Apple tells iPhone 4 owners to get a grip

[zoobernut]

Ok first gen of iphone4 if you can't think outside the box

First gen of Ps3 sucked (but they had PS1 and 2 before they can't FAIL!!!!!!!!!)

First gen of DS was meh (light was too weak and had alot of dead pixel) But nintendo did Gameboy, gameboy color and advance before!!!!!!!!


90% of Electronics are not ready until a while after they are out. And don't you dare telling me it's not the same thing

I don't really think it works to draw a parallel between consoles and the iphone. Consoles have a rather long lifespan (4-5 years or sometimes longer) during this time the consoles go through many revisions and they are released very publicly.

And that is why I don't think major engineering mistakes are really good this late in the game. Not bugs or minor unforeseen issues but major mistakes.

Phones are a much quicker life span from model to model. Their life span isn't nearly as long as a new model is released every 1 to 2 years (at least that is what has been happening lately)

I guess in my mind I view the iphone as one entity and the iphone 4 is the new revision or version of the iphone 3Gs it isn't a completely new "console" (drawing off the parallel you made) but the iphone4 would be the equivalent to the ps3slim in the series of phones.

[Ratatapa]

I'm not saying that they are right to make that mistake, i'm just saying people are jumping on the gun too fast

[Rhinox]

This isn't first gen... it is the Iphone 4 the key part being the 4. They should have figured this shit out by now. Simple engineering mistakes like this should not be made by a company that prides itself in its engineering and industrial design like apple.

How hard would it be to put a completely clear epoxy coating over the antenna metal so that it can't be shorted out?

Pretty sure he meant first batch of any new product.


the Evo had some serious battery issues and other screen issues until they corrected it.

[zoobernut]

Pretty sure he meant first batch of any new product.


the Evo had some serious battery issues and other screen issues until they corrected it.

Yeah I understood what he meant. I just disagree. Having bare exposed metal that carries a signal means that it is susceptible to shorting out. The fact that there are insulating strips of plastic between the antennas shows that Apple knows that the antennas shouldn't contact each other and short out.

It is also known fact that the human body can conduct electricity and carry a current.


So why would you leave the outer ring of the cell phone which is made of bare metal and is part of the antenna that carry's current bare so that it can be shorted out just by holding the phone.

I agree that people are over reacting, I agree that it probably isn't that big of a deal, but I also think that it is such a simple simple issue that it is a really stupid mistake because wouldn't they rather save the whole "first generation so there will be kinks" excuse for an actual problem instead of some stupid elementary issue that any engineer worth their salt would catch and fix?

[Jefe]

First gen of Ps3 sucked (but they had PS1 and 2 before they can't FAIL!!!!!!!!!)

Lmao.

[Rhinox]

Yeah I understood what he meant. I just disagree. Having bare exposed metal that carries a signal means that it is susceptible to shorting out. The fact that there are insulating strips of plastic between the antennas shows that Apple knows that the antennas shouldn't contact each other and short out.

It is also known fact that the human body can conduct electricity and carry a current.


So why would you leave the outer ring of the cell phone which is made of bare metal and is part of the antenna that carry's current bare so that it can be shorted out just by holding the phone.

I agree that people are over reacting, I agree that it probably isn't that big of a deal, but I also think that it is such a simple simple issue that it is a really stupid mistake because wouldn't they rather save the whole "first generation so there will be kinks" excuse for an actual problem instead of some stupid elementary issue that any engineer worth their salt would catch and fix?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN6265QQwhU
It's not the exact same problem, but it's similar enough.

As you can see Zoob its not a design problem something similar happened with the 3g and not everyone is having this problem.

[Null]

First gen of Ps3 sucked (but they had PS1 and 2 before they can't FAIL!!!!!!!!!)

You mean the Ps3's that currently sell for over $1000 each because they are arguably the best next gen system out there? Yeah, those totally sucked.

[Krandor]

Only thing that sucked about first gen PS3s was the price, Sony pretty much had it right from the start, they just couldn't keep the cost in check. But otherwise, yeah being an early adopter of a new product can suck. I just had to replace my Alienware M11x cause it was literally falling apart, which worked out in my favor anyways since I'm getting an upgraded model for no cost.

Apple SHOULD release a revision of the iPhone 4 to alleviate this problem, even if it as simple as putting a thin coating over the antennas, though given Steve Jobs comment I doubt they will for awhile, when they can charge more money for it.

[Kurokikaze]

Part of me feels like they knew about the problem from the start and tried to cover it up by selling their case... Which isn't much of a case; just a rubber band that wraps around the edges.

Wouldn't put it past them to be honest.

[jmc]

You mean the Ps3's that currently sell for over $1000 each because they are arguably the best next gen system out there? Yeah, those totally sucked.

wait, they got for $1000?

Shit link please, i'm selling mine.

[Bethany]

No problems with iPhone 4 here, nor my husband's. Tried to duplicate the reception issue repeatedly on both handsets. A family member purchased one as well, theirs however does do it. Obviously there is more to it than just the design, some of the iPhone 4 handsets out there do not have it. Either way, I hope for those people affected a solution other than holding it different is offered by Apple.

Off topic a bit, why do people complain there is no right click on Macs? You do realize while there is no actual physical button for right click, you can still set the touch surface of the mice to have a right as well as a left click.

[Krandor]

Part of me feels like they knew about the problem from the start and tried to cover it up by selling their case... Which isn't much of a case; just a rubber band that wraps around the edges.

Wouldn't put it past them to be honest.

Well in the Apple conference where Steve Jobs couldn't get it to connect, wasn't he holding it the "wrong" way? I think considering how fast they spit out a response to it they definitely knew about it ahead of time, but unlike any reasonable company, they knew that Apple fanboys would be willing to eat shit and ignored the problem.

[Kurokikaze]

Yeah he was holding it wrong at the conference. And yes, Apple has proven time and time again that they could sell shit disguised as food to their core fanbase then sell them a toothbrush to get the shitty taste out of their mouth. lol

[Zeh]

That's the genius of it though. Very few companies can create that kind of loyalty.

[Tyche]

Wasn't Jobs on WiFi during the press conference? AFAIK, this doesn't effect wifi.

[jmc]

Wasn't Jobs on WiFi during the press conference? AFAIK, this doesn't effect wifi.

This ^^

He was using a wifi connection, and was telling people to get off the conference wifi >.>

[Kurokikaze]

Wow this is pretty bad...

Apple telling reps to smooth over iPhone 4 reception complaints, not to offer free bumpers?

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget....bv1241hold.jpg

BGR appears to have nabbed a document being distributed by Apple corporate to AppleCare reps tasked with handling iPhone 4 customers miffed with the antenna performance fiasco -- and for the time being, the recommendations are focusing on managing expectations, not fixing the problem. In a nutshell, reps are being instructed to pass on a more politically correct version of Steve's email by telling customers that they should "avoid covering the black strip in the lower-left corner of the metal band." Interestingly, they agree that bumpers might fix the problem, but they're emphatic in saying that they "ARE NOT appeasing customers with free bumpers – DON'T promise a free bumper to customers." And yes, that statement is complete with caps and bold in the source document, so they mean business, it would seem. If it's any consolation, Apple says that "the iPhone 4's wireless performance is the best [they] have ever shipped," but let's be honest: for those zapping their calls into the afterlife every time they brush their phone the wrong way, it's not much consolation at all.

This is pretty awful. When Nintendo "fucked up" with the straps on the launch Wiimotes they let everyone order them on the site for free and even paid for the shipping. Same thing when they released the rubber case for it. Apple could learn something from them.

[Mayareira]

Doesn't this affect left-handed people only? Left handed = uses wrong side of the brain = retard, so...not much to blame Apple here.

[Krandor]

So what you're saying is that Apple should just tell left handed people to fuck off and buy other phones?

And yeah, I saw that article up on Engadget, Apple is seriously fucking this up. If it was any other company they would have townfolk going all Frankenstein mob style with pitchforks and torches outside their office.

[Cyn]

Well, it's a good thing I never plan on buying any of Apple's shit, being left handed and all.