reach cases are designed and tested by our team of antenna engineers in a state-of-the-art lab in Carlsbad, California. Phone and reach case antenna performance are very accurately measured with an ETS-Lindgren AMS 7000 reverberation chamber.1

The phone’s frequency, bandwidth and other signal variables are controlled with an Anritsu MT8820C Radio Communication Analyzer2 – it’s like having our own personal network and cell tower. Similar to cell phone manufacturers and networks, we measure active OTA (Over-The-Air) metrics: TRP and TIS. TRP (Total Radiated Power) is the maximum power the phone can transmit and TIS (Total Isotropic Sensitivity) is a measure of the phone’s receive properties.

To simulate real-word use, during testing the phones are held in anthropomorphic hand phantoms3 – the size and grip are specified according to CTIA definitions and they are made from a silicone-carbon-based material with electromagnetic properties that match human tissue.

Testing confirms that reach case improves both the phone’s transmit (TRP) and receive (TIS) properties. Better TIS results in faster downloads and improved RSRP (RSRP is the metric that contributes to the “bars”, but because each bar covers such broad range (10dB) you won’t always see an extra bar with reach case). Better TRP results in greater connectivity range from the cell tower, fewer dropped calls and faster data uploads.

 

Links:

1 http://www.ets-lindgren.com/products/test-systems/antenna-measurement-system/5008/500801

2 https://www.anritsu.com/en-US/test-measurement/products/mt8820c

3 https://www.speag.com/products/em-phantom/phantoms/