The iPhone 4 ’s reception problems are eitherno big dealora major sticking pointdepending on your position . But one matter is indisputable — the furore over the newly unloose phone ’s antenna has become so pervasive thatApple plan to hold a rarified closet conferenceon Friday to undertake the issue head on .
Here ’s what ’s at stake : Since the iPhone 4 ’s release last calendar month , some users have kvetch about problems with feeler interference . The most common ailment involves the reception streak disappearing from the iPhone ’s status saloon when users halt the equipment a certain manner , with their fingers covering the phone ’s feeler . That can slow or even turn back any cellular data transmissions to an iPhone 4 .
We ’re not sure just what Apple is going to say at Friday ’s press league , which we plan tocover livebeginning at 10 a.m. PT . But we do know what questions we have for Apple about the result . Here ’s a summing up of what we trust to see address at Friday ’s imperativeness conference , and why we ’re looking for answers to these interrogative sentence .
So is the problem with iPhone reception a hardware issue or a software one?
Besides , claiming that this is in the main an algorithm emergence does n’t square up with what a routine of iPhone 4 examiner — includingour own iPhone 4 recapitulation — have resolve . check the telephone set along its lower left corner results in significant sign deprivation for some users — a trouble that would apparently have something to do with where Apple placed the transmitting aerial on its unexampled headphone . Consumer Reports was the latest publishing to reach this conclusion when it denote this calendar week that its examination concluded that the problem was with the iPhone 4 ’s hardware , not its software system .
Apple needs to clear up on Friday what it believe is causing the issue . If the company still maintains that it ’s a software package trouble , it needs to make a very convincing slip for that perspective . Late on Thursday , theNew York Timesreported thatthe problem might be fixable via software . Perhaps that will be part of the story on Friday .
Did Apple know about the signal reception issue before it shipped the device?
It ’s difficult to say . ABloomberg storey release on Thursdaysuggests that Apple engineer and transmitting aerial expert Ruben Caballero warned Apple management of likely response problem last year . The patch also claims that a carrier partner of Apple ’s voiced concern before the telephone set ’s release as well . But Apple denied the Bloomberg reportin a statement to the Wall Street Journal .
How did this happen?
If Apple ’s denial to the Wall Street Journal is true , that still does n’t speak the issue of how the iPhone 4 made it through Apple ’s examination operation without the receipt job appearing — or appearing with enough oftenness to upraise any reddish flags about the phone . Apple will be severely - urge on to explain how it did n’t spy the progeny . ( No left - handed tester ? Was anything dissimilar in iPhone 4 development versus other earpiece ? ) We know that there were speech sound out in the wild prior to dismission — remember this spring ’s furor over the mislaid iPhone image ? We also roll in the hay that , because of secrecy concerns , Apple tested those pre - issue iPhone 4 units in cases design to make them bet like an iPhone 3GS . Given the evidence that Apple ’s bumper cases prevent the signal attenuation , it ’s possible these trial run cases created a similar upshot . Perhaps Apple can shed some visible radiation on this issue Friday .
What’s the proper way to hold an iPhone?
Steve Jobs infamously told an iPhone user feel pathetic response to “ just avoid holding it in that way , ” cite to touching the two antenna in the lower - leave recession of the machine . It will be interesting to see what Apple says about holding the phone , and if there are any fussy Apple - approved grips for the machine , at the closet conference . opportunity are good , though , that what Apple will say is that in areas of near response , it wo n’t weigh how you take for the phone , and if you put on a case , it also wo n’t weigh . It ’s only when receipt is poor and you ’re handling a desolate telephone set that the iPhone 4 experiences signal personnel casualty .
What about problems with the iPhone 4’s proximity sensor?
Dropped calls from disappear cellular signals have take hold of most of the care with the iPhone 4 , but it ’s not the only trouble facing the new earpiece . Some users have also complained ofproblems with the proximity sensor — the detector the iPhone uses to detect when you hold the equipment up to your face . When the iPhone arrest close to your side , the law of proximity sensor is say to turn off the display , so that you do n’t unwittingly hang up on your call when your cheek hits the silver screen . But on some iPhone 4 models , the detector is apparently get beat — either it does n’t turn over off the video display when you contain the phone to your look , or it does n’t re - activate the screen once you move the iPhone away from your face .
Apple needs to confirm how widespread an return this is and how it plans to address the matter for users reporting problems with the propinquity sensor in their sound .
Has this situation hurt Apple’s credibility?
Apple sold 1.7 million iPhone 4sin the first four Clarence Day of the phone ’s release , making it the most successful product launch in the troupe ’s chronicle . hoi polloi lined up at Apple Stores around the country on launching day to get their men on the phone , a fact that surely generated a lot of plus buzz about the product . And to be certain , a tidy sum of those customer are quite satisfied with their leverage , if the feedback in our forums is anything to go by .
But just as assuredly , those customers sham by iPhone 4 response issue probably are n’t pleased with their unexampled phone and even less satisfied with how Apple has treat the issue . Getting the company to comment on the exit beyond its few public statements has been a futile effort . We have to wonder if this retinal cone - of - silence strategy was the best style to do by early adopter who helped the company enter such a successful production launching . To put it another way , Apple seems dead glad to brag the number of hoi polloi that describe up to grease one’s palms its new phone , but less willing to address the segment of those client who ran into problem with the ware . Is Apple worried that its demeanour might stimulate early adopters to consider twice about purchase Cupertino ’s next offering on launching Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , thus impacting succeeding mathematical product launching ?
How does Apple plan on fixing the problem?
Well , that ’s the $ 1.5 billion interrogation , is n’t it ? ( That ’s the estimated cost , harmonize to Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi , of an iPhone 4 reminiscence — a scenario we ’d guess is unlikely and that theWall Street Journalreports wo n’t go on , name “ a someone familiar with the matter . ” )
Most in all likelihood , Apple will admit that touching the iPhone 4 in a certain manner will abridge its signal , and that in areas with inadequate signaling quality it can precede to drop vociferation or a loss of data transfer speed . But the companionship will believably downplay the issue , say it ’s a relatively rare occurrence in the genuine world . It ’s unlikely that the company will recall all existing iPhone 4 models , though it ’s possible it may qualify newfangled iPhone 4s to reduce or eliminate the interference . ( If the caller did that , it would almost certainly have to offer a trade - in plan for live phones , but it could potentially avoid using the condition “ product recall . ” )
More in all probability , Apple will simply extend a sop to client who are experience job . Since our test ( and those ofConsumer Reports ) show that the problem is largely solved by commit an dielectric such as one of Apple ’s $ 29 iPhone Bumpers around the sound , it seems plausible that Apple will proffer iPhone 4 buyers who are experiencing the trouble a free iPhone Bumper or even a childlike appurtenance that will underwrite the affected region . For what it ’s worth , Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster thinks Apple could offer afree in - store pickle to live iPhone owners , in which Apple would shroud the earphone ’s antenna with a non - conductive coating .
Apple may also extend the time period during which dissatisfied customer can return their iPhone — allowing it to subsequently make the case that only a tiny fraction of user actually returned the iPhone , despite the medium frenzy over this issue .
Whatever grade of action the society winds up taking , it should become clear after Friday ’s press conference . Be sure to join us at Macworld.com , as we bring you all the details along with Apple ’s answers to these iPhone 4 questions .
