It’s a problem that doesn’t just plague Apple but also every handset vendor looking to support multiple LTE frequencies in addition to the usual complement of 2G and 3G bands. Smart antenna maker SkyCross, however has started shipping a new super antenna that can tune to as many 12 frequencies. Given that there are about 40 identified LTE frequencies, SkyCross’s new VersiTune-LTE antenna won’t produce the universal 4G phone, but it will get handset makers a lot closer, said John Marshall, VP of business development and marketing.

“You could use it, for instance, to create a single phone that could work on every North American LTE networks,” Marshall said. That’s no small feat. North America is the most fragmented region of the all. AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and Clearwire are all launching their networks on different frequency bands, and as they start expanding their 4G networks into supplemental spectrum that mishmash of bands is going to become even more complex.

SkyCross is utilizing a design that it has developed called isolated Mode Antenna Technology (iMAT). By accessing different “feedpoints” on the structure, iMAT antennas can not only tune themselves to different frequency, but also can function as multiple antennas that can simultaneously receive different signals. That’s important because increasingly complex LTE and LTE-Advanced technologies require multiple radio links to the network.

To build fatter wireless pipes, operators are using a technique called carrier aggregation, which in essence bonds together two blocks of spectrum in disparate bands. For instance, Verizon plans to glue 2100 MHz frequencies onto its current network, which residing way down in the 700 MHz band. To accomplish that, the phone will have to tap into both bands simultaneously. Marshall said the VersiTune will be the first antenna specifically designed for LTE-Advanced carrier aggregation.

SkyCross plans to officially unveil the new design next week at CES, and the antenna will start making it into phones this year. Ultimately these kind of active antennas could help Apple move back to a single iPhone manufacturing model — or at least minimize the number of different iPhones it must make. Apple, though, isn’t a customer, though Marshall said he’s working on that. SkyCross already works with some of the biggest handset makers in the world, including the dominant Samsung, but it does face competition from other active antenna makers like Ethertronics and WiSpry.

Featured mage courtesy Flickr user Horia Varlan.

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The breakthrough that helped this antenna shrink in size was the filling of the antenna slot with a polymer instead of regular old air. The press release detailing the new antenna says it is ready for integration with active circuits and that the resulting antenna is 70 percent smaller and is almost two-thirds cheaper than a conventional cavity-backed slot antenna inside devices. Combine the new antenna with other millimeter-wave capable equipment and the IME researchers believe it would support speeds of up to 20 gigabits per second. At such high frequencies however, you’re looking at a wireless technology that won’t travel very far or through walls.

However, companies such as Samsung are researching the idea of using millimeter wave networks to boost wireless speeds, especially as spectrum at the lower frequency bands becomes more crowded. And while, it may seem ridiculous to imagine building out real networks in the upper gigahertz bands, our demands for mobile broadband seem infinite at the right capacity and price.

Thus research into better antennas may strike many as esoteric, but it’s essential so we can continue to take advantage of the airwaves around us for data transmissions. For example, this summer Intellectual Ventures spun out a new materials company called Kymeta that’s building a better antenna, while earlier this year Ethertronics said it had developed a new, flexible antenna that could adapt to the conditions around it.

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Despite the problems caused by Apple’s single metal wraparound antenna in the iPhone 4, that previous-generation device managed to top the Consumer Reports smartphone charts in terms of overall ratings. That’s because the signal issues only affected a small part of the device’s overall rating, and other categories more than made up for the difference.

This time around, however, Consumer Reports says that the 4S “doesn’t suffer the reception problem we found in its predecessor,” something it can say definitively after extensive attempts to replicate the problem in its testing facility. The iPhone 4S also scores higher than the iPhone 4 (which still isn’t recommended because its antenna problem has yet to be fixed, according to the organization’s tests), but unlike its flawed predecessor, it doesn’t top the rankings in its debut.

Instead, multiple Android phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S II, the Motorola Droid Bionic and other similar late-generation devices, beat the 4S in overall ratings due to the presence of larger displays and true LTE 4G compatibility. Other factors cited in putting Android competitors over and above the 4S include the LG Thrill’s “ability to capture stills and videos in 3D” and the Droid Bionic’s “excellent keypad readability under most lighting conditions, even in bright light.”

As someone whose Galaxy S II has remained unused and virtually untouched since the arrival of the 4S, I’m admittedly a little skeptical of the Consumer Reports judging criteria, but it is true that on paper, Android devices of late appear to have the edge on Apple’s smartphone in the areas mentioned in CR’s blog post. Still, I think most users might weight phone features differently than Consumer Reports has done, though larger screens and 4G compatibility are definitely areas where Apple can look to improve its device in the future. Video and 3-D photos, though, can’t be on the top of too many smartphone buyers’ shopping lists.

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The iPod Touch: Now Just a Smaller iPad

The ZTE Peel will give the iPod touch what iPad Wi-Fi + 3G owners got at launch: access to the web anywhere you have access to a cellular network. It’ll make the touch a lot more useful, even though it doesn’t allow users to make and receive calls and text messages, as did the similar Apple Peel 520. No doubt Apple would’ve blocked any attempt to sell such a device. In fact, I’m fairly surprised they’re allowing the ZTE Peel.

Since the case is only compatible with second- and third-generation iPod touches, not the current model, it won’t encourage people to rush out and buy new iPod hardware. But the Peel will encourage more iTunes and App Store sales, since touch owners will suddenly be able to use apps that pull data from web or download songs whenever the mood strikes them.

iPod + Peel = Manifest Destiny for the Touch

The ZTE Peel will also show Apple what effect a 3G-enabled iPod touch would have on its product ecosystem. I’ve long suspected that the iPod touch was created as a gateway drug for the company’s iPhone and iPad line. Touch users get a taste of the pocket computing power behind iOS, but run into many “If only…” moments when they try to access online content away from home.

A 3G-enabled touch removes many of those “If only…” moments, but I suspect that many users will still make the jump to an iPhone or iPad. Even with VoIP and messaging apps, the iPod touch can’t match the calling features of an actual phone. The iPad is something else entirely, a product that seems to have awakened a new thirst and satisfies it in a different way than any other Apple products.

Instead, Sprint’s experiment could show Apple the way to the iPod touch of the future. Amid the continued growth of smart and feature phones, where few people need both a media player and cell phone in their pockets, the iPod touch has lost a bit of its relevancy. A connected pocket computer with unfettered App Store access, however, might mean the iPod touch won’t get left behind.

It’ll also help widen the reach of iOS. Many people would like to try both Android and Apple’s mobile OS, but are limited to just one because of the confining nature of cell service contracts and unsubsidized device prices. Users who pick Android for their handset could also grab a touch to take advantage of what iOS has to offer.

After FaceTime and HD video, a cellular antenna is the last frontier for the iPod touch. I’d love to see Wi-Fi sharing come to the touch and other iOS devices, too, though I’m not holding my breath for that one. But 3G-capability is a no-brainer. Hopefully, Apple recognizes the benefits that Sprint’s Peel launch will make apparent, instead of just letting others profit from its inaction.

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In fact, the single issue most complained about by respondents was the lack of an iPhone available on the Verizon network. That was despite the fact that no survey question actually mentioned the AT&T competitor or even really dealt with it that much, save the one which asked for respondents’ current carrier.

The survey asked 258 cell phone owners in downtown Minneapolis about their choice of device and the reason for their choosing. Of respondents, nearly a third had either an iPhone, a BlackBerry or another kind of phone not listed. Nokia and Android made up the last two groups, representing only three and nine percent respectively.

Awareness of the antenna problem was definitely high, though that’s got to be expected when Apple itself held a press conference basically advertising the problem, even if the actual aim of the event was to downplay it. 69 percent of respondents knew about the issue, and 20 percent of those people said it influenced their decision to buy an iPhone 4. So yes, Apple lost some revenue to its missteps regarding Antennagate.

But for each of the respondents who acknowledged the antenna issue, three brought up the iPhone not being on Verizon as a barrier to making a purchase. That’s likely because nearly a third of respondents (31 percent) were already Verizon customers, just behind AT&T’s survey-leading 38 percent.

Apple must be aware of the effect its exclusivity deal is having on sales in the U.S., and I hardly think it’s the ideal situation for the company, considering how quickly it has switched to non-exclusive models in other regions, including America’s neighbor to the north, Canada. Doubtless we’ll see this relationship change when the AT&T exclusivity deal expires, which is rumored to be happening at the end of this year or the beginning of next.

Despite the possible dampening effects of both the antenna issues and lack of a Verizon option, the iPhone 4 is still experiencing record sales, and Apple’s supply chain continues to struggle to keep up with demand, so we’re guessing Cupertino isn’t sweating it right now.

Munster’s survey was very geographically specific, so I’m curious about what results taken from a more general sampling would look like. It’s hardly scientific, but how did the antenna issues affect your purchase decision regarding the iPhone 4?

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According to the report from Mexican technology site CamelMX, the Telcel executive claimed that the iPhone 4′s antenna design may see manufacturing revisions — revisions which would aim to fix the widely reported signal attenuation issue.

The report also suggested that the updated handset, which is claimed to be free of antenna problems and the need for a case, may be made available once Apple’s current solution, the iPhone 4 Case Program, had come to a close at the end of September.

Whether or not a carrier partner such as Telcel would be privy to information of this sort ahead of time is unknown. Considering that Apple is notorious for its secretive nature, and that claims such as these have been wrong in the past, it’s easy to cast doubt over the legitimacy of Quatorze’s claims and chalk them up as mere speculation.

However, it’s worth remembering that when Apple first announced the iPhone 4 Case Program in July, it also commented that the engineers at Cupertino would be continuing to look at the antenna issue, reassessing the effectiveness of the current situation.

Whether Quatorze’s claims are fact or just purely speculation, it’s not the first time that hardware changes have been suggested.

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Zagg, the makers of the venerable Invisible Shield, have several film options that cover every single surface of your phone and allow you to choose the level of coverage you want. For $9.99, you can get the 4FIX Band/Antenna coverage, which is clear laminate for the metal edges (antennas) of your iPhone.

On Etsy, where creative individuals sell their ideas, you can get iPhone antenna-aids. They’re currently sold out, but they sell in a six-pack of different colored band aids. Clever.

Then there’s the most economical idea: the iPhone Patch. At only $1.50, you can get them in several different designs to suit your personality. Maybe they aren’t the snazziest of designs, but I can see teens buying off on this product for sure. All in all, not too bad for the equivalent of pocket change.

Of course, these options aren’t guaranteed to solve any antenna issues you may be having, but they should help remind you to avoid the dreaded “death grip.” And if you don’t care about looks at all, just use some duct tape; that stuff fixes everything!

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Way back when, a couple of lifetimes ago, I was a Radioman in the Navy, and as part of my education and advancement requirements I had to study antenna and wave propagation theory. For the sake of brevity, I’m going to over-simplify this to the point where real engineers might get a headache if they continue on, but here goes anyway.

Radio signals traveling through the air look like waves if drawn on paper. These waves travel at a constant speed, the speed of light, so to send more waves through on a signal, the waves must be smaller. The number of waves traveling along a signal is referred to as hertz, and the size of the wave is its wavelength. The antennas used to generate and receive these waves need to be the right size, and the right shape. Back when I was in the Navy, we were transmitting waves that required a 35 foot whip antenna because we were transmitting in the High Frequency (HF) range. As the frequency of the wave gets higher, the size of the waves and the antenna used to transmit and receive them become smaller, and more precise.

Cell phones operate in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) frequency range, so the antenna that they use is much smaller than lower frequency transmissions. The iPhone 4 has two antenna that wrap around its case, one for cellular use and the other for Wi-Fi and bluetooth. The two antennas are separated by the small gap in the lower left hand side of the case, which Apple has identified as the antenna’s most sensitive part. This is true, in part because of the attenuation (or “blocking of the signal”) when you put your hand over the gap.

The other part of the equation that Apple is not talking about is that while your hand doesn’t make a particularly good medium for radio waves to travel through, it does make a fairly good electrical conductor. When you place your hand over that gap, you are actually bridging the two antennas together and making a larger antenna. A larger antenna that is not the right size for the frequency of AT&T’s cellular network, and the bars drop right off.

I don’t have the equipment on hand anymore to test this, but the video below, linked to by an expert on antennas (via Daring Fireball), seems to show the behavior I would expect. At around the 1:30 mark, a key placed over the gap drops the iPhone 4′s reception down from five bars to one, and the narrator says that eventually there will be no signal at all. When the key is removed, the bars return.

The free bumpers solve both problems for the iPhone 4. They prevent the antenna gap from being bridged by anything conductive, and they give a little more room between the antenna and your hand, to help with attenuation. Unfortunately, the bumpers do not address the actual design of the antenna. It may be possible for Apple to move the antenna gap to a different spot on the phone in future revisions of the iPhone. For example, why not put the antenna at the top of the phone where people are less likely to hold it? As answered by AntennaSys in the link above, physical placement of the antenna is mandated by the FCC. If bridging the antenna gap is the problem, it may be possible to move the gap to the bottom of the phone, but since that would change the shape of the antenna, I’m not sure if that’s possible or not. Anandtech has a beautiful solution using Kapton insulating tape, which makes the iPhone look like it’s been plated in gold. If Apple were to add a layer of insulation to the iPhone, that might alleviate the symptoms.

I’m not the only one who thought that Apple’s explanation seemed lacking. TidBITS writer Rich Mogull has a very detailed article where he draws a similar conclusion. If you’d like to know more about the issue, I’d suggest dropping his article into Instapaper. If you’ve got any ideas about the iPhone 4′s antenna “situation,” I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Especially if anyone can reproduce the key trick from the video.

The architecture of the new iPhone 4 places the antenna structure within the stainless steel band that wraps the new phone. And the problem many users have noted is that applying normal pressure along specific points of the phone causes the signal quality indicator to drop. Seems like just a hardware issue, right? Well before you go old-school and wrap your phone in aluminum foil in a desperate attempt to boost the signal strength, there’s more to the story.

The issue of signal strength has been picked apart across the Internet; some people can reproduce the problem, while others cannot. A few days after these issues first came to light, Steve Jobs said in response to an email:

Gripping any phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas. This is a fact of life for every wireless phone. If you ever experience this on your iPhone 4, avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band, or simply use one of many available cases.

It’s an interesting response, but it seems to speak to Apple’s industrial design decisions, since such sensitive hardware is in a region of the phone that’s naturally likely to be handled. Regardless, since Jobs’ comments, there have been daily rumors concerning Apple’s solution to the issue, whether it’s a software update to “fix” the problem or providing customers with an iPhone 4 bumper case that avoids placing pressure on the antenna. Most recently, fabricated emails have come to light suggesting that Jobs told a customer “calm down” and that it’s “not worth it.” While that turned out to be a fake email according to Apple, the company finally released a statement regarding the issue altogether.

According to the statement, the algorithm for calculating the signal strength has just been inaccurate, showing more bars than it should in some cases. In an example provided by Apple, what is displayed on your iPhone could be two bars higher than the actual signal strength. The statement also suggests your real signal strength never changes, so when you see the lower signal strength as a result of placing pressure along one of the antennas, you’re really seeing a more accurate representation of the signal.

Okay, so it’s a software issue. Or is it?

Apple says this problem of inaccurate signal strength has been present in every iPhone since launch. (Thanks, Apple!)

So if it’s an issue of inaccurate signal strength, how does that affect performance? Look at the video that Cameron Hunt posted to Vimeo that shows how Safari simply stops loading when he touches one of these antenna points along the device. If you apply Apple’s logic to his scenario, when you watch the bars begin to drop, his actual signal strength shouldn’t be dropping. Yet it does, because Safari cannot finish downloading the page. Clearly, there’s still some degree of a hardware issue involved.

Apple says a free software update for iPhone 4, iPhone 3G and 3GS users will be available in the next few weeks to address the problem, and will cause your iPhone to display a more accurate signal strength. Additionally, the update will make the first three signal bars “a bit taller” and “easier to see.” Just remember, they’re only taller to make them more visible, not because the signal strength is any better.

For the technically minded out there, it’s been mentioned that the field test mode in iPhone 4 has disappeared. That’s too bad, as it would have been a great way to see what’s really happening to the signal strength. Does anybody know how to access it on the new iPhone 4?

Do you really believe Apple’s response that the issue is software-related and the reality is that the network reception is actually much lower than what your iPhone displays? Is there really anything wrong? Or is nothing wrong? Or is there something wrong but the problem is just normal of cell phones and it’s just time for us Apple users to drink the Kool-Aid again? Share your thoughts in the comments.