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MassiveAttack

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 28, 2010
658
1
New York
With the numerous design flaws and manufacture defects has iPhone 4 hurt Apple's credibility as a superior and high end electronics manufacturer? External antenna, cellular signal malfunction, dust under screen, extremely fragile glass casing, proximity sensor issues and OS bugs have plagued iPhone 4 and it has gotten it's fair share of bashing from numerous electronic critics and industry blogs. Will iPhone 4 rebound? We all know it has sold 1.7 million devices but thats prior to it's defects being publicly known. What future do you see for iPhone 4 and Apple after this debacle? What say you?
 
Probably not. The issues will be sorted out, just like the white Macbook case cracking, the Macbook case yellowing, the iPhone 3G case cracking, iPod hard drive failures, iPhone silent switches falling off.

Apple aren't perfect, and have had some pretty bad publicity in the past. People still buy their products, and I can't imagine more than a few thousand iPhones have been returned. Just wait a few weeks and it'll be like the issue never happened.
 
As a first time iPhone buyer, it's certainly severely damaged their credibility for me.
 
I'm sure it will not hurt their credibility at all. In fact the phone is awesome so im sure it will make them look even better. This phone is lightyears ahead of 3G/3GS.
 
Simple answer : 1.7 million in the first 3 days.

Nothing is perfect.
Lets says 0.1% failure or problem rate. Thats a couple thousand problems.
Thats realistic and you'll here the complaints. And we do here them.

I'm waiting a bit til I upgrade to a iPhone 4. I'll let the dust settle so to speak.
 
With the numerous design flaws and manufacture defects has iPhone 4 hurt Apple's credibility as a superior and high end electronics manufacturer? External antenna, cellular signal malfunction, dust under screen, extremely fragile glass casing, proximity sensor issues and OS bugs have plagued iPhone 4 and it has gotten it's fair share of bashing from numerous electronic critics and industry blogs. Will iPhone 4 rebound? We all know it has sold 1.7 million devices but thats prior to it's defects being publicly known. What future do you see for iPhone 4 and Apple after this debacle? What say you?

IPHONE DIDNT. JOBS DID.
 
I guess those are called fan boys? :confused:
I'd say they're more likely to be the (probably by now) millions of customers who are perfectly happy with their phone and have no problems. You're just a vocal minority. As per usual, a minority group will get heard over the majority, but I can assure you most people have no issue.
 
Simple answer : 1.7 million in the first 3 days.

Nothing is perfect.
Lets says 0.1% failure or problem rate. Thats a couple thousand problems.
Thats realistic and you'll here the complaints. And we do here them.

I'm waiting a bit til I upgrade to a iPhone 4. I'll let the dust settle so to speak.

Sorry, but this isn't a case of "failure rate", this is a case of "we f'd up the design and people can't make calls". I will say, the issues do seem to hedge on service area. In great service areas, my reception problems are not quite as bad, but in so-so areas I get continued dropped calls, regardless of how I hold it. I never had any of these issues with the 3G in the exact same spots, holding it the same way.
 
Just another bump in the road, remember Apple's had design problems before, remember the iMac yellow screens and the Mac Pro SMC Firmware problems for example.
 
No way. I think android fanboys are making a huge stink out of minor issues. My iPhone 4 is the best portable device I have ever owned.
 
Not at all. The only issue I've had it the antenna problem and I fixed it with a cover on the phone which I was going to put on anyways. It's still an awesome product and compared to the other devices on the market, it continues to be the most properly integrated, easy to use, well thought out device. When looking at the direct competitors they have a while to go before comparing to the iPhone.
 
Yes, as a long standing Apple customer who spends thousands with them annually, they have failed to live up to their normal standard. Their credibility has most certainly taken a hit.

I ordered an iPhone 4 to replace my 3Gs based on the exciting new features, the stellar design, and Steve Jobs touting of the new improved antenna.

As a participant at WWDC, I was in the audience and heard his keynote. It all seemed quite exciting. In addition, I buy the latest Apple MacBook Pro, and iPhone when each of them are upgraded. Apple shipped a product which in my opinion was not fully tested and ready for release. The antenna problem is too obvious to miss.

Here's an excerpt from another article

"Consumers, questioning Apple's supply chain management capability, have started to look for alternative devices. In particular, consumers are not satisfied with Apple's response to the antenna issue causing poor reception and dropped calls."

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...ock_viewed_as_competitive_risk_for_apple.html
 
Yep, credibility totally destroyed. That's probably why there are still lines at Apple Stores all over the world, and people camped out overnight at AT&T. Not to mention the millions sold in three days. Man, this thing is a piece.
 
Probably not. The issues will be sorted out, just like the white Macbook case cracking, the Macbook case yellowing, the iPhone 3G case cracking, iPod hard drive failures, iPhone silent switches falling off.

Apple aren't perfect, and have had some pretty bad publicity in the past. People still buy their products, and I can't imagine more than a few thousand iPhones have been returned. Just wait a few weeks and it'll be like the issue never happened.
To me the distinction is that prior problems have either been minor, typical of competitors, were production defects with some units, or software could fix it. Apple has always had excellent customer service and would make it right, swapping units or fixing it.

This time, this problem, 'seems' to be widespread, likely affects all iPhone 4s and seems to be a fundamental hardware design issue that cannot be fixed by software or swapping out the phone.

Apple has not acknowledged there is a problem and has not offered any way to fix or resolve it.

IF the problem is as bad as it seems and IF Apple really can't do anything to fix it short of a recall, or worse if Apple tries to ignore it and its major.... then it could destroy Apple's reputation and brand.

Brand loyalty is the most precious asset a company like Apple has. A full recall would be expensive monetarily, but would be cheap compared to the potential damage to the brand if they don't do anything.
 
With the numerous design flaws and manufacture defects has iPhone 4 hurt Apple's credibility as a superior and high end electronics manufacturer? External antenna, cellular signal malfunction, dust under screen, extremely fragile glass casing, proximity sensor issues and OS bugs have plagued iPhone 4 and it has gotten it's fair share of bashing from numerous electronic critics and industry blogs. Will iPhone 4 rebound? We all know it has sold 1.7 million devices but thats prior to it's defects being publicly known. What future do you see for iPhone 4 and Apple after this debacle? What say you?

We needed another thread on this?

There seriously aren't like 500 other threads where this is being discussed?
 
Just reading another thread where credibility was mentioned, and alas, here's a whole new thread about it. Whaddya know.

Unicorn bumper cases.
 
Yep, credibility totally destroyed. That's probably why there are still lines at Apple Stores all over the world, and people camped out overnight at AT&T. Not to mention the millions sold in three days. Man, this thing is a piece.

Your sarcasm aside. And with respect to the OP - no one said Apple's credibility was destroyed. The question raised - and it's valid - is whether or not the iPhone 4 has hurt Apple's credibility.

Truth is - we won't know for awhile. It will take time for people to get their phones, use them and determine whether or not they keep them.

One thing I am pretty sure on is - that next year, with the new release, while there will be no doubt thousands of pre-orders - people will do so with a new mindset that they can't wait to get it ANNNNND that they hope there aren't the same issues with the new phone that there were with this one. And no doubt the press will mention this years release next year.

And if that's the case - then yes - Apple's credibility will have been "hurt."
 
outside of this whine and troll ridden forum I haven't heard any complaints ;)

I wonder if all the trolls aren't in fact paid shills for another company?

I don't see near the trolling on other forums (e.g. Arstechnica) as there are here.

There are just too many "long time apple lovers" who just registered and who "just got and iPhone 4" and "it has major flaws/reception issues/etc." and now they are returning it and switching to and android device.

Not only that, none of these trolls notice that there are 500 other identical threads posted on the same exact topic.
 
With the numerous design flaws and manufacture defects has iPhone 4 hurt Apple's credibility as a superior and high end electronics manufacturer? External antenna, cellular signal malfunction, dust under screen, extremely fragile glass casing, proximity sensor issues and OS bugs have plagued iPhone 4 and it has gotten it's fair share of bashing from numerous electronic critics and industry blogs. Will iPhone 4 rebound? We all know it has sold 1.7 million devices but thats prior to it's defects being publicly known. What future do you see for iPhone 4 and Apple after this debacle? What say you?

What OS bugs have plagued iPhone 4? I have yet to find a problem with the OS...
 
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