iPhone Life magazine

Apple, bring back the Field Testing mode and display decibels not bars

The iPhone used to have a Field Test mode which displayed decibels, and you could set that to replace the bars.  I used it to write this review of the Sleek booster from Wilson.

 
 
 
On a pre-iOS 4.0 iPhone, you could just enter the following phone number *3001#12345#* and touch ‘Call’.  Given the lack of trust regarding how bars are computed and what the 'death grip' really means to reception, this utility would really be useful.
 
Field Test mode showing decibels
 
Apple may think they are out of the woods with today's offer of a free case for iPhone 4 buyers, but if a class action suit goes forward, one outcome I would like to see is bringing back that utility, so users can see the raw data, in decibels, for themselves.
 
 
I would like to see Apple reinstate this utility.iPhone used to have a Field Test mode which displayed decibels, and you could set that to replace the bars.
 
http://www.iphonelife.com/blog/2458/sleek-booster-helps-callers-hear-you-now-even-att
 
On a pre-iOS 4.0 iPhone, you could just enter the following phone number *3001#12345#* and touch ‘Call’. 
 
I would like to see Apple reinstate this utility.
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Todd Bernhard is founder of No Tie Software, an app developer specializing in Ringtones and Sound FX including AutoRingtone.

An iPhone is almost always attached to his hip, but over the years, Mr. Bernhard has owned an Apple Newton, a Motorola Marco, an HP 95LX, a Compaq iPaq, a Palm Treo, and a Nokia e62.

In addition to writing for iPhone Life, Mr. Bernhard has written for iPhone Life’s sister publications (PocketPC Magazine and The HP Palmtop Paper).

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