PR Experts Suggest iPhone 4 Recall 'Inevitable' as Antenna Issue Snowballs

[Optimus Frag]

I would just like to say on the record that my iPhone 4 works perfectly with no signal loss.

Might prove unpopular coming on a forum to say how good something is but there you go.....

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

this is 'like totally' toyota recall, let us see...

1. you purchase toyota product, do not like it, return it for full refund...

2. you purchase toyota product, breaks/acc fail, you die or at least have an insurance nightmare in your head if an accident happens, or worst...

3. you purchase toyota product, still want to use it regardless, you like totally can do that...

4. ... ah... do not want to keep wasting my time...


...oh wait... #3 applies to iphone4 as well... yupe, you guys are right, it is like a toyota recall... like totally...

AGAIN, nobody is comparing it to the recall itself but the PR surrounding it.

 

[fastfinger]

i got a bumper case yesterday and it still drops almost every bar when i hold it. im not holding it weird or anything. i just pick it up and it starts dropping bars. the bumper case has changed nothing

I think I found an easy fix... a stick with a suction cup on the end. Should stick nicely to the glass back

 

[ast03]

if Grey Powell had finished his testing.

Kidding aside, mine's fine.

ahhahhaahhaahha this made me lol.

 

[Xian Zhu Xuande]

An iPhone 4? I just said I did. Arrived release day, as soon as it authorized I made calls and if I picked the phone up they dropped. Doctor called, I picked up phone and call dropped. Called Apple Experts they said theynwere aware of the problem and expect a fix on Monday. Then Jobs starts saying totally conflicting things. After enough conflicting BS I tried to return it, AT&T wants to charge a restock fee even after being shown Apple's letter promising full refund.

Waiting now to see if Apple has any honor left.

We've seen videos of iPhone 4s which pretty much drop their signal when you touch them in that magic spot. If you've got one of them then a return or exchange certainly is in order, but what you have is far from standard for the device. I have yet to see one with those sort of problems.

So I take it you purchased it from AT&T? I hadn't thought of that. Apple came out and said they'll take returns with no restocking fee but I saw no mention of what would happen if it was bought from AT&T. If you want an exchange the Apple Store should be able to help you out. If you want to return it, I say ask the Apple Store to see what they can do, and if they can't, go to AT&T and point out that your device is defective. Their return policy will have a clause for that. Failing that, file a chargeback if you purchased it on a credit card or escalate the issue.

I imagine Apple, though, in light of this will take care of everyone.

 

[0098386]

I think you are dumb for not getting a case. The iPhone 4 is not as durable as the previous iPhones and it will shatter if you drop it. It also is pretty slippery and the case makes it much easier to hold on to.

From when I tried a demo unit it felt the same as an old iPod and they never slipped out of my hands.

So... I think you're dumb for letting gadgets slip out of your hands? See, I'm cool too.

 

[dpilk]

I haven't experienced any noticable drop in call quality from my 3Gs to my 4, but I have to assume that my situation is the exception and not the rule. I do, however, have dropped calls on occasion, but I usually attribute that to poor AT&T service, rather than a hardware issue for my phone. Perhaps this assumption is wrong, but I hold AT&T in such low regard that I have to think it's their fault.

Regardless of individual cases, there is obviously a problem with the design of this phone. A complete recall would be a financial and logistical nightmare. The only reasonable solution I can imagine would be for Apple to issue vouchers for a free coating for the antenna portion of the handset, to be done by appointment at Apple retail stores.

I'm not familiar with these non-conductive coatings, but i would imagine that this may be a more reasonable solution than having 2 million people mail in their phones and be without phones or scramble for temporary replacements for the duration of time it takes Apple to fix the problem and send them back.

I could be wrong.

 

[Sean4123]

Any you are wrong. It is a big deal. You shouldn't be forced to buy a case to make your cell phone work properly. It is that simple.

Then TAKE IT BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT IS THAT SIMPLE!!!!!!

 

[ast03]

I think I found an easy fix... a stick with a suction cup on the end. Should stick nicely to the glass back

im going to try this next lol.. until something changes i will probably just use it on speaker phone when i can now that i can actually hear the other person, the 3g had such bad speakers.

 

[Xian Zhu Xuande]

I haven't experienced any noticable drop in call quality from my 3Gs to my 4, but I have to assume that my situation is the exception and not the rule. I do, however, have dropped calls on occasion, but I usually attribute that to poor AT&T service, rather than a hardware issue for my phone. Perhaps this assumption is wrong, but I hold AT&T in such low regard that I have to think it's their fault.

Don't assume that. The iPhone 4 has received fantastic reviews in regard to actually maintaining calls despite this issue and most owners are reporting it works great. A lot of the complaining comes from people who don't actually own the device. I know about thirty people who own the phone—half businessmen who travel constantly—and not one bad boy in the batch (aside from one who had that white spots on screen issue).

 

[METOO999]

Glad I wasn't a beta tester for this!

 

[Sean4123]

From when I tried a demo unit it felt the same as an old iPod and they never slipped out of my hands.

So... I think you're dumb for letting gadgets slip out of your hands? See, I'm cool too.

You're the guy basing his opinions on a demo unit and don't even own an iPhone 4. What a joke. Holding a demo that is locked into a glass table is hardly what i'd call real world use.

And no, you're not cool. Not at all.

 

[TallManNY]

It seems the glass back comes off easily and can be replaced. Seems that Apple could offer a replacement plastic back that has built up sides that snugly wrap around and snap over the antenna. Carefully and exactly constructed and it could even look good. but all you basically would be doing is building the case that most people carry their iPhone in into the phone in the first place. Apple could offer this swap out for free (plastic case would be cheap enough) and find out that just about no one actually will take them up on the offer because most people already use a case and can easily avoid holding the phone in that special (though perfectly normal) way. Heck they could offer the "plastic wrapped" iPhone 4 for the same price as the all glass one and probably save money on manufacturing costs. But again, I doubt most people would take them up on it.

 

[Xian Zhu Xuande]

Then TAKE IT BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT IS THAT SIMPLE!!!!!!

This gets old too. Some people are upset because they love the phone and want it to work perfectly, and for one reason or another this frustrates them. They've got a valid position and are more qualified to speak to the matter than the idiots who don't have the phone but have still formed strong opinions.

Someone mentioned an ignore button?
I can't find the thing. Can someone point me in the right direction?

 

[iSamurai]

Look at the image from Consumer Reports (reproduced at the top of the post). Of course the call failed. 1 (234) 5. I bet that's not even a real phone number.

no, but before the phone says call failed it has to communicate with AT&T. They then tell the phone if the phone number you're calling is connected, engaged, off or no such number. So regardless of which number they call the phone has to be operable.

 

[sdrivers]

Signal is fine in the city, but when i go out to my mom's house in long island I cant hold my damn phone in my hand without the bumper being around it.

As the chair of my program at Parsons Advanced Media and Technology said after he read all the articles "Thats called a design flaw.somebody made a stupid mistake not to halt production before they produced a million of them"

 

[AbSoluTc]

I can't believe people are still denying any problems with the phone. Dear god what is it going to take?

I hope Apple realizes just how bad they mucked this up. They could have prevented a huge PR nightmare if they just came out and said something RELEVANT to the issue and not some BS excuse that had nothing to do with the problem.

Nice try Apple. Nice try. Now, do something about the problem.

 

[Xian Zhu Xuande]

You're the guy basing his opinions on a demo unit and don't even own an iPhone 4. What a joke. Holding a demo that is locked into a glass table is hardly what i'd call real world use.

And no, you're not cool. Not at all.

Uh... there's nothing slippery about the iPhone 4. Glass clings every bit as nicely to skin as plastic does. The only slippery iPhone was the original.

 

[Dead Brad Pitt]

The iPhone 4 has received fantastic reviews

received? The iPhone 4?

Back to the grave

 

[nelly001]

A solution

just use the headphones and stop whining

 

[Poll Smoker]

A lot of the complaining comes from people who don't actually own the device.

What are you basing this on?

Something Steve whispered in your ear during a wet dream?

 

[steve-p]

It seems the glass back comes off easily and can be replaced. Seems that Apple could offer a replacement plastic back that has built up sides that snugly wrap around and snap over the antenna. Carefully and exactly constructed and it could even look good. but all you basically would be doing is building the case that most people carry their iPhone in into the phone in the first place. Apple could offer this swap out for free (plastic case would be cheap enough) and find out that just about no one actually will take them up on the offer because most people already use a case and can easily avoid holding the phone in that special (though perfectly normal) way. Heck they could offer the "plastic wrapped" iPhone 4 for the same price as the all glass one and probably save money on manufacturing costs. But again, I doubt most people would take them up on it.

Good point.

 

[ranReloaded]

I hope they do a recall. That way at least we may have an idea (if Apple discloses) of approximately what percentage of the people actually DO experience the issue.

I'm still bound to my 3GS, can't upgrade cheaply yet. But the other day I tested an iPhone 4 at the softbank shop here in Tokyo. 5 bars all the time, no matter what. Sealed the whole perimeter with both hands. No drop. I thought "may be I am of the non-conductive type", so I shorted the 'gap' by touching a metal bar stand that was there for display. 5 bars still... Accepted, it was inside the Carrier's store, perfect signal to start... Or may be the OS was 'cheating' all the time. I didn't make any calls.

 

[timbloom]

I think you are dumb for not getting a case. The iPhone 4 is not as durable as the previous iPhones and it will shatter if you drop it. It also is pretty slippery and the case makes it much easier to hold on to.

You can think whatever you want of somebody, but the fact of the matter is that some people just don't want cases. I prefer cases, but the current iPhone holds much better than previous models. Some people also aren't careless with their phones and don't drop them.

But, of course, this is not the point of this thread. A phone should serve its purpose with only the hardware that comes in the box.

 

[Xian Zhu Xuande]

received? The iPhone 4?

Back to the grave

If you had made sense, this would have been my meaningful response.