So does your international iPhone 4 have death-grip or death-touch?
One of the lingering questions surrounding iPhone 4 and the whole “antennagate” saga is just how much, if any, of the problem could be blamed on the traditional network whipping boy, AT&T. Sure, you could reduce or kill iPhone 4 data and voice reception by gripping it firmly around the base to attenuate the signal or touching it at the bottom left corner to de-tune the antenna, but would that be a problem on carriers with stronger networks?
So, the moment I got my iPhone 4 up and running on Rogers Canada yesterday, I aimed to find out and the answer — is as complicated and confusing as always.
First test was right outside the Apple Store, inside the mall. I had 4 bars on both iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS running iOS 4.0.1. Holding either one in a death-grip, even lightly, dropped them a bar. Covering the lower-left spot of iPhone 4 also dropped it a bar. Neither had any real-world problems. 3 bars is fine.
Next test was to go out and find low signal areas. Interestingly, driving through areas where iPhone 3GS briefly drops to EDGE, iPhone 4 stayed on 3G longer and came back to it faster. When I stopped and stayed in an area with 1 to 2 bars of 3G signal, that’s where the fun began. And by fun I mean crazy.
My results, on both iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS were all over the place. Again, I could drop a bar, sometimes both bars, by death-gripping either phone or death-touching iPhone 4. Every so often, however, death-touching iPhone 4 got it to jump up to 3 bars. It happened enough that it wasn’t a fluke, but I couldn’t do it every time. Once I managed to cover enough antenna to get iPhone 4 to search for the network. I couldn’t get iPhone 3GS to do that — it stayed on 0 bars but on network — but unless I was trying to crush the phone with both hands I’d never hold it that way in real life.
In terms of data speeds, again the results were crazy. I could drop speeds by half with death-grip on both iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, and death-touch on iPhone 4. Starting from 1 or 2 bars, I could even stop network connectivity completely, again with death-grip on both or death-touch on iPhone 4.
But sometimes only HSDPA (download) would drop while HSUPA (upload) would go up or stay steady. Sometimes the opposite. The results were so crazy, so varied, I’m considering calling the whole thing black magic and just forgetting about it.
So, on Rogers in Canada, death-grip is real but certainly not limited to iPhone 4, while death-touch is also real and limited to iPhone 4 but presents much the same way. Areas of poor signal can be problematic in theory but in a way that’s utterly impossible to predict. In practice, dropping calls didn’t happen, dropping data was easy to work around, and dropping network had to be forced.
UPDATE: I just ran similar tests on the Nexus One in the same area of poor Rogers reception. Death-touch has no effect, one finger held along the left side drops it a bar and reduces data roughly 25%, death-grip drops 2 bars and reduces data 75%. Death-grip and putting my other hand behind the phone as well killed data but didn’t drop any additional bars.
If you’ve done similar tests, or have similar real-world experience to share on other networks, let us know in comments below!
| Tweet | Share |
Rene Ritchie, Editor
Chad Garrett, Writer
Jeremy Sikora, Writer
Leanna Lofte, Writer
Georgia, Writer
Allyson Kazmucha, Writer
Dieter Bohn, Editor in Chief, SPE
Nobody should have problems on Bell/Telus shared HSPA network. We get full 3G out at the lake ( Jaffary BC). Not many dead zones anymore with either of those carriers. Rogers out there, hah, forget about it.
Just watch this movie of the death touch from the Netherlands. iPhone 4 on T-Mobile network. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgkowqx0MaI&feature=player_embedded
Great reception in Pointe-Claire and Montreal area….not able to reproduce issues seen elsewhere. Most important…I LOVE my iPhone 4. What a HUGE upgrade from 3G. I’m experiencing the same giddy excitement I felt when my 3G arrived in 2008. It is awesome.
Thank you Dylan, I did find it when I searched up “Iphone 4 case program”
I ordered the Incase slim hard case. The guys at Future Shop threw in a rubberized Incipio 2mm case, so I figure no sense in getting a rubberized bumper. Also got an invisible shield for the front and back. FANTASTIC product. Easy to install, works excellent.
Back on topic: To clarify, on Rogers in Vancouver BC I’ve yet to have any reception issues, but like I said, I can voluntarily reproduce reception loss by gapping the antennae.
Eventhough I’ve tried every grip possible with iPhone 4, the reception in Saudi Arabia is always good.
No death grip/touch issues on my iPhone 4 using Optus here in Sydney, Australia. It’s all good!
I live in rural New Zealand, and just upgraded from 3G to iPhone 4, I have no problems, generally reception is not great where I live but have found the iPhone 4 reception to be far better than my old iPhone 3G. I never got 3G connection at home only in town, but now with my iPhone 4 I get 3G connection at home, I am really happy with the upgrade.
Lined up for 5 hours get my hands on an iPhone 4 and the first thing I did is grip it in every way with no loss of signal.In fact I am death gripping as I write this message with 4 bars showing!!!!
Is it possible international iphones shipped with an internal hardware fix?
@Xebobia posting from Sydney Australia with the 3 network
I’m drunk
I have tried 2 different iPhone 4’s in Australia now and tried the “death grip” but couldn’t even get 1 bar to drop, not 1 problem with the iPhone 4 here in Australia
I’m from Singapore got my iPhone Friday,tried the grip and in some cases dropped 2 bars but didnt lose connection. When I have full bars though it seems it wouldn’t drop at all. I guess it not a huge problem although i feel reception is indeed a bit worse than the 3G
I have noticed one strange situation. My iPhone 4 is awesome, but when I went to TN, my friends iPhone 4 did not register the same signal strength. His was consistently lower then mine. Could it be a bad batch of phones?
Went back to same poor signal location and repeated tests with Nexus One. Results added as an update.
Nothing here in Canada. Toronto area on Rogers. Can not get it to drop a bar no matter how hard I try.
Picked up my iPhone 4 in Switzerland on Friday and have had absolutely no problems with reception and without bumper or case. Fabulous!
I bought the Incipio NGP from the TiPb store the week before launch knowing I’m going to want a case before hand anyway. btw I can now see the case program app in the AU app store (apparently only through the link and not search) where before I would just get a “not found” page
Wow, thanks God. Looks like Apple was not lying in that iPhone 4 press conference.
In Ireland
In an area with 3/4 bars signal strength, I can get it to drop 1/2 bars with either death grip or death touch. No effect in areas with full 5 bars
HK have problem… be honest guys and heres proof http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC-uP1XRn44
‘All of you are starting on 4.0.1 with the “new” formula.’
I’m in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and I can’t speak for everyone else but my phone came with iOS 4.0 installed on it. iTunes told me 4.0.1 is ready to be installed but I haven’t done it yet.
Look no matter what Apple does they will continue to dig their own grave. I mean it does have some great features but white or not the iPhone 4 has major design flaws. Design should never come before function and usability. Apple seems to have forgotten that.
I mean the iPhone 4 held the number one spot in the top ten ranking on pc world. Once Apple gave that press conference they took it down with out explanation. However, http://getyourgadgetsgoing.com/ took a look into it. The results are rather interesting.
I just got my wife the IP4 on Thursday. I have the 3GS and previously she had the 3G. While I agree it can be an issue from using it on my porch (which normally has poor reception) by touching it in the infamous location it hasn’t impacted her real world usage thus far. My opinion on the matter is this: while I think Apple was much more descreet in the intenuation location on the phone, I think it was a risk they were willing to take in order to get the best reception and form factor from the device. So while I think it’s easier to affect the reception the tradeoff is a sleeker phone with better overall reception. I think the smart phone market is full of tradeoffs and this is just one of them. If you can’t live with it find another phone that has the features you want with the issues you are willing to live with. This was just overblown by a desperate media, entitled people that like to complain and the miserable masses that like to see people/companies that have what they don’t dragged down to their level. It does always seem to be the usual suspects.
I have my iP4 running for 3 weeks now in northern Germany (just north of Bremen) on t-mobile (Telekom) network. Compared with my former 3G (on iOS 4) and my wife’s current 3G (on iOs 4.01) there is a slight trend towards more bars on the iP4 and I didn’t loose any calls so far, nor any data connection (3G deliberately turned OFF all the time).
I have to add, that all this antennagate-discussion has influenced the way I hold my phone. Without really noticing, I tend to avoid death-grip now. When applying it on purpose, I can typically erase 1-2 bars, slightly more (but may be not significant) than on the 3G.
Another Sydney-Australia iPhone 4 owner. No death-grip issues.
Feel sorry for the guys & girl chained to AT&T
No issue’s here in Adelaide, Australia on the optus network. I can certainly make the phone lose a bar or two with the death grip when the signal is a bit weak, but i haven’t dropped any calls, so im happy
Thread cleaned. Please stay on topic, be courteous and respectful, and NO ALL CAPS.
No problems here in Belgium. Amazing phone.
I have used the iPhone 4 in Dubai, U.A.E. and in New Delhi, India without any major problems. Tried the Death Grip in Dubai but only got the iPhone to drop to 2 bars, and that was by holding it with both hands covering as much as the phone as I could, which is not how anyone would ever use it normally. In fact, I am getting a better signal everywhere than my BlackBerry 9700.
I’m in Whistler, BC Canada. I’ve had no problems so far. I even made a video about it… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRFyalnX0_M
Zurich/Switzerland: I bought two iPhone 4 from the Apple Store on Friday, both SIM-free (finally available through Apple, which is great!), and before I gave one to my friend, I was able to test them both: They both seemed to work just exactly the same. I got 5 bars at my location with Sunrise no matter how I held them, even when gripping the left line. Inside the house where 3g was low, I was at least able to reproduce somewhat of a Near-Death-Grip behaviour with one or two bars less life when trying hard to kill reception, but in a way I don’t usually hold my iPhone. Basically, reception on the iP4 seems to be very good, actually feels even a little better than on the 3GS. I’ve had not one lost call so far (lots of calls, having a flat rate). The only issue I have is all my friends making jokes about the antenna, as bad media coverage on it was huge…
c’est la dernière fois que je viens sur ce site de merde quand on est incapable de traduire correctement une langue dans une autre on s’abstient! ceci n’est pas du français mais du petit nègre
vous n’avez même pas été foutu de recopier bêtement mon texte alors
culer en vous faire aller cul de trou
Please this delete both messages from mossay. Those are very stupid/vulgar messages written in French.
Thanks,
In West Palm Beach, no antennagate so far for me no matter what I try. Signal is usually excellent around here tho but I’ll keep testing.
i got new iphone4 from online store and it is very good and the price is cheaper than other suppliers,just $392 including shipping fee,if you are interested in it ,please feel free to contact me .msn:tracy-peggy@hotmail.com
To all you iPhone 4 owners, the deathgrip exists. All you have to do is hold your finger on the spot for at least 30 seconds before you see bars starting to dissapear. Keep your finger on the spot longer and they all go away.
The sad part is reception is affected immediatly, regardless of how many bars are showing.
Don’t lie to yourself. Wait until apple fixes this hardware issue before you buy an iPhone 4.
It doesnt affect Singapore. I tried holding on the antenna for more than 30 seconds. The signal went down by only a bar. SO nope, no death-grip in Singapore. I think it must be the AT & T network
the solution is clearcoat. just take clearcoat and then coat the matal frame. (not tested jet, waiting for my iphone) the reason why the death touch works is because you connect the 2 antennas with your finger. sorry for my english
Melbourne, Australia on Telstra. Generally Telstra coverage is great compared to when I had Optus. Death gripping the device results in dropping a bar which I imagine means dropping a call in weak signal areas. I dropped a call in one such area today, but it’s hard to know if this was due to this or not.
No issues on Telus in Atlantic Canada. The first thing both myself/Telus sales guy tried after activating the phone was the death grip/touch just to see what would happen. No matter what we tried, bars stayed at full. Didn’t drop at all.
That was with the default preloaded iOS 4.0. Fast forward a day later with the iOS 4.1 update which resized the signal bars and now I am getting random signal strength readings… sometimes it only drops by 1 bar, other times it drops almost down to nothing, other times it’s not affected at all.
I think this “update” may have actually made things appear worse. I say “appear” since calls still work fine regardless of how many bars are showing and I’ve yet to drop a call anywhere I’ve traveled. I even notice more fluctuations in the signal bars with a full skin case present on the phone. The tallest signal bar keeps “blinking” in/out at random intervals. When I had iOS 4.0 it was at full strength all the time regardless.
D’oh… meant to say iOS 4.01 in my previous post… not 4.1 (that one is still in Beta 3 phase). Sorry for any confusion.