Consumer Reports CONFIRMS existence of hardware related antenna problem
Apple you need to bite the bullet and recall these phones otherwise you're going to suffer tarnished brand image. Don't make this another iMac yellow tint problem and own up to your problems. I'm not upgrading my phone until this issue is confirmed fixed. I'm a long time Apple customer but this is unacceptable.
Who cares what he says. You're an idiot if you don't put a case on it for protection. You'll realize that the hard way the first time you drop it and the face cracks. And you will drop it sometime.
I think the drama over this is overblown. The defect is there. It's a software AND hardware issue, but it's just not that big of a deal. The problem here is not so much the defect, but rather how Apple has chosen to handle the issue thus far, and how it has handled similar issues in the past.
Apple could have made this go away fairly easily with a quick HONEST response showing that they do care about their customers. Free bumpers, a recall, a promise to offer a fix all would have eased some of this anger and bad press. People are forgiving for the most part, but Apple has to realize that it needs to earn forgivness. It's history of stonewalling, denying, and blaming others for it's mistakes and flaws is what will take this company down. As I mentioned above, I think this antenna issue is overblown, but it's overblown, because we are angry that Apple isn't manning up and fully addressing the problem. We are annoyed that Steve Jobs continues to act like the snobby smart kid in class, looking down on all the rest of us. We like Apple's products, but we don't like Apple. Steve Jobs for all his genius, simply hasn't been able to grasp the basic fundamentals of customer service. He views customer service and by default his customers, as an annoying distraction, a means to an end. What he fails to realize is that his company can not expect and endless string of technological perfection. They will slip up as they have here, and that's when they need the good will and forgiveness of it's customers to "bail them out" so to speak. Apple as a company has not fostered much goodwill, and now they are paying the price.
The really unfortunate part is that the Iphone 4 is by and large a technological marvel. It's a fantastic phone, with one minor flaw. Steve Jobs, if you're reading, man up, admit the problem (completely) and offer a FREE fix right now, not 3 months from now, but right now. Do that, and do it with humility, and maybe this will go away. Let your ego get in the way as you've done in the past, and it will be one more proverbial straw that will eventaully break the camels back. Your customers aren't going to stick around forever waiting for you to do the right thing.
Ive had many phones on many platforms over many years. some things have remained the same. My address and the carrier I use. I've also NEVER had an issue with coverage. Yes people can argue til they are blue in the face about testing the phone in XYZ conditions in a test lab, led lined walls, standing on your little toe whilst singing god save the queen. In reality is is real people who use these iphone 4 phones in real situations and like it or not there are signal issues. I've lost a couple of calls since Ive had my phone on launch day. I can live with that. One thing that does bug the **** out of me if the poor or weak signal for email and internet/app store browsing. I can very easily if I want to make the signal go away so I have no service at all. Not a party trick I'm proud to show off. I do not want to modify my phone in any way to make it look different. I brought this phone because it is an amazing piece of kit that looks beautiful; why would i want to stick a rubber bumper around it or stick sellotape on it. I do not believe a software issue will fix the issue, it will just paper over the cracks and make the signal appear better than what it actually is. This may satisfy some people. I would activley encourage Apple to take this hit on the chin and offer a voluantary recall with the intention of making this a permanent fix from the later shipped stock. heres hoping.
When it comes to this issue, I'm mostly stunned how ignorant people are about technology product design, and even more stunned how willing they are to voice their ignorance, instead of keeping quiet and letting the real engineers do their job.
Let's assume there
IS a hardware problem. Any company would be mad to have designed a product where the hardware can't be controlled/adjusted/repaired by firmware/software. Several years ago Intel was in the same kind of public relations quandary with a microprocessor that had hardware issues regarding calculation results. Intel was being pummeled by the "self-appointed experts" that howled "this is a hardware error, the computers will have to be recalled, Intel will lose million$, blah blah blah".
Intel fixed the "problem" relatively quickly with a firmware upgrade.
This is exactly the same kind of case. Assuming that some people have been able to demonstrate a connection problem by bridging the antennas with their finger/other body part, there may be a hardware fix or there may be a firmware fix. Most likely I would guess both, to be safe, with the firmware fix being openly discussed and the hardware change never discussed, but just implemented. However I have little doubt a software fix is not only do-able, it will silence the critics once its implemented. Everyone that thinks somehow that an RF issue isn't fixable by software needs to reference a company called vanu.com, and see what kind of radio work is being done in software.
You can do a lot in software, but you can't fix a burned out lightbulb, and you can't fix a short-circuited antenna. And this problem is a short-circuited antenna.
All of modern radio and RF design is based on engineering lessons learned by NASA and shared with the RF engineering community over the years. Clearly, a "deal breaker" for any NASA mission, learned early in the 1960's, was that reliable communications are a core element of their function. They very quickly threw away 1930's radio design techniques in favor of communication systems where every parameter can be adjusted/modified/redesigned to work better when both transmitter and receiver are millions of miles away. Irrespective of "hardware flaws".
Thank NASA for the upcoming firmware fix to the iPhone 4. Your tax dollars at work.
I almost agree with you, but there's lots of firmware under the sheets, and today's devices are no longer horse and baggy. When today's horse doesn't pull, it could be the ..food, not the horse.
Why don't all you smart people quit flapping your gums until Apple releases new firmware?
Brian Guam Engineer wrote:
there may be a hardware fix or there may be a firmware fix. Most likely I would guess both, to be safe, with the firmware fix being openly discussed and the hardware change never discussed, but just implemented.
.
How on God's green earth are they going to implement a Hardware FIX without discussing it? Are they going to sneak into my apartment in the middle of the night, replace my phone and then sneak out?
I am a proud owner of the iPhone 4 and from day one I have no issue with lost signal nor dropped calls. Am I lucky? No, I think the issue may be with skin contact with the phone. As foolish as that may sound from day one my phone has been in a case ( speck) and the phone works well. Maybe that can be a simple sollution to those who are having problem. I am not In anyway relieving Apple responsibility to it's costomers, and I hope they resolve this issue because I truly love this phone
not that my opinion or experience will matter in the long run, but I have been through 3 IPHONE 4's. My 3GS got better overall reception at my house. Apple stated that the new design would improve reception. Thus, when I got the new phone and it did not, I spoke with Apple Care, went through the steps including a fresh restore, new sim card etc. Was told to go to the Genius Bar for a new phone. Phone number 2 was glitchy from the get go. Home button would not respond, apps would freeze and crash, and the reception was worse than the first one. So now number three. This one is better, but the overall reception is not as good as the 3GS. That all being said, this phone is a wonderful piece of technology, just a flawed phone. I do hope and I do expect that Apple will come through and reverse the issue.
