Consumer Reports, notorious for reviewing products and putting electronics devices through the grinder, said today that they cannot recommend the iPhone 4 due to an antenna defect. After reviewing the iPhone 4, they claim that the antenna, when blocked, can cause the iPhone 4 to drop the signal and the call.

According to a blog post over at the site, Consumer Reports were able to replicate the problems that many people have been reporting since day one of the iPhone 4 launch.

Using some high tech equipment in an RF (radio frequency) isolated room, they were able to bombard the iPhone 4 with a fake AT&T signal. When they covered the side of the device, the signal dropped. And if you think they got hold of a bad iPhone, think again. They tried this with three devices all purchased from different stores in New York.

The bottom line: they couldn't recommend the device because of its antenna defect. They did offer a quick fix that was originally reported by Chris Pirillo, which is to cover the affected side of the device with non-conductive tape. This, however, makes your brand-new iPhone a little less aesthetically pleasing.

You can watch the Consumer Reports video (embedded below) and read the full details on the Consumer Reports blog.

Follow this article's author, Cory Bohon on Twitter.