Apple has put out an open letter about the iPhone 4 signal problems that have become every tech head’s favourite topic of conversation recently. So what’s Apple’s conclusion? It says the iPhone 4 signal issues are down to it getting its sums wrong and is promising that iPhone 4 software fix we’d previously heard talk of. Here’s Apple’s explanation…

After a little bit of bragging (“The iPhone 4 has been the most successful product launch in Apple’s history…judged by reviewers around the world to be the best smartphone ever”) and noting that other handsets (“…Droid, Nokia and RIM phones”) have similar issues, Apple reveals the result of its investigations.

While there have been claims that the iPhone 4 signal issues are down to faulty antenna design, Apple says different: “Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong.”

Apple says that users who see a huge drop in signal when they grab their iPhone 4 in the “wrong” way are actually in an area with weak signal. The reason they didn’t notice before? Their iPhone 4 was giving them a falsely high signal reading.

To fix that part of the iPhone 4 signal snafu, Apple says: “We will issue a free software update within a few weeks that incorporates the corrected formula.” It also suggests that the error has been present since the very first iPhone so all models will get the fix.

Apple also reminds you that you can return your undamaged iPhone 4 within 30 days for a full refund. Bad news if you tried the iPhone 4 signal solutions involving nail varnish!

Hopefully this iPhone software update will put an end to the issue. But if the problem has been around since the very first model hit the market, why did it take Apple so long to realise?

If you’ve experienced iPhone 4 signal problems, does Apple’s explanation make sense?

Out now | £varies | Apple

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  • RobHWales

    Weasel words really. I could accept it more if they said that the formula changed in iOS4. I see the signal drop since upgrading which I hadn't before upgrading my 3G. A friend of mine has been getting a lot more dropped calls since upgrading his 3GS.

    Bottom line is that it still appears that there may be design fault. If they can make the performance acceptable with a software fix then good news.

    What's the chance that is a couple of months iPhone 4's will be “improved” with a clear non conductive coating on the steel to “stop scuffs” or some other nonsense

    I look forward to your review of the effects of the update – before you do it have you tested your phone in a bad signal area? Have you got it to drop a call?

  • Nikthomas

    This is the biggest load of BS i have ever heard. Does this mean all these thousands of people now have to moan to their operators even though everyone else with other phones have full signal. Sounds super fishy!!!

  • JJ

    Hmmmm. Sounds like they put it there from the start to make the reception look better (telling you that you have more reception than you actually have) and now they have only noticed the 'mistake'.

    The only way a software update will fix the antenna problem is if the phone is actually cutting the calls if it thinks you have no signal, which is a really stupid thing for the phone to do. I think this is Apple's way of shifting the blame onto the carriers.

  • Noghar

    …but!!! Apple aren't promising to fix the poor reception. They are promising to change the number of bars displayed when you have a poor signal. It won't make any difference at all to the actual reception. The fact that Apple issued such a obfuscating statement shows they are in a bit of a panic about the bad publicity this is generating, despite Jobs declaration from Olympus that it's a 'non-issue'.

  • Andycunnah

    Why is it that my 3GS does not cut off but the iphone 4 does when in the same location?

    However many bars are displayed it still cuts out on iphone4 and not on iphone 3GS?

    Load of BS I think.

  • http://twitter.com/abisoft Geoff Davis

    I totally agree with everyone, I still think there is an issue with the baseband frequency and Apple's poor excuse is to cause confusion. I bet that the software update will fix the issue, just not the one that Apple is reporting on ;-)

  • SteveS

    so other handsets have the same issue eh?…. sorry to to rain on your parade Apple but no matter how I hold my htc Desire the signal stays the same….. Just more Apple BS i'm afraid

  • hope

    wow, what a surprise I got today, my 3Gs was fully charged this morning, I may used for a few minute, not even 10 minute in total. By lunch time, I want to cgeck my email. It was dead, nothing at all. But I barely see the battery at the red zone. Now I am wondering what I should do, when will that happened again, send this back for repair? Until I read the article that the operation system may be is the real killer

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