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Apple Targets Nokia With New Signal Attenuation Video

Wednesday July 21, 2010 6:50 am PDT by Eric Slivka

Even though Nokia handsets weren't initially included on Apple's smartphone antenna performance page, Apple CEO Steve Jobs did mention the company by name at last Friday's press conference as one of those warning of the possibility of signal attenuation on its phones much like that experienced by the iPhone 4. The mention sparked a response from Nokia, as it did with several other companies whose products were addressed in Apple's presentation.


In order to back up its claims, Apple has now added a section to its antenna performance page highlighting how the Nokia N97 mini's signal drops from seven bars to two bars when gripped around the antenna at the bottom of the device. Nokia now joins Research in Motion, HTC, and Samsung, as well as Apple's own iPhone 3GS, on Apple's list of featured devices experiencing signal attenuation.
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miamialley
Posted: 24 months ago
Fine, but does it drop as many calls as my iP4?
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kdarling
Posted: 24 months ago
They really seem to believe that everyone is naive.

As Apple themselves have pointed out, the number of displayed bars on a phone is often not very meaningful.

What's important, is how much dBm change occurs and especially whether or not the connection drops.
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ArtOfWarfare
Posted: 24 months ago
Oh my god...

did Apple seriously just make pointing fingers apart of their campaign?

I thought they were above that!

I understand that it's unfair that the other companies do that and all, but Apple really doesn't need to stoop to their level, do they?
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Stella
Posted: 24 months ago
Why are Apple on a witch hunt?

Apple should concentrate on fixing their problem instead of finger pointing and deflecting the issue onto other companies. We already know the problem isn't as severe on other devices as the iPhone 4.
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danielbrowning
Posted: 24 months ago
At 0:42 he changes his grip to hold the phone to holding it with just his fingers and the signal rises again. It looks like his fingertips are touching the lower left of the phone. If you do this on the iPhone 4 and bridge the antenna gap, you don't regain signal.

Looks to me like they're trying to pass off the problem of bridging the antenna gap on the iPhone as the same as blocking the antenna with your whole hand on all phones. All phones have the latter problem... But that's not the issue here.
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countrydweller
Posted: 24 months ago

Why are Apple on a witch hunt?

Apple should concentrate on fixing their problem instead of finger pointing and deflecting the issue onto other companies. We already know the problem isn't as severe on other devices as the iPhone 4.


We do? You've tested them all?
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BornAgainMac
Posted: 24 months ago
Apple cracks me up. They say what they are thinking.
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unce
Posted: 24 months ago
Starting to get annoyed by Apple...who cares if other brands have a similar issue. The issue is with the iPhone4, which is their product, and should be taking responsibility for. This is such a childish thing to do. I really thought Apple would be better than this.

:(
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WestonHarvey1
Posted: 24 months ago

Oh my god...

did Apple seriously just make pointing fingers apart of their campaign?

I thought they were above that!

I understand that it's unfair that the other companies do that and all, but Apple really doesn't need to stoop to their level, do they?


They're not stooping. They are defending their product by demonstrating that the issue is not unique to their phone. I think most people instinctively knew this before the iPhone - telling someone that holding a phone a certain way might reduce the signal would have resulted in a shoulder shrug. Of course it will, it's a radio.

The N1 can't maintain a 3G signal when touched, period. Yet it didn't cause this kind of outcry because it wasn't from Apple.
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Padraig
Posted: 24 months ago

We do? You've tested them all?


Show me another phone that can drop calls from just the position of one finger. Nokia have their problems at the moment, but their reception has always been rock solid.

As for people being surprised at Apple's childishness, have you forgotten about the douchetastic "I'm a Mac campaign".
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