If you've been anywhere near the internet in the past few hours, you've undoubtedly heard about a Steve Jobs email conversation in which he told an angry iPhone customer to "calm down" and that the
iPhone 4 was "just a phone." That email chain, which was published on
Boy Genius Report earlier, was also reportedly shopped to
AppleInsider a few days ago -- for a price. Well, now
Fortune is reporting that they've been told by a "a top Apple spokesman" that the emails are fake, and the exchange never happened. Of course, emails are notoriously easy to fake, and Apple has not been in the habit of commenting on its CEO's online wanderings, so our ears pricked up when we saw this article. We've reached out to Apple and they have independently confirmed to us that the conversation is indeed a hoax. So as usual, take all of these Jobs-uncensored dialogues with a healthy grain of salt.
posted July 1st 2010 7:51PM
So all the older snarkey, smug ones are too?
@bob1000
Gotta love society.... full of f***ing liars...
I'm gonna end this comment now from my iPad while in my limo...
@bob1000
Then Steve need host press conference regard apple 4 issue instead of dodge from the media.
Well, jeeze, I don't like this.
@Plazmic Flame
this is misleading, the only one that is a fake is the most recent reply, the "retire" reply, not the ones before it...steve is still a bitch.
@iroq d mullet
Brace for another door being broken down by the Fruit Police...
@bob1000 Wow so lets see a few months ago will Steve was God and answer customers his emails where real now that the Steve that is known to alot of business insiders comes out and talks they are hoaxs. Come on Engadget we are not that stupid.
@techlord
Steve doesn't have to do s***.
You either buy the phone or you don't based on what you've heard/read.
That's called educated consumerism my good man.
@Plazmic Flame
So now its down to either apple said it, didnt say it, or hasnt said anything. Wait, what about the actual problem? When is that gonna be the question at hand? IF you didnt answer with your holding it wrong, what is your answer? I can see SJ's internets being -1'd from here.
And this is what I said the first time one of these bs comments showed up... How can you even consider them real
It's a faaaaaake!!
@Aubrey
And what about the people who preordered? The people who bought on launch day and the day after? And everyone who bought one before the issues came to light? What should those people do my good man?
@Arealjerk
I don't know... I'm not defending Stevie boy or anything but from other published emails we've seen, he's always seemed like a "one email response" kinda guy.
With all that's being thrown around now, I don't know whose telling the truth. The only people who can tell are those that can decipher the email exchange data that's usually hidden in the header of emails. Saw them on BGR but have no idea how to validate them...
@Arealjerk
Take it back.
14 Days for Return Policy @ Apple
http://www.apple.com/legal/sales_policies/retail_us.html
30 Days for AT&T
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/legal/return-policy.jsp
@Aubrey
it should be noted I *have* an iPhone4, I've had an iPhone 3G, iPods, Time Capsule, a few Macbook Pros [over the years], an iMac 27", Magic Mouse....
I'm a loyal customer, just not a dumbass.
If you don't like how its working for you, return it.
@Plazmic Flame On the other hand, just because Apple PR says it's fake it doesn't mean it actually is. Sure, I can be rude and talk out of my ass and then say, oh btw, it wasn't me...
@Aubrey
And pay 10% restocking fees + 14 days of service?
@who said what Hey! I'll have you know that the Fruit Police makes sure I get my daily amount of essential vitamins, minerals and potassium. ;]
@Aubrey
Ohh you fall I the category of dumbass alright
@bob1000 IPHONE4 BUYERS GOT JOBBED!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFvD0LXYlws
@bob1000
engadget had to balance it out with something after posting bad about apple few days back..
whoever faked these... what good did you hope to come from this hoax? seriously.
this is a shame.
@chrisrottan You might be able to talk them out of a restocking fee. But even if you can't. Are you kidding me? Yer not gonna pay $20 to send back a phone that you think sucks? And add another two years (maybe you are just adding one more in certain cases) to your contract? Are you really going to be such a tough guy and not eat $20?
@bob1000
Anddddd they mentioned Nothing about the leaked document or the issue at hand. I was half-sure about the email myself, but the issue is still Real and still Bad. =/
@bob1000 So in the case that El Jobso has an unfortunate correspondence, all Apple has to do to save his ass is tell Engadget that it wasn't him?
Alright.....
@Arealjerk You can return your phone or sell it for a premium. I sold my 3GS for a premium when I upgraded.
@cwalters74 I would imagine the reason Engadget did not post the original story is because the emails were pretty obviously fake. Anyone who read them with an unbiased mind would have seen that.
bgr updated their post with full headers and screenshots
And the last relax line was not from jobs.
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2010/07/01/exclusive-conversation-with-steve-jobs-on-the-iphone-4-antenna-problems/
I think whether they are fake or not, it is telling that they are close enough to his responses of late that it is very plausible...
@nsfw You really shouldn't have to pay to return a phone that doesn't make calls...
@Arealjerk Every person who has ever bought any tech item on a release date or right after has gotten the short end of the stick every single time. The real question is why are people surprised when it happens given the track record.
@tricheboars
What to you mean... some AppleHat--er... Fandroid frames Apple... And you don't understand their motivation?
@bob1000
How do we kno THIS article isn't fake ey?
@bob1000
BULL SHITTTTTT
If this really was fake, we would have heard about the person faking it getting sued by apple for defamation. I guess we'll see.
@Aubrey when you are "educated" by lies and bullshit, that isnt educated consumerism young lad.
@chrisrottan
Chris, that was in the fine print. Like it or not, but those who bought the phone knew about the restocking fee, and if they didn't, then they should blame themselves too for ignorance. Apple's blunder does not excuse sloppy consumerism. We all know that first generation hardware has glitches and design problems.
@Aubrey You are an apple user, not a fanboy, cause you don't buy it cause of the symbol, and the company, you buy it cause you know it will work well, and be awesome except for this antenna issue, which I would probably deal with holding it differently or getting a bumper if i had an iPhone 4, but it really is a screw up, and ios 4 was probably the buggiest, slowest, unapple-like update, it's the first one I've done cause I got a 3rd gen, but it had a few bugs and it's slower to turn on, 19 vs 34 seconds, but I rarely turn it off, anyways, people need to understand that fanboys are idiots, and apple loyalists are respectable
@That guy 2
I've heard that update totally f-ed up the 3G and the 3GS which is absolute #fail, BUT if they didn't release it for your device, everyone would cry about that too, so its like damned if you do, damned if you don't.
At least they gave you the option (which IMO is crucial). All these issues plague the Android platform too (I had a NexusOne Jan'10-June'10) with the multiple hardware configurations, so its a marketplace-wide issue to develop for multiple hardware configurations.
@bob1000 : Damage Control!!
@applebook
Yes but you cant return the phone if You upgraded signing onto another 2yr contract as you waived the right of returning the phone. Also, this isnt the first generation or second to excuse apple of fixing the phone. So, if a phone can be an ipod, then excellent but if it cant be wat it was designed for, then you should not be paying for the manufacturer's mistake. Youre only empowering them to do as they please and that is not right.
@chrisrottan
Its called being an early adopter, it has some assumed risks.
If you aren't willing to front that cash (these policies have been around since AT LEAST 2007 to my knowledge) then don't buy it early... its not hard. Watch and wait.
Early adopter = you might have to face some growing pains with the products.
Apple can't test their crap anyway (I know you're thinking Apple should've seen this coming) because all the blabber-mouthes would be twittering the product specs like crazy. After the Gizmodo fiasco, would YOU be running tests in the field with average consumers? Hellz no. They held their cards close probably for the shareholders. It is a publicly traded company after all, keep that in mind... they have an agenda.
@bob1000 : Is there reason why engadget has no mention of :
http://gizmodo.com/5577010/first-iphone-4-class-action-suit-filed-against-apple-and-att
@Aubrey
I would definately agree with you but guess what? When i hold the phone like i did my 3gs, it cant make a call or the call is dropped. So, why should i pay apple for restocking fees and at&t for service when the phone was decievefully n wrongfully advertised? If the phone worked fine but i didnt want it, then the 14day grace period is fine but this is a lousy fone with design and hardware flaws.
@jeff stamos
Since when is a keynote a course of scholastic value?
Its a damn marketing platform. Its *MEANT* to sell you.
When have you seen a product manufacture come out and say, "Hey here's our product, but it has this thing where it doesn't work..."
Your a big boy in the big boy world, again... watch and wait if you are a skeptic and shame on you if you take everything at face value from a giant corporation.
Don't be sad the unicorn dust got in your eye fella. It happened to a lot of folks, this is why Apple is regarded as the marketing hype King.
@chrisrottan
Honestly, this is why I think a class-action lawsuit would hold water.
I think Apple is in a real mess here, and if the bars drop and the service works or it doesn't I dunno... I have a bumped because I'm a clumsy fool, so I don't have any issues.
We'll see how it pans out right?
I bet Steve Ballmer is eating a filet mignon laughing his ass off right now though...
@Aubrey
*bumper [case]
@One Love HAHAHAHA its about time Apple was called out for all of their bullshit recently... cant wait for this to hit the news and expose them for what they are, a money hungry corporation with no concern for consumers
@MoonWalkerCTE
"And this is what I said the first time one of these bs comments showed up... How can you even consider them real"
I can't tell if you're in character, or if you're actually commenting about the story!
@Aubrey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFvD0LXYlws
@Aubrey
Since when do iSheep make educated decisions about purchasing the same shit year after year?
@bob1000
So, wait, I'm confused now. Is the iPhone 4 just a phone, or is it a magical object that changes everything, again?