iPhone 4 – FWIW, my tuppence
Run! Save yourselves! The iPhone 4 has a fundamental flaw!
It's a stupid, annoying flaw. A flaw that has led to a lot of news-makers who know nothing of technology guffawing that Apple has made a phone that "can't even do phone calls" – and for some PR experts to suggest that a recall is necessary, as there is no difference between Apple's situation and that of Toyota and its sticking accelerator pedal.
What nonsense. For one, there is a great deal of difference, because it’s hard to see how anyone could be injured as a result of losing a couple of bars of signal when they grip a phone in a certain way. I can't think of any scenario in which they might.
Actually, I can. It involves being attacked by a bear in a forest. With your remaining left arm and unbroken fingers you manage to dial the emergency services and, gripping your iPhone 4 in the only way you can still manage, covering the lower left edge with your palm, you cry for help. As the bear finishes gnawing on your right arm and rounds on you and that final bar of signal drops away, you'll be completely justified in being a little bit miffed about the iPhone 4's design quirk.
But lawsuits? Endless haranging on forums? Ridiculous, not least because every smartphone I've ever used has a flaw that's as or more detrimental to its daily use. At least with the iPhone 4 you can predict the way it will behave, and you can use it accordingly. Who knows what might happen when I turn up the volume on my HTC HD2? Seriously, anything can happen.
The thing is, no-one is bothered about issues in other phones. They'll be mentioned in a forum and forgotten a couple of hours later. But the iPhone 4 is so mainstream that this has turned into international news. There's even an emergency press conference planned for tomorrow. Apple didn't help by suggesting the cause is a software issue, of course, when the evidence is mounting that the hardware is at fault.
If only problems with other devices were so easily fixed. I wish I could guarantee delivery of SMS messages by sticking an inch of sellotape on my HD2. I bet Julian wishes he could speed up his Motorola Milestone by putting it in a case. I can, however, fix your iPhone 4 for you: NEW! iPhone 4 iPlasters with Anti-Bacterial coating! Amuse your friends by "healing your iPhone" with a real life plaster! Just £9.99 with FREE 2nd class SHIPPING, available NOW from the Apple Store (or from me direct – post your details below and I'll send one to you. Just got 32 from Boots).
Clearly, I'm being an idiot. But the fact is, even with a fundamental flaw, the iPhone 4 is the best smartphone in the world. This is a PR disaster, yes – but Stuff doesn't care about PR, it cares about gadgets. If you want to miss out on it because you can't bear the thought of putting it in a case, that's fine. It'll be your loss.
Related stories
- Apple to address the press and iPhone 4 issues on Friday
Comments
Criss11
1 year ago
Here, here, I must be an idoit too, because I agree with you.
Hugh Jarse
1 year ago
I agree too - a sensible point-of-view amongst all the hype and hyperbole - well said :)
zachdan
1 year ago
I totally disagree with you. The arrogance with which Apple has handled the situation so far is deplorable. Rather than just admit there is a problem they have sought to cover up and ignore it, and worst of all blame the customer for holding incorrectly. You draw comparison with Toyota however if you recall Toyota did not come out and say it customers were operating the the accelerator pedal incorrectly. In addition, there is a brand issue here. No one would expect Apple to commit such a schoolboy error. With such high expectations there is always a long way to fall and therefore the disappointment is greater.
I always go for the what I believe is the best tech around. I have a Macbook and an HD2. I seriously thought about getting the iphone 4, but not now. not because of the problem but because of insult on the intelligence of Apple customers. They deserve every bit of the media slating they are getting and it could have been easily avoided if they handled it better from the beginning.
I also do not understand how you can possibly say that best smartphone in the world when it can not do a basic function properly i.e. make a phone call!!
All in all, it seems your FWIW is completely biased towards Apple. It reminds me of this great youtube clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL7yD-0pqZg
TobesEtc
1 year ago
Sure, the whole thing is blown out of all proportion - but isn't that the fault of Apple and their formerly invincible PR machine? Who cares...
Here's the amusing bit: the sight of a million+ iPhone users, whose motivation for buying the phone was 90% that it looks pretty, putting their beautiful phone in a hideous plastic case! (when probably there is no need) ;o) Just don't laugh when you see them in the pub.
Criss11
1 year ago
Anti Apple people do seem to loose all reason
"it can not do a basic function properly i.e. make a phone call!!" - in rare cases if the phone is held in a certain way and does not have a case.
"whose motivation for buying the phone was 90% that it looks pretty" - ???? People by the phone for many reasons, the Apps, the ease of use, the great Internet access. A large percentage of users put the phone is a case anyway (I do on my 3G and certainly will with the Iphone 4)
If you disagree with the blog, at least make sure you are making sense.
The_Corporal
1 year ago
When Apple released the first iPhone they were the underdog, at least in the telecoms sector, they released a rather good phone not without it's faults though. However because they were the underdog and at the time the interface was revolutionary, people were prepared to put up with a few niggles here and there.
Now, however, Apple is arguably one of the leaders on the mobile phone market, and mainly thanks to Jobs' arrogance, not just with the iPhone, there is a feeling in some quarters that Apple have gotten too big for their boots.
I personally feel that certain media outlets and websites were circling like vultures waiting for Apple to make a mistake, and when they did,they decended on the Iphone 4 and ripped it to shreds.
This in turn was a battle cry for Apple haters everywhere, finally a *** in the Apple armour.
Is there an issue with the Iphone 4's reception? Undoubtably.
Has it been blown out of all proportion? Undoubtably.
All of the above are just my thoughts and possibly ramblings of a mad man, but it's how I see it.
TobesEtc
1 year ago
No publicity is bad publicity. My reasoning may be loose (sic - see above) but at least the core (he he) of my argument can't be peeled (sorry!) away that easily. Apples having been dropping for as long as Gravity itself has been understood...and maybe longer ;o) (with apologies to Sir Isaac Newton). Beauty is in the iPhone of the Beholder, but they better Behold it properly ;o) Maybe the press conference is to announce the release of an iCondom to allow Safe Text?
zachdan
1 year ago
@Criss - You seem to be in denial. Are you saying there is not a problem with iPhone 4? - If you'd read my post you'll see that I am certainly not Anti Apple. Otherwise I would not use a Mac.
firedupinside
1 year ago
If you want an iphone 4/ ipad but don't want to spend your hard earned cash. Get it free by completing a two weeks free lovefilm offer, cancel it before the free trial ends and refer some friends to do the same and you can get your own free iphone 4/ ipad!!
Use this link:
http://gifts.freebiejeebies.co.uk/249329
Criss11
1 year ago
Hi, I am not in denial Zachdan, It seems there are problems and I await tomorrow's announcement eagerly. Just pointing out that, like most news channels, you give the impression that you can never make a call, when the fault is exceptional.
Drunken Max
1 year ago
Thats is one of the most pathetic subjective things I've ever read.
Who cares if its an expensive crap phone with a fundamental design flaw that was known at launch? Its shiny and from Apple.
All phones have fundamental design flaws don't they? Even expensive ones. C'mon guys its shiny and from Apple.
Look at these Toyota Prius' with their design quirk brakes. No car's perfect and it does everything else really well. Its shiny and Japanese. And I've bought a rubber anchor to fix the problem and as long as I don't drive it in a certain way, in gear, it works fine..... and its shiny.
Its a good job these phones don;t set on fire sometimes as well.... oh... right... well at least its shiny.. very shiny and bright.... oohh flames..
JetBrink
1 year ago
I make calls on my iPhone all the time. I can live with the death grip syndrome it has, but the way Apple have so far (not) dealt with it os pissing me off. Especially the lies about it being a software issue. Massive insult to peoples intelligence.
Criss11
1 year ago
As I said, Apple attackers have lost all reason.
Why do people think Apple lied about the problem being software. I could see that a company like Apple could lie, but it would a giant leap to think they would do such a bad lie. If you say it is software as a lie, the lie will be exposed when you release the software update and the problem still exist. You have to give credit to Apple not to say a lie that has a 100% change of being found out.
Is it not more likely that they just got it wrong?
Drunken Max
1 year ago
@criss11 If you actually believe what you are writing then don't accuse "Apple attackers" of having "lost all reason". Have you even read what you have written?
yeah yeah yeah, Apple just made a mistake when they said software would correct the problem, the whole bumpers at launch ( and ALL over Apple stores ) was just a sales gimic. They didn't really know about the problem already. Well iOS4.whatever is out, is the problem fixed....? Its Apple and shiny so who cares
Criss11
1 year ago
@Drunken Max have you read what I have written?
I have not in any of my posts said anything about there not being a problem or about Apple not knowing about the problem. I have just commented about huge holes in people logic. I was just saying that it would be stupid to believe that Apple, who lets fact is are great at PR and marketing, would make such a bad lie that would definitely be disproved.
While I am obviously pro Apple, all I have commented on is faults in people’s logic. There are so many of them that you are all making it very easy for me. If you find a hole in my logic and mention it, I would hope I would admit my error, but so far the only comments on my posts have been criticisms of points I have not made.
hooman78
1 year ago
bottom line iphone 4 - very expensive and needs a 2 year contract to be affordable and apples handling of the situation has been a massive insult to its customers / fans etc insisting them to fork out more money for a rubbish case and no, i dont like cases, my iphone looks much better without it.
i personally dislike apples arrogance in general but this is insulting, especially when you think about how expensive in real terms the very nice iphone4 is. bad steve jobs, be nicer please.
PDAJah
1 year ago
Apple sold the antenna as an engineerin marvel - it was a lie! Typical Apple - "we are right and you are wrong".
The HD2 problem was fixed with a software update by the way.
The_Corporal
1 year ago
Love the apple press conference, so far to sum it up in a sentence... "Iphone 4 rules, you all suck so STFU!"
JetBrink
1 year ago
I don't mind them saying it may be partly a software issue but saying that they'd make the first two bars bigger so you could tell you had some signal made me laugh. It was basically "you do have signal, you're just too blind/stupid to work out that you do"
Criss11
1 year ago
To quote the Iphone 4 antenna song "If you don’t want an iPhone 4 , don’t buy it . If you bought one and don’t like it bring it back" (my last work on this post)
johnerz
1 year ago
Apple have made a rare error, but I love this article and totally agree. I'm lucky though, my iphone 4 works perfectly. No signal loss at all. I hate all this silly hype around the issue but it's just a sign of how popular the iPhone really is.
stairmand
1 year ago
Dear Mr. Findlater
Your stupidity and lack of impartial critique are one of the reasons Stuff no longer have my subscription. So well done there.
If you don’t see a problem with a phone that fails to make reliable bloody phone calls then god help you.I had the problem and it was enough to make me want to throw my phone across the room.
Hugh Jarse
1 year ago
Videos: death grip on EVO, Droid Incredible, Nexus One, Galaxy 1, G1, etc
* Samsung I9000 Galaxy S: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LROTHrTR92k">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LROTHrTR92k
* HTC Evo Signal Attenuation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pj2YBYTbag">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pj2YBYTbag
* Samsung Galaxy 1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
* Samsung Galaxy 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPCQdYtPihg
* Droid Incredible: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaDE941PzQk
* Droid Incredible (With Network Extender in Room): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpEQH...eature=related
* Nexus One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEIA_lMwqJA
* Nexus One vs. iPhone (start at 1:29): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvMoV4_C4aA
* Nexus One: http://posterous.com/getfile/files.p...n_-_iPhone.m4v
* Nexus One (after Google's update to correct): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2g5J4qPp54
* Nexus One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deCkjeHYT-g
* Android G1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CDaxhjUs9M
* "Major signal degradation when Nexus One is picked up" (N1 Thread on On this Problem): http://www.google.com/support/forum/...9184c33e&hl=en
Drunken Max
1 year ago
Have any of them accused their users of holding the phone wrong or said they would fix it with a software update yet, treated their customers like blind fanboy morons?
Also, how many people put their hand on the top of the phone when speaking although the Samsung I9000 seems to have a serious problem as well.
PS a lot of these links dont work
Tom W
1 year ago
My iPhone 4 arrived yesterday. The only way I can get it to drop signal is by gripping it so hard that my hand hurts. Doubt it's going to present a problem in day-to-day use.