As the mainstream media news bumbles along reporting the iPhone 4 antenna issues, and what Apple will or won’t do about the problem in today’s press conference, Apple appear to be pushing the rumour that an iPhone 4 recall is not going to happen. Techcrunch note that the WSJ’s apparent third party “in the know” is likely actually just to be Apple steering the media in the right direction, setting public expectations up front.
So if a recall isn’t on the cards, what is? Are we going to see some other good will gesture from Apple to keep people sweet? They could, for example – update the hardware to remove the antenna issue for all new iPhone 4′s, and offer free bumpers to existing owners – but that sounds like a hot water solution to me.
Maybe they literally won’t do anything? Perhaps Steve Jobs will walk on stage and say “You know what? We’ve sold 2.5 million iPhone 4s since launch, and 99% of users are extremely happy with them”. I doubt a “brushing under the carpet” type scenario is going to happen, that would be just too bullish, even for Apple – but what they may do is address the problem head on with a little public education.
Perhaps the Steve Jobs / Apple PR machine is thinking that maybe, just maybe, if Steve gets on stage and tells people how it really is, gives some valid evidence, and puts the issue into a bit of context this may turn this story around, with Apple needing to spend $0.
With estimates of a recall gong into the billions, I too think that that will be unlikely to play out. It’s more like Apple to take this thing by the scruff of the neck, they may admit that yes, the design is slightly flawed. As far as compensating customers? I doubt it.
I’m an iPhone 4 user affected by the antenna issue. I can replicate it in low signal certain locations (not all), and have had a call interrupted by me “holding it the wrong way“. That said, I love the iPhone 4. Obviously, I would love it if Apple could eradicate this issue for me from my iPhone, but if they choose not to, I definitely will not be returning mine to an Apple Store anytime soon, only to be without it.
The iPhone 4 is by far the best iPhone Apple have come out with. Sure, you can get into wranglings about how it’s not a phone if you can’t make calls on it etc, but for me, the iPhone 4 is bigger than that. It’s an amazing device, regardless of this flaw… and to be honest, this flaw has affected me once in 3 weeks, all other times I have purposely made it happen.
I’d be happy with an education, maybe a free bumper (ha!) Would you?
