Antennagate: Apple Explains All, Gives iPhone 4 Buyers Free Cases

Antennagate: Apple Explains All, Gives iPhone 4 Buyers Free Cases | Fast Company)

To summarize:

• iPhone 4 has only 0.5% complaint rate to AppleCare
• iPhone 4 has 1/3 the return rate of the iPhone 3GS
• iPhone for drops less than 1% more calls then the 3GS
• So for those minority of users having issues, you can get a free bumper or return the phone.

Best quote of the whole event:

Question said:

On the September 30th date, is that to let people know that you'll have to buy a case?

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Steve Jobs said:

Not really, we'll reevaluate then. Maybe we'll have a better idea. Maybe Eminem will come out with a band-aid that goes over the corner and everyone will want that.

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Not exactly...
Apple cannot produce nearly enough bumpers, so they are giving customers a choice of some different cases or the option to return for complete refund (no restocking fee).

Forgot to add also a refund if you already bought a bumper. (maybe that's what you meant in your post by "free bumper")

I just like how all the hard data proves this is not a huge issue.

schweb said:

I just like how all the hard data proves this is not a huge issue.

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There is some question about whether the problem is being reported to AppleCare. If the problem was a design flaw, why would you go to the Genius bar? All they can do is give you another identical phone.

schweb said:

I just like how all the hard data proves this is not a huge issue.

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You try telling all the bloggers and news sites that

Sites such as the BBC have covered this issue to death, with no jounalist seemingly actually investigating wether this effects other phones, or is a large scale issue at all

Microsoft has even waded in with a good kick while Apple seems to be down (nobody mention the KIN)
Vista-hating Microsoft throws poo at Apple's iPhone 4 ? The Register

Really, I think one guy has it right

Olivier Blanchard of Brand Builder Marketing said that Apple is also something of a target:

"When people talk about brand management and brands that 'get it', they are the super brand, the rock stars of the branding world.

"By the same token, we have put them on such a pedestal but there is really nowhere for them to go but down. That means every little mistake is going to get criticised and over analysed and blown out of proportion. If they had remained the underdog they were five years ago, this would be something of a non issue."

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Very interesting speech he gave...

.55% of 1.7 million: about 93,000+ people have called Applecare with this particular antenna issue. I'm assuming that doesn't include people with the problem who haven't contacted Applecare? Does this include walk ups to AT&T or Apple Stores?

1/3 the return rate of the 3G: Will this number stay the same after the initial 30 day return period is complete?

1% more calls dropped: So it does drop more calls than the 3G? Apparently return rates have an inverse relation to dropped calls? Less returns = more dropped calls?

Bumper for free: Bandages will be issued; return if you have an issue - fair enough.

While they did address the issue, and they handled it as best as could be expected, you could still tell that Jobs was NOT happy that they even had to have this press conference.

Giving your own product the compliment sandwich (3 million sold, Antenna isn't perfect, Free Bumpers!) was about as best as I'd expected from them. It's Apple. They're not gonna go "Oh, well there's an inherent design flaw. We'll take 'em back and start from scratch."

They did what they needed to do to handle the situation, didn't exactly solve the problem, but they did save some face. That being said, I'm even happier with my 3GS decision now.

technologist said:

There is some question about whether the problem is being reported to AppleCare. If the problem was a design flaw, why would you go to the Genius bar? All they can do is give you another identical phone.

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Your right, I'm sure people don't complain to the manufacturer when there's an issue with something they bought. I would agree with your thought process if it wasn't for the fact most people aren'r savvy enough to know what a design flaw is.

louishen said:

You try telling all the bloggers and news sites that

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Because we all know bloggers and news organizations never get anything wrong and certainly never blow things out of proportion.

XJ-linux said:

.55% of 1.7 million: about 93,000+ people have called Applecare with this particular antenna issue. I'm assuming that doesn't include people with the problem who haven't contacted Applecare? Does this include walk ups to AT&T or Apple Stores?

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And how many of those people complained when their signal sucked anyway before hand? Let's call it the "bird flu syndrome".

As for does it include walk-ups? It does for sure in Apple stores and AT&T refers people to AppleCare for iPhone problems so I'm sure a good number are captured.

1% more calls dropped: So it does drop more calls than the 3G? Apparently return rates have an inverse relation to dropped calls? Less returns = more dropped calls?

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You do realize that's like 1 in 100 right? It's really not significant.

For those still not happy, here's the easy solution for you...don't buy the phone if you don't think it will work for you. You seem to consistently try to poke holes in the data and find reasons not to want this phone. I would bet if Steve said 99% of people complained, you'd cry that no it must be 100% complained. If you honestly feel Apple is so duplicitous, why would you want to buy their phone?

Let's put it this way....

• 99.5% of iPhone 4 users are haven't complained to Apple or AT&T about the phone.
• 99 out of 100 calls will go through just fine like it did on the iPhone 3GS

For those of you who aren't happy with this, just don't buy the phone. There are plenty of other phones to purchase out there that maybe you'll be happier with.

For the rest of us 99.5% of happy iPhone 4 users, we'll keep this phone.

One of the best quotes I saw on Twitter

"If only the popular press was just as hard on risky bank investments as it is phone antennas."

Quite honestly, it's hard to swallow any of these kinds of stories with the way that the media hypes any negative story related to Apple. This whole thing reminds me of the Toyota problems just a few months ago. No one was ever able to come up with an all-encompassing cause of that issue either. But that didn't stop the press from hounding on any little anecdote - real or imagined - related to Toyota.

Now, I'm not Toyota fan (I've owned one and didn't care for it or the dealer), but I am a fan of responsible reporting. In my opinion, both cases are textbook examples of the mainstream media blowing a problem way out of proportion.

cwa107 said:

Quite honestly, it's hard to swallow any of these kinds of stories with the way that the media hypes any negative story related to Apple. This whole thing reminds me of the Toyota problems just a few months ago. No one was ever able to come up with an all-encompassing cause of that issue either. But that didn't stop the press from hounding on any little anecdote - real or imagined - related to Toyota.

Now, I'm not Toyota fan (I've owned one and didn't care for it or the dealer), but I am a fan of responsible reporting. In my opinion, both cases are textbook examples of the mainstream media blowing a problem way out of proportion.

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I think this iPhone antenna thing is blown way out of proportion, but I think the Toyota problems weren't. There were injuries and deaths from the Toyota issue (including a CHP Officer), and it was a known issue that Toyota didn't handle when they were first made aware of it. Apple, however, is handling this issue. Kudos to them for not pushing this issue away and admitting their own fault and issuing a solution.

Video of the press conference is now available:

Apple - QuickTime - July 16 Press Conference

Also, for all of you who think the iPhone's antenna is so broken, I'd be interested in your take of the videos that show the same drop on several other major smartphones?

I knew it had something to do with the reporters blowing this problem WAY out of proportion. I even commented some time ago saying that just didn't seem right. I believe the turn-around time for all of this was also pretty quick, with them releasing 4.1 and free cases. On a side note, I don't think I've ever seen Steve so emotional!

Cwa107,
Any chance that some other random user had the same user name as you on LLN?

I think it was a pretty good presentation, gave a pretty convincing explanation. I have never had the antenna problem with my i4, even when giving it the death grip without my case but I thought maybe it was just a matter of time or maybe signal strength here is strong enough to overcome it.

Either way, this press conference is reassuring. I never really thought about the fact that every other phone would have the same reason and the only reason that the i4 is getting pointed out is because it's the biggest/latest release from a phone manufacturing giant. Go grip an android phone and apparently you'll have the same problem but you'll never hear about HTC getting slammed by the media bc they are not apple.

This was a huge over reaction I'd say and since most (including myself) were only taking the word of the media, it feeds the frenzy and makes it bigger than it is.

I think if you can't live with a case, get a new phone or don't touch the antenna in that manner. If you can't stand doing those then the i4 is not for you but I agree with scwebb, I'm a happy iPhone 4 user. It's hands down the best phone out there.

Another interesting link from Apple:

Apple - Smartphone Antenna Performance

schweb said:

One of the best quotes I saw on Twitter

"If only the popular press was just as hard on risky bank investments as it is phone antennas."

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Great quote!!

alexsd123 said:

I think this iPhone antenna thing is blown way out of proportion, but I think the Toyota problems weren't. There were injuries and deaths from the Toyota issue (including a CHP Officer), and it was a known issue that Toyota didn't handle when they were first made aware of it. Apple, however, is handling this issue. Kudos to them for not pushing this issue away and admitting their own fault and issuing a solution.

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NHTSA has released some preliminary data showing that the black boxes from the vehicles involved in accidents with supposed 'runaway accelerator pedals' actually had the drivers applying the gas pedal only, and not the brake (they hit the wrong pedal and were too stupid to know it). Go read about Audi in the 80's, basically the same thing happened to them.

i did not read any of that but loved the vid

idrinorbarsaku said:

Cwa107,
Any chance that some other random user had the same user name as you on LLN?

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Nope, that's me. I like cars too.