Possible fix for iPhone 4 signal problems available?
According to a new MacRumors article, improper placement of the iPhone 4's SIM card may be the source of the smartphone's reception issues.
One of the most popular iPhone 4 topics is the reception issue many people have mentioned that seem to be exacerbated by how you hold the smartphone. While Apple currently suggests avoiding certain hand positions or using a case, there is a new report that suggests a possible fix for the issue.
According to a MacRumors article, the issue could be caused by an improper placement of the SIM card in the new iPhone. By removing and replacing the SIM card, or otherwise adjusting the SIM card's positioning, some people have been able to clear their phone's reception problems.
It is possible that the SIM card is making an improper connection with its aluminum chassis, which may in turn provide a connection to the antenna. Such connections could cause grounding issues that result in poorer overall radio-frequency reception. Further supporting the theory, some people report they have had similar success using tape or other insulators to prevent the SIM card from making contact with the holder chassis.
If you wish to try the fix, keep in mind that not everyone has had success in their attempts, though we cannot be certain to what extent they adjusted the SIM card. You can try removing and reinserting the card, wiggling it in its mountings a little to see if that changes its position, or use tape like others have mentioned.
Another thing to keep in mind is while adjusting the SIM card may help improve reception issues for the new iPhone, it's not out of the question that the issue is actually a software problem. The fact that older iPhone models have shown reception issues after applying the latest iOS 4 update suggests a software component may be a contributing factor, and therefore a future software update may still help the issue.
Finally, we have had people comment to us that this issue seems a bit blown out of proportion. While this problem may seem prominent with the number of "me too" replies in forum postings and other mentions of these problems, keep in mind the iPhone 4 has been the largest seller in Apple's history, and has so far been sold to millions of people. With such a large user base, even if the percentage of people sharing problems is no larger than that for other devices, there will be more people overall who are affected by the issue.
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