Law Firm Gearing Up for iPhone 4 Suit Over Signal Issues

[rwilliams]

there are laws about knowingly selling defective products. in this case it seems apple even tried to profit off it by selling overpriced accessories. it will come out in discovery if apple decided to sell the bumpers due to the signal issues

Now this part I agree with. I have no doubt that Apple knew about this issue ahead of time, and that the bumpers are their sly solution to it. I don't think it's coincidence that Apple suddenly started selling case-like accessories for this iPhone. But again, my solution wouldn't be to buy a bumper or sue - I'd just return the phone and take my money back from Apple.

 

[me2000]

One of the stories on the front page of macrumors right now is a reply from Jobs which states.

"There is no reception issue. Stay tuned"

So yes he explicitly stated that there is "no reception issue".

So what were you saying?

Could mean that there is no HARDWARE issue.. just software.

 

[Journojulz]

No it doesn't at all.

Explain.

surely "hold it in a different way" is an acknowledgement that certain ways of holding it are causing an issue

and if you say "stay tuned", that is either an acknowledment that a further development is on the way - or there isn't and he is lying.

You aren't going to get a full public apology - but what more do you want than a statement by the ceo?

 

[Jeffacme]

Just Sad

I guess the KCR pension fund doesn't own APPL and is still underwater since the crash.

Don't see much merit here the product is returnable.

I have nade adjustments in the past for this kind of "issue" my Iphone 3G would not connect if I put it directly to my ear when dialing, most likely my thick skull, but oh well I just got in the habit of waiting until the phone started ringing and then putting it to my ear problem solved.

My Iphone 4 does loose signal with the left hand death grip and I am a lefty. However The grip required is not comfortable so it is for me a non issue.

Regarding overall signal strength I find the new phone much better at my two main signal issue areas. My folks out in the country I get four bars and solid 3G in the house. My old 3G would get maybe one bar and mostly edge. My 2G iphone was useless at that location. At a recreation area I visit frequently same result much more solid service with Iphone4.

So I am happy with the upgrade and believe for every unhappy user KCR finds Apple will respond with a user like me who loves the upgrade. Net result, the suit is a monumental waste of time.

 

[QCassidy352]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A293 Safari/6531.22.7)

Sue Sue Sue. Just return the damn phone if you are having problems, that's what the return policy is for!

Agreed. This is ridiculous.

 

[Malakas07]

And the vast majority of Toyota owners wouldn't have noticed their brake issue until it happened to them either. That's stupid logic.

As is the logic that just because you don't see it, it's not a problem. And it's not about losing bars. It's about the fact that if I touch the phone in the lower left during data transfers, it throttles it completely, or if I'm on a call it degrades the quality or simply drops the call. You bury your head in the sand with the other famboys here, but I'm not.

Amen!

I would keep exchanging it till you get one you like.

I would keep doing this. I don't want any other smartphone. I want an iPhone that doesn't drop calls when it is held in a specific manner.

 

[Jimrod]

You can love something, but if its broken you need to return it. Clearly you don't love the phone anyway if it doesn't work. If a Ford dealership sold me a nice F150 that had 4 flat tires I would return the friggin truck! I wouldn't say "well I love the truck thats not the issue, the problem is these tires!"

When something doesn't work right... RETURN IT.

What about the 2 year O2 contract that I accepted when I bought the phone - will they let me cancel that too (since it's a line provider, not Apple)? I don't want a HTC phone for 2 years and wouldn't have signed that contract, I bought the iPhone on the premise I liked my 3G and wanted to carry on using the current version as my contract was due for renewal - I didn't expect it to be worse than the version 2 generations previous.

I want to carry on with the phone but would like to know if anything will be done or if I do have to return it. Steve Jobs is being cryptic about everything rather than supplying a straight answer as to whether or not the problem will be resolved, I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt so I'll give him a couple of weeks. I just wish he wouldn't be a dick about how he handles it. In the meantime he's bringing things like this legal threat on himself and I have no sympathy.

 

[Jeffacme]

I would keep doing this. I don't want any other smartphone. I want an iPhone that doesn't drop calls when it is held in a specific manner.

Or instead of spending countless hours returning phones you could just hold it differently.

See this is the problem with a suit when the effort required to resolve the "issue" is far more time consuming then the solution the reasonable person adapts.

 

[pdjudd]

What about the 2 year O2 contract that I accepted when I bought the phone - will they let me cancel that too (since it's a line provider, not Apple)? .

That would be based on British contract law. My gess is that there is a grace period where you can get out of a contract but Apple is not party to that.

 

[SirHaakon]

So people who are so disgusted with the iphone antenna issue would rather sue apple and keep the product than return the product?

In short, yes. No other phone does anything near what the iPhone 4 does (which is why they sold 1.7 million of them in the first three days). I don't want a different phone, I want an iPhone 4 that works.

In this case it seems it only "breaks" under certain circumstances, of which seem very reproducible to all affected and known workarounds are thought to, at least temporarily until a software fix is released, remedy this circumstantial issue.

If by "under certain circumstances," you mean "holding the phone," then yes... that is the case. Again, I don't think there would be much of an issue if Apple acknowledged the problem and conveyed that they were striving to find a fix. Instead, we have Steve Jobs saying "there is no reception issue" (blatant lie) and "hold it a different way" (basically a ***** you, deal with it). Neither of those things are going to "remedy the issue."

At that point, if the software fix does remedy the issue permanently, there would be no more hub bub about class action suits and "deserved" compensation.

If this really is a software problem (highly unlikely), and could be fixed simply by a firmware update, then I concede that there really is nothing to worry about. Again, however, Apple has conveyed that they're not really interested in finding a solution and that they're basically blowing off the issue.

I think that people who would rather jump straight to lawsuits (in this very case) are either money-grubbing, attention "whores", sick in the head, or just plain unintelligent to spend more time and energy taking this to court than just returning the product, and get the, apparently unaffected, 3GS instead.

Calling people names just lessens your own credibility. I wasn't interested in the 3GS the first time around, and I'm still not interested. Low-res screen, piss poor camera... the iPhone 4 basically "fixed" everything I had an issue with in the previous model. Telling someone to buy a Taurus because the brakes on their Explorer doesn't work makes absolutely no sense.

I hope these unsatisfied people would just return the product and help move my ship time up further

Returning the phone does nothing but leave me without a phone.

 

[emaja]

no they won't...misconception. provide a recent account where the cost has come back down to the consumer in a newer product.

You apparently do not understand how businesses work. They see this as a cost of doing business and any costs are passed to the consumer in some way.

"Let's raises takes on businesses. They have to pay." Sounds great. You know how they pay for that? Raise prices, cut jobs, outsource, move to another area or country - anything to cover those costs.

Businesses have ONE responsibility and that is to make money. Everything else is secondary. Even "environmentally friendly" companies don't do it to save the planet. They do it to appeal to customers who think it is important enough to make a buying decision based on that. Simple.

Yes, I am a cynic, but I say this on experience. Close friends and family are running businesses - some not so small - and this is just how things are done.

 

[Really!?]

Class action law suit? Please there will be no such foolishness only dreams of a class action law suit by some android fan boy who plays dungeons and dragon in his mothers basement.

Your Name is 'JediZenMaster', you have the TARDIS as your avatar and a quote from fecking YODA in you signature, are you being serious with that post?

Yeah... Dungeons & Dragoons... GOOD JOB!

 

[ihaveNFC]

GOOD! Apple deserves to have their hand slapped over this. I wish the law firm great success!!

I'm guessing you'll also complain when Apple raises the price on the next iPhone you buy to comp for this frivolous suit?

 

[JBone]

No. Whining will not solve anything.

Better ways to handle things are
1. return the phone, period.
2. wait for a fix. If it's not fix within your return windows, then return the phone before then, you lose nothing.
3. if you really want to keep the phone, get a case as a quick fix while waiting for a real fix
4. if there's no real fix, and you really want to keep the phone, get the quick fix and stop whining because it's the cost of being early adopters.

I disagree. It is inevitable that SOMEONE has to become an early adopter. When I pay for something, it should work. I shouldn't have to accommodate to my PHONE for it to make a PHONE CALL properly. And, why is it just accepted now that first batches of products will be faulted? If proper real world testing were implemented this would drastically reduce the occurrences if not completely abolish them. No excuse.

While I loathe the fact that people sue over EVERYTHING in America, something in me makes me feel that Apple deserves this. There is no doubt that there is an issue, and for Jobs to simply reply with such a snarky, rude remark says something about what he thinks of the people that are responsible for making his company billions year after year. Come on folks..

 

[BruiserBear]

I'm guessing you'll also complain when Apple raises the price on the next iPhone you buy to comp for this frivolous suit?

lol


Some of you in this thread are comedy gold. Thanks for the laughs.

 

[kas23]

Your Name is 'JediZenMaster', you have the TARDIS as your avatar and a quote from fecking YODA in you signature, are you being serious with that post?

Yeah... Dungeons & Dragoons... GOOD JOB!

Well, he did say there will be "dreams of a class action law suit by some android fan boy who plays dungeons and dragon in his mothers basement."

 

[Dainin]

What about the 2 year O2 contract that I accepted when I bought the phone - will they let me cancel that too (since it's a line provider, not Apple)?

Every US carrier allows for cancellation within 30 days. Check the contract you signed, or call customer service and find out.

 

[Jeffacme]

If by "under certain circumstances," you mean "holding the phone," then yes... that is the case. Again, I don't think there would be much of an issue if Apple acknowledged the problem and conveyed that they were striving to find a fix. Instead, we have Steve Jobs saying "there is no reception issue" (blatant lie) and "hold it a different way" (basically a ***** you, deal with it). Neither of those things are going to "remedy the issue."

Holding it differently does completely resolve the "issue" does it not?

Works for me.

 

[ScottNWDW]

This whole lawsuit thing is stupid. A handful of idiots (out of the millions of phones sold) had a signal loss and are making a big stink over it.

I for one, have a better signal than I did with the iPhone 3G. With the iPhone 3G I was unable to get a signal, or would sometimes get a faint EDGE signal at work in the breakrooms at work which is underground at Walt Disney World. Since gtting the iPhone 4, I am experiencing 2-3 bars in 3G in the same breakrooms. This is without any case at all, just a naked iPhone 4.

As others have said, if your are not satisfied with the iPhone, return it, that is what the return policy is for.

It's a shame that there are so many frivolous lawsuits in the courts today. The iPhone 4 came out just a few days ago and because a few people have experienced this problem some money grubbing ambulance chasing law firm wants to try and set up a class action lawsuit. By the time any settlement is made the iPhone 6 or 7 (or later) will be released and all of us that are named participants in the lawsuit might get enough to buy a cup of coffee, while the lawyers reap in millions if fees that have been grossly inflated. I can hardly wait for my "settlement".

Nobody has even given Apple a chance to even address the so-called problem or put out a fix if one is needed. There isn't even any proof as to what Steve Jobs alledgedly said. From what I have read to date, this same issue is also with other 3G phones, but because this is Apple people are blowing it all out of proportion. The same thing happens with Disney, an animal can die of natural causes at Disney's Animal Kingdom and its broadcast all over CNN and MSNBC, but the same type of animal dies of the same reason in say Chicago's Brookfield Zoo and it might be a blurb in the local newspaper or newscast. Animal Kingdom and Brookfield Zoo are both accredited Zoo's and are thereore on equal footing, it's just one has Disney's name on it.

If the solution is a simple case or bumper, then buy it. Besides personalizing the phone, they add a little protection and if it solves the issue then it's worth a measly $25-30.

Anybody that thinks they are gonna get rich or get some huge refund from Apple by participating in this lawsuit really needs to have their head examined.

As previously said the only people that are getting rich are the lawyers.

 

[SirHaakon]

Businesses have ONE responsibility and that is to make money.

It's sad that our society has come to that, but I agree that most businesses operate under this principal. That's why we have things like massive oil spills off our coast when we should've moved past oil entirely decades ago.

If a lawsuit is the only way to speak to a company whose attitude is "the only priority is to make money," then they've brought that upon themselves.

 

[fuzion]

*cough* slimeball

 

[shen]

this is news?

hasn't there been a threatened class action over every version of the iPhone?

...sucking money off of people who actually earned it is the American way. Hell a country that invades other nations to get OUR oil from under THEIR ground, should we be shocked that we feel entitled to take whatever suits us at the moment as individuals?

And all the reports I have seen that actually make some attempt to look at the issue rather than screaming hysterically, point out that reception, even with the "dropped signal" is better than the last version. How is that an issue?

Pathetic.

 

[Kcissem D]

This is such BS. Like how stupid are people? This is a relatively minor issue with a remarkable device. You can't sue Apple for something like this. It would be like trying to sue nVidia because Dragon Age isn't running as fast as you had hoped! With a given graphics card, you're either going to have better graphics, or slower speeds. Thats just the reality of the world.

i agree lawsuit is BS, but your analogy above does not maake sense, nvidia does not make or sell dragon age so it is not the same. Nvidia is not responsible for how dragon age is coded to work with their cards, BUT apple is responsible for how holding THEIR phone in a certain way causes signal issues.

 

[SirHaakon]

Holding it differently does completely resolve the "issue" does it not?

Works for me.

First of all, if a cell phone only works when you hold it in specific ways, it's not a very well designed phone.

I've already posted a picture earlier in the thread demonstrating how I hold the phone. It's been replied to several times, so I'm sure you can find it. I don't think I'm doing anything out of the ordinary. I am not going to start holding my phone in uncomfortable and unnatural ways just because it doesn't function when held normally.

 

[epo]

But you can STILL RETURN THE PHONE. ...

Thats what I don't get. Why the heck don't the unsatisfied whiners who want to sue just take the damn phone back to the store?? Thats what people do when they buy something they deem is defective! No common sense on some of you.

It's because they are a) compulsive whiners, b) retarded, or c) trolls. FWIW I am almost certain to return mine for a refund in the next week, not because I have bad problems (I don't) but because I am certain iPhone 4.1 will be out very shortly and the resale values of iPhone 4.0 are going to be quite poor.