Apple will give away free cases for every iPhone 4 through Sept. 30 - Page 5

Since there isn't any queue yet, the answer is rather obvious.

I wouldn't expect a complete redesign of the phone, but I think a design tweak of the antenna is quite possible. There was plenty of wiggle room left by the comments given during Q&A...

1) Bars mean nothing without the numbers. Why do you think the omitted the most relevant and import numbers?
2) After Sept 30, either the keep including cases, give those buyers nothing or make a change to the phone. I am betting on a change, being a coating, to the antenna. This might take weeks to ramp up in the factories, so for now, a free case.
3) If Apple really thought the drop in bars on the phones they showed was identical to the iPhone in cause, they would know that then the bumper does nothing. Since the other phones have a built in bumper (their shell) and still show the drop in bars was tightly squeezed.
4) Nothing the mentioned today really addressed the spot, other than admitting it was visible. It is more than visible. It is accessible. that is what a bumper actually corrects for. This is also what a coating on the antennas would correct for.

This is the best move Apple could make at the current time. In the end, the people that have been saying "if you don't like it, return it" are right. This isn't end of the world. If you want an iPhone and are afraid of this problem, there is an Apple provided solution. But I don't think Apple likes this solution in the long term.

Do you even read what you were replying to?

All I said was that "If you don't like the phone, return it" is the same as "If you don't like the discussion, don't read it"... simply pointing out the irony of people whining about whining when they are perfectly capable of simply not reading the discussion.

For the record though, i'm not saying either of those things. It is reasonable for people to encourage or discourage whatever behavior they like or dislike.

Its like with anything in life. If you dont like it you dont it. Most of us are pragmatic about the issue. We have no problem with the forum or with those who wish to return any item because it doesnt suit their needs, its the entitlement some are expressing that is pathetic and annoying.



Nah, just a basic black Bumper. I dont think those aluminium cases are out yet, but Id never spend that much on a case, especially one i would be as afraid to scuff as the iPhone.

Get one anyways. When you sell your phone, you can include it for free.

I would wager more money that a vast majority of those who continually whine in the recent iPhone 4 threads don't even own one.

I had a bumper case from the start and had dropped calls with the case but I really think something else is doing it like checking for email or something to that effect.!!

Best Post EVER!!!!!!

Wow. The press conference video is already up.

http://www.apple.com/apple-events/july-2010/

Not sure about the first poster, but I deal with quotes from over-seas regularly, and $1.00 or $2.00 is not far off. We're talking about MILLIONS of these things, being made OVER-SEAS were things ARE produced much cheaper (which is why all of our jobs are going over there). Besides which, $1, 42, or $3.00 it's a hell of a lot cheaper then a re-call!

Skip

You think so highly of your own opinion judging the motivations of others. If I have to be unkind, I would say, it was because you did not make the correct prediction about Apple giving away the bumper for free. In fact, it went even further -- return the phone, no restocking fee, AT&T will refund with no penalty.

But, back to the issue you raised about pond scums, If Steves Jobs, through Apple's testing, have shown that the bumper would help prevent the problem under certain situations, is there a possibility that one who has not experienced the problem before might experienced it too? The answer is: It is always possible. Consumer Report postings indicated so. Initially, they stated that they could not replicate the problem -- until they did more testing.

This can happen to others, and so there is nothing scummy for them availing of the offer proposed by Steve Jobs.

CGC

Sorry, poorly worded question, was wondering if you still had the link or remembered the name.

So explain how Apple is supposed to override the laws of physics. EVERY phone loses some signal when you place your hand in front of it. EVERY phone drops some calls. Just how is Apple supposed to get around those facts? If you have some magical way to circumvent electromagnetism laws, feel free to publish it and win the Nobel prize.


Probably not. I already have a case and don't think I'd like the bumper any more. Not that it really matters. If Apple wants to give away free cases as a PR stunt, why shouldn't I be able to take advantage of the offer?

I think that, at some point, Apple will change the physical design of the antenna. One obvious [to me] fix would be to move the antenna separators on both sides to the bottom of the case. That way you would have to cover up the mic/speaker to bridge the gap.

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Just for the record, I am really sorry if you have had problems. I wasn't attempting to poor salt in anyone's wound. Just stating a simple fact.

But then again, I never had problems with my 3G, or 3Gs for that matter. I do, however, want to send a copy of the Eagles' "Get Over It" to all those that jumped on the bandwagon and spewed FUD for the past few weeks, when most don't even own an iPhone, let alone an iPhone 4.

Just as annoying as being told to shut up after merely posting one's experience with the iPhone4.

But because you don't believe the problem is real, it seems that you're ok with people being told to shut up. Otherwise you'd be just as outraged at that kind of behavior. Perhaps more outraged. Instead, you've consistently harped on idiots from one side of the argument but not idiots from the other side of the argument.

Come on solipsism, i know you can be more level-headed than that.

Thanks for the info. But I don't see how you could get a real price without bidding an REQ with a complete list of materials. I haven't examined the bumpers but it seems more complicates than just a rubber band.

Originally Posted by Naboozle:



No, the fact that any phone has *some* attentuation when held certain ways is true enough. Some may even have as much as the iP4 if held a certain way. However, Jobs is still in denial, and the proof is in his very own statements and actions.

They are providing a bumper to "fix" the problem. That means they already have the method and means of mitigating the serious "weak spot" on this particular phone. If the problem can be made to go away by insulating the antenna from the hand, then it would seem logical that such insulation should be part of the design of the phone. Sure, the iphone will still suffer some attenuation based on any number of factors including grip. But it will not suffer the extreme attenuation that some people now get when holding in what seems to them to be a natural way.

If the problem is caused by skin contact on the antenna, then you design so that skin does not directly contact the antenna. It's that simple. Pointing at other cellphones is a cop-out. Saying it's a problem that PhD's can't figure out is disingenuous. They can't prevent all attenuation, but they can certainly fix this issue of bridging the antennas.

Does this mean I expect a total recall?

I think that Apple will revise the design so that an accessory is not needed to mitigate the design flaw. And when those revised phones are available, owners of the current design should have the option to return their phone for a free upgrade. The return phones could be refurbished and upgraded, depending on what the fix is. Heck, Apple may still be hoping they can rectify with software. If they can, then more power to them. Either way, the free case is a temporary measure, imho. It mitigates the problem, but doesn't fulfill the promise of the device. Some people don't like cases. I, for one, have a pouch made by SFBAGS.COM. It holds my phone tight, but when I get a call, I can pull out the phone, and hold it, without a case. Apple can't have it both ways -- on one hand justifiably proud of the form and appearance of the phone, and on the other hand insisting that users need to wrap it in something for it to function fully.

I know date arithmetic can be tricky, but yours is off, by about a week. July 23rd would be the 30th day from the release date of the iPhone 4, June 24th, including June 24th, and the contract would be canceled by the return. And it has been said over and over again that there will be no restocking fee,

Ah, but the OP called people hypocrites for claiming no iP4 problems and being on the queue to receive a free case.

Certainly he was not lying-- so I'd like him to post a link to the queue, so I, too, can denigrate the hypocrites.

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Seriously. Every phone has the exact same problem. But the whiners won't be satisfied unless Apple were to always release magical products.

How is that? The phone went on sale on the 24th. The pre-sale dates dont count as your 30-day trial period. How can you possibly try something when its not even on the market yet?

All cell phones in the US have this 30-day risk-free trial. This pre-dates the iPhone by many years. If someone is foolish enough not to pay the restocking fee, then that isnt anyone elses problem but that customer.



http://www.elementcase.com/iphone4.html

"greedy" is probably a better word choice than "hypocrite".

It isn't hypocritical to claim there is no problem but still want a free bumper.

Macintouch says:

Full refunds within 30 days with no restocking fee for unhappy customers

http://macintouch.com/

I don't believe 30 days has passed yet. I got my iPhone 4 on June 24, when they were released. So the window has not expired for anyone yet.

How can you say it has "already expired for MOST people." That is simply not true.

Me too! Those hypocrites need to be outed! I want a link to the queue!

Every phone's antenna can be shielded.

But what about shorting the two antennas together?
Jobs conveniently side-stepped that issue and you are apparently ignoring it as well.

Have successfully downgraded my iPhone 3G to iOS 3.1.3. Will upgrade to an iPhone 4 toward the end of the year. Don't think any of these signal issues are a problem - I just don't need a new phone right now, and cash is an issue. Curious to see how iOS4 performs on my iPad. It was a dog on the iP3G.

I think the free bumpers thing is crap. I don't want a case around my phone. Why should I need an accessory to make a product work correctly?

Is Apple also going to start making a "bumper compatible dock" or "bumper sync adaptor" for third party accessories? With a case on my iPhone, I can no longer plug in anything I want to it (without taking the case off or modifying it).

This is a crappy solution.

I'll wait until after Sept. 30th to see what they come out with next. We need a REAL fix, not a case. Cases should be OPTIONAL for protection, not REQUIRED for the iPhone to work properly.

I used to own an iPhone 4, so I know exactly how it behaves and it's pretty darn annoying. It's pretty hard to not touch the seam in one way or another. I often found myself accidentally touching it barely and seeing my data stop completely... then I'm sitting there wondering what is going on, then I realize what I'm doing and as soon as I release my pinky finger, it loads again.

Today was a giant disappointment for me, and I'm still glad I returned my iPhone 4.

in the press conference, SJ said they will re-evaluate the situation at that date.

I returned my iphone 4 after two days and much consternation, so this free case offer doesn't affect me. However, my point was made to highlight those who were adamant throughout this ordeal about having 0 issues with their particular unit.

Anyway, it's been a weirdo few weeks for Apple and am still not sure exactly how I feel.

I know for sure that the phone itself is an outstanding piece of tech. However, after thinking through cases and potential resale value, I am contenido to wait for the next model.

Yes, that was it, thanks. That case might even be pants pocket friendly.

Actually you don't. The three Apple execs on stage at the press conference all showed their iPhone 4s WITHOUT a bumper. It must work for them although I'm sure AT&T has made sure they get a good cell signal there!

From my experience, in a poor signal area, the bumper would help. In a good signal area, you don't need it. However, even without a bumper, I get better reception in my home than with my old iPhone 1.

So 0.55% have reported this issue through AppleCare. While that is one half of one percent (a small percentage to be sure), that amounts to 16,000 units. That would be the bare minimum affected if the 0.55% of those who reported to AppleCare represented 100% of the problems, but that's unrealistic. Because not everyone who buys an iPhone signs up for AppleCare, and not everyone who experiences problems necessarily reports the issues, the figure could be as high as 30,000 units.

If I were to guess, the problem may have stemmed from a couple of defective batchs... the number of units sounds about right. Batch defects happen, and considering how fast Apple was pumping them out of China... so fast that the screen adhesive didn't even have time to dry on the way over (causing the yellow blotches), this seems likely. Even if the defective units are that high, that's still only 1%. You're chances of receiving one are pretty rare.

True! But, in this case, Apple has outmanuvered the haters-- the blog/press will have little sympathy for those who will not choose between reasonable solutions-- return or encase.

I realize that there are still people with valid issues. But, Apple has made a reasonable attempt to satisfy the bulk of users with problems.

For those with valid issues that cannot be resolved with return or encase, I suggest you contact your vendor, Apple support and Apple Public Relations in that order. In 28 years of dealing with Apple, I have never felt I was treated unfairly or poorly.

That is one of the reasons that I continue to buy (and enjoy) Apple products and invest in Apple!

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... that you bought from them LOL

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i believe you are mistaken. At least the live-blog i read (http://www.macworld.com/article/1527...7/iphone4.html) mentioned that they would give customers a choice of cases, including the Apple bumpers, they just can't make enough of the bumpers to meet current demand. So, they are giving us a choice, wait for the bumpers or choose one of several 3rd party vendors.

"Second, a lot of people have told us, the bumper solves the signal strength problem. Why don't you just give everyone a case? Okay. Everyone will get a free case.Refund if you bought a Bumper. For every iPhone 4 purchased through September 30.But. We can't make enough bumpers. So what we're going to do, is source some other cases and give users a choice of cases. And they'll be able to pick one. Apply on Apple website starting late next week. Pick a case, zoom, we'll send it off to you. That simple."

need physical proof of this...

It’s irrational to feel entitlement, no matter how you cut it. Also, I get on anyone’s case if I disagree with their position. No holds barred!

The issue with the iPhone 4 is simple. It’s either a phone that works for you or it isn’t. If it isn’t you can return it for a full refund. I did that with my iPad WiFi BECAUSE IT DIDN’T SUIT MY NEEDS… and that was a SW bug that appears to not have been addressed in v3.2.1 yesterday. I paid a restocking fee, because there was no implied promise that is would exactly like I expect the iPhone to work. I expected it to, and one day it likely will, but I felt no entitlement that it should because I wanted it to, nor did I feel that Apple owes me a explanation or some compensation for “ruining my life”.

It’s about being pragmatic and practical about any issue that arises.



You say Jobs is in denial of their being a "design flaw” but then go on to say that they are going to redesign the iPhone 4 to fix this “design flaw”? Do you not see how that contradicts your statement?

I’m still not convinced that better SW can’t alleviate some of the issue. We have a unique design and new TriQuint and Infineon chips. I don’t think it’s too far fetched to think that better firmware could fix the issue. This could include having the device boost the signal strength on its end, which may require regulatory board testing.

Either way, the PR conference today was able “dramage” control, or fixing the customer’s mindset of Apple, not about fixing the iPhone 4.

Everyone who buys an iPhone gets 90 days of complimentary AppleCare support (1 year hardware), so, yes, everyone who buys an iPhone "signs up" for AppleCare.