Consumer Reports Flunks Apple's iPhone 4

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple's iPhone 4 could see a slowdown of sales after Consumer Reports ripped the new smartphone, claiming it can't recommend it because of the device's antenna issues.

Consumer Reports said its engineers confirmed that an internal circuitry flaw is creating a reception problem in areas that don't have strong signals.

Michael Gikas, senior electronics editor at Consumer Reports, said that engineers performed a series of tests on three separate iPhone 4s inside a controlled lab environment known as a “radio frequency isolation chamber.”

The engineers found that when the bottom left corner of the iPhone was touched, it could sometimes lose enough signal strength to drop calls.

Consumer Reports also questioned Apple’s integrity on the antenna issues.

Our findings call into question the recent claim by Apple that the iPhone 4’s signal-strength issues were largely an optical illusion caused by faulty software that 'mistakenly displays two more bars than it should for a given signal strength,' " Consumer Reports said. "The tests also indicate that AT&T’s network might not be the primary suspect in the iPhone 4’s much-reported signal woes."

Apple released a statement earlier this month, claiming that it had looked into the signal problems and was “stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong.”

Apple also said it would release a software patch to fix the issue and would make “bars 1, 2 and 3 a bit taller so they will be easier to see” on the phone’s signal display.

But Apple at the time wouldn't place blame with the phone’s hardware.

Gikas said that he doesn't believe consumers should pay extra money to fix the problem.

“We think either Apple should supply free cases for the phone or come up with another solution," Gikas said. "That’s why we are not recommending the iPhone 4.”

It's the second piece of bad news delivered to Apple in recent weeks.

A federal judge has consolidated several related lawsuits relative to Apple's exclusive iPhone partnership with AT&T. The judge in California granted plaintiffs class-action status, giving legal merit to a monopoly claim against the two companies.

For the past three years, the iPhone has been sold only on AT&T's network in the U.S. The exclusive deal is reported to last another two years.

The suit, filed last week, contends that iPhone customers who signed a two-year agreement with AT&T were in effect locked into a five-year contract with AT&T, because of the exclusive deal between the two companies.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

AEBN Publishes Report on DP Trends

AEBN has published a report on DP and extreme penetration categories from its straight and gay theaters.

Free Speech Coalition Appoints Megan Stokes to Board of Directors

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) announced today that it has appointed Megan Stokes to its Board of Directors.

FansRevenue Acquires DivaTraffic

FansRevenue has acquired web traffic service DivaTraffic.

AEBN Announces Peter Green as Top Male Boy/Girl Performer for Summer 2025

AEBN has revealed its top 10 male Boy/Girl performers for summer 2025, with Peter Green landing atop the leaderboard.

Spicey AI Relaunches Site, Debuts $Spicey Tokens

Interactive voice chat platform Spicey AI has relaunched its website and introduced $Spicey tokens.

FSC: Missouri Age Verification Rule Will Not Take Effect August 30

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) announced that Missouri's proposed age verification legislation will not take effect on August 30, as it had originally estimated.

Little Caprice, Marcello Bravo to Co-Host 2025 XMA Europa Awards

XBIZ is pleased to announce that husband-and-wife duo Little Caprice and Marcello Bravo will co-host adult’s biggest night in Europe: the 2025 XMA Europa Awards on Sept. 4, in the epic climax to XBIZ’s fall events series.

Germany Will Block Payments to AV-Noncompliant Adult Sites as of Dec. 1

Starting Dec. 1, Germany will implement new rules prohibiting financial institutions from providing payment services to adult sites deemed to have inadequate age verification systems and making it easier for the government to target websites mirroring the content of such sites.

Jerkmate Joins Pineapple Support as Partner-Level Sponsor

Jerkmate has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

FSC Launches Age Verification Toolkit for Adult Websites

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) announced today that it has launched a comprehensive toolkit to help adult websites navigate age verification laws.

Show More