The limitation is that yes, if you put the antenna on the outside, it is going to get touched (unless you use one that sticks out on top, and you can't anymore cause by law it cannot have antenna on the part closest to the head).
if you put it inside, you either are going to have to have a bigger case or a smaller and weaker antenna. Plus the fact it will always have something covering the antenna weakening the signal, no ifs ands or buts. Only difference is that at least the covering isn't as bad on signal. So, given those rules, Apple decided to risk the antenna will get touched but it will get better reception and put it on the outside (and they ahd to do it in a way to keep the antenna signal away from the head plus make it look good cause people expect Apple to make a good looking product. There are enough people bitching about not wanting a case cause it covers up the beautiful design that at the same time they are bitching that it forces them to hold it differently or cover it up with a case!).
So far, I have yet to see anyone actually propose a design that would allow the signal to come in just as good, keep the phone just as small, and allow you to hold it any way you'd like to (or even in a way that doesn't conflict with how most people hold it) that would still be allowed by the FDA. All I see are people bitching at APple to fix it now! Now now now! Without even any suggestions themselves or even showing they understand what limitations Apple has to get around to fix it.
So yes, there was a compromise done with the antenna design. Maybe Apple did overlook it and maybe they would have a different design. But chances are then it may be a phone that isn't able to use as weak a signal or is bigger cause it had to encompass the antenna (or has a smaller battery). Technology isn't magic, you can only do so much. Shoot, even in fantasy books most magic has rules that limits it as well
.My point is, that for the good, I think it is an ok compromise. Sure, I'd love it if they can find a solution that doesn't compromise too much. That would be awesome. But, I don't think overall it's a bad phone even with that flaw. And I don't think the touchscreen is bad at all even though I can't use gloves. But, that is a limitation of that technology (and yes, I have come across times I have had to take gloves off when it would have been convenient not to, or at least less comfortable cause my hands were freezing and still warming up from coming inside).
In the end, I think people are making way more of a deal out of this than it is. And I think it is fair for Apple to tell people they should hold the phone a certain way to get the best performance out of it when what they are saying really isn't that unreasonable. I mean all the time companies tell people how to use a product. And yet they aren't yelled at for daring to tell them how to use a product (my old Nokia phone put in the manual don't hold the phone here). It's honeslty not hard to avoid that corner and still hold the phone securely and comfortabley. It just requires retraining your habits some. Yes, retraining habits can be a pain, but most people can handle it.
