While telling customers “you’re not holding your iPhone 4 properly” doesn’t exactly seem the best way to endear yourself, with hundreds of thousands of handsets in the wild Apple look unlikely to do anything more constructive than tell us where to grip.  One solution users have discovered is Apple’s Bumper case, but Fusion of Ideas have an alternative if you’re more interested in keeping your smartphone’s clean, rubber-free lines.  They’ve sent us some shots of their StealthArmor for iPhone 4 edge protection strips, which not only protect the stainless steel from scratches but have the neat side-effect of bypassing the antenna issue.

Update: We’ve now tested the strips, and things aren’t as clear cut as Fusion of Ideas might suggest. More after the cut.

We’ve covered StealthArmor before, reviewing the company’s protective films for the iPad, and if you’ve seen our iPhone 4 unboxing then you’ll have already spotted the custom panels they’ve done for the new smartphone.  The important bit for the signal issue is the side-edging strips, which bridge the gap between the two antennas and mean holding the iPhone 4 with slightly damp or sweaty hands won’t see your calls dropped.

Fusion of Ideas are sending us some edge strips for us to try out, but they’re already available as part of a full iPhone 4 protection pack (that includes the rear protector and the edges) starting from $25.  A screen protector sheet is $15.  As well as various more eye-catching finishes – including customs – which kick off at $45, the company has clear and brushed aluminum StealthArmor options if you want to keep your iPhone 4 looking pretty much stock.

Video demo by Fusion of Ideas for StealthAmor

UPDATE 1: We got to work early this evening to test Fusion of Idea’s claim but it’s still inconclusive. A quick test of holding iPhone 4 with our left hand DOES NOT yield a better reception with the applied material, as you can see for your self from the pictures below. This is a pretty BOLD claim by Fusion Of Ideas. -Vincent

UPDATE 2: Results of our test of Fusion of Idea’s claim = Doesn’t work

Holding iPhone 4 with on the left hand-side with Carbon Fiber material from Fusion of Ideas does not yield more bars as claimed by the company.

Not holding the iPhone 4 on the left hand side resulted in full bars.

not experienced with whitewater although i've taken a dozen guided raft trips over the years. i also have a flatwater kayak that i occasionally take out on solo trips through the swamps. having said that, i do NOT think solo trips in treacherous situations are a very smart thing to do. there's been more than one time that i've been out by myself & heard gator splashes (they can actually jump, and they DO) or gator mating calls (sounds like a cross between a dog & an agitated bullfrog if i remember correctly). not exactly life threatening, but sufficient that i made a mental note to 1) never go out by myself and 2) if i ignore 1, make sure i've told someone in advance where i'm going and what time i expect to return. you know ... so they can call someone to retrieve the body.

this self-advice that i choose to ignore on occasion is also informed by a whitewater trip i did some years ago. the raft came through a particularly plucky rapid, and we noticed a clump of people over to the right on the rocks. we found out later that a kayaker had come through, flipped his boat in the rapid, got caught in an eddy, and the boat wedged into the rocks. for whatever reason, the paddler didn't jettison the boat, and he drown.

i have no way of knowing if that kayaker was solo or in a group. but shit happens. it's good to have friends.
posted by msconduct at 12:48 PM on May 28