Apple Inc.'s (Nasdaq: AAPL - News[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]) new iPhone might perform a simple task much better than its predecessors: hold a call.Among
the most dramatic design changes in the latest iteration of Apple's
smartphone, the iPhone 4, is a stainless-steel antenna that wraps
around its sides. The new antenna design constitutes a radical
departure from previous iPhone models, which buried the antenna under
the phone's shell.
The new phone, which goes on sale June 24, puts out more
radio-frequency radiation than its predecessor, according to Federal
Communications Commission documents. That, along with the new antenna,
is expected to give the iPhone 4 greater signal strength and
reliability.Apple hopes the new design will counter one of the most common complaints consumers have with the iPhone: dropped calls.Apple didn't respond to requests for comment.The
elevated radio-frequency radiation meets FCC safety guidelines.
Radiation emission from the device is roughly in line with similar
smartphones from Palm Inc. and Research In Motion Ltd., according to
FCC test results.Though popular with consumers, the iPhone has
been beset with complaints about dropped calls. The problem is so
persistent that Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, an avowed Apple fan,
joked recently that the company's new iPad tablet computer was just
like an iPhone because "you can't make calls with it."
At a conference before the announcement of the iPhone 4, Apple Chief
Executive Steve Jobs suggested AT&T Inc., the iPhone's exclusive
carrier in the U.S., was to blame for the poor connections. He said the
carrier was working to upgrade its network to address the problem.An AT&T spokesman declined to comment on the iPhone 4's design, but said the company continues to invest in its network.There
is no guarantee that the new design will address the problem. "This is
a very difficult thing to do," said Robert Thorpe, an
antenna-and-radio-frequency consultant, adding few companies have used
such an unorthodox design.And if AT&T's network remains
congested, the new antenna may have minimal impact. Too many customers
jockeying for airwaves will inevitably result in some users getting
bounced.Still, Apple's antenna is among the largest available on
a cellphone, wireless professionals say, and uses separate parts of the
steel band to carry different radio signals. Those include Wi-Fi, GPS
and cellular.Combined with the bigger antenna, the increased
energy will likely give the device better signal strength, which should
let it hang on to calls better.
if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object();
window.yzq_d["y0BeckPDhE8-"]="&U=12cl4edog%2fN%3dy0BeckPDhE8-%2fC%3d-1%2fD%3dFSQR%2fB%3d-1%2fV%3d0";
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]"A
large antenna has a massive impact on how the device interfaces with
the network," said Nielsen telecommunications researcher Roger Entner.
Mr. Entner, who has been critical of the iPhone's radio technology in
the past, said the new design will be a "massive improvement."
the most dramatic design changes in the latest iteration of Apple's
smartphone, the iPhone 4, is a stainless-steel antenna that wraps
around its sides. The new antenna design constitutes a radical
departure from previous iPhone models, which buried the antenna under
the phone's shell.
The new phone, which goes on sale June 24, puts out more
radio-frequency radiation than its predecessor, according to Federal
Communications Commission documents. That, along with the new antenna,
is expected to give the iPhone 4 greater signal strength and
reliability.Apple hopes the new design will counter one of the most common complaints consumers have with the iPhone: dropped calls.Apple didn't respond to requests for comment.The
elevated radio-frequency radiation meets FCC safety guidelines.
Radiation emission from the device is roughly in line with similar
smartphones from Palm Inc. and Research In Motion Ltd., according to
FCC test results.Though popular with consumers, the iPhone has
been beset with complaints about dropped calls. The problem is so
persistent that Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, an avowed Apple fan,
joked recently that the company's new iPad tablet computer was just
like an iPhone because "you can't make calls with it."
At a conference before the announcement of the iPhone 4, Apple Chief
Executive Steve Jobs suggested AT&T Inc., the iPhone's exclusive
carrier in the U.S., was to blame for the poor connections. He said the
carrier was working to upgrade its network to address the problem.An AT&T spokesman declined to comment on the iPhone 4's design, but said the company continues to invest in its network.There
is no guarantee that the new design will address the problem. "This is
a very difficult thing to do," said Robert Thorpe, an
antenna-and-radio-frequency consultant, adding few companies have used
such an unorthodox design.And if AT&T's network remains
congested, the new antenna may have minimal impact. Too many customers
jockeying for airwaves will inevitably result in some users getting
bounced.Still, Apple's antenna is among the largest available on
a cellphone, wireless professionals say, and uses separate parts of the
steel band to carry different radio signals. Those include Wi-Fi, GPS
and cellular.Combined with the bigger antenna, the increased
energy will likely give the device better signal strength, which should
let it hang on to calls better.
if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object();
window.yzq_d["y0BeckPDhE8-"]="&U=12cl4edog%2fN%3dy0BeckPDhE8-%2fC%3d-1%2fD%3dFSQR%2fB%3d-1%2fV%3d0";
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]"A
large antenna has a massive impact on how the device interfaces with
the network," said Nielsen telecommunications researcher Roger Entner.
Mr. Entner, who has been critical of the iPhone's radio technology in
the past, said the new design will be a "massive improvement."
