Apple on Friday announced that it still has had difficulty in manufacturing the white version of its iPhone 4, and the product will not be available until "later this year."
Years after Verizon Wireless shunned Apple's iPhone because it wanted more control over the device, a company representative has acknowledged that the iPhone App Store was a "watershed" event in the mobile industry.
Users of iOS 4 on both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS say their handset has constantly dropped wireless Bluetooth connections with both headsets and in-car systems.
The iPhone single-handedly brought 860,000 new customers last quarter to wireless provider AT&T, the exclusive carrier of Apple's handset in the U.S.
T-Mobile USA is said to be in discussions with Apple to bring the iPhone to the wireless carrier this fall, ending AT&T's exclusive hold on the handset, according to a new rumor.
Apple has added another smartphone to its list of devices that experience reception issues when held improperly, this time showing a Nokia N97 mini losing signal. Nokia, meanwhile, is looking to replace its current CEO as it has fallen behind in the smartphone market.
As Apple continues to face overwhelming demand for the iPhone 4 and iPad, selling every unit it can make, the company remains unsure when its production capacity can find equilibrium.
Apple sniped a shot at the component cost estimates published by iSuppli in its latest conference call report, suggesting that the estimates were not very close to reality.
As usual, Apple's executives kept close to a carefully prepared script on the company's stellar financial results, being careful not to reveal too much about the company's future plans, including its data center cloud services and broader open support for FaceTime video calling.
Wall Street expects Apple to report another impressive quarter this afternoon, but future iPhone sales could be lower because of publicized antenna issues with the iPhone 4.
A new report detailing the relationship between Apple and AT&T, the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the U.S., reveals that Apple CEO Steve Jobs allegedly considered dropping AT&T numerous times, and considered leaving for Verizon as far back as 2007.
Smartphone rivals HTC and Samsung have both chimed in on Apple's antenna attenuation claims made last week, with both companies suggesting their handsets do not lose signal when held improperly.
Details of the manufacturing difficulties Apple has faced in producing the white version of the iPhone 4 have been detailed in a new report, which suggests supply will be extremely limited when the devices launch later this month.
Research in Motion and Nokia issued official statements Friday decrying Apple's use of their handsets to demonstrate signal loss in their press conference addressing the iPhone 4 antenna problem.
Apple has added a new section to its website, informing consumers about the external antenna featured on the iPhone 4 and how users may experience signal loss. It also revealed its internal antenna testing chambers, and posted video of Friday's press conference in its entirety.
Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said on Friday that his company is aware of problems with the proximity sensor on the iPhone 4, and that they are working on a software fix that is expected to be included in the next iOS update.
Every new iPhone 4 purchased through Sept. 30 will be eligible for a variety of free cases, and those who already purchased a first-party "bumper" will receive a refund, Apple announced on Friday.
Apple on Friday shared a summary of dropped call data it received from wireless partner AT&T, which revealed that the iPhone 4 experiences more dropped calls than the iPhone 3GS, but at a rate less than one per 100 greater.
Just 0.55 percent of all iPhone owners have called AppleCare with an antenna issue, and the return rate for the iPhone 4 has been 1.7 percent — much less than the 6 percent seen with last year's iPhone 3GS, Apple said Friday.
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AppleInsider Staff
Daniel Eran Dilger
Katie Marsal
Slash Lane
Sam Oliver
Neil Hughes
Josh Ong
