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Page 2: Apple Experiencing Constrained Stocks of iPhone 4 Bumper

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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30,886



iphone_4_bumper_blue.jpg



9to5Mac reports that it has received word from reliable source Mr. X that Apple is experiencing constrained stocks of the iPhone 4 bumper, suggesting that a discontinuation of the bumper could signal a redesigned iPhone 5 or some other change that would require a modified bumper. While a number of parts from a so-called "iPhone 4S" nearly identical to the iPhone 4 have surfaced, there has been little evidence beyond third-party case designs supporting the introduction of a new form factor for the next-generation iPhone.
With Apple apparently set to discontinue the Bumper, the next iPhone may require an updated Bumper or may even feature an all new design. Of course, there is also the possibility that Apple has simply decided to discontinue the Bumper but still retain the iPhone 4 design.
Click to expand...
One other possibility is that Apple may be retaining the iPhone 4 bumper but updating its packaging to reflect compatibility with both the iPhone 4 and an iPhone 4S/5 sharing the same form factor. Such a packaging change could result in briefly constrained supplies of the bumper as Apple transitions into the release of the new iPhone.

Article Link: Page 2: Apple Experiencing Constrained Stocks of iPhone 4 Bumper
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/15/page-2-apple-experiencing-constrained-stocks-of-iphone-4-bumper/
RafaelT

RafaelT

macrumors 65816
Jun 9, 2010
1,169
15
NM
So basically it could mean 10 different things that tell us nothing. Glad I read that.
 
RafaelT

RafaelT

macrumors 65816
Jun 9, 2010
1,169
15
NM
Icaras said:
It was if you wanted a signal ;)

Ok, sorry, didn't mean to open up that can of worms again. :cool:
Click to expand...

I was going to make that comment as well... I decided to restrain myself because I knew what the outcome would be.

You didn't just open that can, you blew the lid off with about 10 pounds of C4.

*sits back and waits*
 
R

rayray5884

macrumors newbie
May 10, 2010
10
1
They were completely out of black when I was in there last weekend. Said they hadn't gotten any in a while.
 
M

mash

macrumors newbie
Mar 14, 2008
5
0
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A5313e Safari/7534.48.3)

What a stupid, pointless post.
 
nagromme

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
Exactly the case design I imagined and wanted before it ever existed... so I was quite happy when Apple not only came out with it, but gave me one for free :)

In the end, though I want my phone as small as possible, so I rarely use the case. And of course I’ve had no reception problems from the antennagate myth. (But almost 100% of smartphone/iPhone users I know do use some case anyway, making that myth all the more absurd. Still, many thanks to all the non-iPhone 4-owners who blogged about the “problem” they were so concerned I might be having ;) )
 
D

Deadman64

macrumors 6502a
Jun 2, 2008
665
185
Icaras said:
It was if you wanted a signal ;)

Ok, sorry, didn't mean to open up that can of worms again. :cool:
Click to expand...

You're right, no matter what people say. If you hold the phone naked you will lose signal strength. Whether that loss effects you or not depends on the area you are in.

I will never understand how an antenna/rf engineer would allow this out the door.

But hey its a nice phone and sure does look great.

----------
nagromme said:
Exactly the case design I imagined and wanted before it ever existed... so I was quite happy when Apple not only came out with it, but gave me one for free :)

In the end, though I want my phone as small as possible, so I rarely use the case. And of course I’ve had no reception problems from the antennagate myth. (But almost 100% of smartphone/iPhone users I know do use some case anyway, making that myth all the more absurd. Still, many thanks to all the non-iPhone 4-owners who blogged about the “problem” they were so concerned I might be having ;) )
Click to expand...

dial *3001#12345#*

and hold the antennagate spot. You're telling me you see absolutely no drop in the signal now displayed as a number instead of bars?
 
bigjnyc

bigjnyc

macrumors 604
Apr 10, 2008
7,856
6,770
There were like a million of these things on the wall when I went to the Apple store earlier this week.
 
ArtOfWarfare

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Nov 26, 2007
9,563
6,062
Question:

Does the bumper include any kind of cut out for the silence switch? If so, then it seems to me the bumper would have to be modified to reposition the silence for the iPhone 4S, despite the fact it has the same dimensions as the iPhone 4.

Of course, I'd vastly rather believe that the iPhone 5 is coming soon and will be a complete redesign. I seriously can't see Apple being able to claim new record sales if they release an iPhone 4S instead of an iPhone 5... all the pent up demand is for a completely new phone, otherwise people would simply be buying the iPhone 4.
 
kas23

kas23

macrumors 603
Oct 28, 2007
5,629
288
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_5 like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8L1 Safari/6533.18.5)

Probably won't need it anymore if Apple plans on engineering the phone's antenna correctly.
 
MartiNZ

MartiNZ

macrumors 65816
Apr 10, 2008
1,222
125
Auckland, New Zealand
Was I the only one that read this as something about an iPhone bumper sticker?

I'm surprised they're still bothering with the things actually. The free deal is long gone, and people pay for them? :eek:
 
AnthonyHarris

AnthonyHarris

Cancelled
Jun 4, 2009
510
580
Cambridge, England
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_5 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8L1 Safari/6533.18.5)

nagromme said:
Exactly the case design I imagined and wanted before it ever existed... so I was quite happy when Apple not only came out with it, but gave me one for free :)

In the end, though I want my phone as small as possible, so I rarely use the case. And of course I’ve had no reception problems from the antennagate myth. (But almost 100% of smartphone/iPhone users I know do use some case anyway, making that myth all the more absurd. Still, many thanks to all the non-iPhone 4-owners who blogged about the “problem” they were so concerned I might be having ;) )
Click to expand...

Real world use doesn't have much affect on signal without the bumper, but I grabbed my iPhone 4 tightly in my left hand and lost my signal completely, not just a few bars, so it's an issue if you hold your phone like a thumbless left handed pigmy. lol.
 
Agent-P

Agent-P

Contributor
Dec 5, 2009
2,502
23
The Tri-State Area
kas23 said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_5 like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8L1 Safari/6533.18.5)

Probably won't need it anymore if Apple plans on engineering the phone's antenna correctly.
Click to expand...

I didn't use the bumper because of the reception thing. I used a bumper because it added some grip to the iPhone 4 without being a bulky case. Personally I hope they make something like the bumper for the iPhone 5.
 
I

icewing

macrumors 6502
Jun 19, 2008
375
0
St Louis
Agent-P said:
I didn't use the bumper because of the reception thing. I used a bumper because it added some grip to the iPhone 4 without being a bulky case. Personally I hope they make something like the bumper for the iPhone 5.
Click to expand...

This. I will NOT be getting the iPhone 5/4s/whatever, guess I'll need to go buy another bumper before they stop selling them. Kids in college means dad can't afford all the latest toys... :(
 
M

MisterK

macrumors 6502a
Jan 9, 2006
580
468
Ottawa, Canada
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_5 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8L1 Safari/6533.18.5)

Whether or not the bumper was originally intended as a purely cosmetic addition or Apple meant it to address a known shortcoming in the iPhone 4's anntenna design, it will be seen always as an admittance of a design failure and if they've addressed the flaw in the new iPhone (by adding another break in the antenna where my palm won't cover it, for instance) they should drop the bumpers and act as though they were never there.

The iPhone 5 or 4S may look nearly identical to the 4, but Apple has fixed the antenna even if they did nothing else
 
T

takezo808

macrumors member
Aug 7, 2011
98
0
RafaelT said:
I was going to make that comment as well... I decided to restrain myself because I knew what the outcome would be.

You didn't just open that can, you blew the lid off with about 10 pounds of C4.

*sits back and waits*
Click to expand...


I have tried to recreate that antenna issue many times. It just can't recreate it. I even tried it at an ATT store. no drop in signal.

The FUD was spread my anti-apple fan sites to hopefully slow apple's sales. Rather than try to prove the ignorant masses wrong. They could just ship out little rubber bumpers to "pacify" these masses. It also led to increased sales of sillicone cases for the iphone 4.

The bumper is being discontinued because the FUD has worn out it's effect. Besides, people tend to purchase 3rd party cases anyways.
 
RafaelT

RafaelT

macrumors 65816
Jun 9, 2010
1,169
15
NM
takezo808 said:
I have tried to recreate that antenna issue many times. It just can't recreate it. I even tried it at an ATT store. no drop in signal.

The FUD was spread my anti-apple fan sites to hopefully slow apple's sales. Rather than try to prove the ignorant masses wrong. They could just ship out little rubber bumpers to "pacify" these masses. It also led to increased sales of sillicone cases for the iphone 4.

The bumper is being discontinued because the FUD has worn out it's effect. Besides, people tend to purchase 3rd party cases anyways.
Click to expand...

I would agree with you except for the fact that you are wrong. I am as pro Apple as they get, but I have the issue.

If I bridge the gap I can watch my data transfer stop and if I am on a call it will drop. It will happen every single time, guaranteed. Anyone who doubts this is welcome to come to central Florida and I will be happy to meet up with you and show you. With that being said I am not in a 4-5 bar signal area. With more signal my guess is that it becomes a non issue. You can place anything non conductive over that area and it no longer becomes an issue.

No with all that being said I use my phone with no bumper or case every day and highly recommend the iPhone 4 to everyone who will listen. I just avoid touching that once spot.
 
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