From the first day out of the chute, Apple’s new iPhone 4 has faced the harshest criticism of any previous versions of the smartphone: accusations of a hardware design flaw. With many left-handed people reporting not just signal loss but actually dropped calls, the special antenna system so highly touted by Steve Jobs during the phone’s unveiling has come under scrutiny. Apple muddied the waters by claiming the issues were caused by software improperly calculating the AT&T signal strength and have indicated they are working on a fix.
All fine and dandy, until Consumer Reports up and confirms that the issue is definitely hardware related and not just in people’s heads. Then, among mounting criticisms on their own support forums, Apple pulls the plugs on several discussion threads that are critical of the new phone’s antenna system. So far, Apple is 0 for 2, and yes, we’re all counting.
Finally, Cult of Mac is reporting that various PR experts are claiming that Apple will have no recourse but to issue a full recall on the iPhone 4 model because of the poorly designed and functioning antenna system. So, will Apple end up having to face the music and pull the iPhone 4 from the market? Could they get by with issuing bumpers on request to all who want one for their new phones? Whatever they decide to do, they better do it quick. Word is spreading like wildfire, and combined with the fact that they’ve been losing mobile OS market share for the past two quarters, it’s not a good position for them to be in.
