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All isn't well with Apple iPhone 4

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CIOL Bureau
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LOS ANGELES, USA: Consumer Reports will not recommend Apple's iPhone 4 to buyers after testing and confirming the device's well-publicized wireless signal and reception glitches, adding that AT&T was not necessarily the main culprit.

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The influential nonprofit organization, which publishes guides on everything from cars to TVs, said in a report released on Monday that it tested three iPhone 4s and other phones -- including the iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre -- and found none had the signal-loss problems of Apple's latest, highly touted iPhone.

The report marked the latest blow for a device that sold 1.7 million units in three days, but which has been plagued by complaints about poor reception. Many of the complaints involve a wraparound antenna that is said to reduce signal strength if touched in a certain way.

The company has been sued by iPhone customers in at least three complaints related to antenna problems.

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"When your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone's lower left side -- an easy thing, especially for lefties -- the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you're in an area with a weak signal," contributor Mike Gikas said in a report on the group's website.

"Due to this problem, we can't recommend the iPhone 4."

Apple representatives were not immediately available for comment.

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The signal can degrade enough to drop a call altogether when a finger or hand touches a spot on the iPhone 4's lower left side, the consumer products testing company said. It recommended covering the gap in the wraparound antenna with duct tape or some other non-conductive material.

The organization also said its tests indicated that AT&T's network was not the chief culprit in the iPhone 4's much talked-about reception problems.

Apple has said almost any cellphone will suffer a loss of signal if held in certain ways. It said later it had discovered a software glitch that overstates signal strength, though it did not directly address concerns about the antenna with that admission.

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On the flip side, Consumer Reports said the iPhone scored high on other testing grounds such as battery life, sharp display and high-quality video camera.

"But Apple needs to come out with a permanent -- and free -- fix to the antenna problem before we can recommend the iPhone4," said Gikas in his blog post on ConsumerReports.org.

Apple shares were down less than 1 per cent at $257.46 on Monday afternoon on the Nasdaq.

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