The storm of protest concerning the iPhone 4 is overwhelming the smartphone world at this time and it doesn’t look like ending anytime soon. Apple puts itself under a microscope every day of the year and this has produced almost universal positive publicity since the first iPhone was announced, but this microscope will also amplify problems to the point of hysteria.
The Nokia E71 has reception problems and so have a few other smartphones I have reviewed over the years, but they were not bought in big enough numbers and the marketing machine behind them did not beg to be knocked down at any opportunity. Many of the Windows Mobile phones have had terrible antenna problems and call quality that is almost unusable alongside cameras that are simply not worth including. There have been memory problems in many Symbian smartphones and severe trackball problems in far too many BlackBerry phones. The fact is that there has not been a smartphone in history that does not have big problems, but I have to give credit to Apple for trying to make the core features as good to use as possible in the iPhone 4.
I don’t forgive Apple the antenna issue or the ridiculous proximity sensor problem because these are fundamental to any phone, smart or not, and they should never have made it through the testing process. When we look at these issues in context to other problems on so many phones you do start to realise that it isn’t only Apple shipping phones with significant problems.
Hang on, Shaun this is 2010. The rubgish WM phones were pre 2008 I would argue (the HTC HD2 a 2009 device has great call quality) and all the reviews stated the call qulaity was poor. Also the E71 was a 2008 model. The E72 a 2009 model has fantastic reception even with a metal battery cover (and three dy battery life). Please compare similar generations. The iPhone 4 by Apple’s admission seems worst than the 3GS, while HTC’s phones get better each year and each version. The HTC Desire, for exmaple, had very few s/w issues from the start and no call quality issues at all. Compare the most modern devices with the iPhone 4 when talking about issues. Apple could have provided testable scientific data about poor reception of competitor devices but they did not, funny that. Look at Gizmodo, there is an article that explains that Apple don’t understand social networking and do not use this vehicle for marketing and this is why they are facing some of the issues they are.
Hang on, Shaun. How dare you introduce some perspective and reason when discussing anything to do with the iPhone? Can’t you be more like Gizmodo?
I don’t own an iPhone, and never will, but I have a real problem with it.
Yes, I know that there are videos on You Tube of the Samsung Galaxy S and Samsung Captivate dropping from five bars to zero when held at the bottom, and plenty of other smartphones doing the same thing, too. But those are all fake!!! And they’re not scientific like the ones that were posted on Gizmodo.
Come on! This is 2010.
@jah
I didn’t mention phones that worked well in all areas (can’t think of one currently). I talked about the fact that almost all smartphones ship with problems. I can’t see the Desire screen properly outdoors- that is a problem. The Desire battery is not great- that is a problem. The HD2 battery is also not great.
Every phone has stand out features, just like the iPhone 4 does. What I am saying is that, sadly, most of them also have problems. Also- I did say the following in the article- “I don’t forgive Apple the antenna issue or the ridiculous proximity sensor problem because these are fundamental to any phone, smart or not, and they should never have made it through the testing process.”
Let’s not use Gizmodo as an example. The site has turned into The Sun newspaper which changes views and skews things depending on what suits it.
@lazyboy
Let’s not also presume that other phones have anywhere near as big an antenna problem as the iPhone 4 has. It’s easy to demonstrate such signal issues, but in the real world the Galazy S and other phones are way ahead in terms of signal capability.
@Shaun.
I wasn’t presuming anything about the scope of antenna problems or signal strength, or of one phone’s real performance compared to another. The truth is, none of us knows – except from our own anecdotal experiences – how well each phone performs in identiical situations. I’m sure that there are other phones that perform better than the iPhone, just as I have had phones that perform worse.
From my own perspective, there are two phones in my house that I have to compare. The iPhone 4 and a Blackberry Curve, both on AT&T. Lying flat on the table, the iPhone 4 (post the 4.01 update) shows 3 bars, the Blackberry Curve 4. Now, I have absolutely no idea how each phone calibrates its bars, (actually, I do in the case of the iPhone) or, indeed, what these bars really mean, except that they are some kind of indicator of signal strength.
When I pick up and hold both phones naturally in my left hand, as I would to make a phone call, both phones drop bars. The iPhone 4 from 3 to 1 bar, and the Curve from 4 to 2. Both phones have no trouble placing and receiving calls. What does this mean?
From a “scientific” point of view, I have no bloody idea!
This whole “antennagate” thing started because Gizmodo began repeatedly showing videos of bars dropping on the iPhone 4 when it was held in a certain way, and some wag decided to dub this a “death grip”.
What I am saying is that these videos were used as evidence that the iPhone 4 had an antenna “problem”. Now, when other smartphones are shown demonstrating the same phenomenon, to some commentators this “evidence” is less valid and, apparently, NOT evidence of a “problem”.
Moreover, I’m constantly surprised how people who have never owned iPhones are the ones who seem to be most riled and agitated.
You wrote a balanced piece which rightly said that all phones have problems, a point with which I would wholeheartedly agree. Well done.
@Shaun, there are problems and design compromises and given that the Desire is actually about £100 cheaper sim free than a true sim free iPhone I think a poorer screen can be accepted. The battery life on my Desire is great because I made a few adjustments to all the default syncs.
“given that the Desire is actually about £100 cheaper sim free than a true sim free iPhone I think a poorer screen can be accepted.”
Sorry, but I have to disagree. The Wave is £80 cheaper than the Desire and the screen and battery life are both much better than the Desire. We can’t compare prices and say that poor features are acceptable. No smartphone over £300 should have a screen that is difficult to view outdoors, just like no smartphone that costs £500 should have antenna problems. Goes back to my point- they all seem to have problems in particular areas.
@Shaun, i accept your evidence! But if the Samsung had been available in Feb this year I would have bought it. It is good we have choice but price and availability are important. Some of my colleagues are already planning to get the HTC Ace because they think it’ll be better than the iPhone 4, which is crazy as newer phones in general will be better.