How much clearer can he be? He is saying not everyone who is having an issue called to report it, implying that the .55% reception issue calls figure is inaccurate (which it is). But I still feel that it was overblown.
My point is that all such data has a "margin of error" in that some people don't report problems and some people exaggerate problems. Knowing the actual margin would improve the accuracy of the data while simply claiming that a margin exists doesn't.
The only thing they are losing is the cost to make the bumpers, probably under a dollar per bumper. The profits come from the sale of the bumpers, if they were to be sold regularly for instance. So they aren't really losing $30 per bumper.
Granted, I'm talking about lost profits rather than current expenses (and I'm not an accountant so I don't know the proper terminology) but it's a loss of $30 per bumper nonetheless. If you gave away, say, 5% of your paycheck for the next 3 months then you've lost 5% of your income for 3 months, no?
But why did they put it in such a stupid place? Why didn't they put it somewhere that wasn't going to be covered when holding the device normally? That's what I want to know
Because it looks better, provides superior structural integrity and overall excellent reception? I can't say for sure because I'm not an antenna engineer. However, nearly all of the actual antenna engineers who've analyzed and written about it seem to think it's a good, or even excellent, design.
...And yet the reception is even better with a bumper. In other words you're quoting out of context and you're reading too much into the use of the word external. Since you like Anandtech, check out this article:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3821/iphone-4-redux-analyzing-apples-ios-41-signal-fix/3
And the reception of other phones is also improved if you insulate them from your hand -- this should be common knowledge by now. Since you also like AnandTech, check out their comprehensive article on the subject:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3794/the-iphone-4-review/2.
AnandTech: I can honestly say that I've never held onto so many calls and data simultaneously on 1 bar at -113 dBm as I have with the iPhone 4, so it's readily apparent that the new baseband hardware is much more sensitive compared to what was in the 3GS. The difference is that reception is massively better on the iPhone 4 in actual use.
I'm not really upset that the iPhone has issues. A lot of first generation products from Apple have issues and are still quite usable. I have a first generation alu macbook that I like, even though the screen is not very good. I knew full well there was a risk by buying first generation. This is not just the case with Apple.
My iPhone, in my geographical area, doesn't have any issues -- with or without a bumper. I'm sorry that you now consider your first generation macbook screen to be "not very good", whatever that means, but it's not clear what that vague sentiment has to do with the new iPhone.
I do find it regrettable that Apple had to bend the truth so hard it broke at the press conference. The fact is that the iPhone has the problems all phones have, and the additional problem regarding bridging the antennas that other phones don't have.
That's why a bumper fixes the problem.
I missed the "bending the truth" part. Seems to me like they spoke pretty directly about the matter and made the following, straightforward points:
- Nearly all cellphones (or at least smartphones) suffer from significant signal degradation when held.
- The iPhone 4's degradation can be induced more easily than other phones because there is a small, clearly visible area that produces maximum degradation.
- Insulating the phone with a case mitigates that issue, so you can have a free case.
- If you're still not happy, return the phone.
What more did you want? To see Steve Jobs apologize for creating the best smartphone ever made? I mean, have you actually used an iPhone 4? Even Consumer Reports says that it's better than any other smartphone.
Anyway, I realize a self respecting (or otherwise) fanboy would never agree to that but it is the facts none the less.
Bottom line: Free bumpers is a good workaround. Just don't lie about it.
"I realize that a delusional idiot with an IQ under 70 would never agree with me, but I am right nonetheless". Wow, powerful argument.
