> The difference is that reception is massively better on the iPhone 4 in actual use.
via [arstechnica.com](http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/06/putting-hard-numbers-to-the-iphone-4-antenna-issue.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss)
This has been my experience, but it’s nice to see it quantified with real research. The iPhone 4 is overall a much better phone, as far as reception of cell signal goes. The issues with gripping the phone in the left hand and bridging the antennae are unfortunate, and Apple should do its best to address that. But the antennae design is a net win for the vast majority of users.
The way I look at it, Apple could have put the antennae inside the phone, like they did on the 3Gs, in which case EVERYONE would have gotten worse reception and more dropped calls, or they could put it on the outside like they did, and help most of us while hurting a slim minority of users. They made a tough albeit correct design decision, and yet they are being punished for it in the press.
