The techier sides of the internet are aflutter today over news that the just-released Apple iPhone 4G has a design flaw. Basically, if you hold the phone in a certain way (with your flesh covering part of the thing's external antenna) your reception will drop significantly. Here's a video of it happening:
Attack of the Show didn't have that problem during its review of the phone, and at first I dismissed this as internet-Apple-hatery, but then, Apple itself responded to the accusations with a statement that boils down to: "You're holding it wrong." Hm.
Specifically, Apple's PR department said:
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. This is a fact of life for every wireless phone. If you ever experience this on your iPhone 4, avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band, or simply use one of many available cases.
So my question: How big a deal is this? Are you up in arms over the fact that Apple would release a product with a design flaw, and then expect users to hold the phone differently or buy another product?
We're split in the G4 offices, with owners of new iPhone saying, "Meh. Not a problem for me, and everyone is being a bunch of babies!" and others saying, "Geez, even Nintendo started including Wiimote sleeves for free when it became clear that the things were flying out of people's hands into their TVs. It not fair to release a faulty product and charge people for the fix. Throw us a bone, Apple!"
If you'd like more info, Gizmodo has compiled a post that contains everything you'd want to know about the issue and quite a bit you probably didn't.
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ajac09
lol and I bet alot of iphone lemmings are listening to steve jobs. People you can make your own choices in life. Return the garbage and show them you wont live your life based on what steve jobs says
liggittman
I have verizon and for some reason I have not dropped a call from my phone in the 9 months I have have my EnV Touch...who wants to pay over $100 a month for a phone that you cant make calls on??? I tried to replicate this on my phone and I did not drop bars while trying to smother it. Just get an ipod touch and a phone that actually works.
vaajtswv
Cash in your Apple stocks and buy them back after this boils over.
meh_siah
I've been saying it for a while now, Apple is the new Micro$oft. That is not a diss on the Microsoft of the present, or near future but the Microsoft of the better part of the past decade... facist corporate policies, over stating while underwhelming, take it or leave it attitude... Apple's products of the past few years are for the most part great, but more they are more greatly flawed than anything else...
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