If you are reading this article it’s because you have already heard from many sources about the iPhone 4 antenna problems (or alleged problems), bridging the gap between antennas on the side of the case can reduce the signal strength. So what will be discussed in todays press conference?
Will Steve be the one giving the press conference?
Most likely, Steve has been the main spokesperson for Apple for the iPhone 4. Although it would be good for Apple for Steve to not be engulfed by the media, there’s really no other Apple person that could deliver this kind of press conference at Apple, so it’s extremely likely that Steve Jobs will both be in attendance and giving the press conference.
Will Apple admit to a problem with the antenna?
Yes, Apple are most likely to admit there is a problem. They’ll also say that there’s a problem with every phone that doesn’t have an external pull up antenna.
Will Apple name other companies that also experience the same problem?
Although it might reduce the flack from the media that Apple are receiving and to deflect the media onto other companies, it also wouldn’t be good PR to publicly put down another company, although I’m sure if Apple had the chance and though it worth they might try to put down HTC as they’re producing most of the Android phones. It’s likely though that Apple will point the finger at all phones having an antenna problem, they might show some video clips or images of other phones but not publicly name the manufacturers.
Have Apple fixed it?
Apple will admit that they got the algorithm wrong on the signal bars on iOS4 and will say that yesterday they pushed out an update to correct this on all affected iPhone 4′s and any iPhone 3G and 3GS running iOS4, this update was iOS 4.0.1. They may or may not stipulate that the software fix has helped to fix it, but Apple will most likely say that you will be able to tell much more easily if you are in a low signal area.
Will Apple apportion the blame to others?
Quite likely Apple will apportion the blame to others. They may say that there are a lot of external sources that can affect signal strength, like the proximity to the local network tower and whether you have anything in your vicinity that is blocking or rebounding cell phone signals. Likewise whether you are in a high cell phone usage area. They might actively name AT&T but I suspect they won’t and they will just hammer this as a possible additional cause that when you are in a low signal area and you hold the phone in a particular way then you might experience some problems in losing calls or making or receiving calls.
Will Apple try to reduce the media coverage to saying that this is affecting a small percentage of iPhone 4′s?
Quite likely, Apple might suggest that the first batch of iPhone 4′s did have a problem that they have corrected or enhanced, and a selective swap out based on a serial number range might commence.
Will Apple offer a full on product recall?
Simply put, No! Apple will say they have sold in the region of 3-4 million iPhone 4′s to date, and have received only complaints from a small percentage, e.g. 2% of customers coming into their support. Apple will say that if they were to issue a product recall then every phone manufacturer that creates phones without a pull up antenna should do the same thing, and that would simply be a crazy thing to do (You can just hear Steve Jobs saying this now!). Apple may say though that if anyone is massively experiencing this problem then they may offer a refund on a case by case basis.
How will Apple PR turn this around?
Apple PR and Steve will most likely say they’ve shipped close to 4 million iPhone 4′s to date, the percentage of people experiencing this problem is 1-2% or lower, that most phones in the market today have a similar problem depending on how you hold the phone and will say this is normal. They will say that this is being over-hyped by the media (but more likely their competitors) who want to put the iPhone 4 down, that they did get the signal attenuation bars wrong and they have moved quickly to fix this. They are also listening to the media and customer comments, but the iPhone 4 is a truly amazing and ground breaking device from a technology stand point and most of their customers have said what a great device it is.
What about the iPhone 3G/3GS?
Not forgetting the iPhone 3G/3GS does have similar problems. Many people have complained about dropped calls on these phones. I myself frequently receive MSN’s or text messages from people saying “I’m trying to call you but it’s going to voicemail” and I’m on O2 in the UK and when I check the signal bar strength on the 3GS I have 3 or 4 bars. This happens a lot on iOS3 and iOS4.
So is this really a problem?
Yes it’s a problem, but this is not new. This happens on all previous iPhone’s, dropped calls, no network due to signal bar loss. It’s something that has plagued the iPhone range for some time and will continue to do so.
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