Comments on: Griffin ClearBoost iPhone Antenna-boosting Case Review http://the-gadgeteer.com/2008/05/19/griffin_clearboost_iphone_antenna_boosting_case/ Gadget reviews and news by Julie Strietelmeier and friends since 1997 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:27:19 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Rob Tillotson http://the-gadgeteer.com/2008/05/19/griffin_clearboost_iphone_antenna_boosting_case/comment-page-1/#comment-24994 Rob Tillotson Tue, 20 May 2008 08:00:45 +0000 #comment-24994 <p>Unlike the stick-on "signal boosters", something like this could actually work in theory. The builtin antenna and the electrode in the case form a capacitor with the iPhone housing as the dielectric. Through-glass antennas work this way, as do some of the FM modulator adapters that come with satellite radios these days.</p> <p>The big problem with this approach, though, is that capacitive coupling is lossy. Thus, whatever you attach to it must have enough gain to be able to make up for this loss just to break even. And in an application like this, it doesn't just have to break even, it has to offer some overall improvement otherwise there is no point in using it.</p> <p>It's not as if that sort of little nub is actually any better than the one inside the phone, so the only real advantage here is, most likely, moving it to what may be a better location. I'm not surprised to find out it doesn't actually help, especially when taking into account the loss from the coupler and extra feedline (all three inches of it)...</p> Unlike the stick-on “signal boosters”, something like this could actually work in theory. The builtin antenna and the electrode in the case form a capacitor with the iPhone housing as the dielectric. Through-glass antennas work this way, as do some of the FM modulator adapters that come with satellite radios these days.

The big problem with this approach, though, is that capacitive coupling is lossy. Thus, whatever you attach to it must have enough gain to be able to make up for this loss just to break even. And in an application like this, it doesn’t just have to break even, it has to offer some overall improvement otherwise there is no point in using it.

It’s not as if that sort of little nub is actually any better than the one inside the phone, so the only real advantage here is, most likely, moving it to what may be a better location. I’m not surprised to find out it doesn’t actually help, especially when taking into account the loss from the coupler and extra feedline (all three inches of it)…

]]> By: Geoff http://the-gadgeteer.com/2008/05/19/griffin_clearboost_iphone_antenna_boosting_case/comment-page-1/#comment-24993 Geoff Tue, 20 May 2008 02:35:28 +0000 #comment-24993 <p>This case has been an enigma to me since information on it started hitting the 'net. It seems entirely gimmicky, not unlike the free "cell antenna boosters" Chinese cell phone accessory vendors like to throw in on eBay.</p> <p>Griffin is IMHO a very respectable manufacturer dedicated to (generally) producing high quality, reliable accessories for Apple iPods and Macs. When I need a charger, an FM transmitter, a laptop stand, etc. I tend to check their website first to see what their current offerings are before looking at other options.</p> <p>A product like this case, though, runs the risk of blowing that reputation (as your tests show); beyond that, the market segment for iPhone cases is already packed with options ... if you're going to risk blowing it (and their design and marketing teams HAD to know this is near fraud), at LEAST do it on something that's worth taking the risk, not some dime-a-dozen iPhone case.</p> <p>It just surprises me, I guess.</p> This case has been an enigma to me since information on it started hitting the ‘net. It seems entirely gimmicky, not unlike the free “cell antenna boosters” Chinese cell phone accessory vendors like to throw in on eBay.

Griffin is IMHO a very respectable manufacturer dedicated to (generally) producing high quality, reliable accessories for Apple iPods and Macs. When I need a charger, an FM transmitter, a laptop stand, etc. I tend to check their website first to see what their current offerings are before looking at other options.

A product like this case, though, runs the risk of blowing that reputation (as your tests show); beyond that, the market segment for iPhone cases is already packed with options … if you’re going to risk blowing it (and their design and marketing teams HAD to know this is near fraud), at LEAST do it on something that’s worth taking the risk, not some dime-a-dozen iPhone case.

It just surprises me, I guess.

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