Steve Jobs: You're holding it wrong

[ScottM]

Seriously though, I cannot believe this wasn't identified during Beta testing.

Why? Most beta testing is done when the phone is being driven around with a cable hanging out of it logging all the activity to a PC. The guys with the phones in their hands are often not testing performance but usability and software stability.

I have several worn out gel filled ass doughnuts from my days testing CDMA phones and networks. Not much has changed.

Antenna designs are tested in rotating anechoic chamber with an artificial human analog hand holding the phone. The hand has specific design properties to make it act like a real hand, it is not a mannequin's hand.

 

[kevin47881]

Why? Most beta testing is done when the phone is being driven around with a cable hanging out of it logging all the activity to a PC. The guys with the phones in their hands are often not testing performance but usability and software stability.

I have several worn out gel filled ass doughnuts from my days testing CDMA phones and networks. Not much has changed.

Antenna designs are tested in rotating anechoic chamber with an artificial human analog hand holding the phone. The hand has specific design properties to make it act like a real hand, it is not a mannequin's hand.

Thanks for the education, Scott. I do find it difficult to believe this phone (or any other device) wasn't tested in as many possible conceivable configurations with a live body. Not discounting what you said but just a general disbelief. Had it been, I suspect this problem would have identified itself prior to release. Now, could anything have been done prior to release if identified? That's another question outside of selling it with a condom already installed.

 

[ScottM]

Thanks for the education, Scott. I do find it difficult to believe this phone (or any other device) wasn't tested in as many possible conceivable configurations with a live body. Not discounting what you said but just a general disbelief. Had it been, I suspect this problem would have identified itself prior to release. Now, could anything have been done prior to release if identified? That's another question outside of selling it with a condom already installed.

Live bodies provide far too much variability for testing. Plus this thing was in a plastic case and that, as we saw, helped to hide a potential problem. Users always will find something out that testing did not reveal. I am more surprised it has not happened sooner with the iPhone.

BTW anyone see the prototype iPhone5 yet?

Pretty cool!

 

[mikea]

...Antenna designs are tested in rotating anechoic chamber with an artificial human analog hand holding the phone. The hand has specific design properties to make it act like a real hand, it is not a mannequin's hand.

The word is that the radiation tests are specifically concerned with nuking the user's noggin which is why the antennas on phones are as far away as possible on the bottom and the clamp used is not like a human hand and attaches at the top.

A smart operator like you could make a case that has an external antenna on it. It's not like you'd have to solder to get a connection to the phone's antenna. I think I heard of an external antenna already.

 

[ScottM]

The word is that the radiation tests are specifically concerned with nuking the user's noggin which is why the antennas on phones are as far away as possible on the bottom and the clamp used is not like a human hand and attaches at the top.

Yes the SAR tests use a standardized human head. I was referring to the antenna pattern tests which are done while the unit is being held in a hand and also done mounted to a simulated head.

A smart operator like you could make a case that has an external antenna on it. It's not like you'd have to solder to get a connection to the phone's antenna. I think I heard of an external antenna already.

i used to do antenna design. It was one of the things I loved doing. Then I became Mr. receiver front-end man and lost interest in radio design. Too bad someone had found out about my 'skills' with mixers, other wise I would still be spending my summers out on the antenna ranges.

 

[mikea]

...
i used to do antenna design. It was one of the things I loved doing. Then I became Mr. receiver front-end man and lost interest in radio design. Too bad someone had found out about my 'skills' with mixers, other wise I would still be spending my summers out on the antenna ranges.

Scott, APPLE IS HIRING ANTENNA ENGINEERS! You wanna move to Cupertino?

 

[Ghery]

Scott, APPLE IS HIRING ANTENNA ENGINEERS! You wanna move to Cupertino?

It doesn't snow there. I know, I worked in the area for 11 1/2 years (not for Apple).

And you have to love their corporate address - 1 Infinite Loop