How to boost the iPhone 4G's signal quality (From The Northern Echo)

How to boost the iPhone 4G's signal quality

6:58pm Tuesday 13th July 2010 in

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WANT to improve the signal strength of your shiny new iPhone 4G? Then you might want to dig out the Sellotape.

Embarassing as this may seem, it appears that attaching a piece of tape to your new phone's chassis may stop you inadvertently disconnecting your caller.

How? According to tests carried out in America the iPhone 4's metal antenna can be compromised if you put your fingers in the wrong place.

Anyone who holds their phone so their hand covers the small gap in the metal surround on the lower left hand side will suffer substantially reduced signal coverage.

But if you stick a piece of non conductive material (like Sellotape or, better still, duct tape) over the gap your signal strength should stay the same - ending those call disconnected blues.

Ever since Apple admitted the signal strength indicator wasn't always reliable people have looked for ways to boost the iPhone's performance.

As well as the duct tape ploy some owners have come up with even stranger alternatives.

One common trick is to place a piece of tape on the back of your sim card. This, according to some users, makes for a better connection and boosts your signal.

Others swear the best way to avoid signal drops is to wear an oven glove when you make a call (I'm not making this up).

Disgruntled owners are now demanding an Apple fix - or at least a free iPhone cover to prevent their hands screwing up the signal.

Apple maintains the problems have been overplayed and says the signal issues are perceived, not real, because the algorithm it uses to calculate the signal strength isn't correct.

Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, was more blunt when he responded to one angry owner. "Just avoid holding it that way," he wrote.