Apple gives one business free bumpers for iPhone 4 reception issues
The business owner, who asked not to be named, said they are a longtime Apple customer that has supplied iPhones to their employees since the device was first released in 2007. Every year since, they have upgraded to Apple's latest handset.
But when they were among the first to receive their five iPhone 4s a day early last week, it was readily apparent something was wrong with the phones: Just touching the bottom left of the phone would cause a call to drop within 10 seconds.
"Literally, we live in an area where we get five bars," they said. "You can almost see a line-of-site cell tower. But if you literally just touch the black line (in the bottom left of the iPhone 4), you lose a call."
They soon contacted Apple to find out if they had a faulty batch of phones. At the time, the company's representatives were not yet aware of any issues with the device.
The business owner spoke with an entry Apple representative, and then they were transferred to an expert with Apple technical support. A representative even admitted that they, too, were experiencing reception issues when gripping their own, personal iPhone 4 on the left side.
An Apple employee last Thursday, June 24, requested that the business owner send videos of the issue so they could see what was happening. They even wanted to have all five phones brought in to a local retail store so the company could see it in person.
But by the end of launch day, a senior iPhone support representative informed them that all iPhone 4 hardware was experiencing the same problem. That Apple employee then offered free bumpers for their troubles.
Last week, Apple issued a formal statement in which the company said that using a case, such as Apple's $30 protective bumpers, can lessen the reception issue. The problem occurs when a user's bare skin bridges the two antennas found on the metal perimeter of the device.
Then, on Friday, Apple wrote an open letter to iPhone 4 users, in which the company repeated its stance that holding any phone will result in some lost reception. But it also said that the formula used to calculate bars of signal strength on the iPhone 4 is inaccurate, and will be corrected in the coming weeks with a free software fix.
One in-depth look at the iPhone this week found that cupping the iPhone 4 tightly can result in a loss of 24.6 dB of signal. The effect can be lessened with an exterior case, that prevents one's hand from acting as a conducting agent between the phone's antennas.
Some have even suggested that Apple may give away bumpers to address the issue, though one alleged internal AppleCare employee memo specifically stated that the company is not "appeasing customers with free bumpers." While that may be the official policy now, it was not last week, when Apple promised the small business owner in New York that they would receive some for free. That person has received their order confirmation, and the black-color cases currently have a wait of 5 to 7 days before they ship.
And despite their unhappiness with the reception on the iPhone 4, they said Apple's customer service was kind and helpful, and they plan to continue doing business with the Cupertino, Calif., company.
"Apple is a great company," they said. "We've always liked Apple."
108 Comments
Ugh! Bad move, Apple. Now that gets added to the court case.
An Apple employee last Thursday, June 24, requested that the business owner send videos of the issue so they could see what was happening. They even wanted to have all five phones brought in to a local retail store so the company could see it in person.
This shows an Apple employee don't disclosing they were aware of the issue last Thursday which destroys the conspiracy theorist claim that Apple built the Bumpers specifically to deal with this issue. Though I suppose Apple didn't tell their trusted employees about this or this employee was being coy and going the extra mile by having the customer send in video of this issue. Sneaky¡
This is the closest we've come to this affecting all iPhone 4s, but that could simply be an acknowledgement of the signal bars representation sensitivity issue.
Where the FAAAAACK is my bumper for free?! I have a family of four and we had to pay for our bumpers to fix the reception issue. This dude had a business of 5? Come on Apple. Get it together.
EDIT:
This is what I think on the issue.
Apple says that all phones do this. Yes, I agree. My 3Gs did it too. They say that it is a software issue because the bars don't correctly resemble your real signal strength. That's fine. So, if that is the case, why would a bumper fix it? It isn't that you are COVERING the area, it is that you are touching the metal in that one specific spot. The bumper allows you to keep your kung fu death grip and not lose signal. That says that it isn't software but design issues. I think personally that Apple figured this out too late and decided to magically start making Bumpers that magically fix the problem. When has Apple ever made iPhone covers in the last 3 years. Never. And now they start making them when the iPhone has serious issues that these magic bumpers seem to fix. Come on. Really? If the software issue was true and my 3Gs did it too, why would my iphone 4 be soooooo much worse than it? If my finger on my RIGHT hand slightly slides down the phone and hits that spot....blam! call dropped.
I ordered my bumper not because I wanted to, but because I want to stopped dropping calls and there aren't any better cases out there yet.
I want a freaking refund.
Oh, and FIX THE DAMN PROXIMITY SENSOR PROBLEMS TOO!!!! I am sick of muting, holding, ending, etc calls with my ear!!!
I have been a dedicated Fanboy for years. But this is starting to piss me off. I spent a lot of money on these phones.
Where the FAAAAACK is my bumper for free?! I have a family of four and we had to pay for our bumpers to fix the reception issue. This dude had a business of 5? Come on Apple. Get it together.
This is exactly why they told their employees not to give them out.
Once one guy gets one, everyone will demand one.
This is exactly why they told their employees not to give them out.
Once one guy gets one, everyone will demand one.
I agree. but read my edit. I don't think Apple is being truthful.
Where the FAAAAACK is my bumper for free?! I have a family of four and we had to pay for our bumpers to fix the reception issue. This dude had a business of 5? Come on Apple. Get it together.
This is what I think on the issue.
Apple says that all phones do this. Yes, I agree. My 3Gs did it too. They say that it is a software issue because the bars don't correctly resemble your real signal strength. That's fine. So, if that is the case, why would a bumper fix it? It isn't that you are COVERING the area, it is that you are touching the metal in that one specific spot. The bumper allows you to keep your kung fu death grip and not lose signal. That says that it isn't software but design issues. I think personally that Apple figured this out too late and decided to magically start making Bumpers that magically fix the problem. When has Apple ever made iPhone covers in the last 3 years. Never. And now they start making them when the iPhone has serious issues that these magic bumpers seem to fix. Come on. Really? If the software issue was true and my 3Gs did it too, why would my iphone 4 be soooooo much worse that it? If my finger on my RIGHT hand slightly slides down the phone and hits that spot....blam! call dropped.
I ordered my bumper not because I wanted to, but because I want to stopped dropping calls and there aren't any better cases out there yet.
I want a freaking refund.
Oh, and FIX THE DAMN PROXIMITY SENSOR PROBLEMS TOO!!!! I am sick of muting, holding, ending, etc calls with my ear!!!
I have been a dedicated Fanboy for years. But this is starting to piss me off. I spent a lot of money on these phones.
Jeez dude... you sound like someone killed your dog.