Wired: Trouble With iPhone 4 – Lost Reception
With at least some iPhone 4 units, if you touch the antenna band, cellular reception is lost. A firmware glitch – or a design flaw? Wired magazine’s Gadget Lab reviews the evidence to date.
“Got an iPhone 4 yet? Hold it carefully by the glass, avoiding the new steel antenna band that runs around the edges. Note the number of signal-strength bars you have. Now, touch the steel band with your other hand, preferably the left and bottom sides together. You will almost certainly see your signal disappear, or drop by three or four bars.
The problem is being so widely reported that Gizmodo has managed to add 16 videos of the phenomenon, along with many, many user reports. The problem is also repeatable, making it look like a lot more than simple coincidence.”