PCWorld Yanks iPhone 4 From Top Spot in Smartphone Chart
By Harry McCracken | Sunday, July 18, 2010 at 11:37 am
At Apple’s iPhone 4 press conference on Friday morning, Steve Jobs included PCWorld’s ranking of the handset as the top smartphone in his list of iPhone 4 achievements. But Jobs’ presentation and the measures Apple is taking to respond to the antenna controversy didn’t leave my former coworkers at PCW confident that its original recommendation had been validated.
Actually, they found the latest developments so lackluster that they bumped the iPhone 4 off the chart entirely. Its rating is now “pending,” and HTC’s EVO 4G is the #1 phone. (The iPhone 3GS remains on the chart, in the #8 slot.)
Why wasn’t PCW impressed by Apple’s walkthrough of data showing other phones suffering from reception problems, offer of free cases to iPhone 4 buyers, and expansion of its refund policy? PCWers Ginny Mies and Melissa Perenson think the reception issues are an iPhone 4-specific glitch rather than a universal cell-phone quirk, and say that a case is a clunky way to fix it. They’re also convinced that the iPhone 4’s imperfect proximity sensor–which Jobs acknowledged on Friday–is a major defect, and don’t feel that his statement that Apple plans to try and address it in an upcoming software update is adequate.
(Side note: I’ve had some issues with the iPhone 4’s proximity sensor, too, but I’m not sure if it’s exceptionally bad–actually, it reminds me of the one on my Motorola Droid. Both have led me to unwittingly mute the phone with my ear.)
Both Ginny and Melissa bought iPhone 4s and have had major problems with them–Melissa, in fact, is on her fourth phone. They say their personal experiences also factor into their de-recommendation of the handset, and that the iPhone 4 won’t get re-recommended until Apple addresses the phone’s hardware issues.
All of which led me to ponder my advice to folks who are considering buying an iPhone 4. Compared to PCW, I have it easy: Technologizer doesn’t do ambitious ranked charts with objective data and lab-testing results. The advice I give here is pretty much the same advice I’m giving to friends and family who ask about the iPhone 4. Here it is:
“It’s a remarkable phone in multiple ways, and the screen and camera make it a major upgrade over the 3GS. As far as I can tell, the weak spot in the lower left-hand corner can be a real problem if you’re in an area of weak AT&T reception. But I’ve only encountered it a couple of times in almost a month of use. I’ve also encountered apparent issues with the proximity sensor twice.
Even though I own several phones, the iPhone 4 is usually the one I choose to take with me, so I can’t tell you that these issues are dealbreakers. And if you plan to use the phone in a case, the reception problem isn’t an issue at all.
With tech products of all sorts, it’s never surprising when the first incarnation of a new product or a sweeping revision to an existing one has quirks that are only discovered when real consumers get their hands on it. Overall, I like my iPhone 4. But the chances are just about 100% that its replacement won’t suffer from the same gotchas, and it’s also possible that Apple will address them in an interim update to the phone. If you’re hesitant, there’s absolutely no shame in taking a wait-and-see attitude.”
That’s my take as of right now. What’s yours, iPhone 4 owners?
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24 Comments For This Post
July 18th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
No kicking and screaming in Japan or Europe about the antenna…only in the US? Nobody is talking about it. Who started this fiasco? In Japan, people are pissed because they cannot get their hands on iPhone4.
July 18th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
What will effect sales more? PCW bumping the phone from #1 to #8, or the comments of the actual users, who by and large find it to be wonderful?
July 18th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
PCW removed the iPhone 4 off of its chart "entirely" – Harry mentioned that the iPhone 3GS is still on, this one at #8
July 18th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
I'm not an iPhone 4 owner yet but will definitely be whatever the ratings, review, etc. by tech bloggers, journalists… My 3Gs rocks vis-a-vis the Galaxy S I just bought recently.
July 18th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
Harry, I agree with your anecdotal advice regarding the iPhone 4. I tell my family / friends / strangers on the street who ask me about the phone pretty much the exact same advice. I've owned all the iPhone versions since 2007 and am happiest with this one, mainly due to the screen, the camera and the speed.
@Choirguy — Apple can't move the 3G antenna to a different part of the phone, as the FCC mandates the location of the antenna be at the bottom. Same place it's been on every iPhone.
July 18th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
I can't claim to be an iPhone 4 owner–yet. However, the supposed issue really doesn't seem to be enough of a problem to affect any significant proportion of its users by both Apple's and AT&T's reports. Count me in as an owner before the end of September.
July 18th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
is there something wrong with the comments? There were some here earlier but now they're all gone
July 18th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
No issues for me yet. I bought mine just about a week ago, and am perfectly happy with it. I've experienced no dropped calls, no "death grip" issues, and no proximity sensor issues.
July 18th, 2010 at 8:03 pm
I have owned my i4 for little over a week and so far I am completely satisfied with it. I can make it drop a bar or two if i really try but have never encountered any trouble while using it. No proxy sensor issues either. Screen is brilliant as is the camera. I have no complaints but I feel for those that are having legitimate problems. And I think some ppl just need something to be upset about.
July 19th, 2010 at 12:34 am
It's amazing how badly iPhone 4 sucks. It's also amazing how Apple Fanboys will defend it until the end of time. I will freely note first off that I am not a fanboy by any stretch, however I do have the 3GS, which I love. I did buy the iPhone 4, and it was so terrible that I returned it and went back to my current 3GS. It was just that bad. It's hilarious to me what Apple fanboys are saying in forums and blogs all across the web, defending this thing like it's some sacred gem, pretending all its issues don't even exist. Ridiculous. Check out the video I made on YouTube about "An Apple Fanboy's view of Steve Jobs, the Iphone 4, and Life… ". It's at
July 19th, 2010 at 12:34 am
It's amazing how badly iPhone 4 sucks. It's also amazing how Apple Fanboys will defend it until the end of time. I will freely note first off that I am not a fanboy by any stretch, however I do have the 3GS, which I love. I did buy the iPhone 4, and it was so terrible that I returned it and went back to my current 3GS. It was just that bad. It's hilarious to me what Apple fanboys are saying in forums and blogs all across the web, defending this thing like it's some sacred gem, pretending all its issues don't even exist. Ridiculous. Check out the video I made on YouTube about "An Apple Fanboy's view of Steve Jobs, the Iphone 4, and Life… ". It's at
July 19th, 2010 at 12:34 am
It's amazing how badly iPhone 4 sucks. It's also amazing how Apple Fanboys will defend it until the end of time. I will freely note first off that I am not a fanboy by any stretch, however I do have the 3GS, which I love. I did buy the iPhone 4, and it was so terrible that I returned it and went back to my current 3GS. It was just that bad. It's hilarious to me what Apple fanboys are saying in forums and blogs all across the web, defending this thing like it's some sacred gem, pretending all its issues don't even exist. Ridiculous. Check out the video I made on YouTube about "An Apple Fanboy's view of Steve Jobs, the Iphone 4, and Life… ". It's at
July 19th, 2010 at 7:34 am
Does anyone know anybody who has a cell phone that works 100% of the time? Never a dropped call, never problems initiating a call?
I mean really…. all cell phone suck, some worse than others…
Personally, I HAVE had problems with my iPhone 4, but don't think they are any worse than with other phones I've had.
July 19th, 2010 at 7:49 am
I also suspect that PC World might not really love having their name dragged into what has turned into an ugly PR situation.
July 19th, 2010 at 8:34 am
It's amazing how badly iPhone 4 sucks. It's also amazing how Apple Fanboys will defend it until the end of time. I will freely note first off that I am not a fanboy by any stretch, however I do have the 3GS, which I love. I did buy the iPhone 4, and it was so terrible that I returned it and went back to my current 3GS. It was just that bad. It's hilarious to me what Apple fanboys are saying in forums and blogs all across the web, defending this thing like it's some sacred gem, pretending all its issues don't even exist. Ridiculous. Check out the video I made on YouTube about "An Apple Fanboy's view of Steve Jobs, the Iphone 4, and Life… ". It's at
July 19th, 2010 at 9:28 am
PCWorld is about a relevant as David Letterman – it is odd how all of a sudden people hold a touch screen phone by wrapping it with their hand in such a way that their palm and fingers overlap the screen thereby making it impossible to use the phone or any apps.
July 19th, 2010 at 10:49 am
I'm planning on getting one as soon as it's launched here in Canada at the end of the month. The Rogers network is FAR better than AT&T's – I've had an iPhone 3G for 2 years and I can count on one hand the number of dropped calls I've had, so I'm not too concerned about the antenna issue (plus I'll be getting a skin for it so I won't have to worry about bridging the antennas). And fingers crossed the proximity sensor is able to see my face so I don't hang up on people 🙂
July 19th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
What's really odd, and of course never addressed, is how the iPhone earned their #1 spot if all these problems are really as bad as they claim. I assume they are willing to admit they failed in their job as reviewers? If they don't then they are as good as admitting they just want the extra hits this will generate.
July 19th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
My wife upgraded from the iPhone 3G to the iPhone 4.
She has owned it for about a month.
She loves her iPhone 4 and has never had a problem with it.
You would literally have to pry it from her cold dead fingers.
July 20th, 2010 at 12:30 am
That is my experience also, and of my roommate and many other people I know with iPhone 4. They cannot get over how good it is. There is no doubt it is the best smartphone ever. It's amazing how much of the noise about it is not from users.
July 20th, 2010 at 12:19 am
The proximity sensor issue is a software bug. You can fix it temporarily by resetting your network settings: Settings, General, Reset, Reset Network Settings. A permanent fix will be in a future iOS update. It is very minimal compared to other phones.
The HTC EVO gets 8 hours of battery life on standby because of a software bug where it is constantly looking for GSM hardware that it doesn't have. Most reviewers were not able to get video chat to function. How are consumers supposed to handle that? Apps crash constantly. The idea that it would be the #1 recommendation is insane.
There was already a double standard applied to iPhone. It had to be better to get the same numbers. It is always blamed for AT&T when it runs on over 100 carriers, including 5 in the UK. It is blamed for lack of Adobe Flash although no phone ships with Flash. It is compared to a PC whenever convenient to put it down. Baby Java apps on other phones are called "native" when they are not, only iPhone offers actual native apps. For reviewers to give it top marks and then take them back says more about the reviewers. They want to push the phones that will have the confused user running to PC World to help them figure out what to do. Apple users have few problems and Apple fixes them, so they don't need PC World.
I would love to know the return rate of Sprint EVO. I would bet it is much more than 1.7%.
July 25th, 2010 at 1:10 am
@RW – You are correct. That is a ridiculous way to hold a phone. But on the one hand, that’s not how you hold an iPhone 4 to trigger the detuning problem. And on the other hand, that is the way that Apple employees hold non-Apple phones in PR videos to show “problems” (attenuation) with non-iPhone smartphones. Apple is being really misleading and childish about this. Although I want an iPhone 4, it is enough to make me think long and hard about buying into this company’s products any further. All you need to produce the iPhone 4 problem is a single pinky touching a spot very close to where it naturally rests for many users. I can tell you from experience though that the problem is minor if your hands are completely clean and dry. The slightest bit of perspiration on the hands make the problem impossible to avoid. And if you have a case, the detuning problem will go away. With a case, the iPhone 4 will no longer have the detuning problem that is unique to it; but it will still have the attenuation problem that Apple is trying to prove can happen with any phone if you hold it in an unusual way (as you point out).
July 25th, 2010 at 1:17 am
@kidTruant – most phones have antennas at the bottom, but this cannot be a legal requirement because this is not where the iPhone 4 antenna is. The bulk of the iPhone RF antenna runs up the side, which is part of the problem with the design; although the bigger problem is that there is nothing insulating the antenna. Other phones put the antenna at the bottom to avoid the attenuation issues Apple is demonstrating in their PR videos, in which they cup the phones tightly around the bottom (in a manner that users almost never would in everyday usage). Calling the issue a “death grip” issue is part of Apple’s spin. It’s not a grip that causes the primary problem. It’s a single pinky for most right handers. The more accurate label for the problem of detuning would be the “finger spot” problem. Steve talks about this a bit in his press conference but then fudges it the rest of the time. Cases solve this detuning problem (which is a much bigger problem than attenuation). Cases will not solve the attenuation problem. Once you put a case on your iPhone 4 it will still have an attenuation problem like any phone when it is gripped in the wrong way. But cases remove the much bigger problem of detuning, a problem which truly is unique to the iPhone 4.
July 2nd, 2011 at 3:19 pm
.) The next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, but I actually thought youd have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you could fix if you werent too busy looking for attention.