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PR Experts Suggest iPhone 4 Recall 'Inevitable' as Antenna Issue Snowballs
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Get one. It's awesome.
Seriously, this is blown WAAAAAY out of proportion. WAAAAYYYYYYYYYY (for emphasis). I have the phone and it works great. The screen is amazing. Every single person that sees it calls it out immediately and then must try it themselves on the spot. They all love it.
Yes, there is an antenna issue... IF YOU COVER THE *EXACT* RIGHT PART. If you don't, then there is no issue whatsoever. I naturally hold the phone with a few fingertips by the edges. I do not cup the phone in my gorilla hand - why would I want to smash that nice glossy screen on my greasy yuck face?
Percentage-wise, the area that you need to cover (the black strips) compared to the total surface area of the antenna is tiny. Apple needs to do nothing. This phone rocks and works great.
Just an idea
it's funny to me that we should be hearing about the release of the white iphone 4 but nothing has happened and they are still having long waiting times on black iphones too.
My take on this is they are trying to find a solution for the antenna problems and will send it out with the new shipments of phones, if and its a big if apple accept they have made a mistake they will no doubt give the offer to change faulty phones (they have the serial numbers to know which are problem phones) for the new hopefully fault free iphones.
it's funny to me that we should be hearing about the release of the white iphone 4 but nothing has happened and they are still having long waiting times on black iphones too.
My take on this is they are trying to find a solution for the antenna problems and will send it out with the new shipments of phones, if and its a big if apple accept they have made a mistake they will no doubt give the offer to change faulty phones (they have the serial numbers to know which are problem phones) for the new hopefully fault free iphones.
There is your serious PR problem right there - it is less about hardware/software performance now. It is about how a person sympathetic to Apple in general can feel uncertain about what would have been a no-brainer purchase (3G to iP4) because of what less-informed people think.
I have an iP4 (and had all previous iterations). I have often recommended the iPhone to anyone who asks - but not this time. My Mother-in-Law is poised to buy one, but chickened out at the last minute (probably due to high cost) I know the iPhone would be ideal for her and I could no doubt persuade her to purchase.
So why not?
What if she has problems, or if she hears about unresolved reception issues from someone else. I can't really take the risk, can I? Also I don't believe Apple's statements so far and I have personally had more dropped calls on the iP4.
So I don't think I'll be recommending the iP4 just yet, not until Apple manage to get back on top of the PR
Macrumors said:
Have they ever done anything different? Apple censoring what people say in it's forums to make their products appear in a better light (and yeah, I'm not exaggerating, that's exactly what they're doing) is nothing new from what I've seen. Apple lovers are so quick to ignore the blatant attempts to cover up the truth by Apple when it doesn't effect something they personally are effected by. iPod Nano screen scratchs, .Mac poor, POOR service reliability, OSX bugs that cause data loss, these are all issues that received attention on Apple forums and were deleted by Apple moderators, and nobody seems to get upset about that if they aren't one of the ones who had their posts removed.
Pretty much bang on with that statement. The iP4 is no longer the prestigious item it was intended to be, everyone's instant reaction to it is "oh, you got one of those, do you have the signal problem?" - to which I have to respond "Well, yeah, but it's not so bad as long as you're careful how you hold it..." (they can probably tell I'm disappointed with that and trying to put a positive spin on it) and then they give you the look of "you're an idiot, why would you buy something that doesn't work". Great.
Almost all my friends have iPhones (3G or 3GS) and they are always rather unimpressed the the 4, I guess because it's an evolution rather than revolution. Always the same response, 10 seconds playing with it, hand it back - "screen's ok", don't like the shape as much as the old one, it's bigger" (even though it's not).
I have two friends who were on the fence and have bought HTC Desire's in the last couple of weeks and they are extremely happy with them - my only trump card is the better screen, to be honest those phones do a lot more well than the iP4 (widgets and proper Facebook/mail/photo integration are very nice and I can't deny it when they show me), the whole "smooth, easy, interface" thing is no longer as impressive as it used to be.
The one time I tried to show off the speed of the iP4, myself and one of said friends (who have been bantering over our respective phones for a few weeks) hooked up to the wireless at another friends place and got Youtube fired up with Toy Story HD (I knew this to look very impressive as I'd been trying it out previously) - phones held next to each other and... his starts playing the video almost instantly, mine sits there - no bar loading, nothing, I was even being careful not to touch the "danger zone", nothing... I just went into settings saying I must have done something wrong, I hadn't, no idea what the problem was but that was the end of the "who's phone is better" argument. I felt like Steve Jobs at the keynote - does the iP4 have an issue with other phones being on the same wireless?? Disappointed.
I later got to say my battery is far better, which he admitted but added the disclaimer (with a smug smirk) - "well it would be if you can't make calls or watch video though wouldn't it?" Bleh. Safe to say all my other friends are not wishing to "upgrade" any time soon, and there will be much more consideration of other, cheaper and in many ways better, phones for them. The whole point about dropped signal IS a huge PR problem for Apple because prospective new purchasers of the phone are already on the back foot when they go to look at it, unless it blows them away they are going to be far more willing to look at alternatives - the design doesn't seem to be wowing anyone who had the older phones and the elephant-in-the-room antenna issue takes away the "it just works" ethos.
O2 User in the UK experiencing mega-issues.
Quite simply my iPhone 4 is ***** and I don't care at all if other people are happy with their products.
When holding the phone in a normal manner I cannot make a call from my house (which is normally in a 5* 3G area) without a call dropping, getting a call failed or the reception falling to an unacceptable level.
I can replicate the full 5 bar to 0 bar issue EVERYTIME no problem my simply cupping the bottom of the phone, this is not intermitant, it happens EVERYTIME. This is a HUGE issue when I am surfing the net using 3G as that is the way I tend to hold the phone.
I bought from Phones 4 U so will give them a call today about a replacement, unfortunetly I traded in my iPhone 3G so cannot simply hand it back as I would be phoneless.
Apple have totally dropped the ball on this one, Steve Jobs is an arrogant fool.
Quite simply my iPhone 4 is ***** and I don't care at all if other people are happy with their products.
When holding the phone in a normal manner I cannot make a call from my house (which is normally in a 5* 3G area) without a call dropping, getting a call failed or the reception falling to an unacceptable level.
I can replicate the full 5 bar to 0 bar issue EVERYTIME no problem my simply cupping the bottom of the phone, this is not intermitant, it happens EVERYTIME. This is a HUGE issue when I am surfing the net using 3G as that is the way I tend to hold the phone.
I bought from Phones 4 U so will give them a call today about a replacement, unfortunetly I traded in my iPhone 3G so cannot simply hand it back as I would be phoneless.
Apple have totally dropped the ball on this one, Steve Jobs is an arrogant fool.
What probably happened:
- iPhone 4 is tested outside the labs in 3GS cases, therefore hiding the antenna issue.
- Someone realises there's an issue but its a bit too late to solve it as units are being manufactured.
- Someone else has the bright idea to simply develop a basic case that only covers the area that is at fault. Due to Apple's popularity they can afford to pull off such a cruel joke by making the consumer pay more for their own screw up - or can they?
Now you know that has gotta sting for fanboys. I whipped this up for all the "old timers" who may have had a a "Zack Morris phone" and don't mind the flexible "rubber duck" whip antenna to the alternative (the reason why you clicked this article's headline).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_DynaTAC
Attachments
EVERY Nokia phones, at least until last year, has instructions on how to hold it to avoid to cover the antenna, well, in the .... User guide.
Instead of using bold and size 5, learn how to use the search function of the site.
In another thread I posted a video clearly showing an iPhone 4 web surfing indoor, with the death grip and signal going down (because attenuation is a matter of fact, in this kind of antenna, if it is covered).
Incidentally it was on an Italian 3G network, with medium signal strength, and NOT on the crap At&t network.
In the same thread I showed an android smarphone dropping calls and Internet connections by the same death grip.
Those are FACTS, you like it or not. And no need to scream on the forum.
In my opinion the iPhone antenna, due to its design, is a little too much sensible to attenuation if you cover it, but the problem is so bad and widespread because At&t network really sucks.
BTW there are not MILLION VIDEOS, but hundred at best.
Tell Apple In Their Discussions & On The Phone
Although it's nice to read a sane suggestion here, this is not the place to only give it. Please call Apple to tell a CS Rep and post this on their discussion board.
Although it's nice to read a sane suggestion here, this is not the place to only give it. Please call Apple to tell a CS Rep and post this on their discussion board.
I'm sure I'll get flamed for saying it, but this is perhaps one of the best postings I've read on here in weeks!
I was more than willing to finally trade up my cracked screen 3G for the new i4... even with living in SF and having pathetic coverage. But I decided to skip the preorder route and I'm glad I did.
Not that he'll read it, or care what you have to say if he did, but this is one posting that Mr. Jobs should read... and care about.
Apple's image has a worm in it, and his head in the sand or "you're holding it wrong" attitude is getting him lots of people like me who will either continue to use our current phones and wait for the i5, or buy something other than the i4.
true
Yeah, I wonder if they aren't trying to fix the problem before they release them.
Yeah, I wonder if they aren't trying to fix the problem before they release them.
strange...
hi all
i have an iPhone 4 and i m living in Japan.
i tried to reproduce maybe 50 times the antenna issue....(i even searched on youtube and so on how to reproduce it)....and i dont have the issue. I just cannot reproduce the issue, the signal doesnt change at all.
Anybody has an idea why ?
hi all
i have an iPhone 4 and i m living in Japan.
i tried to reproduce maybe 50 times the antenna issue....(i even searched on youtube and so on how to reproduce it)....and i dont have the issue. I just cannot reproduce the issue, the signal doesnt change at all.
Anybody has an idea why ?
No recall is needed
no recall is needed. There is a much simpler solution, which is also cost effective. Each iPhone 4 owner should receive from Apple a silicon case at no cost. The same one Apple is selling in its online store for 30$. Apple should provide it in white, in black, just give it to them already!. But Apple will not do it. Since such an action will admit that there is a genuine fault with the product. The product that they praise so much. The product that has "changed the mobile game again". Not to mention that this silicon case will hide the outer design of the cell phone, the same design Jobs was to proud of in the keynote speech.
no recall is needed. There is a much simpler solution, which is also cost effective. Each iPhone 4 owner should receive from Apple a silicon case at no cost. The same one Apple is selling in its online store for 30$. Apple should provide it in white, in black, just give it to them already!. But Apple will not do it. Since such an action will admit that there is a genuine fault with the product. The product that they praise so much. The product that has "changed the mobile game again". Not to mention that this silicon case will hide the outer design of the cell phone, the same design Jobs was to proud of in the keynote speech.
I don't want a stupid looking silicon case, I want a ******** phone that works...
You are obviously a Apple Shareholder or a mega Jobs fanboi.
Japan has very strong 3G coverage - the antenna issue only really shows up with weaker signals, you shouldn't really notice any problem until you go a long way out of town so I wouldn't worry about it in your case.