America once had the clarity of a pioneer axe - Robert Osborn
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Apple calls an Iphone 4 emergency press conference
MAKER OF ITHINGS Apple will hold an emergency press conference tomorrow to discuss its Iphone 4.
The firm has come under increasing pressure to announce a real solution to the fundamental problem of the Iphone 4 faulty antenna. Hundreds of cases have been documented that show that the Iphone 4 doesn't work under typical conditions of use. For weeks users have been complaining that their expensive new toys were just that, toys unable to make phone calls, with Apple doing nothing.
In its zeal to guard profits and continue milking those well-to-do customers that support its business model, Apple recommended that users purchase a £30 piece of plastic. Since that initial "fix", Apple released a cringe-worthy statement suggesting that the antenna problem could actually be solved by a simple software fix. It has since turned out that the software bodge does absolutely nothing to help matters.
Things got a whole lot worse for the fruit themed toymaker when the influential consumer group Consumer Reports would not recommend that its readers buy the useless device. After all, why should it? The growing list of faults is hard for any sane person to wave away.
Consumer Reports has since confirmed that Apple's Bumper, a tacky plastic wrap-around band that's being flogged to punters, does solve the Iphone 4's antenna issues. The question is, why should consumers who have already shelled out £500 be forced to pay another £30 just to be able to make telephone calls on a phone?
One wonders if Apple CEO Steve Jobs will have the bare-faced cheek to saunter through tomorrow's press conference without admitting that his new toy is faulty or claiming that the problem can be fixed with some software sleight of hand. With Consumer Reports saying that its Iphone 4 plastic sheathe does the job, the question will be whether Jobs decides to give them away or attack the problem head on and issue a hardware recall.
If Jobs decides to do anything, and because we are talking about a company that prefers to run rough-shod over its customers, it's a big if, the decision is likely to be influenced by the difference in cost between the two most likely solutions. According to reports, the cost of giving away £30 bits of plastic is orders of magnitude cheaper than a recall.
With Jobs' propensity to spin meaningless solutions into gifts from the heavens, Apple might decide to deflect attention by making a big song and dance about giving cheap plastic bumpers away. With the usually tame mainstream media in attendance, there is little doubt such a move will be eaten up by those who think everything he touches, including the reception on his Iphone 4, turns to gold.
For those wondering, in the past decade Apple has only recalled two products, in both cases due to fire risks. Given that the Iphone 4 can't even spark up a conversation, fanbois shouldn't hold out much hope for their Dear Leader to give them a real solution to a very real problem. µ
Tags: Apple
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that I won't be able to pick up the smart red discarded rubber bands outside the local post depot... for a couple of days. Till all the local iPhone 4 users have got their protection.
I'm not one of them, I just don't want to have to pay for rubber bands!
Jobs will probably say that there were Adobe Flash Player code remnants that caused the antenna problems ...
bad Adobe ... bad!
iAd FTW
From the beginning of time, Microsoft's FOURTH product in the chain has always been a D O G.
Given the close relationship between MS and Apple, obviously Apple has come down with this same condition.
Dogg64:
Steve Jobs is no "marketing guy"...he is The AppleGod. No mere engineer could expect God to listen to his fallible, human suggestions. To his credit, the AppleGod has done a commendable job of convincing a great many Apple customers that "there is no problem" (as per the large number of fanboi comments posted on several web sites).
But even the AppleGod, it seems, is no match for the modern capitalist bible: Consumer Reports.
I read an article today that stated one of the engineers responsible for this phone informed Apple of the defects over a year ago but Apple wanted to press on with it anyway so they could advertise their new antenna type. Shouldn't the engineers be making the final call on specs, not the marketing guys?
Just watched the ITV news at 10; there was a story on the antenna defect, they went into detail on how signal loss occurs and what options Apple have to rectify the fault.
The result: Really, really bad press...
Apple stated the Iphone design reminds of a Leica (camera). I never saw a Leica camera surrounded by a flourescent plastic bumper. The need for a plasic bumber is truly an embarrasement to the Apple design team.
Be it remembered Steve Jobs' own words on this subject:
“Just avoid holding it that way.” (Jun 24, 2010).
and possibly:
"No, you are getting all worked up over a few days of rumors. Calm down."
So if it was up to him, seemingly nothing would be done about this antenna defect. Consumer Reports backed him into a corner (Thanks, CR!, Thanks for nothing, SJ!).
http://wmpoweruser.com/steve-jobs-to-iphone-4-users-you-are-doing-it-wrong/
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/07/01/apple_says_steve_jobs_email_replies_on_iphone_4_reception_were_faked.html
If a car manufacturer sold cars with inadequate crash protection, would a viable solution be to attach a big bumper to the front of the car, thus changing it's appearance? Nope. Not even if they were installed for free.
If the advertizements show a phone without bumpers and the contract doesn't say the phone needs a bumper and the display model didn't have a bumper, the phone better damn well work without a bumper.
Selling a phone and later claiming it needs a bumper sounds like bait-and-switch. They advertized a phone with cool metal trim, but later you find out it only works when covered in rubber, a 'feature' not disclosed until after the sale.
Bumpers = fail solution.
WHAT ANTENNA PROBLEM!!!!
I have got an Iphone 4 and know over 12 people with one and none of them have this antenna issue, i even tested this down oxford st in all the mobile phone resellers and all the demo unit did not have this fault.
I can and so can the other people i know with one over the left corner with 2 sets of hands from 2 people all in the left corner and get full bars!!!!!! NO SIGNAL LOST AT ALL.
This issue probably affects a small batch about 3% of the 1.7 Million handsets sold.
Yeh you say what about the people reporting the issue in the forums, well i do not see 1.7 Million posts!!!!
Its not a design fault as it would affect every handset, The recall thing was also mentioned with the 27inch imac with the screen with a yellow tinge and it only affected about 5000 - 15000 people.
MEDIA FOLLOWING LEMMINGS FALL FOR IT AGAIN HOW FUNNY!!!!!!!!
How? Did they borrow a competitor's phone?
@ Narg: again, brilliant spin! I'll try to help: Get your Bumper now! All the cool kids have one -- no, not *one* -- the whole set! Collect them all!
There's gotta be a big market for decorative ones too.
(But IX-NAY on "slide off a table" and "redesign"; you're perilously close to implying some flaw.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL7yD-0pqZg&feature=player_embedded
Some very damaging information was published today indicating that Steve Jobs was told about the antennae problem early in the design stages and he ignored it. That's a smoking gun that will probably prompt Apple to recall the phone. Could be a clear example of fraud. The report indicates that one of his senior engineers told Jobs about the antennae problem.
hehe.. i guess media FUD will bring apple to change its strategy and have the old inferior 3GS antenna back in their future iPhones.
people are surprised how well the iPhone 4 reception performs in real world compared to 3GS and all other competitors phones, yet somehow, the headlines are "iPhone 4 unable to make phone calls"
I'm surprised you didn't blame Apple's iPhone 4 design problem on Microsoft somehow. Arent all the worlds problems because of Microsoft at the INQ?
IMHO, I think the Bumper makes the iPhone look a lot better. It also makes it easier to handle, and keeps it from sliding around on surfaces easily (where it might slide off a table to something.)
I got one for my iPhone 4, and love it. I do believe Apple should give these out free for all iPhone 4s. Or even redesign the phone with a perminant Bumper like surround. At least that way the extra space would not get in the way of the power/data plug and headphone plug.