Apple on Thursday afternoon released a minor software update for iPhones, which changes the appearance of signal bars. Apple has promised that this fix would alleviate the iPhone 4’s widely reported antenna problem ? a claim nobody has believed.
The update (version 4.0.1) is 580-MB large, and the revised signal bar formula is the only tweak mentioned in the change log.
In iOS 4.0.1, the reception bars are slightly taller than they were previously (see images above).
Apple said in a press release that the iPhone 4’s reception loss was exaggerated by an inaccurate display of signal strength, and the company said a new software algorithm would alleviate the problem. However, some bloggers and antenna experts agree that the issue is related to hardware ? a weak spot in the lower-left corner of the phone ? and a software update is unlikely to fix resolve the problem.
From light testing, Wired.com has not seen a substantial difference in performance when the iPhone 4 is gripped covering the antenna gap in the lower-left corner, or left uncovered. We’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, if you’ve installed the update, post your observations in the comments section.
Apple will be holding a press conference Friday morning regarding the iPhone 4. At this point it seems easy to predict that at the conference, Apple will focus on explaining why the software update is an adequate fix. Still, we’re betting the company will issue free bumpers for those claiming they are affected, and perhaps even silently revise the hardware in future shipments of the iPhone 4.
See Also:
- Apple Unveils High-Resolution, Videoconferencing iPhone 4
- Showdown: iPhone 4 vs. HTC Evo 4G
- IPhone 4 Loses Reception When Antenna Band Is Touched
Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/qm-TarAvZgg/
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