Rumor: “Death Grip” fix to be patched in OS update next week?

What’s being referred to as the “death grip,” at least by MobileCrunch, could have a fix in store. According to the site, an iOS 4 update may be coming as soon as next week, and a patch for the now infamous hand-blocking-antenna situation might be onboard.

The rumor directly ties into the theory that the issue — the signal degradation that results from users’ left hands covering the left and right side of the external antenna — is software-related. (The device flips to “no signal” mode when it should switch frequencies. Somehow, holding the device “improperly” worsens the situation.)

If it is a software issue, that would actually be good news because it could be addressed via a software update pushed out via iTunes. And that’s the whole crux of this latest gossip.

But the widespread belief is that this is a hardware issue. Another theory alleges that a special coating is missing from these first handsets which would’ve prevented the interference with the antenna. Apparently, Apple’s bumper case solves this problem.

So why didn’t Apple pick up on this issue sooner? The New York Times’ theory is that sending the new iPhones into the wild, disguised in old iPhone 3GS cases, may have kept testers’ hands from coming into contact with the external antenna.

If you’re not willing to shell out for a case, there seems to be another alternative: Some frugal users on the webs have taken to slapping on a bit of electrical tape to prevent the problem. That can’t be very attractive, but at least it’s cheap.

Has anyone tried this? Any success so far? Let us know in the comments.

Via: MobileCrunch, NYT