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[Merged] iPhone 4 "Silent Upgrade" / "Running Change" rumors

w4rmk said:
Steve said "maybe we'll have a better idea". That's certainly leaves the door open for a fix other than a free case. There are too many posters here who are so "sure" there is nothing Apple can do with the design of the iPhone 4 other than nothing or a free case.
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Or that better idea might be to just stop giving out free cases.

it depends on Apple's options. If the only improvements are expensive and/or involve significant redesign, then there won't be a fix. Lets all hope though the iPhone 5 is different at least.

My guess is people will just blame ATT for dropped calls and the heat will go off Apple. People will grumble, but people already grumble about the iPhone. (Flash, app store, ATT, etc) It will just be ammo for detractors, but in the end probably won't affect people who are interested in buying and using the iPhone 4.
 
johndallas said:
So what happens to the people who buy the new phone after the free case cut off date? If the problem still exists then it doesn't seem fair that those buyers wouldn't get the same benefit. My money is on a cheap discrete fix.
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After Sept 30th, the bumber will be in the box.

My guess... ;)
 
A redesign is in the works.....

... and it's the WHITE iPhone 4. That's my theory.

It appears highly probable that the black iPhone will not be redesigned for the reasons outlined above, whereas the white one is the actual "fix". But there will have to be a marketing campaign at the "white" launch: A new software update that adds a lot of new features to the new white iPhone 4 (of course the black iPhone 4 would get this update free as well, but the reason for hyping it would be to inject fresh enthusiasm behind a new and improved "white" product and re-jiggle sales). The antenna problem will be addressed in the context of "we needed to reposition it for white paint manufacturing purposes" or whatever....

As for the black iPhone 4 - let's not forget that when the early iPods came out, they shipped with a case AND a dock right in the box. It seems reasonable to assume that black iPhone 4s shipped after September would come with a bumper in the box. It's a minimum cost, likely to be more than offset by the jump in sales of iPhone due to the brand new white "iPhone 4+" device. A simultaneous T-Mobile or Verizon offering with the white product would be a huge sales boost. Heck - come to think of it, the redesigned white iPhone might only work on the new network, whatever it is, leaving early iPhone 4s with the problem the AT&T version of the phone.
 
billyjoegibsonx said:
No iPhone 4 revision. iPhone 5 out summer '11.

Sent from my iPad.

(If that's not simple enough to understand, then don't post useless threads)
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What if the iPhone 5 is the same design as the iPhone 4 a la iPhone 3G->3GS?

I'm sure something is in the works. There are too many loose ends.
 
cambookpro said:
No, they won't revise the iPhone.

3) For an antenna change it would have to be approved by FCC.

4) That would mean the white colour would be delayed again due to a redesing
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would they need fcc approval just to put some type of protective coating over the antenna? i thought they would only need the fcc involved if it required some type of hardware change? (i don't know, just asking)
 
outz said:
would they need fcc approval just to put some type of protective coating over the antenna? i thought they would only need the fcc involved if it required some type of hardware change? (i don't know, just asking)
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I don't think a coating would have to have approval, but an antenna redesign would.
 
moussekateer said:
No. Making any hardware revision to the iPhone 4 would be tantamount to admitting there's a hardware problem with all iPhone 4's. It would be bad publicity and would leave a bad taste in the mouths of everyone who has already bought one.
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Totally agree. Everyone who would have purchased a pre-revision phone would obviously want theirs to be exchanged. It would be a nightmare. And its not gonna happen.
 
Schweitzer said:
You really think admitting that there is a hardware problem would be a desaster?

Weird logic.
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Yes it would be, because they have already sold over 3 million phones, what are they going to do? Just be stuck with a phone that is great, but just not as good as his 3 month younger brother?
 
MagnusF said:
Yes it would be, because they have already sold over 3 million phones, what are they going to do? Just be stuck with a phone that is great, but just not as good as his 3 month younger brother?
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Well it is Apples fault, so maybe they just need to suck it up? They quicker they get it over and done with, the better. However, they seem intent on drawing it out as long as they possibly can.
 
MagnusF said:
Yes it would be, because they have already sold over 3 million phones, what are they going to do? Just be stuck with a phone that is great, but just not as good as his 3 month younger brother?
Click to expand...

Well, of course. That's the nature of electronic devices nowadays.

Denying an existing problem and refusing to fix it (if there is an easy fix) would be not very wise to say the very least.
 
8theapple said:
Logic and common sense will tell you there will be a fix coming.
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The fix will purely be in the percentage of people using cases or bumpers for their i4's. The free bumper/case program will raise that percentage until AT&T's dropped call statistic gets down into the same range as that of the 3GS (and maybe that of their noisiest competitor). They won't have to change the i4's design or manufacturing in any way for that to happen.

There will likely also be a new antenna design next year, but they do that every year.

If you want some magic coating for your i4's antenna, try out some of your girlfriend's clear nail polish yourself, instead of whining for Apple to throw in a free unicorn.
 
Apple could have tweaked the newer batches and no they don't have to tell anyone about it. It's normal for manufacturers to modify their defective products..
 
They won't revise the iPhone 4 because it's practically PR suicide. They have sold more than 3 million iPhone 4s and there will be easily nearly a million more when the phone is released in the next batch of countries next week and all these people would want there phones replaced if they are revised in September costing apple 100's of millions of dollars. It's just not going to happen.The change in production and everything to do with regulations just wouldn't happen in time also.
 
animatedude said:
come on guys if Apple can't meet demand for the current crappy iphone you think they will have time by September 30 to to actually manufacture new ones? come ooooooooooon....
Click to expand...

Oh so you just assume that they just figured this out.
They knew about the issue before the launch, (the reason that the bumper exists.) So they have had a lot of time to produce new iPhone's.
 
ramallite said:
... and it's the WHITE iPhone 4. That's my theory.

It appears highly probable that the black iPhone will not be redesigned for the reasons outlined above, whereas the white one is the actual "fix". But there will have to be a marketing campaign at the "white" launch: A new software update that adds a lot of new features to the new white iPhone 4 (of course the black iPhone 4 would get this update free as well, but the reason for hyping it would be to inject fresh enthusiasm behind a new and improved "white" product and re-jiggle sales). The antenna problem will be addressed in the context of "we needed to reposition it for white paint manufacturing purposes" or whatever....

As for the black iPhone 4 - let's not forget that when the early iPods came out, they shipped with a case AND a dock right in the box. It seems reasonable to assume that black iPhone 4s shipped after September would come with a bumper in the box. It's a minimum cost, likely to be more than offset by the jump in sales of iPhone due to the brand new white "iPhone 4+" device. A simultaneous T-Mobile or Verizon offering with the white product would be a huge sales boost. Heck - come to think of it, the redesigned white iPhone might only work on the new network, whatever it is, leaving early iPhone 4s with the problem the AT&T version of the phone.
Click to expand...

Why do you assume that they need to redesign the whole antenna to fix the problem!?
They can just coat it! And there will be no visible difference!
 
Metal Dice said:
Why do you assume that they need to redesign the whole antenna to fix the problem!?
They can just coat it! And there will be no visible difference!
Click to expand...

I didn't really assume the whole thing would be mechanically redesigned per se - a simple coating would fit my definition of "redesign" for purposes of my earlier post. But it's not easy - you'd need something that doesn't come off easily (especially when taking slider cases on and off + usual wear and tear).
 
firewood said:
The fix will purely be in the percentage of people using cases or bumpers for their i4's. The free bumper/case program will raise that percentage until AT&T's dropped call statistic gets down into the same range as that of the 3GS (and maybe that of their noisiest competitor). They won't have to change the i4's design or manufacturing in any way for that to happen.

There will likely also be a new antenna design next year, but they do that every year.

If you want some magic coating for your i4's antenna, try out some of your girlfriend's clear nail polish yourself, instead of whining for Apple to throw in a free unicorn.
Click to expand...

Remember this phone is launching internationally, so you will have to think outside of At&T. The issue is the signal attenuation when a finger is placed on the antenna gap. This is not a network issue and will happen on any network.

Why do you think they will change the design of the phone next year? What if next year's phone is a 4s version with the same hardware just like 3G->3GS?

Instead of throwing out personal insults, why don't you formally construct a logical argument as to why Apple won't provide a fix to their current antenna issue.
 
Dude. There won't be a "revision" at the end of the September. That is the end of the fiscal quarter. GOOD LORD. Get a grip.
 
I'm pretty sure Apple will just start shipping bumpers with iPhone 4s after Sept. 30th.
 
LordOBoogie said:
Dude. There won't be a "revision" at the end of the September. That is the end of the fiscal quarter. GOOD LORD. Get a grip.
Click to expand...

Actually, if you take a step back and think of this critically and logically...

The free case promotion will ensure that the iphone will SELL with no issues up to the end of the quarter. If Steve Jobs announces there will be a fix after September 30th, then no one would be buying iPhones till Q4 waiting for the fixed batch. This would really affect revenues for the current fiscal quarter. During the press conference, Steve admitted that if people knew what products were coming down the line, they would stop buying them and would wait.

And why wouldn't they extend the free case promo till the next iPhone 5?

Things don't make sense and there are too many loose ends. Steve Jobs even admitted they will re-evalaute the problem later on. Remember, he is a perfectionist and is probably more OCD than anyone here about the products and I'm sure this issue is bugging him.

There is a method to the madness.
 
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