iPhone 4 Antenna Issues and Ping Rank Among Top 'Tech Fails' for 2010

[reckless2k2]

I'm not sure what constitutes a "tech fail" but I would think the white iPhone would have to be on the list since it was announced and then never came out. Maybe it has to be released to be a failure though. If not, I can think of a few tablets that didn't make it either.

I use an iPhone 4 without a bumper and don't have problems.

 

[slipper]

White iPhone...Hallo?!

LOL The white iPhone was huge fail. Not only did they fail to make them after announcing them, suppliers and sellers were making money off conversion kits.

Biggest Tech Fail #12

iPhone 4 White.

 

[GoodWatch]

Not a peep in the Apple discussion forums for months. No more YouTube videos either. No release of a Rev B that "fixes" the "issue". Just the occasional tired sarcastic posting of an Apple hater here or there. Same goes for the feminine napkin jokes about the iPad. Vaporized. These days the haters just sit in front of their screens searching, hoping against hope, that someone somewhere will come out with a decent product to compete with iOS devices. They cling to one device after another just knowing it is THE Apple killer only to have their fervent hopes dashed to the ground when the next generation iOS device is released and leapfrogs the object of their attention. Kinda pitiful really.

You are right, the whole issue only existed in 'The Matrix'. You use the combination 'Apple hater' a lot. People who DARE to make any negative comments about Apple or Apple's products = Apple haters? Am I right? Which pill did YOU take?

 

[Speedy2]

Top 10 news media fails 2010:

1. US news media

The list ends here.

 

[Speedy2]

You're 1000% right. There's nothing that can be done about it so why keep bitching about it. Apple tried to act like it wasn't a problem then why give away cases?

Maybe to shut up all the nonsense?

The case program ran out and not a word was spoken about it afterwards.

Seems it worked.

 

[Yamcha]

Yeah Ping was definitely a fail, as for the iPhone 4 there is no denying that Apple did first consider it a non issue, they also said it would be resolved with the software update, but didn't happen, so they gave out free bumpers.. So the article is truthful in stating those facts..

But I'm not surprised its still selling well, I don't think there is a real competitor for the iPhone 4..

I think the reception issue is not a problem if you can get your money back, otherwise I can understand it being an problem

 

[wirelessmacuser]

At least nobody died from it, unlike the Toyota gas pedal recall.

and your point is?

 

[MCP-511]

I do agree ping fits in the list at least.

Maybe the next new social network that comes along should just be called "fail". Just cut to the chase.

 

[Mitchelino]

I don't think the iPhone 4 is a fail... at least not in Canada. I have quite a few friends who've picked up iPhone 4s in the past month; none of which have had any antenna issues. The only iPhone 4 fail, in my opinion, is the white one.

As for Ping, I wouldn't call it a fail, but it certainly wasn't one of Apple's smartest moves. As an indie musician, I use it as another way to promote my music. Beats promoting music on Facebook, Twitter, and most social networks. But I do agree that Ping is a bad social network outside of music.

 

[tablo13]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B118 Safari/6531.22.7)

Antennagate was way too overhyped. It's obvious that the reception goes down if you hold the antenna area. It's more noticeable if you're with a crappy carrier with low signal like AT&T anyways.

 

[Speedy2]

Yeah Ping was definitely a fail, as for the iPhone 4 there is no denying that Apple did first consider it a non issue, they also said it would be resolved with the software update, but didn't happen, so they gave out free bumpers.. So the article is truthful in stating those facts..

.. and then they stopped giving out free cases, and magically, the "problem" disappeared.

The only fail I can see is how the media were, as usual, hijacked by another mindless hype. It reminded me of hearing about death panels, Octomom and LeBron.

 

[entropys]

The curious thing is that the reporting of antenna problems seems to be almost completely unique to the US. Overseas any press coverage seems to mostly refer to US reports. with a local whiner for colour.

In Australia the biggest carrier actually recommends the iphone 4 for remote area coverage based on their tests.

it's the craptastic US network you are saddled with lads.

 

[reubs]

I guess it's a good thing Apple had that oversized iPod touch to keep them afloat this year. Oh, yeah, and the TV. That seems to be doing okay, too.

 

[smiddlehurst]

Of course the media are going to bring up Antennagate again, they over-hyped it to such a ridiculous degree they'd look stupid if they didn't mention it now. Shame really as it got in the way of helping those who had genuine issues and turned iPhone support forums into flaming pits of troll bait for WEEKS after the issue came to light.

What I do find interesting though is how the media, heck even the tech media, have by-and-large avoided making such a fuss over the multitude of problems other similar devices have experienced. The Samsung Galaxy range has had GPS problems since day 1, the WP7-equiped Samsung Focus made the Micro SD slot accessible when there isn't a single card on the market that'll work and removing the one that's supplied causes major issues, the Engadget Mobile podcast a week or two back mentioned a well known issues with a HTC Android handset basically failing to allow recharging (and HTC claiming that as the phone had been rooted it wasn't covered under warranty), the Nokia N8 had issues with some handsets turning themselves off and on, the list just goes on and on. Yes, it's a small number of devices or relatively minor problems but, honestly, so was the Antenna issue on the iPhone in the real world yet you'd have thought it killed your first born from the hysteria at the time.

 

[pmz]

Agreed on Ping. Total fail.

iPhone 4 antenna issue was a joke, driven out of control by idiots.

 

[dscuber9000]

The only "fail" was how incredibly far the media blew antennagate out of proportion. Considering that nobody has heard a peep about it for months now proves that beyond any doubt.

No kidding. A couple hundred people complain (out of millions) and all of a sudden the whole product is defected... even though most people who actually own the thing don't know what everyone is talking about.

 

[dscuber9000]

I guess it's a good thing Apple had that oversized iPod touch to keep them afloat this year. Oh, yeah, and the TV. That seems to be doing okay, too.

"Keep them afloat"? Have you seen Apple's profits? That's the biggest understatement I've ever read on the Internet.

 

[normwood]

CNN should stick to what they know....which is frickin' nothing.

I long for the days when news organizations REPORTED the news rather than attempt to CREATE the news purely for the purpose selling more ads and feeling their fat heads vibrate when they incesantly flap their gums. If I saw Wolfe Blitzer in person I would be very tempted to kick him in his tiny little nads.

Steve

 

[Mechinyun]

Not it wasn't blown out of proportion, fact is the problem exists in every iPhone 4, but users know there is nothing that can be done about it so they have shut up about it.

And what made it worse was Apple trying to deny it!

^^ exactly.

 

[TEG]

I don't see how the Nexus One was a fail, as it was so popular they had to stop selling it at times in order to keep up. Also, I would say that Google Wave was a fail, Google Buzz is more of a hobby at this point. Google TV was a fail the Instant they were blocked by the networks. Ping is also a hobby, but would definitely be a fail, except it has not been canceled. The iPhone 4's issues were largely fixed through software and improvements to at&t's network, so it was only Buzz Worthy.

TEG

 

[Branskins]

God the iPhone 4 is still so sexy! Even though I don't want the white one, it sure does look good in that picture!

 

[Thunderhawks]

Top 10 news media fails 2010:

1. US news media

The list ends here.

Plus one and lets add news media worldwide.

I do understand the need to sell something so you can get advertisers,
but please not everything is a crisis:

3 snow flakes falling and: " We are activating the storm center"
but first these messages (yeah right "message" huh?

 

[Ries]

No kidding. A couple hundred people complain (out of millions) and all of a sudden the whole product is defected... even though most people who actually own the thing don't know what everyone is talking about.

Let me put it this way, we got a deal from our company to buy products relative "cheap", which included the iphone4. All of them looses connection touching the spot. No other phone out here does than, when holding them, like you would hold a phone.

 

[ikir]

Apple's response to the antenna issue was comedy gold. I couldn't stop laughing at their 3D renderings of their so-called testing facilities and use the Droid Eris (which they quickly took off their site soon afterwards) to cover up their FAIL. Sending out those bumpers was such a joke.

My iPhone 4 signal is better and more reliable than my old 3GS and my Galaxy S. Apple just told everyone whats should be know: every phone has an antenna. My old Nokia N73 dropped many many bars not just one or two if "deathgripped". And i don't use any bumper or cover on my iPhone 4. Same thing applies to everyone i know with an iPhone 4. Try to hold Galaxy S

 

[felt.]

why is ping a fail? I enjoy seeing music recommendations from artists who's music I'm listening to..