called "Antennagate" situation began.
"You can hold your Droid X any way you want" [presumably because it won't lose the signal]. Our double-antenna system prevents signal loss.
OOPS! So much for comparative advertising! It seems like a "goofy artificial grip" falls under the category of "holding a Droid X any way you want." Apple tests simply go to show that no smartphone is exempt from this problem, and the claims against the iPhone were overblown.
@Paul Johnson - if you noticed the picture and video on the Droid X. You do not see the 3G symbol besides the bars which should indicate that the signal is a 3G signal. I call BS on the part of Apple on this one.. because if you look at Apples page on the antenna test all phones they showed shows 3G symbol besides the bars. So, I would think that this is fabricated. Also if the 3G signal on the Droid X goes out.. the other signal 1X should have shown up and it didn't.
Claiming to loose that much signal is to me a Fabrication and should be called out on it. Sorry but I just don't believe it.
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