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Decided to return our iPhones today....

some people on this board say
Steve jobs is so smart for not putting in a 3g chip! it takes up too much battery life!

then another group say
Oh the 3g chip is inside! We just need a firmware update.

Will there be a war!?
 
fj2007cruiser said:
Well I have used the phone from day one, and I really want to say terrible things about it, all it's short comings, and go straight back to my Treo 700wx.
The only problem is that I can't. It is a phone that does what Mr. Jobs says it would do. It is a first attempt as well, but still succeeds. What I don't understand is what the nay sayers have to say. If you are not happy and so so so disappointed simply return the phone, pay your restocking fee and head back to your Treos, Blackberrys, etc. Why try to ruin the experience of everyone else that loves the phone. Nobody twists your arm to keep the iPhone. Gracefully go, live happily, and allow the rest that wish to keep the phone to enjoy it. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Isn't that exactly how I started this thread?


clayfu said:
some people on this board say
Steve jobs is so smart for not putting in a 3g chip! it takes up too much battery life!

then another group say
Oh the 3g chip is inside! We just need a firmware update.

Will there be a war!?
Click to expand...

Personally....I'm in the camp of "gimme the 3G chip and let me decide if I wanna turn it off".

skinnylegs said:
I hear 'ya.....

I found your assessment to be very balanced. Nothing inflammatory; simply your observations and experience. Mind you, I really like the iPhone and it gets the job done for me but there is certainly room for improvement.

Anyway.....regarding the signal strength issue, I made a quick video to document my findings. The video was thrown together pretty quickly ('kinda like Blair Witch meets iPhone) and I uploaded it as a large file so it would be clearer. If you're interested, you can check it out at http://web.mac.com/sjesser/iWeb/Site/Movie 1.html
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I see.....if you feel like making another video, go into the field test menu on the iPhone and grab the raw numbers (I would but my iPhone's deactivated already). You can get into the field test menu by hitting *3001#12345#* then Call (I believe I remembered that correctly). Then I *think* you get to the raw dBm values under the Cell Information (second or third one down).
 
skinnylegs said:
Well now this is just plain weird....

After reading this, I figured I would check it out. So.....I have 4-5 bars when I am *not* holding the base of the phone and 0-1 bars when I *am* holding the base of the phone. I've done this about 10 times with the same results every time. I know this is not a scientific experiment but it does look rather suspect.....
Click to expand...

I tried covering everything and couldn't get the bars to change. Full bars no matter what.
Question: Are you carbon based?:cool:
 
kdarling said:
Not to worry. Most of those bashing your opinion are obviously kids, with no net manners, no technical knowledge, and incredibly naive about the world.

After a while, they're obvious to everyone.

In the old days, at least you could be assured that anyone on the Internet was of at least college age and intelligence. No longer. Now those of us with actual tech experience are lost in the swirl of fans claiming that everything can and will be fixed with a software update!
Click to expand...

Agreed. I appreciate your fair opinion on the iPhone. Most of what you say is right on the mark AND I love my iPhone.
 
beate said:
I tried covering everything and couldn't get the bars to change. Full bars no matter what.
Question: Are you carbon based?:cool:
Click to expand...

Hmm, go to your call pad and type in *3001#12345#* and press call
then select either network or cell information (i don't remember which one) the first cell listed is usually the strongest/closest cell tower to you. When you cover the antenna with your hand sometimes that causes the dbm reading to change unless it is already really low, you won't see the bars drop. By low in mean it has to be like -90's or lower.
 
diamond.g said:
Hmm, go to your call pad and type in *3001#12345#* and press call
then select either network or cell information (i don't remember which one) the first cell listed is usually the strongest/closest cell tower to you. When you cover the antenna with your hand sometimes that causes the dbm reading to change unless it is already really low, you won't see the bars drop. By low in mean it has to be like -90's or lower.
Click to expand...

Well that made my night (and crossed my eyes). Cool trick though - I feel like a baby hacker. Still no change in bars though - stayed on full. Maybe I live next to a tower. Maybe I'm not right in the head. Maybe I'm not carbon based.
????????
 
Is it Cell Information> RX I should be looking at? If so, it lists 7 thingies which I'm *assuming* are cell sites? My numbers are as follows: -94, -98, -103, -105, -106, -109, -110. Mind you, the numbers fluctuate but they remain within a point or two of what I just posted.

Are these numbers good or bad?

Here are the numbers when my hand does not obstruct the antenna.....


....and here are the numbers when I am holding the phone normally.

 
I fully understand, as well as appreciate, Merlyn's comments. As others have pointed out, each of us has his own past experience, expectations, and needs, and it's hardly apostasy to acknowledge the imperfections of the iPhone. Although the iPhone works well enough for me to justify delighting in the spectacular screen and general look and feel, I can't help but wonder how Apple missed so many opportunities to meet the very reasonable expectations of users like Merlyn.

One of the best, and most characteristic, aspects of Mac OS is how it makes a user feel that someone has really carefully thought through every detail and has taken the trouble to ensure that everything works smoothly and most conveniently. This feeling, though, is undeniably missing from the iPhone, and that is a disappointment. Even granting that some problems are intractable--like choosing the perfect carrier--many lacunae seem, at least superficially, to be the product of a very un-Applish lack of thoughtfulness.

For a demanding business user the shortcomings Merlyn identifies can make holding on to the original an iPhone hard to justify; the rest of us can indulge in its pleasures while hoping for the swift remediation of its flaws.
 
I can't help but wonder how Apple missed so many opportunities to meet the very reasonable expectations of users like Merlyn.
Click to expand...
You read a lot of this stuff on the various forums ... does anyone really think Apple "forgot" to add ringtones, voice dial, etc., etc.? We can all speculate until the cows come home and some enjoy it more than others :) , but you can bet that Apple is very aware of every feature offered on the market and has/will address each one over time. No doubt they will elect to pass on a feature that will piss some folks off...
do lot do lot do so sinh ban buon quan ao ban buon quan ao chup anh cho be
IMHO/speculation;
The ease of updating allowed Apple to release a phone with a limited feature set to enter the market in a simple, (easier) to support way. As time goes by it's a win-win deal for the company who responds to customer comments by continually releasing fixes/features. Look at it this way, it's like getting a new phone every so often, lol.
 
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skinnylegs said:
Is it Cell Information> RX I should be looking at? If so, it lists 7 thingies which I'm *assuming* are cell sites? My numbers are as follows: -94, -98, -103, -105, -106, -109, -110. Mind you, the numbers fluctuate but they remain within a point or two of what I just posted.
Click to expand...

For other phones:

-50 is about full strength

... down to ...

-105 is nearly no signal
 
Covering antenna

Just adding a name to the list of those seeing ~10/15dB drops when holding the phone "normally" vs. holding it away from the black antenna cover. My numbers are very similar to those posted here (and thanks for the field test info and letting me feel like I'm not crazy...).

I can wait for the categorized calendar support, categorized to-do list, and GPS, that I want eventually but if I can't use it reliably as a phone, it makes the phone hard to justify given the cost. I don't think a software update can help with the antenna... Really love all other aspects of it and also struggled with the Rev-A adoption (actually held out a full 3 days before buying...).

My Cingular RAZR had other issues (at times would only work on speakerphone) that made it difficult to use. I'm curious to see what the "Genius Bar" has to say since I just had my original phone replaced due to an issue with the phone failing when it became warm. If they have something interesting to add, I'll post again.
 
sshrivastava said:
I think Apple will be getting a lot of returns, and it won't be the big home run everyone thought -- just my personal opinion.

We discovered, in the three days with our iPhone before returning it, that the cell antenna is in the BASE of the unit. What this means is that whenever you hold the phone in your hand to dial or use any of its internet features, you hold it in the palm of your hand. Covering the bottom black area with your hand causes the iPhone signal to immediately drop 2-3 bars.

This is a MAJOR DESIGN FLAW, and could be the cause of dropped calls and poor connectivity for many people. If the problems are widespread, Apple may have a recall on its hands.
Click to expand...

It's funny because the Samsung Blackjack along w/ some other smartphones also have their antennas on the back bottom side. Given that, I wouldn't be so quick to judge that as a flaw by Apple alone, but perhaps the most efficient design, given the circumstances of the phone.

Lets think about this for a minute. While the top of the phone might be the most efficient area to have great reception, it could also be the most harmful area for your brain. Perhaps the placement of the antenna is for other reasons too.

Apple is a great design company and i'm CERTAIN they have consulted phone makers about placing any piece of hardware to be the most efficient. It just doesn't make sense not to.

It's easy to point out flaws (or at least some of it) w/o thinking as to why it may be the way it is. I wouldn't even call this a "flaw" because it appears to be a design decision based on other factors which were more important.
 
i returned mine when i realized that carrying a $600+ device in my pocket every day was absurd
 
Same here

beate said:
I tried covering everything and couldn't get the bars to change. Full bars no matter what.
Question: Are you carbon based?:cool:
Click to expand...

I thought I was in the "Twilight Zone" reading this thread. I can't get anything less than full bars no matter what I do.

As for the phone, it has been transformative for me. I got lost in my car the other day on a BIG deadline. I went to the Company's website, got their address, popped it into "maps", Got turn by turn instructions and drove right there. It paid for itself on that day, as far as I'm concerned.

As a bonus, I'd never had an iPod. Now I'm hooked on that...and I discovered the Apple store.

It's an 'A' so far.
 
AJsAWiz said:
I returned my Rolls Royce today. The risk of being car jacked was too high :D
Click to expand...

thats a terrible analogy... would you drive a rolls royce and left it parked overnight in brooklyn? I wont even leave my accord overnight
 
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