Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
It isn't even September 30th. For all we know Apple may need more time to evaluate and extend the program another month. Where's confirmation that the program is canceled that day? I wouldn't go off touting that Apple's canceling a program that hasn't been canceled. What you're upset that Apple's not keeping us in the loop? When has Apple EVER kept us in the loop?
 
For me, the antenna issue was WORSE than people had reported.

I don't see how. I saw it being reported on the national evening newscasts and on the front pages of newspapers. How much more reporting could there possibly have been?
 
Rehashing old news for front page?

Consumer reports said they gave it a non recommendation months ago, they haven't change it.
So why re-reporting the same thing?

Thats like a cop saying "STOP! Or I'll say stop again!" :rolleyes:
 
Does Consumer Reports stop recommending automobile purchases? Because you know if there is an issue with a car, the manufacturer will issue a recall. If you are affected, you have to take it into a dealer where it will be fixed. The onus is on the owner of the car, for crying out loud! The auto manufacturers should go house to house providing the fix for free to all cars, whether their owners report a problem or not!

Wait, you mean Consumer Reports does not hold the auto manufacturers to the same artificial standard they hold Apple to? How amazing...

Well, if a car made phone calls and was... you know... a phone, that would be different.

I think Consumer Reports are dead on in not recommending the iPhone 4. And take that from someone who loves his iPhone 4.
 
bmustaf


My issue, from a personal viewpoint as an iPhone and Android user, is the way the iPhone4 antenna issue was approached and in my opinion blown out of proportion in terms of the net effect.

Yes the phone suffers a -20dB attenuation when you hold the device and bridge that antenna. My HTC Desire gave me a -14dB attenuation when I held it in one hand and my Galaxy S gives me -18dB when holding it in one hand. The only difference is that the attenuation on the iPhone4 is possible by simply bridging that antenna with your pinky finger rather than needing to hold the device.

Is -19dB the maximum allowable attenuation before you say something isn't recommendable? I think that's a fair question to ask.

The thing that was most disturbing about CR's reporting for me is that they couldn't test all the available cell phones and determine if the attenuation exists in all of them. If they think this attenuation is important why didn't they do this testing. Seems like they saying that they are incapable of testing any electronic device.

So, after rating the phone number one, they respond to some blogger about how the iPhone has a signal drop. CR then reproduces the drop in bars and gets on it's high horse about Apple not taking care of this with lightning speed. Now because the free bumper program is going away and the problem is to be taken care of with the usual Apple warranty coverage (which might include a free bumper) CR sputters again.
 
Well if the US had a decent 3G network, then there would be no problem, like the REST OF THE WORLD!!!! No issues here in OZ!!
 
You must be very unfamiliar with how an auto recall works. Besides, the analogy is flawed.

They cannot reasonably service your car in your household for anything but the easiest of repairs (e.g. fill your tires up to the right pressure, but even then, what if there's a flat and they have to patch it? balance it?).

Besides, no one is asking Apple to go to everyone's home.

Finally, every auto owner involved in a recall gets notified. If they can't or don't feel safe bringing it in, most recalls cover some alternate method (e.g. if you didn't want to drive your Prius in in the most recent recall, Toyota offered to have their dealer send out a flatbed or a tech to drive it in for you in many cases).

No one has offered to have an Apple Rep come out to my house to pick up my iPhone 4 to fit the case, because that's unreasonable.

I guess you don't read my posts carefully. I said what you said, that Toyota issues a recall, but the onus is on the owner to bring in the vehicle for servicing. Exactly as Apple has now done: if you experience a problem, let them know and you can get a free bumper.

To Consumer Reports this is an unacceptable way to deal with a design flaw. If it's Apple. For Toyota, it's fine and considered the normal way to handle a design flaw.
 
Consumer Reports says "we still think the same thing" for the third time and that's first page news? Sounds more like they're fishing for free publicity.

Anyway, when a reviewing organization "doesn't recommend" what I consider the best phone I've ever owned, it sounds more like I shouldn't bother paying attention to that reviewing organization. Their taste just isn't relevant to mine.

My personal opinion is that you and anyone else like you on here that thinks it's NOT a good idea for Consumer Reports to look out for the best interests of the CONSUMER instead of Apple's bottom line doesn't deserve the time of day, in my humble opinion. You seem to believe that Consumer Reports should simply be an automatic blessing to Apple's profits as if they were acting solely on advertising dollars (like a certain magazine called "Stereo Review" used to do all the time) and shouldn't inform their readers of potential problems. All I can say is THANK GOD that YOU don't work for them!!!! :p

Consumer reports gave a fair and HONEST report on the iPhone giving its highest score based on its merits but gave an honest reason WHY they could not recommend it and let the consumer decide for themselves if they want to take the risk. In short, they are doing their job properly.

So I'll reiterate AGAIN that I do not comprehend how someone like yourself could find fault with that line of reasoning other than to admit that you are a Steve Jobs drone. :rolleyes:
 
They are just doing it for publicity I bet...

... o_O ...
The're a magazine.
....
Publicity DEFINES their business model.

</@laynemoseley>

That said, I still agree with their decision to not recommend it, and the timing of this restating of their stance is fine since Apple's offer is nearly up.
Apple has acknowledged the phone does have a unique issue (that is NOT just the same as the issue of covering up the antenna that most mobile devices have ... otherwise adding an extra bumper wouldn't fix it.).
No self-respecting consumer product review org would recommend a product with known flaws that the manufacturer refuses to adequately fix in the long term.
 
Apple claims that this issue only affects a small number of users and I can say that I haven't noticed much of my clientele complaining about it. I own a company, iPhonesIntoCash.com and we purchase used or broken iPhones. So I've heard various complaints about the iPhone and why people may be getting rid of theirs, but this issue has not been a major problem from the people I've spoken with. Also, I have an iPhone 4 and haven't experienced the problem myself. Consumer Reports is a good backing to have from a marketing perspective though so hopefully Apple can reach an agreement with them to get some type of endorsement.
 
I'm glad CR is taking its stand.

For me, the antenna issue was WORSE than people had reported. It didn't matter where I touched the antenna, the reception was affected.

True, the bumper completely fixed it, but there is still a problem with the device.

I always think it's odd when someone would join the board the same of day of their post simply to write something very negative like this which flies in the face of most user experiences. :rolleyes:
 
No trouble

I've had no trouble with my phone. I'd recommend it to anyone. But CR will have a credibility issue if it backs down. If I were CR I'd not back down either.
 
who the **** CARES about consumer reports? in fact i bet if you do a poll in here,most users will vote they didn't even know such thing even existed.

boycott the consumers reports.
 
I don't recommend consumer reports

I subscribed to their magazine for about 10 years. I bought into the whole thing ... raffle, website subscription, donations ... the whole bit. I finally got smart after being burned on riding mowers, washing machines, hotels, hand-held vacuums and most other crap. I religiously purchased their recommendations, except for cars since I worked in that business and they were too biased against some brands. I found their recommendations so unreliable, that I started shopping from the bottom of this. Anyway, I can't recommend them and perhaps we can get publicity for making that statement.
 
I always think it's odd when someone would join the board the same of day of their post simply to write something very negative like this which flies in the face of most user experiences. :rolleyes:

Then allow me to confirm what he said. I cannot use my iPhone 4 at home without a case; every other phone I've owned (including several iPhones) has always shown full signal in every room in the house. The iPhone 4's antenna problem is real, and listening to Apple sheep swear up and down that it's not doesn't change the fact that my iPhone 4 says "No Signal" when I make the mistake of holding it in my left hand. :rolleyes:
 
This story gets buried in the blog and a story of ninja stars makes page one? No Apple bias here. :rolleyes:

possibly the dumbest statement of the day (saying alot). Of course there's an Apple bias...it's called MAC rumors....

CR blah blah blah is supposed to be news?
 
Then allow me to confirm what he said. I cannot use my iPhone 4 at home without a case; every other phone I've owned (including several iPhones) has always shown full signal in every room in the house. The iPhone 4's antenna problem is real, and listening to Apple sheep swear up and down that it's not doesn't change the fact that my iPhone 4 says "No Signal" when I make the mistake of holding it in my left hand. :rolleyes:

Zero problems with my iPhone 4. Totally happy with it. I bought it fairly recently (just over a month ago), so maybe it's a more recent run, and doesn't have the problem. Not sure. Really don't care. But the fact that my phone works doesn't make me a f***king "Apple sheep." It's really simple; the phone does what it says on the box. I'm not saying every unit does, by mine does. Deal with it.

xoxxooxx

w
 
CR hasn't been relevant in at least 5 years. Another mag that made a terrible transition to the web. Welcome to the interweb CR, now will you please hire a web designer? Your site is embarrassing.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.