Over the weekend, Apple removed the antenna performance comparison videos they has published at the height of the “Antennagate” media storm we saw last month. These videos demonstrated that nearly all smartphones experience what is called attenuation, or signal loss from holding the device. Each video focused on a specific model from a specific manufacturer such as RIM, HTC, Nokia, and so on.
Now the only thing left on this webpage are general assertions that this is an industry-wide phenomenon and not a problem exclusive to Apple.
The opposite of amplification, attenuation happens whenever a signal is obstructed. All antennas – including television, radio, GPS and mobile antennas – can experience attenuation. And with most antennas, the density and composition of the human hand can cause attenuation to a greater degree than some other materials. On a mobile phone, signal loss typically occurs when your hand attenuates the most sensitive part of the antenna. Which, on iPhone 4, is the black strip of the lower left corner of the antenna band.
It’s unclear as to why Apple removed the videos. It might be for legal reasons, or more likely, simply dialing down the response to a media frenzy that has already moved on to the next big story. Apple doesn’t want to attract more attention to this “problem” than what was already there. Besides, cases from Apple’s free case program are beginning to arrive in the hands of customers.
Oddly enough however, the videos remain posted on Apple’s YouTube page, as well as international version of the antenna page. I suspect these videos, or at least the ones on other Apple sites, will follow in due time.
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