It seemed to me to actually jive with AnandTech's testing, and with user experience with the holding problem occurring in already weak signal areas. To wit many report that they only have the full drop in some places.
As for holding the phone, I'm not so troubled by the antennae, could it be better, yes, but is it that terrible, doesn't seem so.
My thoughts as well. The Apple article seems to be saying exactly what the AnandTech article said:
However, in locales that have less signal, but where iOS
still displays 5 bars, the drop of 24 dB is visualized
much differently. For example, at another test location,
signal without holding the phone is -89 dBm, which is
still displayed as 5 bars. Cup the phone, and you'll fall
all the way to -113 dBm. All the bars dramatically
disappear one after the other, people think they've
dramatically lost all the signal, and you know the rest...
As for holding the phone, I'm not so troubled by the antennae, could it be better, yes, but is it that terrible, doesn't seem so.