Down to Earth – iPhone4
Posted by Dan | Filed under Down to Earth News
Update: as the first person that commented on this post pointed out the reality and effects of iPhone 4 “death grip” is more complex and requires more in depth attention than i’ve portrayed in the following. The assumption that i have made that GSM and 3G increase their transmit power based on received signal strength seems to be wrong so keep in mind that while reading. I would still like to have some concrete measurements of SAR while someone performing the so called “death grip”. If someone does that please do inform me !
Hi! I have just remembered that i do still have a blog to write to … The subject is by far the worst subject i could choose for now but … I have read a lot of news about iPhone 4 lately and i feel compelled to follow up.
The story is like this:
- iPhone 4 has been released by Apple while knowingly skipping the testing part
- Consumer Reports & others reports … SKIP IT, it does loose signal while holding it the wrong way
- Apple deletes posts on forum about this issue
- Others provide solutions … iHand ( a must click )
- Everyone expects a recall… Apple gives for a BUMPer for FREE ( until 30 sept., after 30 sept the phone will be obsolete ) and a FREE press conference
Along this stories i have not seen the most important aspect regarding the iPhone 4 loss of signal. One that is a basic facts about any mobile phone in the world.
If the signal ( reception of the phone is low ) the phone will automatically try to compensate for the loss increasing the power it uses to transmit. If the signal drops to zero as the tests have shown in iPhone 4 case, the phone will use it’s maximum power to transmit ( while in a call ) and thus microwaving your brain multiple times faster than a normal phone in normal conditions. So in fact the problem is not that the phone looses signal, or isn’t working properly… the problem is that this flaw affects the users more than they know and they should be warned about that.
In such case iPhone 4 should not be able to pass any SAR value tests in any country … but hey ! … SAR value tests does not take into consideration the way the way a real person holds the iPhone 4 ( touching the antenna ) and yes … they do use a iHand to test the phone not a flesh and blood human hand !
If by chance you survive, the signal loss will force you to talk less … and use the phone less as the battery will deplete faster and age faster over time.
Keep in ming that I am now saying that i have done any tests whatsoever or i am right. It’s just my opinion that others should confirm or infirm. In fact i am a happy owner of an iPhone 3G and i intend to keep it that way until number 5.
Tags: Apple, Consumer Reports, death grip, FREE bumper, FREE press conference, iHand, iPhone 4, microwaving your brain
July 16th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Just curious. Do you own an iPhone 4?
I don’t, but I’ve talked to many owners in real life who aren’t having the problem, and talked to a few who have had the problem in specific circumstances.
GSM and 3G phones don’t increase their transmit power based on received signal strength. They increase their power when the cell tower they’re communicating with tells them to, based on the received strength at the tower. These levels are often very asymmetric. Something affecting the receive portion of the antenna does not have the same effect on the transmitting portion, so a cell tower can often receive a phone better than the phone can receive the tower.
That being said, the same thing that makes the antenna not perform properly when touched in a specific way also cause a transmitting antenna to “detune” and have a high VSWR which in turn forces the transmitter to reduce its output power, reducing SAR.
The whole issue is a lot more complex than the press and bloggers realize. The affect that hands have on an antenna will be varied a lot from person to person. Fat/Muscle/moisture content in the hands will have a huge effect, which may be what some people are having the problems while others aren’t.
I wish more study was going into all this rather than just jumping to conclusions. 🙁
July 16th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Hi,
thank you very much for commenting! Indeed i’ve put my conclusions in the first place so as to receive one answer like yours!
My experience with mobile phones from the antenna point of view are of course limited to suppositions and you’ve clarified a bunch of.
I don’t currently own an iPhone 4 ( i said in the post i own an 3G model ) but the iPhone 4 is just on the way for testing ( on the way to China ). I should have it in about 3 days and then decide if i should keep it or not.
Thanks,
Dan
July 16th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
“iPhone 4 has been released by Apple while knowingly skipping the testing part.”
Baloney. Apple flatly denied the allegation made in that linked article at their press conference today.
July 17th, 2010 at 12:44 am
Apple denied it while Bloomberg stand by their story and source … as a lot of articles point out about this subject. So who is lying ?
There is an old Romanian saying … probably in other regions also … “there is no smoke without a fire” so something must be true at least in part.
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:49 am
… as an update i bought 1 iPhone 4 and one iPad recently …
and they got stolen on the way by the friendly Hong Kong Post postman … so i currently cannot post more about iPhone 4
January 5th, 2011 at 4:51 am
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ribas