I figured out why they released iP4 like this...

[btownguy]

Okay, I've got my tin foil hat on this morning. It's all about product planning. The crush of people buying iPhone 4's this year was due to more 3G people being eligible to upgrade this year (compared to last year). They knew the iP4 would be huge. So we all get the iP4 and are a bit disappointed that this antenna design is actually a flaw. So, what will we do next year when the iPhone 5 comes out (with a redesigned antenna system)? We'll all upgrade to iPhone 5.

It's kind of like when companies have 5 years worth of features built up but only release a couple each year. Put out a flawed device this year that you know will be huge and guarantee that they all upgraded to the "fixed" device next year.

 

[dischNoutTAspd]

the fact is, is that in 2007 yes apple could do this b/c they had no competition to speak of. Now with the droid , and other smartphones that some would argue are better than the iphone , and how at&t's reception sucks, people are going to begin to steer away from the iphone and go to other products ... (these people being everyday people, not apple fanboys) . I think apple rushed the iphone4

 

[maflynn]

No company in their right mind, especially in a competitive market, is going to purposely release a flawed product, just so they can show off a new redesign the following year.

One of two things occurred, they failed to fully test the phone, or they knew about the problem and released it anyways hoping for the best. Dell tried this with their computers for 2 years with bad capacitors. They're not embroiled in a huge class action suit that is generating tons of bad press for them.

Do you think apple would purposely risk a class action suit, angering legions of customers, just so they can show off the iPhone 5 365 days later?