One of the lingering questions surrounding iPhone 4 and the whole “antennagate” saga is just how much, if any, of the problem could be blamed on the traditional network whipping boy, AT&T. Sure, you could reduce or kill iPhone 4 data and voice reception by gripping it firmly around the base to attenuate the signal or touching it at the bottom left corner to de-tune the antenna, but would that be a problem on carriers with stronger networks?

So, the moment I got my iPhone 4 up and running on Rogers Canada yesterday, I aimed to find out and the answer — is as complicated and confusing as always.

First test was right outside the Apple Store, inside the mall. I had 4 bars on both iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS running iOS 4.0.1. Holding either one in a death-grip, even lightly, dropped them a bar. Covering the lower-left spot of iPhone 4 also dropped it a bar. Neither had any real-world problems. 3 bars is fine.

Next test was to go out and find low signal areas. Interestingly, driving through areas where iPhone 3GS briefly drops to EDGE, iPhone 4 stayed on 3G longer and came back to it faster. When I stopped and stayed in an area with 1 to 2 bars of 3G signal, that’s where the fun began. And by fun I mean crazy.

My results, on both iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS were all over the place. Again, I could drop a bar, sometimes both bars, by death-gripping either phone or death-touching iPhone 4. Every so often, however, death-touching iPhone 4 got it to jump up to 3 bars. It happened enough that it wasn’t a fluke, but I couldn’t do it every time. Once I managed to cover enough antenna to get iPhone 4 to search for the network. I couldn’t get iPhone 3GS to do that — it stayed on 0 bars but on network — but unless I was trying to crush the phone with both hands I’d never hold it that way in real life.

In terms of data speeds, again the results were crazy. I could drop speeds by half with death-grip on both iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, and death-touch on iPhone 4. Starting from 1 or 2 bars, I could even stop network connectivity completely, again with death-grip on both or death-touch on iPhone 4.

But sometimes only HSDPA (download) would drop while HSUPA (upload) would go up or stay steady. Sometimes the opposite. The results were so crazy, so varied, I’m considering calling the whole thing black magic and just forgetting about it.

So, on Rogers in Canada, death-grip is real but certainly not limited to iPhone 4, while death-touch is also real and limited to iPhone 4 but presents much the same way. Areas of poor signal can be problematic in theory but in a way that’s utterly impossible to predict. In practice, dropping calls didn’t happen, dropping data was easy to work around, and dropping network had to be forced.

If you’ve done similar tests, or have similar real-world experience to share on other networks, let us know in comments below!

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So does your international iPhone 4 have death-grip or death-touch?

The Almighty FCC has finally approved the ZTE A310 (MSGM8 II) tri-band CDMA handset. The phone supports a Bluetooth connectivity, a QWERTY keyboard for easy messaging, a tri-band CDMA radio, 3G running at 1700MHz AWS spectrum, a 1.3-megapixel camera, dedicated keys for the speakerphone and camera and a headset jack. There is no info on pricing or availability so far. [intomobile]

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Upcoming ZTE A310 Tri-band CDMA Handset

Those on the original Motorola Droid will not have much longer to wait as the nation’s largest carrier has sent a note to media stating that an Android 2.2 Froyo update will get pushed out to that device beginning next week. Updates can be performed over the air and comes hot on the heels of Sprint’s announcement that the EVO 4G will get its Froyo update starting on August 3.

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Verizon To Push Android 2.2 Droid Update Next Week

The popularity of the iPhone 4 in Canada has led to the collapse of Rogers’ activation system for the Apple-made smartphone. Although unlike in the US where there is an exclusive carrier so that all demand is driven to AT&T, Apple is using a multi-carrier strategy in Canada so that Rogers is not the only one handling iPhone activations. Carriers Bell, Fido, Tellus, and Virgin are all offering iPhone 4 devices, including Apple with its unlocked model.

Although Rogers is affected by system outages, it seems that Fido, a Rogers subsidiary, is not suffering the same fate. Customers trying to purchase the iPhone 4 on Rogers are being given reservation numbers to come back later. At Apple in Canada, stores are moving customers from the other carriers to the front of the queue while waiting for Rogers’ systems to come back online.

Permalink: Rogers Collapses Under Canadian iPhone 4 Launch from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, iPad Review

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Rogers Collapses Under Canadian iPhone 4 Launch

While Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) riders have had cell phone coverage–both for talk and data–for a while now crossing the tunnel from the East Bay into San Francisco, it seems that Manhattanites are finally going to get their gab on in the subways. MTA city transit officials had agreed to a deal with Transit Wireless to bring cellular reception underground three years ago and now the company is finally getting serious about its plans to bring voice and mobile data access to New York subways. Transit Wireless will have two years to install the tech in six test stations and another 8 years to completely connect all 277 subway stations. For the city that never stops, talking will now never cease, at least in the noisy comforts of passing trains. Of course, with the convenience of calling the above-ground world, you’ll also have to deal with “Can you hear me now” if reception cuts out suddenly.

Permalink: New York City Subway Riders To Get Cell Phone Coverage from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, iPad Review

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New York City Subway Riders To Get Cell Phone Coverage

It seems that Canadian users who are starting to purchase their iPhone 4s today are noticing that their Apple smartphones come unlocked out of the box, but there is a huge caveat to that: unless you specifically pay the full, unsubsidized retail price for the iPhone at an Apple Store in Canada, iPhone 4s purchased through Canadian carriers will get locked up when the phone gets activated through iTunes. That means that iPhone 4s are essentially shipped–and sold–unlocked, that is until Apple and carriers force you to hook up your iPhone for in-store iTunes activation with Apple’s servers. Hum…

Permalink: All Canadian iPhone 4 Sold Unlocked from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, iPad Review

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All Canadian iPhone 4 Sold Unlocked

The SOS (Stress Outsourced System) is a pretty unique idea, where this wearable unit will hold wireless signaling technology that is used to send out an SOS to fellow users worldwide whenever you feel that the world is working against you on that day. Those who receive your SOS have a choice to send a relief signal back to you, where you will receive it in the form of a haptic massage. It takes around a second or so for each recipient on the network to respond, where the clothing will generate an accumulated therapeutic full back and shoulder massage for the originator of the plea. We wonder just how much juice such a form of clothing will require.

Permalink: SOS (Stress Outsourced System) to receive haptic massage as source of relief from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, iPad Review

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SOS (Stress Outsourced System) to receive haptic massage as source of relief

For those of you out there who want to make full use of their unlimted 3G account, you might want to check out tethering the Samsung Vibrant to your computer without the need to root the phone. This method utilizes a USB cable which will offer Internet access to Windows XP and Windows 7-powered computers. Using Samsung’s own Kies software, it will perform all the tethering needs, as long as use the magic number to connect on T-Mobile USA networks – ‘epc.tmobile.com’ for the APN name and ‘*99#’ as the phone number. Check out the video in the extended post to go through the tethering ritual.

Permalink: Samsung Vibrant tethers without need for rooting from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, iPad Review

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Samsung Vibrant tethers without need for rooting

Iain Barclay has come up with the Solar Powered Wireless Webcam which he dubs the FieldCam. After all, this is one webcam which relies on the power of the sun to function, and not only that, it works fine sans wires. Using a handful of off-the-shelf parts, a 3G cellular phone dongle and router, and a custom circuit board, the FieldCam was born. Of course, the box will need to be placed in the field under the open skies for it to obtain a constant charge on a clear day, where it will collect enough juice for it to snap a photo every 5 minutes which in turn will upload it to Flickr. It costs around £10 monthly for the 3G cellular data connection SIM card to get this set up running fine and dandy. While there was no mention of cost, it might be somewhere in the region of £200 or so for the full kit. Granted, this project seems to be dated from last year, but it is still worth a look considering the overall eco-friendly theme.

Permalink: Solar Powered Wireless Webcam from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, iPad Review

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Solar Powered Wireless Webcam

The webOS platform is not quite dead yet, and is pretty capable if placed in the right hands. We’re talking about the HP 12c financial calculator being emulated on webOS, thanks to the magic of Javascript emulation. While this is not the full application, it will still let you perform all the relevant calculations that you’ve ever wanted to do with this classic. The program is known as Calc12c, where it will support both the Pre and the Pixi, delivering haptic feedback for each press of the on-screen button. This is definitely the more economical way of going around things since a physical 12c will cost you around $70.

Permalink: HP 12C financial calculator emulated, runs on webOS from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, iPad Review

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HP 12C financial calculator emulated, runs on webOS