iPhone 4 – “Antennagate” & the “Death Grip” – My experience

I’ve had the iPhone 4 for a few days now, and figured once and for all it was time to test the ‘death grip’ and see what the results might be.

With no bumper on the phone, I set off on my way home. I’m sure you can imagine someone else was driving the car while I conducted all these tests.

As I’ve noted before, I’m with Optus and am aware of two clear blackspots on different routes home.  So, I decided to try a lengthy call heading up the Pacific Highway through blackspot #1 at Lindfield.

What I did was have someone from 2GB call me from the main openline board, and put me on hold.  This way, I had two things.  1/ A constant audio stream at the other end. 2/ A fixed line at the other end.

I drove on.  Holding the phone completely unlike I normally, would, this time in the left hand, tight and around the bottom corner etc – to replicate the ‘death grip’, I could, as I’ve seen before on this iPhone 4, my iPhone 3G and my Blackberry Bold 9700, reduce the ‘bars displayed’ for signal just with that hold.

I checked now and again on the drive, and saw plenty of full service, and some clear 1 bar spots.

The signal stayed up – I had a digital distortion once which felt like I was going to lose the call – but didn’t.

25 minutes I stayed on the phone, no problem.

Arriving home, I had a feeling I could make the call drop.  You see where I live, Optus is 2 bars at best – so, why not pull up, grab the phone and strangle it to ‘death’.  I put the call on speakerphone, grabbed the phone in my left hand, strangled it, with my right index finger also around the band at the top right of the phone, and BINGO! It dropped a call.  Wow, this is outrageous, how could Apple make such a device.  A device that when held so tight, so hard, in a completely un-natural and uncomfortable position – would drop a call!

I’m horrified.

And I’m not surprised.  This whole thing is just a complete bunch of nonsense – and anyone thinking of buying an iPhone 4 should – as I’ve said all along – go right ahead.

I’m getting better reception in many areas with Optus, and what you skimmed over above was the fact that the call did NOT drop out in the one area I can almost guarantee I will lose a call most every time I drive there.

Enough said.