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WSJ Article on iPhone Antenna Problem
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As a longtime customer I trusted Apple and pre-ordered a phone. Now I'm sorry I did.*
The antenna problem on mine is very real. It's so bad that even after I paid for the woefully overpriced "bumper" from Apple, mine still suffers from poor reception. Now before the fanboys blame it on AT&T, let me state the facts. I use two phones on AT&T, my work issued BlackBerry and my personal iPhone 4. The 3G BlackBerry displays stellar call quality, the iPhone 4 does not. Previously my iPhone 3Gs was also weak when it came to calls. So when Steve Jobs himself made a big point of telling us how great the new antenna was, during his keynote address, I believed him. That is a mistake I will never repeat.*
I'm taking a wait and see approach at this point. How Steve Jobs handles this, will be a make or break decision for many of us.*
... even he mentioned reception issues in his review of iPhone 4, although he did so before knowledge of the specific issue with the left hand side of the phone became widespread.
Best post in this thread.
+1
People expect better from a company that touts themselves as being different and better. It's what makes Apple - Apple.
I love my iPhone 4. I loved it so much, I bought another knowing full well of the current issue. Why? It's the best phone out there. 1.7 million people and counting can't be wrong. However, I do expect things to work.
Especially the PHONE part of the iPhone. Lol.Hopefully they will fix it. If not, I will think long and hard next year.
There's a clear difference.
The problem with the Xbox 360 (cut down to be relevant enough to this discussion) was as follows:
The GPU was located under the DVD drive. The GPU got very hot when the console was being used, and because the DVD drive restricted the airflow getting to the console, the area of the motherboard around the GPU got very hot as well. This resulted in the components expanding/contracting more frequently than you'd expect, which over time made the GPU's connection to the motherboard fail. Microsoft's later hardware revisions focused on making the GPU output less heat, and to pump that heat away from the GPU as much as possible.
The problem with the iPhone 4:
When you hold it with one of two hands that people have, in a position that Apple uses in its own marketing materials, you are very likely to notice a complete drop in the level of cellular signal that the phone receives.
Microsoft's problem was big, but it's not something that a five year old could have noticed just by holding the product.
You are going to cancel your subscription because they published a piece against Apple?
Granted the article was snarky and biased, but this is an issue whether its blown out of proportion or not.
For the reasons I put in my above post, a recall was not necessary.
It's not a problem that will affect every single Xbox 360 user.
It's something that can happen over time, but if it doesn't happen in the three year warranty period then you've really not experienced the problem.
I always buy AppleCare, and used to be a big advocate. However I too, have had them lie to me in the past year, on more than one occasion. This is a disturbing trend. One that has caused me to step back & take a second look at what's happening with Apple. While they ride a wild wave of success, who are they duping in the process?
For the benefit of non wsj subscribers (and I assume steviejobz does not actually subscribe.. or at least doesn't ever read wsj) this was from "Heard on the street" which means it is buried on the back page of the money & investing section where many people never read. Heard on the street is basically investing gossip/opinion. So i wouldn't exactly say that this story has hit mainstream press... it hit the gossip column
It looks as if a lot of people are taking the same "wait and see" approach and are giving Apple the benefit of the doubt. However, I suspect that until people become more vocal and start returning their iPhones, no resolution from Apple will be forthcoming, as the company will assume that all is well and that therefore it may get away with this mistake.
DJ TECH VIEW: Apple Can No Longer Afford Clumsy Launches
DJ TECH VIEW: Apple Can No Longer Afford Clumsy Launches
By Therese Poletti
A DOW JONES COLUMN
Apple Inc. (AAPL) may be able to line up customers around the block, but even the iconic technology company can no longer afford clumsy product launches in the hotly competitive smartphone field.
Since Apple reshaped the smartphone business in June of 2007 with its first iPhone, there are now a host of other competitors gunning for a share of the fast-growing market. Most notable among these is Google Inc. (GOOG), the Web search giant that has bankrolled the creation of a rival mobile operating system that supports a host of devices. It is proving a popular alternative for consumers looking for high-end wireless devices.
Many of these rivals are probably chomping at the bit to take Apple down a notch for its rather flawed introduction of its latest gizmo, the iPhone 4.
While fans lined up last week for blocks to buy the iPhone 4 and Wall Street analysts were pounding the table over potential sales, some consumers were quickly venting about a problem with the new smartphone's reception. Demonstration videos on YouTube popped up. Consumers complained in tweets about losing reception if they held the phone in a certain way.
Apple's initial response, telling consumers how to hold the mobile device, was, to put it mildly, lame.
Chief Executive Steve Jobs responded to one consumer complaint in an email, saying, "Just avoid holding it in that way," he wrote, according to Engadget, a popular technology blog.
"Gripping any mobile phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas," Apple said in a statement. "This is a fact of life for every wireless phone."
On Monday, Apple touted the fact that it has sold 1.7 million units of the device in its first three days on the market. The company is also reportedly working on a software update to fix the issue with the iPhone 4, similar to what it did for its iPhone 3G two years ago, when poor battery life and other technical issues plagued early adopters.
But such missteps may prove to be more costly now. Unlike two years ago, the iPhone is no longer the only compelling, touch-screen, Web-friendly smartphone available. Products like the Droid from Motorola Inc. (MOT) and the Incredible from HTC Corp. (HTCXF, 2498.TW) are racking up big sales numbers. An updated version of the Droid goes on sale next month, and Samsung Electronics Co. (SSNHY, 005930.SE) has lifted the wraps on an ambitious line of smart phones called the Galaxy family that are generating strong buzz in the market.
Even Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM, RIM.T), which took a beating last week on concerns about slowing demand for its BlackBerry line of devices, is slated to introduce a line of new devices over the next few months, along with a major overhaul of its own operating system and mobile Web browser.
Combine that with the continuous network problems with Apple's only carrier in the U.S., the overburdened AT&T Inc. (T), and consumers are now starting to realize that Apple is no longer the only game in town. AT&T's arch-rival Verizon (VZ) is spending heavily to promote Google's Android operating system and devices built for the platform, and that carrier enjoys a far better
reputation for service and coverage than the resurrected Ma Bell.
Recent market research data shows that phones designed around Android are starting to gain ground. Gartner Inc. said last month that in the first quarter, sales of smart phones based on Android surpassed iPhone for the first time in the U.S.
Most analysts, for now, don't believe the iPhone 4 antenna issue is going to be a big deal or hurt sales. But Shaw Wu, an analyst with Kaufman Brothers, said he was getting a lot of questions from investors about the iPhone 4's reception. "We don't think the antenna issue is that big of a deal where it would warrant a product recall," Wu wrote in a note on Friday.
The fact that an analyst even mentioned the word "recall" in a note about an Apple product has got to have both investors and consumers a bit nervous. In fact, Apple's shares barely budged upward on Monday on news about record iPhone 4 shipments.
Apple should not be resting on its laurels, nor can it afford to bungle new product launches with half-baked responses. Consumers now have plenty of other options in smart phones, and with better networks to choose from.
(Therese Poletti is a special writer for MarketWatch. She can be reached at 415-439-6400 or by email at AskNewswires@dowjones.com.)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 29, 2010 08:14 ET (12:14 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
DJ TECH VIEW: Apple Can No Longer Afford Clumsy Launches
By Therese Poletti
A DOW JONES COLUMN
Apple Inc. (AAPL) may be able to line up customers around the block, but even the iconic technology company can no longer afford clumsy product launches in the hotly competitive smartphone field.
Since Apple reshaped the smartphone business in June of 2007 with its first iPhone, there are now a host of other competitors gunning for a share of the fast-growing market. Most notable among these is Google Inc. (GOOG), the Web search giant that has bankrolled the creation of a rival mobile operating system that supports a host of devices. It is proving a popular alternative for consumers looking for high-end wireless devices.
Many of these rivals are probably chomping at the bit to take Apple down a notch for its rather flawed introduction of its latest gizmo, the iPhone 4.
While fans lined up last week for blocks to buy the iPhone 4 and Wall Street analysts were pounding the table over potential sales, some consumers were quickly venting about a problem with the new smartphone's reception. Demonstration videos on YouTube popped up. Consumers complained in tweets about losing reception if they held the phone in a certain way.
Apple's initial response, telling consumers how to hold the mobile device, was, to put it mildly, lame.
Chief Executive Steve Jobs responded to one consumer complaint in an email, saying, "Just avoid holding it in that way," he wrote, according to Engadget, a popular technology blog.
"Gripping any mobile phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas," Apple said in a statement. "This is a fact of life for every wireless phone."
On Monday, Apple touted the fact that it has sold 1.7 million units of the device in its first three days on the market. The company is also reportedly working on a software update to fix the issue with the iPhone 4, similar to what it did for its iPhone 3G two years ago, when poor battery life and other technical issues plagued early adopters.
But such missteps may prove to be more costly now. Unlike two years ago, the iPhone is no longer the only compelling, touch-screen, Web-friendly smartphone available. Products like the Droid from Motorola Inc. (MOT) and the Incredible from HTC Corp. (HTCXF, 2498.TW) are racking up big sales numbers. An updated version of the Droid goes on sale next month, and Samsung Electronics Co. (SSNHY, 005930.SE) has lifted the wraps on an ambitious line of smart phones called the Galaxy family that are generating strong buzz in the market.
Even Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM, RIM.T), which took a beating last week on concerns about slowing demand for its BlackBerry line of devices, is slated to introduce a line of new devices over the next few months, along with a major overhaul of its own operating system and mobile Web browser.
Combine that with the continuous network problems with Apple's only carrier in the U.S., the overburdened AT&T Inc. (T), and consumers are now starting to realize that Apple is no longer the only game in town. AT&T's arch-rival Verizon (VZ) is spending heavily to promote Google's Android operating system and devices built for the platform, and that carrier enjoys a far better
reputation for service and coverage than the resurrected Ma Bell.
Recent market research data shows that phones designed around Android are starting to gain ground. Gartner Inc. said last month that in the first quarter, sales of smart phones based on Android surpassed iPhone for the first time in the U.S.
Most analysts, for now, don't believe the iPhone 4 antenna issue is going to be a big deal or hurt sales. But Shaw Wu, an analyst with Kaufman Brothers, said he was getting a lot of questions from investors about the iPhone 4's reception. "We don't think the antenna issue is that big of a deal where it would warrant a product recall," Wu wrote in a note on Friday.
The fact that an analyst even mentioned the word "recall" in a note about an Apple product has got to have both investors and consumers a bit nervous. In fact, Apple's shares barely budged upward on Monday on news about record iPhone 4 shipments.
Apple should not be resting on its laurels, nor can it afford to bungle new product launches with half-baked responses. Consumers now have plenty of other options in smart phones, and with better networks to choose from.
(Therese Poletti is a special writer for MarketWatch. She can be reached at 415-439-6400 or by email at AskNewswires@dowjones.com.)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 29, 2010 08:14 ET (12:14 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Being realistic, isn't the market down in general today?
Even if the price did go down a tiny bit because of this issue we'd never know.
Unfortunately, they can, and many are finding out they are/were/remain that way for buying into Apple's Cult. It's one thing to just volunteer yourself into something, it's another thing entirely to pay for the privilege...
We're talking about consumers, after all.
That would be something except the entire market is heading south, so apple's stock price is being affected by market forces not bad iphone reception.
Wow, a nice double entendre there, well done since the iPhone just came out (even if you didn't mean it or have any clue what I'm talkin' about...)
AAPL down $10.40 or -3.40% vs 57 or -3.1% for the Nasdaq 100. AAPL's fall is more or less in line with the market, considering AAPL's beta.
The iPhone design flaw screw-up is not being factored in yet. When it is and all the funds that are heavily overweighted AAPL in their portfolios start heading for the exits, you'll see the stock plunge another $30 in no time.
Don't really see what the problem is with what they wrote. This is a legitimate issue for investors (as well as us end users).
Wow, a nice double entendre there, well done since the iPhone just came out (even if you didn't mean it or have any clue what I'm talkin' about...)
I kind of missed (and still am) the double entrendre there. I guess I'm a bit clueless.
Consumer Confidence in U.S. Fell More Than Forecast in June
With the Conference Boards confidence index slumping to 52.9 this month from a revised 62.7 in May, Apple has sold more iPhones and iPads than it ever will. After all there are only so many mortgage-defaulting deadbeats willing to buy the latest gadgets. Add to that the hardware design screw-up, and I bet AAPL will be trading at $200 within a week.
http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aeK4Ce5VmDBE&pos=1
With the Conference Boards confidence index slumping to 52.9 this month from a revised 62.7 in May, Apple has sold more iPhones and iPads than it ever will. After all there are only so many mortgage-defaulting deadbeats willing to buy the latest gadgets. Add to that the hardware design screw-up, and I bet AAPL will be trading at $200 within a week.
http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aeK4Ce5VmDBE&pos=1