Report: Steve Jobs Knew about iPhone Antenna Problem during Design Phase

As Apple prepares to deal directly with the negative buzz over iPhone 4 antenna problems in a press conferenceFriday, Bloomberg is reporting that Ruben Caballero, an Apple antenna expert, told company management early in the development phase that the iPhone 4 could suffer dropped calls due to the design of the antenna. The report also noted that a "carrier partner" voiced similar concerns prior to the release of the phone on June 24. Apple declined to comment.

Consumer Reports gave a thumbs down to the iPhone 4 on Monday, noting lingering reception problems and challenging Apple's official explanation--a software glitch that showed incorrect reception strength--for the problem.

Consumer Reports subsequently reported a $29 cover, dubbed Bumper, solves the signal-strength problem. A piece of duct tape offers a similar fix. 

iPhone 4 users are waiting to hear on Friday whether Apple will offer its own solution to the problem, rather than users spending their own money and time to cobble together a solution to a problem that Apple created, and perhaps knew about as it launched the coveted smartphone to great fanfare.