I'm very intrigued as to what this is.
2. Ive stepping down would be a more reasonable solution, I believe. He seems tapped out. Aside from the unibody MacBook Pros his designs have been exactly the same since 2005/2006.
That is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever read online, and I regularly endure reading the trollish comments at Engadget.
Jony Ive is regarded by the design community as the best period. The responsibility over the iPhone 4's QA or lack thereof falls directly on one man, and one man only: Steve Jobs. He's intimately involved with the design and engineering process and reports out there pointed out Apple had 2 versions of the iPhone 4: the new case, as well as one similar to the 3G/3GS. Somewhere along the testing process, Steve pulled the trigger on the new enclosure, and now, we all know what happened.
Because Steve Jobs is such a hands-on CEO that micromanages the aesthetic of the company, he'll inevitably take the heat for giving too much a priority to design over engineering.
In my opinion, Apple has most likely already settled on a fix such as applying a clear coating to the stainless steel antenna, as iFixit has suspected. It's another slap in the face to Apple early adopters (eg, $599 iPhone), but I assume Apple will avoid issuing a massive recall. The problem is that it'd be pretty difficult to apply a clear coat to the antenna part, because it's an integral structure and chassis of the phone.
Best case scenario: A voluntary recall and replacement with new coated iPhone 4s. Refurb inventory increases to historic levels.
Free Bumpers just won't cut it.
Which brings me to my conspiracy theory. Apple may have known beforehand about the flimsy antenna, and therefore came up with a 'convenient' and profitable solution. This only makes Steve look even worse.
I don't see Apple's premium brand avoiding erosion after this though. I would personally recommend against any early adoption of future Apple products. The defective i7 iMacs and other recent iProducts may have flown under the radar, but not for such a mainstream product, such as the iPhone.
/endrant