Last Friday, Apple officially held a press conference to publicly discuss the “death grip” issue apparently plaguing the iPhone 4. Steve Jobs took to the floor and gave us some facts and figures, aiming to clear up the confusion. I’ve waited a few days, before commenting, because i wanted the dust to settle on the issue & the surrounding solution. By now, it has.
First off, Apple does acknowledge, with full disclosure, that gripping the iPhone 4 over the lower left-side (where a black line indicates the joining of the perimeter antenna, shown right) will cause the cellular signal to weaken. Apple also indicated that this isn’t a problem limited to just the iPhone 4; Jobs was quick to point out that it is an issue with all “smartphones” and then demonstrated video (now available online) whereby the situation can be replicated on the iPhone 3GS, the Blackberry Bold 9700, the HTC Droid Eris, the Nokia N97 mini and the Samsung Omnia II, amongst others.
The problem is hard to avoid, no matter how you design a mobile phone because there are numerous rules and regulations (by the FCC for radiation distribution, etc.) that cannot be avoided. In the past, like many other mobile phone manufacturers, Apple has opted to put their antennas on the inside of their phones, with additional receivers on the outside (the iPhone 3GS uses the metal bevel around the phone and the metal bevel around the camera lens to help with reception). It wasn’t until the recent release of the iPhone 4 that Apple tried another technique: take ALL antennas out of the phone’s interior and use the perimeter’s metal band as the [sole] antenna. People have called them crazy (that’s nothing new), but think about their motives: by moving the antenna from the interior, Apple has made room for a larger battery, a bigger/faster processor and more onboard storage. Hmmmmm…desirable features.
Apple (and Consumer Reports) has also further demonstrated that the “issue” becomes moot when the iPhone 4 is in either a case or a “bumper.” The theory here is simple: with a case or bumper, the human hand isn’t making direct contact with, and thus absorbing, the antennas receiving capabilities.
Ok, so if you MUST hold your phone so that your hand is covering a sensitive area, and a cover/bumper would fix it, why not just use one? Well, that’s what Apple is proposing as their immediate solution. In fact, they are giving away FREE bumpers to any iPhone 4 buyer from now until [at least] September 30, 2010. If you have already purchased a bumper from Apple, they will refund 100% of your money. Further, since Apple is struggling to keep up with bumper manufacturing, they will be offering select 3rd parties cases for FREE as well.
The critics have claimed that this isn’t an adequate enough solution, but i disagree. Not only is Apple providing a solution that works, they have made it clear that any iPhone user that is unhappy with their phone can return for a full refund. Customers won’t even be charged the normal stocking fee. NO ONE is being FORCED to use an iPhone 4.
Apple went on to explain that despite all of the brew-ha-ha that the critics have claimed & drummed up, less than 1% of actual customers (world-wide) have complained about reception being an issue with their iPhone 4. And, during yesterday’s public Q3 financial call/report, Apple announced that the, appareant antenna issue, has had no impact on sales. In fact, Apple is still struggling to keep up with demand. Current buyers are still looking at a 7-14 day wait (at minimum).
The iPhone 4 White model is expected to go on sale before the end of the month, and my bet is this Friday; Apple has indicated that the iPhone 4 will go on sale in a number of other countries on that same date. Seems like the perfect time for a roll-out.
Lastly, Apple released a minor update to the iOS just prior to the press conference: iOS 4.0.1. Despite what many of us thought, nothing in this update (nor any future updates) will fix the hardware/antenna situation; A physical redesign is required. Jobs himself indicated that it’s an engineering situation that software cannot correct or adjust. Instead, this small update corrects the mathematical algorithm that the phone uses to properly display cellular reception. It wasn’t until Apple started investigating the “death grip” that they discovered there was a flaw in their original calculations. It’s also worth noting that there is no industry standard for calculating reception or displaying it. It is assumed that manufacturers calculate their signal ethically and responsibly and do not misrepresent the information to improve their device/network image(s).
Are you using the iPhone 4? Are you plagued by reception issues?
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Apple refreshed it’s $999, entry-level, iBook MacBook today. The new design hasn’t been updated since it’s release last October, but it’s no surprise that it’s been bumped up.
There are a few tweaks here and there, but in my book, they are just bringing the product current with other tech offerings on the market (computers/gadget features depreciate quickly). The most compelling new “feature” Apple announced is the improved battery. The new MacBook is now offered with a 10hr usage life. That up from the previous 7hrs. It should be noted that real-life experience typically yields MUCH lower times (depending on active services, usage, etc), but anytime a manufacturer’s estimates increase, it’s safe to bet that real-life experience will increase (some) also.
Apple has been making a lot of waves in the last year as they’ve started remanufacturing their MacBook’s/iPad’s batteries. While we’ve lost the ability to swap batteries out (i’ve had several Apple portables since the mid-90′s and while i’ve purchased many EXPENSIVE extra batteries, i never used them — ever), we’ve gained major improvements in our device’s usage times. A worthy swap in my opinion.
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earlier today, apple announced that their portables will now feature the Intel Core i5 and i7 processors. they also sport the new NVIDIA GeForce graphics card —- thus boosting overall power substantially.
The 13in MacBook Pro comes with more RAM and now a 10 hour battery.
The 15 and 17in MacBook Pros have TWO graphic cards: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M processor and the Intel HD Graphics (this one provides lower energy usage). the new laptops switch [between processors], as needed, continuously assessing the computer’s available power.
Optionally, you can also add a new hi-res display. at 1680 x 1050, it has 36% more pixels. Surprisingly, the hi-res display is available in glossy AND antiglare options.
Despite the feature boost, the pricing (overall) remains the same.
