Apple Offers iPhone 4 Apology, Will Customers Accept?

By: Charles Cooper
Topics: In The News ,; Tech Talk

For a company that prides itself on its carefully-honed attention to detail and aesthetic, Apple's apology for a faulty signal display on the iPhone was a rare admission that it got things wrong. But will that be enough to put a growing controversy behind it?

For more than a week, iPhone customers have complained that gripping the metal antennas surrounding the phone's body resulted in loss of signal strength. In a release put out early Friday, Apple acknowledged that something was amiss with the smartphone's design. The company reported being "stunned" to learn that the formula used to determine the number of signal strength bars to display had turned out to be "totally wrong."

"Our formula, in many instances, mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength. For example, we sometimes display 4 bars when we should be displaying as few as 2 bars. Users observing a drop of several bars when they grip their iPhone in a certain way are most likely in an area with very weak signal strength, but they don't know it because we are erroneously displaying 4 or 5 bars. Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place."

It also turns out that the "mistake" has existed since the original iPhone, though it hasn't been noticed until now. Apple said it plans to issue a free software update for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G, as well as its newer iPhone 4.

"The iPhone 4's wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped. For the vast majority of users who have not been troubled by this issue, this software update will only make your bars more accurate. For those who have had concerns, we apologize for any anxiety we may have caused."

CNET: What Does the 5-Bar Signal Strength Icon Really Mean?

In other words, this was a relatively easy-to-remedy algorithm issue, not a more significant structural design weakness with the antenna. If that isn't enough to satisfy customers, Apple will offer full refunds for users returning undamaged units within 30 days of purchase.

Shades of Intel 1994?

How technology companies deal with perceived product glitches is often as important as the severity of the problem. One of the most famous events in the tech annals occurred in 1994 when a Lynchburg College professor detected a bug in Intel's P5 Pentium chip. The problem didn't affect the vast majority of computer users. Still, for certain high-end applications, the flaw could have proved disastrous.

At first, Intel refused to act. That was a mistake and the company suffered a public relations black eye, accused by the public and press of not owning up to the problem. Ultimately, Intel agreed to replace the chip if customers wanted to swap them out.

But Intel was an engineering company through and through. It was caught off guard because it was slow to realize the value of consumer-oriented public relations. The same can't be said of Apple, perhaps the most consumer-savvy technology company of all time. But like Intel, the company has been behind the marketing curve from the outset. Will issuing an apology to "those who have had concerns" suffice to put the final coda on of the most extended PR crises in its long history? The answer should become clear in coming days.

Charles Cooper is an executive editor at CNET News. He has covered technology and business for more than 25 years, working at CBSNews.com, the Associated Press, Computer & Software News, Computer Shopper, PC Week, and ZDNet. E-mail Charlie.

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by focusR July 4, 2010 10:30 AM EDT: I still feel that software upgrading is B.S. Because APPLE did the same thing a few years back with the 2 generation iphone 3G. Apple release one of the following 3.X version and it showed more signal(adding more BARS) and i still get dropped calls. In my area have low signal for the iphone and i have a 3gs now (the samething). It really all depends on the antenna that's built in because I compared it to sony erricson s710 and i had more signal and it didn't cut off/dropped the call. VIEW the video for your self this is a good explanation of APPLE B.S.ing:

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2010/07/02/apples-apology-misses-the-mark/

I totally agree with this example. There is a poor man fix that can help just a little so the steal are not touching.

Writing a software to help clear the bar issue is just bunch or crap! Its basically in the internal parts. like i said, I had Sony erricson s710 on at&t and compared the iphone 3G signal i had full bars with clarity and no drop calls on the sony but with the iphone 3g signal was low & bad i had drop calls. Then APLLE release one of the version of 3.X it showed more signal bars and i still had dropped calls. Its all based on parts and how its installed. Put it this way i was a really big Fan of NOKIA'S phone. Nokia Phones had the best In signal reception of all the phones i've used. If my computer was running slow on memory and i don't know what im doing and i complain to the company brand thats on the product, u think they are going to tell me that they will release a software to increase my memory! come on, majority of people out here knows for fact that computers either needs to be serviced or memory upgrade.

CHECK out the VIDEO for yourself.
AGAIN LINK: http://thenextweb.com/apple/2010/07/02/apples-apology-misses-the-mark/; Reply to this comment

by picchip July 3, 2010 1:28 AM EDT

Does anyone know if putting a rubber boot on the phone helps this problem?.

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by focusR July 4, 2010 10:39 AM EDT: So far my friends have that stuppid bumper and they didn't have any problems. its the phone not the software they should either fix the phones and give the bumper for until they repair the bands touching. check the video out.

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2010/07/02/apples-apology-misses-the-mark/


by picchip July 3, 2010 1:25 AM EDT: I am a new I phone user and in just a day I noticed att?s network is nowhere as good as Verizon. I also notice that the connection sucked even though my phone was showing full or many bars. I guess it is apple & att in Kahoots? with each other to make att network look better than it really is. ?More fake bars in more places? should be there add logo.; Reply to this comment

by nunner1 July 2, 2010 10:53 PM EDT

hey everyone listen up! apple and at&t are full of crap. no such thing as a full refund! you have to pay a 10% restocking fee...thats 10% of $600 full retail which no one pays! thats right...you buy it for $199 and return it in the first 30 days and it costs you $60! thats a 30% restocking fee but the receipt is very deceitful. thanks to bestbuy they waived mine because i went to two stores and argued with them about the crappy wording on their receipts. also as of June 7th they have upped the cancellation fee from $175 to $350! why? because the phon eis crap the service is crap and people are returning them by the boxfull! i had to stand in line to return my apple iphone! also, i got it June 1 and within a week i had a bill for $144...for 5 days service plus 1 month in advance...2 weeks later on day 24 of my ownership i received a disconnect notice! bite me. no need to disconnect..i returned it and will never do business with apple iphone or at&t again! i get my verizon droid x on the 15th of July!

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by focusR July 4, 2010 10:36 AM EDT: The info is good, but the droid don't even come close to what an IPhone can do! that is true. droid software is the worst keeps updating issues with the battery and the casing not even as smooth as the iphone. i feel sorry you if u get the DROID. So far i have friends that have the droid and they don't like it.


by Libra_Man1 July 5, 2010 10:41 AM EDT: focusR, you are missing the main focus here. The ultimate reason to use any phone is to make phone calls. It really does not matter how nice the other apps are if you cannot use the phone for it's primary purpose. I use an ordinary phone with verizon and I never had problem callind or had dropped calls. At times my friend with iphone had to borrow my phone to make a call - all that "apps and can do things" in iphone did not help them.


by voxpopulus July 2, 2010 8:54 PM EDT: Much as I hate class action lawsuits, one of the first thing they will do is prove that the signal drop is a real issue, not an indicator issue. They will probably also conduct comparison tests between iPhones and other phones using the same service provider. It's really basic strategy. This "bar" issue is going to turn out to be nonsense. Unless Apple buys off the class action suits.; Reply to this comment


by dopeydoper July 2, 2010 8:27 PM EDT: Apple has been using a deliberately false "formula" to trick users into thinking they have a strong signal when in reality they do not--and never have. They were FORCED to come clean about their signal bar secret else they would have had to admit to a faulty design in IP4 --which would have made them open to HUGE lawsuits. But now they have a dilemma. The hand-antenna problem still remains even after they fix the algorithm problem. And I guarantee you people will be gunning heavily for them considering the way they treated the guy who got the Ip4 prototype. Apple is the new Microsoft--nothing but a corporate pig with no conscience; Reply to this comment


by voxpopulus July 2, 2010 8:27 PM EDT: The problem isn't how many bars you show me. The problem is the signal drops before that of the people around me. My girlfriend regularly is getting reception on her Nokia, from the same service provider, when I have none on my iPhone 3GS. So do NOT change your bar display to try to convince me this is not a hardware issue.; Reply to this comment


by brianbwb2011 July 2, 2010 4:58 PM EDT: Apple is lying.

The problem stems from their decision to use the metal bezel to serve as three separate antennae for wireless, Bluetooth, and radio.

A fundamental design flaw, the three antennae are separated by insulation only millimeters thick.

Being 70% water, and therefore having 70% of the conductive capacity as water, the hand will bridge (short) the antennae, causing interference and dropouts.

BTW, don't sweat this summer, sweaty palms and fingers will make the problem even worse.

Regardless of the algorithm used for the display, users will find that the unit will still drop from strong to no signal, especially in areas where there are tall buildings, (New York, anyone?)

One does not even need to grip the phone, only touch it at the places where the antennae are separated by the thin insulation.

Apple's software fix will not correct this, at best users will have a more accurate bar reading when the antennae short out.

And just like the battery design flaw on the first ipods, this design will mysteriously disappear from future designs.

Even funnier, the fix will be out after the 30 day return period, so when it comes and your phone still drops your calls and hangs loading your 'net pages, you are basically SOL.

Poor Appleheads, they didn't even buy you a drink first.; Reply to this comment


by demoman2k10 July 2, 2010 3:28 PM EDT: What about those users that UPGRADED to to their OS 4.0 update and it BRICKED their phone. We are still without a PHONE now for over 2 weeks and waiting for a replacement for that, alot of promises that we will be taken care of after buying Applecare but this is NOT CARE this is buying something being forced to pay insurance and then when it fails STILL not making it Right with the users... Someone needs a LARGE Lawsuit to help understand that you can't do this and just get away with it. Mistakes are fine as long as your MISTAKES don't cost others money and their livelyhood.; Reply to this comment


by chemistrule July 2, 2010 12:48 PM EDT: I do not think they are telling the truth. My iphone-3Gs give 4 bars at home. My iphone-4 gives 5 and then drops to 1 or 0 when I hold it. So are they trying to say that at home I really only have 3 bars and it is droping to 0. So they mean that at home I really don't have any service even thought the 3Gs does have signal and works?????? Something still isn't right here people.; Reply to this comment