Jul 17, 2010
Where I Stand on the iPhone 4 Antenna “Issue”
By: Kyle
Pretty much everyone by now has heard of the iPhone 4 antenna “issue”, since information on the “issue” trickled down into the mainstream media.
Because of the mainstream media picking up the story, there’s of course been wild speculation on what’s truth, what’s just rumors, and what’s been blown way out of proportion.
I’m not going to get into the details of the situation too much. You can find plenty of good information on this subject on the internet (informative sites include Daring Fireball and Engadget). Essentially, some users encounter issues with cell quality in already low-quality areas when they bridge the gap on the lower left antenna with their hand (now nicknamed the “death grip”.) The issue is usually resolved by a) moving into an area with better coverage, b) holding the phone a different way, or c) using a case to put a gap in between the antenna (part of the structure of the phone) and your hand.
Apple’s argues that every other smartphone has this issue. This is fact. You can effect signal on most phones by holding it in a similar manner. I can and have done it with my iPhone 3GS. I have a problem with this argument though.
Marketing is a huge part of Apple’s strategy, and it works really hard to get it right. Since the introduction of the original iPhone, Apple has bragged that their phone is different from every smartphone on the market. Notice however, that Apple quickly takes the opposite viewpoint when faced with this antenna issue. “Every other smartphone has this issue” they say.
But according to your marketing language, this phone is different from every other phone, so why is it plagued with the same problems?
Anyone who knows me knows that I drank the kool-aid. I’m a huge Apple fan. However, I’m somewhat put off by this whole ordeal, and Apple’s insistence on calling it a non-issue. If it’s a non-issue, why do you offer free bumper cases to correct the problem?
I don’t buy all of the BS about wanting to please all their customers. I love Apple and their products, just want to see it a little bit of honesty and transparency when it comes to stuff like this.