Apple may be indirectly confirming, through a job posting and a reportedly leaked memo, that the iPhone 4 has reception problems that depend on how users hold the phone. On Tuesday, the company posted a job notice for an “Antenna Engineer-iPhone,” indicating the need for some additional expertise in that area.
The listing doesn’t explicitly say “needs to be able to fix iPhone 4’s reception problems,” of course, but it does seek an engineer who can “define and implement antenna system architecture to optimize the radiation performance for wireless portable devices.” It could be coincidental that the posting comes just as the reception issue gains prominence, although one would expect Apple already has a crew of antenna engineers.
‘A Fact of Life’
Also on Tuesday, a memo purporting to be a leaked internal Apple customer-care document surfaced on industry web sites. The memo, advising AppleCare employees on how to deal with complaints relating to reception, emphasizes that “the iPhone 4’s wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped.”
But it also notes that “gripping almost any mobile phone in certain places will reduce its reception,” calling it “a fact of life in the wireless world.” It advised employees to suggest that customers who are experiencing this on the iPhone 3GS “avoid covering the bottom-right side with your hand,” and, if it’s happening with the iPhone 4, “avoid covering the black strip in the lower-left corner of the metal band.”
The memo also notes that “the use of a case or bumper that is made out of rubber or plastic may improve wireless performance” by keeping a hand from directly covering those areas.
iOS 4 Fix on the Way?
Apple has been insisting there is no antenna issue with the iPhone 4, which has sold more than 1.7 million units since its debut on June 24….