In Apple’s TV Ads, People Holding iPhones The “Wrong” Way

This is awesome: A Tublr blog with a boatload of screencaps from Apple’s TV ads showing people holding their iPhones the wrong way.

Earlier today, Steve Jobs said the iPhone 4 ‘Death Grip’ was a “non-issue” and people should “Just avoid holding it in that way.”

Which of course is total bullshit, as Apple’s own ads show.

Here’s some more, including shots of Jobs himself clutching his iPhone in his left hand:

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35 comments »

About the author

Leander Kahney is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac, and author of three books about technology culture: Inside Steve’s Brain, the New York Times bestseller about Steve Jobs; Cult of Mac; and Cult of iPod. Leander has written for Wired, MacWeek, Scientific American, and The Guardian in London. Follow Leander on Twitter @lkahney and Facebook.

(sorry, you need Javascript to see this e-mail address)| Read more posts by Leander Kahney.

Posted in Advertising, Apple, iPhone, News |

cpt_obvious
these people are all using facetime… doesn’t that only work on wifi? is wifi signal effected by this ‘fault’? if so, its a good ‘gotcha’ if not, then its merely a ‘meh’
Zillatron
…in all of those cases using WiFi. Which isn’t affected.
You need to ‘avoid’ touching the GSM antenna when you are using it, but that’s no different today than it was with the 3Gs, 3G or a billion other Nokia/RIM/Motorola phones.
Conrad
While I do not doubt that this phenomenon is replicable, is it common or do you have to intend to do it? Obviously holding the phone with your left hand is unavoidable, but is the supposed result? Thanks.
http://www.twitter.com/mattant19 Mattant19
Seriously is it that big of a deal, Buy a case/bumper and move on.
Joseph
First off, there are plenty of people who are having no problems, and can’t replicate the problem even if they try. Second, we don’t know that email is really from Jobs. Somehow I doubt it is, as it doesn’t make any sense (given Apple’s ease of use philosophy) for him to blow off such a basic design problem (even if it exists for only some iPhones, not all of them) by telling people to adjust how they hold their phone.
Mailmixer
Maybe THAT’S why the AT&T backup failed at WWDC. He was holding his own phone wrong.
Jigo Lee
So it turns out to be the WiFi issue during the keynote is caused by the iPhone 4, not by 100million wifi hotspots.
Conrad
If the design flaw caused the demo to crash, then why did it also crash on the right-handed 3Gs?
Thanks for playing. Go back to Gizmodo.
Polanskiman
THIS IS A BIG deal yeah. A pathetic mistake.
http://www.themacuniverse.com Kelly
I think this is all being blown out of proportion. Nearly every wireless phone will show some sign of signal loss if you put your hand on the antenna. I don’t think this is such a big deal as everyone is making it out to be. People are just trying to find something to piss and moan about as usual.
Eric
I am having no issues when holding the device in that manner. No dropped calls, no dropped bars, etc. No problems.
Paul
Calling AMEX to dispute payment for a defective product. I will be returning this “magical” piece of garbage, closing my AT&T account and buying a new Android phone instead. I’m sick of putting up with this crap. First having to put up with AT&T’s lousy service and now this. I’m done.
Apple should stick to making computers. I hope someone sues the hell out of Apple for this. Pathetic. Don’t they do testing on their products before they ship?
http://deoclicianocgiportfolio.wordpress.com Deocliciano Okssipin Vieira
@Leander Kahney
Are you broke?
Is this a trick for making money?
You are panicking!
@Kelly
It is a PR big deal.
They should have clear-coated the antenna, and put it at the top of the phone.
Why put antenna at the bottom, is it mandatory?
Simon
Paul,
So send it back, get your money back and move on….jeeeeeeezzzzzzzz…who gives a **ck what you do.
Rick
Yes, call AMEX! They’ll replace it right away! Don’t put up with this crap! Thanks for the suggestion to sue Apple… I’m gonna file my suit tomorrow! This will be our generations’ “Trial of the century! I’ll be set for life! I’m sure ANY judge will see my point and reel in horror!
BTW, did you that every person that just bought an iPhone was so mad about this issue that their heads just exploded? Every one of them! I just read it on the internet… I’m not putting up with this crap either! FAIL! FAIL! FAIL! (Oh me oh my… my whole body just tingles every time I type FAIL!) Thank you kind sir, you ARE a genius!
Paul
@Simon
Like I give a **uck what you think ***hole!
Simon
@paul…
oooooooooo..touchy touch….How did the call go with AMEX? are they sending the fleet out to pick up your phone as I type?
I’ll keep an eye on the news, I’m sure AT&T will fold now they have lost your business…
http://deoclicianocgiportfolio.wordpress.com Deocliciano Okssipin Vieira
@Rick
Are you sure you are not Leander Kahney?
@Paul
Same applies to you.
Do you think Leander Kahney cares what i or anyone here think?
Look at the ads here!
Llama
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/4458/iphonefail.jpg
andy
Of course all phones are affected by the user’s hand, or proximity to the user’s head
Most companies design their phones and other handheld radios to take due account of this, and put the antenna near the top.
Kembo
This is a school boy error in the design stage!!
The error is more far spread than Apple seem to want to admit and yes a case or bumper will fix the problem, but if that’s the case then Apple should be supplying the iPhones WITH a bumper or a case or at least issue a coupon or similar for a FREE bumper/case.
We wouldn’t accept this from any other Apple product, so why accept it with the new iPhone?
Come on Steve….do the right thing!
MarkByrn
I invite people to do a google search on EVO 4G signal -iphone and see a plethora of similar problems. The key is whether or not people are having dropped calls when using their normal grip. Gripping the phone as tight as you can to force a signal drop doesn’t seem normal to me but if it’s really a problem for you and calls are dropping like flies, here’s the solution. Get a bumper / case, or return the phone – even Fandroids buy cases for their phones. I have no problem whatsoever with dropped calls – in fact, I’ve found the iPhone 4 to be infinitely better than my 3GS when it comes to reception.
Jeff Forsberg
Paul: You sound like a very angry guy. If you’re dissatisfied with the iPhone, Apple, life, then do us all a favor and spare us the hate. And have fun carrying a battery pack for the EVO, as is LOL.
jr
Just put a piece of scotch tape over the gap. Nobody will see it unless they look very close, problem solved. Interesting that an issue this small is getting so much attention. That’s what happens when you sell at the pace of 10+ million identical phones per quarter.
Bob
“Just put a piece of scotch tape over the gap. ”
“I think this is all being blown out of proportion. Nearly every wireless phone will show some sign of signal loss if you put your hand on the antenna.”
“You need to â€˜avoidâ€™ touching the GSM antenna when you are using it, but thatâ€™s no different today than it was with the 3Gs, 3G or a billion other Nokia/RIM/Motorola phones.”
“Seriously is it that big of a deal, Buy a case/bumper and move on.”
Wow, seriously? You’ve all just spent a premium amount of money for what is supposed to be a premium product, which has a serious design flaw. And you’re all fine with this? No complaints, that’s ok, you’ll just hold it differently or only use it inside a case?
Wow. Just wow.
Jae
“Seriously is it that big of a deal, Buy a case/bumper and move on. Mattant19, on June 24th, 2010 at 8:31 pm”
I think you’re obviously missing the point. You shouldn’t have to buy an “optional” accessory to get a basic performance out of the phone, correct? If you bought a new BMW, and 50% of the time it would stall, unless you bought a $500 part, would you be like “big deal, just buy it.” Or, would your response be, then just don’t drive it as much. Even after you’ve already paid and expected it to work as it should? Just saying.The point is, it’s an assumed agreement, is it not? If you bought a computer monitor, you’d expect to get a display out of it. What if you bought a monitor, but there was no power button? You had to plug it in and unplug to use it. However, you could buy the “optional accessory” power button for another $30. I’d be pissed.
sarah
yer eejuts, just hold it upside down, simple pimple
this is an epic fail as more and more people finally get a new iPh4, so the number of users having this problem increases.
and NO, this doesn’t happen on other phones, i just smothered both side, top and bottom of mine with no signal loss whatsoever
stupid design flaw – guess Apple thought its users are dumb enough to believe it’s their fault
Fuzzoid
@Simon
Like I give a **uck what you think ***hole! – Paul
===========
I think you must do Paul, as you seem happy waste 2 mins of your precious time telling us that you don’t?!
TC
I have no issues with my iPhone, actually I get better signal strength then I did with 3GS. Even if I put both hands on phone and try covering antennaes, my bars don’t drop.
TC
What’s the funniest part of all of this is: as usual the ones complaining and writing about these issues the most, are non iPhone owners. They just like to diss apple. I personally wouldn’t even waste my time reviewing or caring about a phone I don’t own, but I guess some people have nothing better to do.
http://www.photodenk.com Alex
No WiFi is not affected by this problem at all and it doesn’t matter how you use the phone for FaceTime. BTW, FaceTime is awesome!
Darcy McGee
I love that you keep flogging this and trying to make it a story. Giddy up!
spender
@alex : “it doesnâ€™t matter how you use the phone for FaceTime”
Sure, until somebody tries to call you and can’t get through.
Hickey
Jesus I am really surprised at the responses o the Apple fantards here. So you guys’ll just settle for a product that works less than is advertised just because it has that Apple brand on it?
ARE YOU ALL THAT BRAINWASHED???
dosa
That lady is indian and she is happy