Apple Issues Advice To Avoid Iphone Flaw

[Raistlin]

Apple has released official advice for iPhone 4 owners to overcome the problem of the device losing signal when held by the lower left corner.

Steve Jobs responded to a query about the problem from one owner by saying: "Just avoid holding it in that way."

The official advice is to "avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band".

Alternatively, said Apple, customers could buy a case to shield the antenna.

The iPhone 4 went on sale on 24 June, with hundreds of people queuing outside Apple's flagship store in central London for the launch.

Many new owners reported that signal strength dropped when the phone was held.

In a statement, Apple 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."

Steve Jobs issued his response in a message responding to an e-mail from the Ars Technica news site. Mr Jobs wrote that "All phones have sensitive areas".

The problem is thought to be particularly acute for left-handed owners who naturally touch the phone in the sensitive area.

The casing of Apple's latest phone is made of stainless steel, which also serves as its antenna.

Apple sells a rubber "bumper" that shields the sensitive area as do many other firms.

Richard Warner, one of the first to buy an iPhone 4, contacted BBC News, saying that he thought the phone was "useless in its current state".

"Apple have created a phone that has an antenna on the bottom left-hand side of the phone."

"This means that when you hold it in your left hand, the signal bars slowly fade until there is no signal," he wrote.

'Complaints'

A number of videos have been posted on video sharing site YouTube complaining about the reception issue.

One video had an American user running a speed test, with hands on and hands free.

In it, the user 'awington' says that, while holding the phone "it won't even run the test when I am holding the phone... once I let go, it makes a connection and runs the test.

"Hold it a second time, and the upload test will not start."

Social networking site Twitter was full of chatter, with numerous tweets on the reception problems.

The issue might stem from the way the integrated antenna is constructed. One section provides mobile reception, while another is for wi-fi.

Some users have speculated that touching the bottom of the phone bridges this gap, affecting signal strength.

When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone 4 at Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, he described the integrated antenna as "really cool engineering".

[Raistlin]

So Steve Jobs's fix for the new iPhone's signal problem is to "Just avoid holding it in that way."

I have a better fix which has worked for me and all my mates, and I'll share for free.

For this to work you'll need a credit card.

1. Hold the credit card by any of it's corners.

2. Put it in your pocket.

3. Don't pay £500 for a handheld device you can't bleeding hold without stopping it working properly...

[bothwell_buyer]

I really think you are being disrespectful to Mr Jiving Stobbs. Goodness knows how much EEC money was invested to attract the USA company to manufacture the Battery for the ipad in South Western China. This, at the same time as USA is being bailed out of their economic slump by gold old BP !

I was always taught that you should hold it discretely, but then my mother was a strict Presbyterian and always read books and had a job. Don't think it was Mr Stobbs though.

If you remember the plastic screen where you could write anything then delete it at a stroke (?) then it seems their patent has been violated.

[Raistlin]

What's the difference between my daughter's forthcoming wedding and an iPhone 4 ?

My daughter's wedding will have a good reception...

[Parts-King]

Good jon Orange were out of stock otherwise I might have been the owner of one At least if I had one I would'nt have to listen to marketing phone calls............or any phone calls come to think of it

Kingo

[Raistlin]

Good jon Orange were out of stock otherwise I might have been the owner of one At least if I had one I would'nt have to listen to marketing phone calls............or any phone calls come to think of it

Kingo

Good Jon...

You can still get one because Vic said you would always use it hands free....

Something about needing to grip things while chatting

[Red Yaris 54]

I was across at Milton Keynes today and was amazed at the numbers of people swarming around the iPhone in the Apple store...............Like bees round a honeypot.

Quite a lot of them were buying them too!

[Raistlin]

I was across at Milton Keynes today and was amazed at the numbers of people swarming around the iphone in the Apple store...............Like bees round a honeypot.

Quite a lot of them were buying them too!

So much money, so little time...

[Bizarra]

Good jon Orange were out of stock otherwise I might have been the owner of one At least if I had one I would'nt have to listen to marketing phone calls............or any phone calls come to think of it

Kingo

Good Jon...

You can still get one because Vic said you would always use it hands free....

Something about needing to grip things while chatting

The statements that are accredited to me by Raist are brilliant I wish I'd thought of them 1st

[Raistlin]

Good jon Orange were out of stock otherwise I might have been the owner of one At least if I had one I would'nt have to listen to marketing phone calls............or any phone calls come to think of it

Kingo

Good Jon...

You can still get one because Vic said you would always use it hands free....

Something about needing to grip things while chatting

The statements that are accredited to me by Raist are brilliant I wish I'd thought of them 1st

You Will... :D

[dawesy]

i got my iPhone 4 on friday. no reception problems here.

i have even completely covered the suspect corner and still had a good strong signal.

best phone i have had yet. the display rivals some of the best HD TV's ive seen (bar size obviously)

[Raistlin]

Someone had to have one that worked correctly.... Glad it was yours

[Raistlin]

The England team are expected to get a great reception upon their return,

As none of them have an iPhone...

[Bizarra]

Apple sued in US over iPhone reception

By Edvard Pettersson

Thursday July 01 2010

Apple was sued over reception problems with its new iPhone 4 by consumers in the US who accused the company of unfair business practices and false and misleading advertising.

A New Jersey resident and a Massachusetts resident who had bought the new mobile phone filed separate complaints yesterday in federal court in San Francisco, each seeking to represent other iPhone buyers in a class-action, or group, lawsuit.

A separate complaint was filed this morning in Maryland, alleging Apple and wireless carrier AT&T were negligent in marketing the phone.

The June 24 introduction of the iPhone 4 was marred by criticism that signal strength diminishes when users cover the bottom left corner of the phone with their palm.

The iPhone, which debuted in 2007, has become Apple’s top-selling product even after users reported glitches and dropped calls with previous versions of the device.

“Apple’s sale of the iPhone with this unannounced defect, assuming Apple’s prior knowledge of the defect, constitutes misrepresentation and fraud,” Christopher Dydyk of Cambridge, Massachusetts, said in his complaint.

“In omitting to disclose the defect in the iPhone 4, Apple perpetrated a massive fraud upon hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting customers.”

Bumper solution

Apple, which sold more than 1.7 million of the new phones in its first three days, has recommended users hold the phone differently or use a case to solve the problem.

Apple is selling its own iPhone 4 cases in six colors for $29 each. They’re made of a piece of rubber known as a “bumper,” which surrounds the outer rim of the phone.

Dydyk, in his complaint, asked that Apple ship a bumper for free to customers who pre-ordered an iPhone 4 before its release or that the company be ordered to pay for customers’ bumpers.

Natalie Harrison, a spokeswoman for Apple, didn’t immediately return a call to her office or respond to an emailed request for comment after regular business hours.

Maryland residents Kevin McCaffrey and Linda Wrinn claim in their complaint that Apple and AT&T “actively suppressed and concealed the fact that the iPhone 4 could not be held in a manner consistent with the normal usage of wireless communication devices.” They seek unspecified damages and a jury trial.

- Edvard Pettersson

© Bloomberg

[Bizarra]

iPhone 4 antenna glitch gives a boost to accessory vendors

By Adam Satariano

Thursday July 01 2010

iPhone accessory makers are getting an unexpected boost from Apple Inc's recommendation that users buy a case to fix a glitch on their phones.

"It is good news," said Tim Hickman, founder and chief executive officer of Hard Candy Cases in San Francisco. Apple's suggestion may add allure to an already popular accessory, he said. "The demand is there and Apple has built it."

Apple made the recommendation after last week's debut of the iPhone 4, which drew complaints that it loses reception when held a certain way. The company advised customers to hold it differently or use a case. While that solution has irked some buyers, it could benefit Hard Candy, Belkin International Inc and other accessory sellers -- including Apple itself.

The cases, typically made of rubber, plastic or recycled materials, are already part of a growing market. Mobile accessories generated $135m (€109m) in US revenue in the first quarter, according to NPD Group Inc. That indicates annual sales of more than $500m.

"Consumers are putting more information on these products and they are relying on them more, so they are more willing to invest in protecting them," said Ross Rubin, an analyst with New York-based NPD group.

It's too early to tell whether the proposed fix for the antenna problem will boost case sales, Rubin said.

Colours

Apple is selling its own iPhone 4 cases in six colours for $29 each. They are made of a piece of rubber known as a "bumper", which surrounds the outer rim of the phone. The accessory doesn't cover the back or front of the device, prompting the iPhonesavior.com blog to call it "the thong underwear of protective iPhone fashion".

Shaw Wu, a San Francisco-based analyst with Kaufman Bros LP, said Apple may have to start giving away the bumpers with the purchase of a phone as a way to alleviate customer concerns.

Accessory sales are "almost pure profit" for the company, said Wu, who recommends investors buy Apple stock and doesn't own it himself.

"The meat and potatoes of their business are still core products -- the accessories are the gravy," he said.

Natalie Harrison, a spokeswoman for California-based Apple, declined to comment beyond the company's remarks on the antenna last week.

The release of a new iPhone every year since 2007, along with devices like the iPad and iPod, has fostered a diverse accessories market. The products include Speakers, chargers, headsets, scratch-retardant screen covers and exercise kits.

IPod accessory makers have even produced an aluminum bulletproof case, a leather holder that resembles underwear and a docking station that doubles as a toilet-paper holder.

Manufacturers of more traditional fare range from large corporations like Royal Philips Electronics NV to startups such as Hard Candy.

Belkin, Incase, IFrogz and Cozip also make phone cases, which generated $23.5m in US sales in the first quarter, up 43pc from a year earlier, according to NPD.

Apple has been "pretty aggressive" in releasing new gadgets, said Mack McCoy, who does marketing for the iPhone accessories division of California-based Belkin.

"All of this opens up new avenues for us to play with." With the iPhone 4, Apple changed the design of its antenna, embedding it in the steel-frame chassis. It used to be stored internally.

Some customers found that their reception drops out if they hold the bottom-left corner of the device. They've taken to blogs, YouTube and online forums to air their complaints.

The human body can absorb wireless signals, causing potential problems when skin comes into contact with an antenna, said Raj Rajkumar, an engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

"Its like when you touch the rabbit ear antennas on an old TV, you affect the reception of the signal," Rajkumar said.

Problems

Even so, not all customers have had problems. Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs has called the matter a "non issue," according to an email exchange posted on the MacRumors.com website.

Peter Gloria, founder of Los Angeles-based TRTL BOT, which makes iPhone cases out of recycled materials, said they are designing a case for the iPhone 4's body shape.

The product's newest selling point? "It will fix your antenna," he said.

(Bloomberg)

- Adam Satariano

[Raistlin]

That poor Mr Jobs must be short of a bob or two...

[hertsnminds]

This iPhone issue and the company reaction seems very similar to a certain car makers recent problem...

http://blog.toyota.co.uk/recall-fix-toyota-confirms-plan

As do the spectrum of commentator reactions to it.