New iPhone case says it can boost reception

The $29.95 case is made of polycarbonate and covers the back and sides of the iPhone.

But Griffin says users may not see additional bars in the signal display.

ClearBoost works by adding a booster antenna to your iPhone. But adding more antenna does not necessarily show up as more bars in your signal display. It's important to remember that the bar graph on your iPhone shows an average of many factors affecting signal strength. With ClearBoost, you can expect to see improvements that won't necessarily be reflected in the number of bars on your iPhone.

These improvements will, instead, translate into an increased ability to maintain connection with the cellular network, with more stations available to your phone, and less interference from signal reflections. This means fewer dropped calls, greater coverage areas, and faster Web browsing and file transfers.

Many sites are dissing ClearBoost, saying that the case is ugly and ruins the style of the iPhone. And it covers up the engraving that you may have paid for.

This criticism is nonsense. Any technology that makes the iPhone a better phone is a good thing.