The "death grip," as seen on the GSM iPhone 4, is alive and well on the CDMA version, a new YouTube video reveals. iLounge undertook a variety of loading tests, demonstrating a dramatic slowdown in performance while gripping the phone, both over CDMA and Wi-Fi. iLounge also confirmed the presence of a new signal attenuation position, the "death hug," where holding the phone in landscape orientation can also cause slowdown.
The report contradicts previous statements from blogs such as ArsTechnica, who when placing a call in the death grip experienced "no noticeable signal loss." MaximumPC also heralded the repositioning of the antenna as being the end of any potential death gripping, proclaiming that "the antenna is fixed."
On discovery of the problem in the GSM iPhone, Steve Jobs famously responded by advising that customers "just avoid holding it in that way." "All phones have sensitive areas," Jobs said in an email, but following a slew of bad PR, Apple was forced to hold a press conference in July where they announced a free case programme lasting until the end of September, when the situation would be re-evaluated. Considering that not another word was heard from Apple, it"s safe to assume that the situation was deemed satisfactory. Another wave of bad press involving the Verizon iPhone could force Apple into action again, but with WWDC a few months away, Apple may be shifting their focus on a fifth-generation iPhone that solves the problem.