( Mashable ) -- After initially dismissing the reports about the iPhone 4 antenna reception issue , Apple has officially admitted it exists , promising a software fix in a couple of weeks . There 's a catch , though . Apple 's promised fix may not be good news for users experiencing the problem . Apple claims it has erroneously calculated the formula which displays signal bars on the iPhone , and therefore the iPhone has been showing too many bars in areas with weak signal strength . Here 's how Apple explains it : . `` Users observing a drop of several bars when they grip their iPhone in a certain way are most likely in an area with very weak signal strength , but they do n't know it because we are erroneously displaying 4 or 5 bars . Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place . '' Unfortunately , this seems like Apple is only acknowledging one part of the problem . Anandtech 's in-depth analysis showed that the signal drop when you grip the iPhone 4 by its lower-right side is very real . Therefore , Apple 's fix probably wo n't fix that part -- arguably the biggest part -- of the problem , and will merely make the iPhone 4 display fewer bars in weak signal areas . Interestingly enough , Apple claims the miscalculation was present `` since the original iPhone , '' so the fix will apply to older generation iPhones as well . Here 's Apple 's official announcement : . Dear iPhone 4 Users , . The iPhone 4 has been the most successful product launch in Apple 's history . It has been judged by reviewers around the world to be the best smartphone ever , and users have told us that they love it . So we were surprised when we read reports of reception problems , and we immediately began investigating them . Here is what we have learned . To start with , gripping almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by one or more bars . This is true of iPhone 4 , iPhone 3GS , as well as many Droid , Nokia and RIM phones . But some users have reported that iPhone 4 can drop four or five bars when tightly held in a way which covers the black strip in the lower left corner of the metal band . This is a far bigger drop than normal , and as a result some have accused the iPhone 4 of having a faulty antenna design . At the same time , we continue to read articles and receive hundreds of emails from users saying that iPhone 4 reception is better than the iPhone 3GS . They are delighted . This matches our own experience and testing . What can explain all of this ? We have discovered the cause of this dramatic drop in bars , and it is both simple and surprising . Upon investigation , we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong . Our formula , in many instances , mistakenly displays two more bars than it should for a given signal strength . For example , we sometimes display four bars when we should be displaying as few as two bars . Users observing a drop of several bars when they grip their iPhone in a certain way are most likely in an area with very weak signal strength , but they do n't know it because we are erroneously displaying four or five bars . Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place . To fix this , we are adopting AT & T 's recently recommended formula for calculating how many bars to display for a given signal strength . The real signal strength remains the same , but the iPhone 's bars will report it far more accurately , providing users a much better indication of the reception they will get in a given area . We are also making bars one , two and three a bit taller so they will be easier to see . We will issue a free software update within a few weeks that incorporates the corrected formula . Since this mistake has been present since the original iPhone , this software update will also be available for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G . We have gone back to our labs and retested everything , and the results are the same- the iPhone 4 's wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped . For the vast majority of users who have not been troubled by this issue , this software update will only make your bars more accurate . For those who have had concerns , we apologize for any anxiety we may have caused . As a reminder , if you are not fully satisfied , you can return your undamaged iPhone to any Apple Retail Store or the online Apple Store within 30 days of purchase for a full refund . We hope you love the iPhone 4 as much as we do . Thank you for your patience and support . Apple . © 2013 MASHABLE.com . All rights reserved .
Apple has promised a software fix for all generation iPhones in a few weeks . Apple claims it has erroneously calculated the formula which displays signal bars . Apple may not fix the iPhone 4 gripping issue , what many people argue is the main problem . Software fixes will only address the number of signal bars displayed on iPhone screens .