Antenna Expert Says iPhone 4 Antenna Won't Be Redesigned

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Posted August 17, 2010 at 3:57pm by iClarified

Spencer Webb, President of AntennaSys, says the iPhone 4 antenna can't be fixed by a coating and it's unlikely Apple will redesign the antenna for Verizon, according to ComputerWorld.

"I've called Apple's antenna design 'bold' and 'risky,' but they won't change it [for a CDMA-based phone]", Webb says. "The antenna design is architecturally fixed in the design, and it would take them a while to make whatever the next design is."

Interestingly Webb also notes that applying a non-conductive coating is not a viable solution since it can't be thick enough.

"There's no coating that's thick enough to make a difference," he said. "It's all about getting the lossy conductor, the human, away from the iPhone." It's less about the material that separates skin from the steel band than it is about the thickness of that material. Scotch tape, for instance, is worthless, as is electrical tape unless several layers are applied.

This contradicts a post-doctoral biochemistry fellow at a leading American university who says that an electrically insulating organic hydrophobic layer atop the bare metal would solve reception issues.

However, Webb does believe they will address the issues somehow. "You can bet your bippy that they're going to be addressing this issue somehow," said Webb. "They want to be the smartest guys on the planet, which is what comes from adversity like this."

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Antenna Expert Says iPhone 4 Antenna Won't Be Redesigned

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Mohsen Mehrvarz - August 18, 2010 at 2:22am

I'm living in Iran. I already have an iPhone 4 and my signal bars are really good without bumper. I don't know what the hell is these problem in other countries. It may happen because of the Antenna coverage in the places.

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Iranian - August 18, 2010 at 11:50pm

Sallam

ktula - August 18, 2010 at 12:41am

This Spencer Webb guy does not know what the hell he's talking about. I put a small piece of masking tape on the "death spot" and it completely fixed the death grip problem.

t11chb - August 17, 2010 at 5:58pm

LOL..Bippy. But seriously i tried my own iPhones & others and struggle to get it to do what everone is making a fuss about.

Jonathan - August 17, 2010 at 6:05pm

there may be a pattern in who does and does not have reception problems I for example, do NOT use a case, and on my 3GS I can make the signal drop 20db by holding the phone in my left hand. My daughters 3GS has an Otterbox case, I cannot cause the signal to drop by holding the phone the say way that makes signal drop on my phone with no case

t11chb - August 17, 2010 at 6:07pm

Thing is i deliberately covered the point to make it drop, i think it did eventually drop one bar but that's all.

fenrry - August 17, 2010 at 11:30pm

The antenna issue is not present on the 3G nor the 3GS, the reason for that is the simple fact that the whole shiny bezel is the antenna, 1 single huge antena, on the other hand the 4 is a separate antenna that is solded rt where the line at the bottom passes, the same one that u can touch and c ur signal drop, to make it drop u have to touch the line and wait a bit, i have done that at most stores in Toronto (around downtown) and every single iphone started to drop signal after 10 or 15 secs, is not immediate but it can be faster depending on particular circumstances. On the other hand this info i believe is 100% wrong, not only cause is CDMA if it doea indeed exist and also cause in Europe there is going to be a new iphone in January since they have to modify the whole plug for the new plug policy, so iPhone5 will have a new antenna and a new sync/power connector plus who knows what other improvements.

zzz - August 17, 2010 at 4:47pm

i don't trust anyone who uses the word "bippy".