Consumer Reports Tests iPhone 4 Again, Adds Bumper

Consumer Reports still hasn’t had enough fun with Apple’s iPhone 4. The nonprofit decided to put it to the test again, this time wearing a Bumper. As expected, test results were far more positive than the previous ones, although it is still unconfirmed whether the phone actually has a reception issue as the result of a faulty antenna design.

“Apple's Bumper, a frame-like cover sold by the company to add a ‘dash of style’ to the iPhone 4, has been flagged by some bloggers and consumers as a possible fix for the phone's signal-loss problem.” (Actually, Apple said “add a touch of style”). “We put the accessory to the test in our labs and confirmed that it does remedy the issue,” Paul Reynolds reports over at the Consumer Reports Electronics blog.

Reynolds mentions that earlier tests carried out without a Bumper showed how signal strength on the iPhone 4 dropped significantly each time a finger was placed over its antenna’s weak spot. Consumer Reports’ writer claims the reduction “might cause a call to be dropped,” although the magazine’s test video didn’t actually show the phone dropping the call.

“With the Bumper fitted, we repeated the test procedure, placing a finger on the Bumper at the point at which it covers the gap below,” Reynolds continues. “The result was a negligible drop in signal strength—so slight that it would not have any effect, in our judgment.” The post continues with Reynolds describing Apple’s Bumpers as “a skirt made of rubber and molded plastic that fits snugly around the phone with buttons that connect to those on the device and openings for its input jacks.” Reynolds mentions that other case manufactures may offer the same benefits, although the magazine admits to not testing any of them.

“The Bumper solves the signal-strength problem,” Reynolds notes, as a bottom line. “So does a piece of duct tape, as we reported earlier, or just being careful how you hold the phone. But these options all put the onus on consumers to solve or pay for a fix. We're still calling on Apple to provide an acceptable free solution to the iPhone 4's signal-loss problem,” the blogger concludes.