Apple Won't Recall iPhone 4 | Hacker News Reader

Apple Won't Recall iPhone 4

online.wsj.com

13 pointstshtf18 comments

The mounting iPhone 4 controversy has hit a receptive ear in Washington, as Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D., N.Y.) Thursday wrote to Mr. Jobs urging Apple to come up with a "permanent fix" to the problem at no cost to customers. Mr. Schumer asked Apple to provide customers with a clearly written explanation of the cause of the iPhone 4's reception problem and "make a public commitment to remedy it free of charge."

does this politician have nothing better to do?

I think the way Apple handled the antenna issue was dumb, but I think that Schumer's open letter is even more dumb. That being said, there is the (admittedly very slim) possibility that he is perhaps representing his constituents, rather than acting selfishly.

There are still about a bazillion more important things to get senatorial over though.

Or maybe just trying to get a piece of the media pie.

I think a large-scale recall is unlikely. True, in places where reception is already bad, touching the no-zone makes things worse. But overall call reliability and data throughput (especially 3G HSPA upload rates), even in poor reception areas, is far better on the iPhone 4 than on any previous iPhone.

If the reception issue were a dealbreaker on the iPhone 4, I think we should expect that people would be returning the phone on a massive scale. But they're not. People love their iPhone 4s.

If anything, I think they'll give out free bumpers. Or, perhaps, $100 at the Apple Store for all iPhone 4 owners - just like in 2007, after the original iPhone's launch. http://www.apple.com/hotnews/openiphoneletter/

> is far better than on previous iPhones

An Anandtech followup backs this up:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3821/iphone-4-redux-analyzing-...

1. Reception in average conditions is sometimes significantly better on the iPhone 4 than on the 3GS.

2. Signal strength is sometimes the same as or worse than the iPhone 3GS.

3. The iPhone 4 is better at holding onto calls and data at very low signal levels.

The combination of these, it is reported, means Apple made a design trade off to achieve better calls in more low signal areas.

He calls innovating on antenna design in a way that works better most of the time but might be picky: "ballsy".

Headline:

"Apple Knew of iPhone Antenna Glitch"

Body:

"Apple said, "We challenge Bloomberg BusinessWeek to produce anything beyond rumors to back this up. It's simply not true.""

WSJ regurgitates Bloomberg, buries the rebuttal, and headlines the rebutted info with nothing to substantiate why the rebuttal should be dismissed.

This entire article reads like a gigantic copy/paste cluster-fuck of misinformation and hyperbole. The WSJ ought to be ashamed to call this journalism. It's as if every major media outlet has identified 'antennagate' as the next click-generating cash-cow and is riding it in to the sunset.

"These people also said Apple's antenna woes go back years, through multiple versions of the iPhone and with repeated instances of design clashing with functionality. The first version had a back made of metal, which hampered the ability of wireless signals to penetrate to the antenna inside, engineers said.

Later versions, including the iPhone 3G that was launched in 2008 and the iPhone 3GS last year, also didn't hold a signal as well as other phones and experienced more dropped calls, people familiar with the matter said.

For at least two years, multiple iPhone carriers lodged complaints with the company that its phone doesn't work well in making calls and doesn't hold a wireless signal for a voice call as well as other devices, these people say."

Maybe after all these years, it wasn't the NETWORK but the PHONE!

For what it's worth, Gruber thinks this is a controlled leak by Apple:

    Apple, adjusting expectations for tomorrow.

I'm betting they give out a free bumper case to everyone. Or at the very least some duct tape.

If they have shipped a faulty phone, which looks to be the case, then they should recall. It is a phone first and foremost, and the main function of a phone is to make calls. iPhone 4 cannot do that and therefore is faulty.

If Steve Jobs can ignore his own engineers when they bring up an antenna issue, then there is something seriously wrong at Apple. No one should have that much power or influence over a product, especially when you know it's going to sell millions.

If the solution tomorrow is free bumpers, then there is going to be uproar among users. How dare Apple put form over function.

Wow, downvotes. I'm not sure why. All I'm trying to point out here is that there are many people out there who have bought the iPhone 4 and can't hold it naturally and make calls. Now it turns out that was a potential issue known about as far back as a year ago at Apple, but it was ignored because the new design of the phone was liked at Apple.

Does no one else see something seriously wrong with that?

Why can't they just return it? I've returned products to an Apple Store and it's been completely painless. Is it different with the iPhone because of AT&T contracts or something?

Why can't they just return it?

From what I can tell, it's like being addicted to a drug. You know it's bad, but you can't resist. I have coworkers who have the reception problem who would rather alter the way they hold the phone than return it. Even though they loved their previous iPhones, somehow they can't go back now.

A recall is used when a product threatens the safety of users. Everyone who bought an iPhone 4 has the opportunity to return the phone for a full refund. Apple is waiving restocking fees.

the main function of a phone is to make calls. iPhone 4 cannot do that and therefore is faulty.

The iPhone 4 makes calls just fine. There are very few people having significant problems — most people seem to be getting better performance and fewer dropped calls with the new antenna design. Those who find it to be faulty can return it; iPhone 4 sales continue to be great, returns are low, users can be found everywhere praising the phone.

And the suggestion that Steve Jobs has an inappropriate amount of power at Apple is utterly absurd. Ask shareholders from the last decade how much they want Jobs put in a cage.

You have insulted steve jobs, you are lucky that your account wasn't deleted. Never speak of this again!

No shit.

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