Free iPhone 4 Bumper App is Online
It is finally here, Apple’s promise to give users free bumpers to help fix the issue the faulty antenna. Of course, a bumper will not actually repair the mobile phone’s actual hardware, but it provides users with a way to use the smart phone without worrying about calls being dropped all of a sudden.
According to reports, the Apple iPhone 4’s antenna is prone to losing signal and worse, dropping calls. Many users have complained that the smart phone would often drop calls in the middle of a conversation, which was both wasteful of resources and also frustrating for people having the call. For a while, the cause of the issue was hard to pin down, and it was not until many people complained online that it was known that the antenna was the cause for the problem.
However, identifying the cause did not bode well for anyone, the only solution to a hardware problem that affects the hardware for all devices is a recall for all iPhone 4 units, and with over a million of the devices already purchased by consumers, it was a logistical nightmare that Apple did not want to wade into.
The solution came about 22 days later after the launch of the iPhone 4, a full three weeks after the device has been out on the market and almost as much time since users have identified the problem that plagues the device. Apple’s answer came in the form of an emergency conference where the problem has been dubbed as “antennagate”.
Steve Jobs took the stage and gave a rousing speech about how the issue is not really Apple’s problem but a problem for all phone makers. Naturally, it only took days before other phone makers countered Jobs’ arguments, stating that only the iPhone 4 has such as history and experience with so many dropped calls.
Apple’s Free Cases: Par for the Course
Are we really expecting so much of Apple? Or to rephrase that question, did we really expect any better?
As Steve Jobs has pointed out, Apple has been in the industry for about three decades now, and while it is one thing to point out that the folks at Cupertino have not learned a thing at all, it would be sad to realize that the industry itself has not either –at least in regards to Apple and how they deal with things.
If the first half of 2010 is to be used as a reference point, it is easy to see how Apple quickly broke down relations between them and Adobe, gotten Taiwanese manufacturer HTC riled up and has also managed to show the world how tough they can get on developers.
So when they have managed to sell over 1.7 million units of a device with a faulty antenna, did we really think that they would do the noble thing and start a recall? Maybe the tech industry is simply far too optimistic.
It has already been revealed by many financial experts that a recall would cost Apple almost a solid billion worth of Pounds (USD estimates are at 1.5 billion). Apple would never take in such a loss, and that estimate is bound to get higher once the company steps into the perilous task of recalling such a large volume of expensive devices.
In any case, it seems that Apple has at least made a decision about what course of action they would be taking. While it makes no sense that the company has taken 22 days to decide on a course of action, it is still good that they have finally come out to provide the world with a more viable solution than a software update to the signal meter.
Apple’s iPhone 4 Issues could have been Avoided
The current state of things is: Apple has already sold over 1.7 million defective iPhone 4 units. The issue is something that cannot be easily resolved and in order to sort things out, Apple has already declared that they will be holding a press conference.
What makes things really tough to take in is the rumor that Apple was already aware that there was an antenna problem during the prototype testing of the handset. According to an informant from within Apple; the senior engineer, Ruben Caballero was told not to speak to the public about such matters. It is ironic however, as the rumors point to Ruben as the man who found the secret location in the first place.
Knowing that Apple could have prevented all of this from happening in the first place is a truly disappointing realization. After all, so many users has been affected by the omission of this one single step; had the iPhone 4’s antenna been okay, then no one would be worried about dropped calls and not massive lawsuits would need to be fired.
As to why Apple refused to listen to a chief engineer, no one can tell. But one can only assume that they are already deep in the production process when they realized that they could not afford to change the devices as they are.
In the meanwhile, millions of iPhone users are already looking towards the big conference, hopefully Apple would be announcing a solution to the issue and that a fix would be made available for users. Still, that is unlikely as it is believed that the hardware issue cannot be resolved by an over the air update. It is only a short while before Apple’s conference; we will finally get to find out what Apple has been up to regarding the issue.
Why iPhone 4 Users Should get Fring
The iPhone 4 is certainly one handset that people love. Apple managed to sell 1.7 million units in just three days, which is a major retailing feat by any standards. Of course, there is more to the iPhone 4 than just the Apple brand (though it cannot be denied that that also served as a major factor in sales); the smart phone is indeed a device that lives up to the reputation of the iconic handset.
Aside from having organized folders, new customizable settings and multi tasking, the iPhone 4 also features a front facing camera. This new addition has been on the wish lists of Apple iPhone users since the 2G version came out. Now, about three years later, the feature has been added.
While we all celebrated the news when it was announced a couple of months back, the joy suddenly turned to disappointment after Apple suddenly announced the FaceTime app that would be limiting how users will be able to use the new front facing camera. Video chat is only enabled for WiFi networks, and only other iPhone 4 users can be contacted.
Not only was the new rule restrictive, but it basically made any reason for owning a handset with a front facing camera a moot point. The VoIP specialists of Fring however, had different ideas in their mind.
The new Fring app turns the Apple iPhone 4 into the handset that it is supposed to be –at least, in terms of video calling capabilities. Video calls can now be done on 3G and WiFi, depending on the preference of the user. Also the iPhone 4 will allow users to chat with Android and Symbian handset owners too.
This video chat app for the Apple iPhone 4 is already out and users can download it straight from the Apple iTunes store.
Apple’s Solution: Not Working
According to Apple, there is no problem with the antenna on the iPhone 4. The issue is that users are not able to make calls when they are in areas with low reception. Unfortunately, since the iPhone 4 (and all the other iPhones) are not able to show the proper amount of signal strength in a given location, users are unable to determine where they should be able to make a call.
Now that is basically how we sum up Apple’s recently posted letter regarding the iPhone 4 issue. In order to rectify the situation, Apple has decided that they would be releasing a new patch that would accurately depict the signal strength in a given area. This is hard to believe. Sure, Apple is pointing out a real problem with the iOS, but that is not the root of the antenna issue.
The root of the antenna issue is the antenna itself. The problem here is that the phone loses all reception when that antenna is touched by a hand. Hands apparently, have not been tested properly at Apple’s super sterilize laboratories. Apparently, a dirty, greasy hand is more likely to drain signal than newly washed hands wearing sterilized gloves in a tech room.
While Apple’s letter will not fix your iPhone’s antenna, here is a quick list of solutions that do work. First off, use nail polish. When we do not exactly recommend this tip that has been circulating the net, it does take minimum effort and is a great fit for those who do not want to resort to using a large case. And that is another solution; getting a case. Since this would prevent the hand from touching the antenna directly -that will no longer be an issue.
Lastly, unsatisfied users can return the handset within 14 days of purchase –and buy an Android smart phone instead.
AppleCare Up and Ready to Handle iPhone 4 Reception Complaints
Everyone knows that the iPhone 4 has topped all the mobile phone sales charts. In fact, it sold a whopping 1.7 million units just this weekend. Unfortunately, the device has also, gotten quite notorious for its signal issues and screen blotches. That being said, it comes as no surprise that a lot of clever lawyers are encouraging people to band together for a class action lawsuit against the mobile industry giant.
Since modern consumers are more savvy about the gadgets they buy, the concept that Apple might have made a very poor design decision has been accepted easily. The antenna seems to have been placed in an unforgiving position for those who are left handed.
While Apple has kept quite mum about the way they designed their iPhone 4 units, they have at least prepped their customer care representatives for the number of incoming complaint calls:
"Keep all of the positioning statements in the BN handy – your tone when delivering this information is important."
It seems that AppleCare representatives are still supposed to push suggestions about changing their customers’ grip in order to improve the iPhone 4’s performance. To solve the reception problem, all the customer has to do is to avoid having skin contact with the black strip attached to the metal band’s lower-left corner.
Or buy a Bumper so they can hold the unit any way they want. No freebies will be offered to customers though and no trouble shooting will be performed unless the problem occurs while the iPhone 4 unit is laying flat on a table.
Because the issue does not seem to have stopped people from buying their products, Apple is not recalling first batch units or even trying to appease anyone. Would this lack of concern be the core argument of impending lawsuits? We will have to wait and see.
Apple iPhone 4 Parts Breakdown: Estimated Cost of 125 GBP
That might seem cheap, but the Apple iPhone 4’s parts practically sum up a total cost of 125 GPB. Of course, that is just the parts alone, while it may seem like Apple is making a killing with every single iPhone they are selling –and with over 1.7 million units sold in a span of just three days of sales, one can only do the math and wonder. Of course, the fact that Apple is pricing every iPhone at a hefty 499 Pounds (for the 16GB version) will make people think that the folks at Cupertino are money hungry evildoers.
In some ways, they are, but no so ruthlessly that they would charge so much for a phone that is cheap to make. The estimated 125 GBP cost for parts simply covers parts and nothing else, but there is so much more to how a smart phone gets designed. First off, the development and design teams spend months and even years working on the technology, prototypes, testing and plenty of work is first done before the phone is finalized and ordered from manufacturers to be produced in bulk.
Of course, the parts will need assembling and you have to consider the packaging cost. End users have to take all of these components into account for the price and not just the cost of the parts.
Still, this study does shows that replacing the iPhone’s touch screen and internal memory will be costly. At the same time, it is surprising to know that the high speed processor actually has a rather cheap price.
According to experts, Apple is still able to make a substantial earning for every iPhone that is sold and that the Cupertino based company is currently one of the companies with the largest income reserves, second only to Microsoft.
The iPhone Gets its Next Big Hit in the Form of Predator
Chillingo, the guys who brought the iPhone gaming community hits such as Monster Mayhem and Pro Zombie Soccer, has gotten lucky when they acquired the rights to release a movie tie-in game title. The highly popular UK publisher has tied up with Fox Digital Entertainment for the first time for this project and they hired Angry Mob to develop the game to perfection.
This title is none other than “Predator” and the game follows the franchise’s latest movie. Since the actual film is set to be shown in theaters this July 9, then it is almost guaranteed that the game will get a lot of attention. Add to the fact that there are very few iPhone titles meant to be played by the older generation and you have got a winning combination.
The unlikely partnership has resulted in quite a bloody game title for the Apple iPhone. Not only is the theme gritty, you will also be able to make use of the Predator’s numerous deadly weapons and skills. These include the sharp and efficient throwing blades, shoulder mounted rocket launcher, capture guns and more. You will be able to experience the world in the eyes of this famous sci-fi creature, viewing things in thermal vision, laser sight and using stealth cloak to surprise your prey.
Since the game play is reminiscent of the movie, you can be sure that it will be bloody. Chasing after helpless humans will often result in a bloody mess, filling up the screen with gore. This is definitely not a title for the young ones, but true Predator fans will have plenty to be pleased about.
The game has a total of 24 levels which gives a significant amount of content for the Apple iPhone or iPhone 4. This will showcase a 3D isometric view mode, virtual stick controls and a whole lot of action to go around.
Apple iPhone 4 Drawbacks
There are plenty of impressive new things on the Apple iPhone 4, but in the end, Apple’s strict rules in regards to how much functionality will be accessible to users still ends up stifling the experience.
The first big issue with the iPhone 4 is that it cannot function without iTunes. Now, there really is no problem about requiring a mobile phone to hook up with specialized phone software –it is actually safer that way. The real issue here is that iTunes really does a number on the iPhone’s internal memory.
The big issue with iTunes is that the way it stores data and information is so mixed up that anyone accessing the internal memory of the iPhone or any other Apple device directly would be surprised by a bunch of jumbled filenames and file folders. This makes the iPhone unusable with other software, of from being browsed directly with a computer.
The lack of a removable battery is still an issue. This long standing problem with Apple already has many people resigned about it, but the fact of the matter is that not being able to manually change the battery (without doing something that voids the warranty) is a serious issue. Batteries tend to die out faster than the devices that they are stuck to, and being able to replace a battery after a year is a convenience that many Apple device users cannot get to enjoy.
Lastly, Apple’s iPhone OS still does not (nor will it ever) support Flash. Sure, HTML5 is great and impressive, and it will definitely be the new media of choice. But until that time comes, Flash is still the norm in the internet, and there is nothing more annoying than realizing that the site you want to browse on your iPhone uses Flash –and there is no specialized app that will let you see the special content.
Future Forecast: Apple and the Competition
There are plenty of things that we are already expecting from the new Apple iPhone that is reportedly going to be unveiled by Steve Jobs this coming June 7th, but the fact of the matter is, most of the expectations on the device’s market performance are based on how well the iPhone 3G/3Gs has performed for the past couple of years.
The Apple iPhone managed to stay on top of the market by offering the most apps, a new way to use a touch screen user interface and of course, being so incredibly stylish. In fact, they did this so well that they have been on top since the iPhone came out last 2008. But that was over two years ago and Apple is no longer the only big fish in the sea that know how to swim well.
Their competitors have also been getting better and better, in fact Google was a big surprise as it burst through the industry as a fledgling underdog into what is now the only mobile platform that seems capable of taking down the iPhone OS.
Even Microsoft has hit the reset button in hopes of catching up with the iPhone. While the Windows Mobile OS has maintained a steady hold of the business market, it still failed to win the hearts of the general market. Their new Windows Phone 7 mobile platform might just be the OS that will change all of that.
This is not to say that Apple’s next generation does not have what it takes to last for another couple of more years, but with the rate that mobile technology is improving, they will certainly be facing more and better competition than the previous iPhone ever did –at this rate, it is hard to predict that Apple can maintain its position for as long as it did before.