Slate Magazine: Here's your free case, jerk....

[Teechur]

I am so sick of this. It has been proven all iPhones can lose reception, what do you want big old 90's phones, don't like it don't buy it. I love it, best phone I have ever owned

Exactly! While I haven't done a Nielsen on this, my take is that about 80% of the people complaining about it don't have an iPhone. I went running today with four friends. Three of us have a new iPhone and were pathetically gushing about it. I love mine. But you know what? If I didn't. If it really had a significant problem that I couldn't get around. If it was just a piece of crap, I'd take it back.

Less than 2% of the IP4s have been returned. That's pretty darn good in ANY estimation.

I think the fact that the media, most of whom wouldn't know tech if it bit them in their powdered behinds, blasted it all over the airwaves, completely blew it out of proportion.

Personally, if I were Jobs I'd want to have the bawlz to say, "Here you big baby! Take your bumper and shove it up your..." I mean after all, look at what you're holding in your hand! It's a palm sized computer that does just about everything but wipe your nose, and you're whining?

I'll gladly accept my free bumper for when the one I have wears out (since I have to take it off to put it into the XmRadio dock), and keep using the best phone I've ever had.

Fangirl? Guess so!

 

[PNutts]

I keep seeing the title of this thread and it cracks me up.

Edit: OK, now I'm thinking of Steve Martin in "The Jerk" writing out those tiny checks to everyone.

 

[vincenz]

ROTFL.....

I think people who potentially might buy a product are entitled to the truth.

The phone has serious issues.

Jobs an company seemed as if THEY were the ones entitled at the press conference. In truth, we owe them nothing, as well. If they don't like the criticism (and you could tell Jobs was hot under the collar), tough ****.
The media and the customers don't have to kiss their arrogant asses.

I bet this guy still has his iPhone 4, if he even bought one to begin with. It's almost entertaining watching people like him squirm and squeal.

 

[mavis]

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No groveling required.

He just needed to say "sorry" and be genuine about it.
He wasn't.

The amount of self-entitlement you have is incredible. Steve Jobs and Apple owe you nothing.

They owe me a functional telephone. That is what I paid for, isn't it? An iPhone that works correctly.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

No groveling required.

He just needed to say "sorry" and be genuine about it.
He wasn't.

Sorry that only 0.55% of all iPhone 4 owners are having problems if hard data are to be believed?

He didn't have to give out free cases, so he was being nice like the manager of a restaurant whose customer demanded a free dessert because one of the side orders was wrong

 

[vincenz]

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They owe me a functional telephone. That is what I paid for, isn't it? An iPhone that works correctly.

Well if you don't feel like you got exactly what you paid for, return it. No loss to you, is there?

 

[KratosKilla]

Well if you don't feel like you got exactly what you paid for, return it. No loss to you, is there?

How about convenience. And also if I am not satisfied. I have a right to criticize. I love my iPhone 4 but I understand where people are coming from. The iPhone 4 is a great device it is just dissapointing that Apple didn't fix the problem.

 

[mcdj]

The AppleCare statistic is misleading. Just because .55% called AppleCare to complain about it does not mean only .55% are having problems.

Yeah, and why are we supposed to give any weight to a company's own internal stats? 1% returned? We're just supposed to believe that because Steve said it? Maybe it is only one percent, but I certainly won't take as fact from the CEO of the company. Not when the stakes for them are this high.

 

[BladesOfSteel]

ROTFL.....

I think people who potentially might buy a product are entitled to the truth.

The phone has serious issues.

Jobs an company seemed as if THEY were the ones entitled at the press conference. In truth, we owe them nothing, as well. If they don't like the criticism (and you could tell Jobs was hot under the collar), tough ****.
The media and the customers don't have to kiss their arrogant asses.

Guess what, you're exactly right!

I just don't understand this mentality of "my iPhone doesn't work, but I'm going to keep it and bitch about it on the message boards."

News flash - no one is forcing you to keep your phone. In a brilliant market strategy, ATT DOES sell more then one phone.

Apple has responded. If you don't like it, DO something about it. To use your words - shove that iPhone right back up their arrogant asses.

I watched the event yesterday and I thought Jobs came across as being pretty frustrated. I have always thought this antenna issue was blown out of proportion, and I think Jobs and company brought some facts to light that supports that idea.

I understand that some out there think that the .55% is low. I get it. But guess what, the squeaky wheel gets the grease so if you sit on your hands and do nothing all the while expecting something from Apple then it is your own damn fault. (<---- Not directed at OP).

Does it suck to waste time on the phone with AppleCare, you bet, but the more they know the more they may be willing to actually do something about it. Instead, they can actually say that only .55% of iPhone 4 users have antenna issues when maybe it is higher.

 

[BladesOfSteel]

Yeah, and why are we supposed to give any weight to a company's own internal stats? 1% returned? We're just supposed to believe that because Steve said it? Maybe it is only one percent, but I certainly won't take as fact from the CEO of the company. Not when the stakes for them are this high.

I would tend to think there is some truth to the numbers he gave.

If he lied the SEC could get involved and then that's a "whole bag of hurt."

 

[mavis]

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They owe me a functional telephone. That is what I paid for, isn't it? An iPhone that works correctly.

Well if you don't feel like you got exactly what you paid for, return it. No loss to you, is there?

For the bazillionth time, I CAN'T return it. The serial doesn't match the one on the box because I already exchanged it once, and (more importantly) this is Japan. Returns of used handsets are not allowed under any circumstances.

 

[Orange™]

Slate Magazine's take on the rather condescending and child-like press conference:

http://www.slate.com/id/2260619/pagenum/all/#p2


I agree with most of the author's points. Jobs was rather taken aback by the entire situation. I mean, how dare he have to explain himself.

They really are going to lose some customers over this.

For iPhone 5, might I suggest a padded antenna frame?

OP is clueless about Steve Jobs! Here are the facts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLrSqwFrfmU&NR=1
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_qWXTuzVxE&feature=channel
Hopefully now you realize what SJ really is!!! A hero that man is!!! God Bless Cupertino!!!

 

[kuaiyouming]

.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

I understand that some out there think that the .55% is low. I get it. But guess what, the squeaky wheel gets the grease so if you sit on your hands and do nothing all the while expecting something from Apple then it is your own damn fault.

Completely agreed.

For the bazillionth time, I CAN'T return it. The serial doesn't match the one on the box because I already exchanged it once, and (more importantly) this is Japan. Returns of used handsets are not allowed under any circumstances.

Even in the Apple store in Japan? Or are you having the same problem as the recent poster who bought his iP4 at Best Buy, exchanged it via Applecare, and couldn't return it to Best Buy because the serial number didn't match?

 

[317342]

I think all SJ did was prove how un-scientific the media/blogosphere is. Data is all that matters, not a single person seemed to care about it except a handful of actual experts and Apple.

As an anecdote, some of the dumbest people I met in college were Communications majors so that might explain some of it.

 

[mcdj]

I would tend to think there is some truth to the numbers he gave.

There's always some truth to corporate stats, but they twist, tweak and filter the information until the vinegar tastes like wine. What they don't say is often much more important than what they do say. Being truthful is different than being forthcoming.

According to Steve, only .55% have called Apple Care about signal loss. Big deal. I can't remember the last time I called Apple Care about a problem. When I have a problem, I go to the Genius Bar. Where's the stats on Genius Bar visits for i4 signal problems? Surely Apple has those numbers too... By holding out on certain data sets, he's not lying at all, he's just painting a rosier picture.

 

[vincenz]

How about convenience. And also if I am not satisfied. I have a right to criticize. I love my iPhone 4 but I understand where people are coming from. The iPhone 4 is a great device it is just dissapointing that Apple didn't fix the problem.

You have every right to criticize the product. How do you lose convenience though? If you're not satisfied completely, you can return it. If you choose not to, then live with being partially satisfied. Be thankful that you have such a choice. No one's forcing anyone to buy anything here. These are all privileges, not rights..

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For the bazillionth time, I CAN'T return it. The serial doesn't match the one on the box because I already exchanged it once, and (more importantly) this is Japan. Returns of used handsets are not allowed under any circumstances.

Sorry to hear that, but that's just unfortunate. As a consumer in Japan under those laws, you should have already known of the risks of purchasing. It's not really a matter of contention with Apple as much as your government's regulations then. But if you were under the impression that every Apple product is SUPPOSED to satisfy you 100%, then you should probably change that view, otherwise you're going to find other parts of life equally difficult.

 

[BladesOfSteel]

There's always some truth to corporate stats, but they twist, tweak and filter the information until the vinegar tastes like wine. What they don't say is often much more important than what they do say. Being truthful is different than being forthcoming.

According to Steve, only .55% have called Apple Care about signal loss. Big deal. I can't remember the last time I called Apple Care about a problem. When I have a problem, I go to the Genius Bar. Where's the stats on Genius Bar visits for i4 signal problems? Surely Apple has those numbers too... By holding out on certain data sets, he's not lying at all, he's just painting a rosier picture.

I agree, however the I was responding to someone who said the numbers couldn't be trusted because they may have been skewed (I'm paraphrasing.)

My point was that the .55% was probably true - but as you said, they didn't give any other numbers that may not be so helpful to their cause.

 

[insidmal]

The customers that Apple will lose will amount to being like you and I quit buying BP gas.

yep, bp dumped 200 million gallons of oil into the ocean and the line at arco remains around the block buying up their gas.. if that didn't kill bp then this won't even put dust on apple's shoulder

 

[Caolan96]

All of this has been blown way out of proportion.

Obviously, the iP4 is not the only phone that has antenna problems, as it was proven on Friday.

The press is really giving Apple a hard time over this, and milking it for all it's worth.

To all those who say the .55% is misleading, I agree, but you can't argue with the return figure. Lots of people said from the start that a software fix probably wouldn't fix this and that it was all hardware, yet the return rate is even lower than the 3GS. If there were that many people who were unhappy with their iP4's and the signal issues were really as widespread as the press was making out, the return rate would be way higher, but most of the uproar is coming from the fickle journalists who don't even own an iP4, and genuinely, over 90% of iP4 users love their phones, and the figures prove that, cause if they didn't the return rate would be higher.

As for those saying Steve was not sincere, that's total BS.
He had the kahones to come out and say the iP4 isn't perfect, and they didn't know about the problem before it shipped. He said sorry, and he genuinely does care about his users. What more do you guys want, for him to get on his knees and cry like a baby? Or tell everyone they'll delay iP4 production for a few months and recall all the phones. Everyone said they wanted free cases to help solve this problem, so SJ gave them free cases, but now that still isn't good enough for them.

I am an Apple fan, but if they screw up and are *******s about it, then i wouldn't be defending them, but because I believe they genuinely are sorry, I will defend them.

 

[Hopsdaballa04]

All of this has been blown way out of proportion.

Obviously, the iP4 is not the only phone that has antenna problems, as it was proven on Friday.

The press is really giving Apple a hard time over this, and milking it for all it's worth.

To all those who say the .55% is misleading, I agree, but you can't argue with the return figure. Lots of people said from the start that a software fix probably wouldn't fix this and that it was all hardware, yet the return rate is even lower than the 3GS. If there were that many people who were unhappy with their iP4's and the signal issues were really as widespread as the press was making out, the return rate would be way higher, but most of the uproar is coming from the fickle journalists who don't even own an iP4, and genuinely, over 90% of iP4 users love their phones, and the figures prove that, cause if they didn't the return rate would be higher.

As for those saying Steve was not sincere, that's total BS.
He had the kahones to come out and say the iP4 isn't perfect, and they didn't know about the problem before it shipped. He said sorry, and he genuinely does care about his users. What more do you guys want, for him to get on his knees and cry like a baby? Or tell everyone they'll delay iP4 production for a few months and recall all the phones. Everyone said they wanted free cases to help solve this problem, so SJ gave them free cases, but now that still isn't good enough for them.

I am an Apple fan, but if they screw up and are *******s about it, then i wouldn't be defending them, but because I believe they genuinely are sorry, I will defend them.

I believe the whole press conference was BS. Especially since they started off with that lame music video. Who would start a press conference with something like that.

I also think that Steve contradicted himself a lot in that press conference. How can they show these antenna testing facilities, and have not known about this issue?

First thing he said was they have been working hard for the last 22 days, but then he says during the Q & A that he has been on vacation.

If .55 percent of people are complaining then why give out free bumpers to everyone. That makes no sense. Even if the press was telling him to give out bumpers.

The return percentage is skewed also. Give me hard figures, not a comparison to the iPhone 3gs. Especially since the iPhone 4 had double the sales in the same period.

Then when he starts pointing fingers at all the other phone makers problems. Basically saying well they're doing it so why can't we. I say don't market the phone as having the best reception in the smartphone industry. Maybe then people wouldn't be upset about the fact that their phone can drop signal with just holding it with their left hand.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

Slate Magazine's take on the rather condescending and child-like press conference:

http://www.slate.com/id/2260619/pagenum/all/#p2


I agree with most of the author's points. Jobs was rather taken aback by the entire situation. I mean, how dare he have to explain himself.

They really are going to lose some customers over this.

For iPhone 5, might I suggest a padded antenna frame?

They sure are! I'm betting....oh say maybe less than 0.0000000012% of their current customer base.

And for that tiny, insignificant population they lose, they'll gain 5X that in new customers.

And frankly, the portion of the customer base they are losing are the most demanding, unreasonable lot. So it actually saves them money to jettison some of the chaff anyways.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

Never understood why I should care if Steve Jobs is a jerk. Are the CEOs of Google, HTC, Motorola really nice guys in comparison?

In fairness, the CEOs of Google, HTC, and Motorola aren't the public faces of those companies. He sets himself up for these kinds of criticisms by putting himself front and center when there is something Apple related in the news.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

They sure are! I'm betting....oh say maybe less than 0.0000000012% of their current customer base.

And for that tiny, insignificant population they lose, they'll gain 5X that in new customers.

And frankly, the portion of the customer base they are losing are the most demanding, unreasonable lot. So it actually saves them money to jettison some of the chaff anyways.

As someone who will be taking his IP4 back to the store as soon as I can get a replacement AT&T phone to use in the interim, exactly how am I being "demanding" and "unreasonable" by wanting my phone to work as a phone right out of the box? I would probably be a little more open to Apple's ridiculous solution of requiring a case to alleviate the issue if they didn't try to pass the buck along the way (trying to throw other companies under the bus to deflect the attention away from your own shortcomings is just unseemly).

 

[Caolan96]

I believe the whole press conference was BS. Especially since they started off with that lame music video. Who would start a press conference with something like that.

I also think that Steve contradicted himself a lot in that press conference. How can they show these antenna testing facilities, and have not known about this issue?

First thing he said was they have been working hard for the last 22 days, but then he says during the Q & A that he has been on vacation.

If .55 percent of people are complaining then why give out free bumpers to everyone. That makes no sense. Even if the press was telling him to give out bumpers.

The return percentage is skewed also. Give me hard figures, not a comparison to the iPhone 3gs. Especially since the iPhone 4 had double the sales in the same period.

Then when he starts pointing fingers at all the other phone makers problems. Basically saying well they're doing it so why can't we. I say don't market the phone as having the best reception in the smartphone industry. Maybe then people wouldn't be upset about the fact that their phone can drop signal with just holding it with their left hand.

He gave out free bumpers because they care about all the users, and want to make the .53% happy, plus he knew that if he offered it just to the ones with antenna issues, more people would try and con apple out of a free case, therefore they may aswell just give them to everyone, plus because they care about all the users not just the ones with antenna problems.

And the return data is hard facts, its not a comparison to the 3GS, it was hard data, just because the 3Gs data was up on the screen at the same time, doesn't mean it isnt hard data, its simple, 6% of all 3GS returned, 1.4% of all iP4's returned.

And he didnt say it was okay to have antenna problems, all the phones have problems with a pretty common grip, not just the iP4, he said their trying their best to be the first to solve this problem in the smartphone industry, not that it was okay.