14 DAY TRIAL // A poorly designed iPhone 4 antenna may also be causing distress for Bluetooth headset owners who are now complaining of diminished sound quality. Both the Jawbone end-user forums, and Apple’s own Discussions platform are racking up complaints about the phone’s lackluster wireless capabilities, TUAW points out.
A spokesperson for Aliph, the company behind the Jawbone wireless headsets, believes that an antenna glitch may lie at the heart of the matter: "We are aware of and concerned with the user frustration surrounding the issues affecting all Bluetooth devices (headsets, car kits, and speakers) connecting to the iPhone 4 and iOS4 updated phones. We know users have come to expect the freedom of hands-free and we are working night and day with our partners, Apple and AT&T, to resolve the issues as quickly as possible," Aliph states, although AT&T is hardly at fault here.
One disappointed Jawbone user writes on the manufacturer’s support forums: “I'm having the same problem with my Jawbone Prime. I've been using it for a couple of years with my old iPhone 2g with no problems. Since receiving my new iPhone 4, I get the same problems you guys are experiencing with your Icons.Interestingly, I had no problems pairing the Prime up with the iPhone 4. However, every call is dropped at least once. I know I'm not in a bad service area as the iPhone shows 4 - 5 bars. Every person I try to talk to says they can't hear me, as if my voice is muffled, and the calls are very staticy. Interestingly, I can hear them just fine. When I switch off the Prime onto the iPhone handset, suddenly all the problems clear up. Very frustrating living on the technological bleeding edge.”
Over at Apple Discussions, jasonb b says, “I have a motorola bluetooth h710/h715 and as soon as I got the iphone 4, everyone is telling my I sound muffled when using it, compared to my 3gs. Anyone else have this issue?” The answer would be “yes”, jasonb b.