Apple will give away free cases for every iPhone 4 through Sept. 30 - Page 3

ITS NOT BROKEN

The return rate is lower than the previous phone, and the call drop rate is well within margin of error compared to the previous phone. In fact, if you factor in 4x fewer cases on the new phone then its actually dropping fewer calls.

Actually, from the comments I've read, the people complaining the "loudest" about this ARE the people with the issues.

What is with you people? I've seen ip4 owners complain about this, only to be called a whiner, a troll, and even have their ownership questioned... It's a legitimate issue.

In volume, this kind of case can be made very inexpensively, even with hand assembly and metal components. There are larger and more complex consumer items that are also made inexpensively, allowing tremendous mark-ups.

When did the phone go on sale again? What's the 30 day mark? Oh right...

Lets take a closer look at return numbers when they start to become relevant.

I think the press conference today was perfect - it was exactly what was needed.

I personally thought there was a problem with the antenna - now I'm not actually so sure.

My biggest beef with the iPhone 4 right now is that I can't get one - been waiting two weeks and am informed its likely to be at least a week more.

I think they (Apple) made a major and strategically critical move today, and they said and did exactly the right thing.

As some people predicted. A bunch of numbers and self-congratulatory remarks, followed by a free case.

Done. Next!

Gee, Boogerman, aren't you just assuming that others have the same morals and ethics as yours?


Hey, I bought a case from Radio Shack-- an Incipio DermaSHOT.

I bought it to protect the phone-- because soccer season is starting and I will be out and about a lot (4 practices and 2 games each week).

I bought a case for every iPhone I've owned.

I was hoping to buy a case with an external battery (like the Mophie JuicePack Air for the 3G and 3GS).

But nothing like that is available, yet, for the iP4. When I find a good one I will buy it! Some of those Saturday soccer games result in a 12-hour day. I plan to use the iP4 camera and the iPad CCC to capture extemperaneous videos while using my Panny VideoCam for more planned shotes. Either me, or one of the grand kids will be using the iP4.

Protection is a good thing

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no he didn't.

10:07AM "You know, we're not perfect. We know that, you know that. And phones aren't perfect either."


10:16AM "And we had a reporting error -- we screwed up on our algorithm. Some of these other phones may be too generous. Our choice was to put the correct algorithm in. And we did that with the new update. You'll still see a drop... we haven't figured out a way around the laws of physics yet."


10:36AM "We do this because we love our users, and if we screw up, we pick ourselves up and we try harder. And when we succeed, they reward us by staying our users. ..."

Really... ?

"We knew that you could see bars drop on the phone when you hold it in a certain way, it's a fact..." Steve Jobs"

To me it makes sense not to apologize, every headline would be "Steve Jobs Says I'm Sorry."

Instead, they're stuck with quotes like, "we want to make all of our users happy."

I wonder what are the odds that they do a "silent" hardware update, that is, change the hardware in new releases but don't announce it so that people don't return the phones trying to get the new version?

Jobs was pretty vague about hardware updates, I'm sure intentionally.


He said that it's no different than other phones. But many independent tests have shown that the amount of signal attenuation is significantly lower with other phones. I haven't seen a test showing any other phone even coming close.



Funny, it looks like those complaining loudest are probably the ones who led to apple taking this action, you should probably be thanking them.

If the answer to appease customers is to give away a Bumper, then they might make it part of the product. I didnt think they could give away a Bumper without making case makers upset, but that is apparently not a concern, or at least a major concern.

The next iPhones may simply come with a colour-approrpite Bumper in the box, already on the iPhone 4. This way its included and the customer can remove it at their discretion. Or, since its a ring, you dont put it on the iPhone 4 (so you can still advertise the naked phone, but include it in the accessory area of the box with the headphones, power adapter and USB cable with the Bumper ring.

This leaves the opportunity to still sell other Bumper colours to customers.

"Look at our phones. They're beautiful. Jony Ive spent 13 years designing it. But for the phone to work, you have to throw this gay-ass cover on it and conceal the fruits of Jony's labor. Why look at a wonderful achievement in industrial design when you can ogle at Hello Kitty's ass?!"

Does anyone offer a clear bumper case?

So you can't buy a bumper on the U.S store but you can on the UK store.
Is this free bumpers for anyone in the U.S only??

I stand corrected, the UK site has just been updated. :-)

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Interesting, AAPL is up about $3 since the press meeting began at 10:00 PST. That's on a down market!

I guess that someone(s) liked what they heard!

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In the Q&A Jobs specifically said the free bumper program was international.

Not sure I get your question. Yes - REALLY. I really meant it.

They presented actual data and the actual data refutes the notion that this is a wide-spread issue. And against that, they still decided to give away free cases, and to allow refunds with no restocking.

They did the right thing, and then some, in my opinion.

Smart move by Apple. Buy an iPhone before Sept. 30 and you get a free case thrown in. What are the odds they'll sell even more iPhones over the Summer? People love free stuff. Almost enough to make people rush out and get an iPhone while the offer lasts.

I'm gonna be one of the cool people who boldly brandish my caseless, bumperless, screen-protectlonless iPhone. That's just how I roll.

That said, in Austin, signal strength is pretty good so. . . Clingin to my guns, religion and now bare-naked iPhone 4!

"We will continue to work on more advanced antenna designs that dont have this problem or put this problem in an out of the way place.

Read more: http://www.macnn.com/live/#ixzz0ts7axD3G"

These girls don't even know the name of my Band (aid)
But they're all on my like they wanna hold hands

Why exactly SHOULD they apologize anyway. What the really said is that the data proves there is no wide spread issue, yet we're still giving everyone a free case. To me, that seems pretty generous, and not an 'apology required' gesture.

The 'right thing' would have been NOT to release/re-enginner a device for which, "We knew that you could see bars drop on the phone when you hold it in a certain way..." - Steve Jobs

It's That Simple - IMO

I'm holding off buying mine to see if there is a design tweak after Sept. 30th. Although there are some really nice cases out there, personally, I love the look of all my iPhones and the iPhone 4, bare. I accept the hardly noticeable scratches and would hate myself if it actually cracked the glass, but I just can't make myself put a case on it.

Funny thing, is they can't fix this issue until they re-engineer the antenna.

You do? You are looking at Apple's online list of people requesting a free bumper - even though the web site isn't even up yet?

Wow. I'm not surprised that people lie here, but it's astounding to see you say something that's so obviously and completely a lie.


It's not over by a long shot. It SHOULD be, but there will still be a lot of whining and complaints and demands that Apple rewrite the laws of physics - and lawsuits. Sadly.


I've been in manufacturing my whole life. $0.25 isn't even close. Nor is the $10 figure someone else threw out. Based on my manufacturing experience, I'm guessing something like $2, maybe $2.50. Not that it matters. From the perspective of the facts, Apple didn't need to do it - the data supports the fact that ALL phones drop calls. The number of iPhone returns is tiny, so most customers are not seeing a problem. Apple did it for PR. Of course from the perspective of people who are never happy no matter what Apple does, it's not enough. They need a new iPhone that never drops calls no matter what you do - regardless of how much they have to rewrite the laws of physics. The cost of the bumpers couldn't be less relevant (other than the trivial impact on P&L).


I don't remember too many people saying that. Many (myself included) said that Apple SHOULDN'T give away free bumpers, but that's not the same thing. They clearly went for the PR.

However, as long as you're trying to make people stand by their earlier words, where are the people who said that the iPhone was being returned in massive numbers? Where are the people who said it was a massive problem and affected massive numbers of iPhone owners? Where are the people who said that the iPhone was the only phone that dropped calls?


Yes, it's all PR. IMHO, the important part of the press conference was the facts - few iPhones being returned. Less than 0.5% of customers calling to complain. Only a slight increase in dropped calls from the 3G (although I suspect that a lot of those were people intentionally going out of their way to demonstrate the problem). Dropped calls experienced on other smart phones. All of that set the stage for Steve to have said "there's nothing wrong with this phone", but he didn't. He made concessions to appease the whiners. And it appears to be working.


So, in spite of the data above, you're going to insist that there's something wrong with the phone. As I said - some people will never be happy no matter what Apple does. Just return your phone and buy a Droid.


Exactly, but that won't satisfy some people. Sadly.

Maybe. I think by Aug/Sept, they will be ramping up their lines to add a new coating to the antenna. Like Steve said, they can't get around physics. And physics says that touching the antenna or touching both will cause more of a problem than wrapping your hand around the phone.

If they really thought that simply holding the phone in that way caused the same problem it caused on other phones, then they know that a bumper doesn't change anything. The Blackberry and the other phones he showed already have a build in bumper...the shell of the phone itself. They know that the issue is touching it. They will adjust it accordingly, but it will take weeks to ramp up. So, free bumpers till sept.

Along with a free case, they should give away a clean diaper.

They may indeed be providing a bumper refund, but they will NOT be providing a free bumper with each new purchase (until Sep 30th - or longer perhaps - he left this open-ended). The freebe will be a 3rd party case, because he said they do not have enough bumpers to go around (from the live blog of the event, which may or may not be accurate, of course)

Google is useful for these things.

http://www.marware.com/products/iPhone-4

Lots of Apple names were mentioned as being in attendance, some in the front row. Ives was not mentioned.

We'll have to agree to disagree.

Personally, i'm more amped than ever to get the phone - hoping it comes sooner rather than later.

At the press conference, he said they would decide in September after acquiring more data.

Just return it and go away.

Where is this queue... I'd like to see it too! Do you have a link, or are you just making an assumption?

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You're absolutely right. I've never had this problem, and I've never had a case for any phone I've owned over the past 15 years.

So no, I won't be getting one of these free cases.

Just being free doesn't make me want something. It still has to satisfy a need I have. Or do you collect all of those flyers people try to hand you in the street?

At the press conference, it was said that refunds would be provided to people who purchased APPLE bumpers, not third party cases (any there are very few on the market now anyway).

The freebie will be your selection of Apple and third-party cases/bumpers on the web site late next week You decide which one you want and they will send it to you free.

Just close this browser window and go away.

But seriously.
Saying: "If you don't like the phone it, return it".
Is the same as saying: "If you don't like the discussion, don't read it".

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Has anyone else noticed this:

Most of the time when I go to the next page ">" in an AI forum, a separate window opens, full screen with a URL:

http://results.googlesyndication.com/

http://results.googlesyndication.com/

Very annoying! What's that all about?

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I suggest you don't make a career in engineering manufacturing.