AnandTech’s very technical review of the iPhone 4.0.1 fix →

Brian Klug & Anand Lal Shimpi:

While the software update obviously does not and cannot address the design of the antenna itself - or make the drop from holding the phone any less - it does change the way the issue is perceived among users. The result is that most iPhone users will see fewer bars disappear when they hold the iPhone 4 in a bare hand. The side effect is that the iPhone now displays fewer bars in most places, and users that haven’t been reporting signal in dBm will time see the - perhaps a bit shocking - reality of locations previously denoted as having excellent signal.

Interestingly enough, Apple has indeed changed the heights of bars 1, 2, and 3. They’re taller, and the result is that the relative heights are no longer linear, but rather a tad exponential looking. It’s a mind trick that Apple no doubt hopes will make the signal look better. If the bars are taller, they must denote stronger signal, right?

Pretty much what you expected the iOS 4.0.1 fix to be. If you don’t want the technical lowdown, I rather enjoyed Garrett Murray’s more humanistic take on the 4.0.1 fix.

Note that SA’s Brandon Pittman has not had any signal or proximity sensor issues with his iPhone 4 in Japan, which is our first hand report on the subject.