MacRumors.com reports that the poor reception may have to do with improper placement of the SIM card in the new iPhone.
By removing and replacing the SIM card, or even adjusting its position, some users have been able to clear up their reception problems.
It is possible that the SIM card is making an improper connection with its aluminum chassis, which may in turn provide a connection to the antenna.
Such connections could cause grounding issues that result in poorer overall radio-frequency reception. Further supporting the theory, some people report they have had similar success using tape or other insulators to prevent the SIM card from making contact with the holder chassis.
However, the fact that reception problems may be a software problem hasn’t been ruled out. The fact that older iPhone models have shown reception issues after applying the latest iOS4 update suggests a software component may be a contributing factor and therefore, a future software update may still help the issue.
But regardless of any reception issues, iPhone 4 continues to be Apple’s top seller.
Apple announced it has sold more than 1.7 million iPhone devices in the first three days after the phone’s launch June 24.
The phone also is available in the U.K., Germany, France, Japan and is expected to be available in 18 more countries in July.