# Does the Iphone 4 still have broken reception **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 3, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-iphone-4-still-have-broken-reception/562772 "2010-12-03T05:37:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pompeybear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8c91f0/32.png) [@pompeybear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pompeybear)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-iphone-4-still-have-broken-reception/562772/1 "2010-12-03T05:37:44Z")
So…I just got an Iphone 4. I had heard of reception issues, but figured it had all been ironed out by now. The AT&T sales person claimed it was no longer an issue. So I take the phone home tonight and I notice my 2nd phone call cuts out. I look at my phone and I have 1 bar. If I lay the phone down I get a whopping 3 bars. If I dangle the phone on my fingertips I can get 2 bars. I plan on returning it tomorrow. My wife’s Iphone 3g has no such problem. Keep in mind I am not asking a repair question, I am just curious if other recent purchasers of Iphone 4s have had this problem or if the phone I got is just a bum phone. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-iphone-4-still-have-broken-reception/562772/2 "2010-12-03T05:39:27Z")
[moderating] Moved from GQ to IMHO [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-iphone-4-still-have-broken-reception/562772/3 "2010-12-03T05:42:24Z")
There has been no design change to address the issue. Consumer Reports won’t recommend the iPhone 4 yet because it’s still a problem. Apple has just hoped it will go away. They’ve even stopped giving out the sleeve thing unless the customer complains and asks for it. ---
**Author:** ![Soliloquy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Soliloquy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soliloquy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-iphone-4-still-have-broken-reception/562772/4 "2010-12-03T09:55:27Z")
I have no problems with my Iphone 4 at all. It rarely drops calls, and no more often than my 3gs did. It has a lot of nifty new features that I like that the 3gs did not have. None of it is necessary, but it’s fun. I have never tried to use my phone without a case, however, and I use an Otter Box case, which is pretty hefty. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-iphone-4-still-have-broken-reception/562772/5 "2010-12-03T11:45:54Z")
The iPhone 4 antenna issue is when you hold the phone such that your fingers bridge the phone and wifi antenna on the lower left side; that’s why a case fixes it. My husband and I both have iPhone 4s - with cases - and have not had problems like you report. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-iphone-4-still-have-broken-reception/562772/6 "2010-12-03T15:20:48Z")
I’ve never had this problem. The only dropped call I had was because of the other persons phone. ---
**Author:** ![pompeybear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8c91f0/32.png) [@pompeybear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pompeybear)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-iphone-4-still-have-broken-reception/562772/7 "2010-12-03T15:45:51Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > The iPhone 4 antenna issue is when you hold the phone such that your fingers bridge the phone and wifi antenna on the lower left side; that’s why a case fixes it. My husband and I both have iPhone 4s - with cases - and have not had problems like you report. Hmm… we’ll mine is really flakey even when not being held so I don’t know that I want to bother trying a case. The reception is better when I go deeper into Austin rather than the suburbs, but at best I get 4 bars and when I touch it (anywhere) it goes to 3. I guess that would be okay of I stayed in town all the time, but that main thing I expect from a phone is to be a phone, I shouldn’t have to work around it. I’ll take it back today and see if other local customers have the same issue or if my phone is just broken.. Thanks all. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-iphone-4-still-have-broken-reception/562772/8 "2010-12-03T16:04:13Z")
That sounds like an ATT problem rather than an iPhone problem. ATT is definitely the iPhones biggest shortcoming. I dont have any of the reception problems that the media complained about.