-
-
Recent Reviews
Home » Posts tagged 'iPhone 4 recall'
Apple removes rival comparison on Antennagate site
Posted:
August 2, 2010
By: soyacincau
1 comment
Apple has updated its Antenna Attenuation site, removing their “how to drop signal bars on rival smartphones” content. Previously the site was focused on telling the world that other phones such as Blackberries, Nokia, Androids and Windows Mobile are just as bad as the iPhone 4 when it comes to antenna reception. Now what’s left is Apple showcasing its Antenna design and research.
So what prompted Apple to remove them? Some say Apple finally learned to hold its rival phones properly but we believed they’ve realised that they are getting more negative response than what was intended. Apple had received a lot of flak for dragging rivals to their own problems instead of addressing them. We’ve seen how Nokia, RIM, Samsung, HTC and Motorola responded towards the campaign, telling off Apple that with many years in the industry, they know better where to place their antennas.
Slashgear managed to get in touch with Apple and claims that their update is merely their drive to “constantly refresh” their content. They denied any legal action against them and no hidden message behind the move. The video contents are still available on Apple’s Youtube channel.
Looks like this is the end of Antennagate wars, or is it? Apple has pulled the plug but we’re not sure if its rivals will drop the subject.
[ SOURCE, VIA, 2 ]
Nokia & RIM rebuts Apple’s Antenna Attenuation campaign
Posted:
July 17, 2010
By: soyacincau
4 comments
When Apple diverts the Antenna Issue on Blackberry, Androids & Windows Mobiles, the rivals obviously won’t keep quiet. Nokia and RIM had immediately hit out on Apple’s so called education of Antenna Attenuation which showed a Blackberry Bold 9700, HTC Droid Eris and Samsung Omnia II suffer signal loss when hold at particular spots.
Antenna issue: Apple says other smartphones are just as bad
Posted:
July 17, 2010
By: ccsoya
4 comments
Following the press conference, Apple has a section on its website to demonstrate the three smartphones currently in the market that show the same problem as the iPhone 4.
The thing is, we’re used two (Bold 9700 and Omnia 2) of the three smartphones Apple has singled out and in no way have we experienced the same attenuation as the one being reported on the iPhone 4.
Also, both exhibited better reception performance compared to the iPhone 3GS that we’re using. In addition we noted that Apple does not explain in any detail how they conducted these tests. If the method is not known, then there no way of consistently replicating the attenuation Apple say exists on these devices.
In any case, Apple is using a tried and tested PR tactic to deviate attention from the real issue by putting forth an argument that the iPhone 4 is not the only phone with such a problem. From our experience with the Omnia 2 and the Bold 9700 but a lot more other phones out there, we can’t recall a phone that has such an issue with reception as the iPhone 4.
It will be interesting to see if Samsung, HTC and BlackBerry will respond to this.
By the way, if you missed the press connference earlier, here’s a link to the official video. Enjoy.
Apple, the iPhone 4, Bumper and the antenna issue
Posted:
July 17, 2010
By: ccsoya
6 comments
When Apple called for the last minute press conference just a day ago there was much speculation on what exactly it is that Steve will reveal.
Top on the list was an announcement to recall all iPhone 4s available today to fix the well documented antenna issue. In hindsight, we should have been able to tell you that a recall is completely out of the question.
We know that a complete re-design of the device is necessary to solve the root cause of the problem. And a re-design would almost certainly be impossible in such a short time span — the iPhone 4 is barely a month in the market.
And if there’s no replacement how can you expect a recall? What would Apple replace the iPhone 4 with if it had announced a recall? An iPhone 3GS? We don’t think so.
In our pre-conference post we also mentioned that it would be highly unlikely that Apple would give free Bumpers to all iPhone 4 users. Well, it’s unlikely but it is not impossible.
To appease its customers and to get people to deviate away from the real issue at hand, Steve Jobs announced that Apple will be giving away free Bumpers with all iPhone 4 purchased including the ones before the announcement.
This means, everyone with an iPhone 4 will be getting a free Bumper. If the user has already purchase a Bumper, then he will get a refund for the purchase. Jobs also mentioned that Apple will not be able to make enough Bumpers for everyone, so they will give you the option to choose third party cases for your iPhone 4. Apple will be giving free Bumpers until 30 September. It’s a nice gesture, but this doesn’t solve the real problem, it’s just side-stepping it.
On Apple’s emergency press conference and the iPhone 4
Posted:
July 15, 2010
By: ccsoya
4 comments
You might have gotten wift that Apple has called for a last minute press conference this Friday.
We may be wrong on this but never in our experience have we heard of Apple calling for a last minute press conference. Things must be running on DEFCON 5 at Cupertino. There’s a lot of speculation on what this last minute press conference is all about, though many are saying that Apple will come clean on the antenna issue on the iPhone 4.
Most of the tech blogs in the US are making a big deal out of it, speculating a eminent recall but honestly speaking we’re pretty sick and tired of it all. Seriously everyone, there’s nothing to see here and we all need to move on.
The fact of the matter remains that iPhone 4 is a flawed product. It is, essentially, a phone that doesn’t work. It doesn’t matter if the screen is so chock full of pixels that your eyes can’t even see them, it doesn’t matter that it’s made out of glass and is sure as hell doesn’t matter if it can make video calls – besides you can only do it with WiFi and even with WiFi the iPhone 4 has issues.
What matters is the fact that Apple has been trying very hard to play down the issue. Even Steve Jobs said that iPhone 4 users are holding it wrong and Apple recommends you use the iPhone 4 with a case. Apple has even deleted forum postings that highlight the antenna issue and reference the recent report from US non-profit US consumer watchdog, Consumer Reports on its official message boards. This is not the first time Apple has resorted to deleting negative posts on it forums and it goes to show how they do business.
What Apple needs to do is to stop denying that there’s a problem with the iPhone 4 and to start fixing it, and what the rest of the world needs to do is move on. There are other phones out there that are just as good if not better. In the Android camp, HTC, Samsung and Motorola have caught up with Apple. The naysayers will argue that the iPhone has more apps, a lot more. We say, so does Android. In fact has more apps that can do more things with an Android phone and apps like Swype really demonstrate how Android devices are more flexible in terms of usability.
UPDATE: Steve Jobs: iPhone 4 may be recalled (?)
Posted:
June 27, 2010
By: ccsoya
2 comments
(Update 0025hrs 28061020) As it turns out the Daily Mail has removed the news piece without any explanation. the tweet the article referred to to belongs to one of the many fake Steve Jobs Twitter account out there. In this case, it was from ceoSteveJobs.
But with unhappy customers growing in numbers by the day, can Apple afford not to recall the flawed iPhone 4?
(Update 0126hrs 28061020) Another short update. Found found a screencap of the earlier report on Flickr.
“We may have to recall the new iPhone. This I did not expect.”
Steve Jobs revealed via Twitter that the recently launched iPhone 4 may be recalled barely a week into its debut, UK’s Daily Mail Online reported.
The is probably the first time we’ve heard Apple recall a product and if it is indeed true, this would definitely be the first time an iPhone is being recalled.
The culprit? You’ve guessed it, the externally antenna that we’ve talking about here, here and here.
Could this mean that there will be delays for subsequent shipments of the iPhone 4 to other countries? Most likely. Would it affect sales of the iPhone 4? Probably but maybe not.