iPhone 4: Early Problems, Lost Reception

The early reviews of the new iPhones were raves, but some people who bought the phone on Thursday aren’t as thrilled: Gizmodo reports that several users are reporting problems with the new phone’s reception. Apparently, when some users hold the phone in a way that touches the outside antenna band in two places (and it’s very easy to hold the phone this way; most people appear to be holding it normally), the phone loses reception. Several people have already posted videos in which you can watch the reception bar drop from four to zero bars. Earlier this month, a Danish scientist predicted that “the human tissue will in any event, have an inhibitory effect on the antenna. Touch means that a larger portion of the antenna energy turns into heat … This makes the antenna less efficient to transmit and receive radio signals."