iPhone 4 Antenna Problem Solution

How to Fix The iPhone 4′s Antenna Problem | iPhone 4 Antenna Problem Solution

The “death grip” problem is unfortunately real for the iPhone 4. When skin comes into contact with and bridges the two metal bands in the lower left corner of the iPhone, the displayed signal strength drops. This may or may not affect voice calls or data sessions on the iPhone. I’ve been able to replicate the signal drop, but haven’t experienced any actual performance problems. Others have reported dropped calls in areas with weak signal coverage when the antenna is obscured.

If the signal strength attenuates on your iPhone and you want to prevent this from happening, here are a handful of ways that do the trick:

1. Use a Bumper or Case: This is the official solution for the issue provided by Apple. Apple recommends that iPhone 4 owners buy a $30 bumper or other case, which alleviates the problem. It does what Apple says it does, but why is it the owner’s responsibility to fix it?

2. Hold It Different: When first questioned about the signal reception issues, Apple CEO Steve Jobs famously responded in an email to a customer that he was holding it incorrectly. His words were, “Avoid holding it that way.” This works, too, but could leave lefties in a lurch.

3. Use Duct Tape: This one is my favorite. Consumer Reports, which this week said it can’t recommend the iPhone 4 to consumers due to the “death grip” issue, suggested that users slap some duct tape on the section of the phone in question. This prevents your skin from touching the antenna and solves the problem. If duct tape can’t fix it, nothing can! Of course, your iPhone will gain a new level of street toughness with its taped-together look.

4. Use Any Other Type of Tape: I actually tested this. You can solve the problem with masking tape, electrical tape (my personal favorite, plus, it’s black), scotch tape, and packing tape (clear or brown). These solutions are better than duct tape, in my opinion, because they leave less of a sticky residue when the tape is removed from the iPhone.

5. Wait for Apple’s Software “Fix”: Apple has promised a software update to “solve” the antenna problem — only changing the number of bars displayed on the iPhone’s signal meter doesn’t actually change the physics involved with the antenna itself. This might help to change the perceived performance problem, but won’t prevent the iPhone 4′s signal from degrading when the antenna is covered up.