Apple deleting mentions of Consumer Reports' iPhone 4 piece on forums, can't delete your thoughts

...or can they? In case Apple has somehow managed to perfect the art of selective disremembrance across a wide population, here's a refresher: Consumer Reports has thrown down the gauntlet, stating that it "can't recommend" the iPhone 4 until the antenna issues are fixed, issues that its labs and ours have verified quite substantially. Apple apparently isn't happy about that, and has taken to deleting threads about the Consumer Reports article from its support forums. Now, Apple deleting threads from its support forums is nothing new; outside of "regular" moderation, the company routinely deletes discussion of hardware flaws that it's not ready to 'fess up to, or just generally negative lines of thought about its products. Good thing the internet's a big place, and if Apple's not going to admit the antenna issue, there are plenty of ways to gripe about it. Feel free to express yourself in the comments below, for instance!

[wakeup Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:43PM]

SCREW YOU APPLE.

[NewBie Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:44PM]

This was the problem of Toyota. They got to the level where here in Japan, they determine the work calender, many have to work with and learn about "Toyota standard".
It became very difficult for them to swallow their arrogance and pride, and accept their mistakes until the situation got to a very embarrassing stage.

Is it too late a history for Apple to learn from?
Those who queued days to buy the iPhone 4, will still buy it even told at the beginning of the problems with it, so why not just admit and apologize?

[NewBie Posted Jul 12th 2010 9:43PM]

@pple is poo Frankly, I am also a Honda fan, the first and current are all Honda and hope my next will be Honda. But, I will not describe the Toyota cars that way.

Toyota have improved over the years, and by opening their R/D labs outside in places to German, Italy and USA, they are now leading the design with a passion we were used to seeing in Honda cars.

[bustafone Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:44PM]

HAHAHA It serves them right for putting every 3G band known to men in the iPhone 4 EXCEPT T-Mobile's 1700/2100.

[stealthcrawler29 Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:45PM]

Finally. Paul Miller has been turned back from the dark side. Welcome back Paul. You were missed.

[stealthcrawler29 Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:47PM]

@stealthcrawler29
Oh and screw you Apple. I'm glad my 3GS can still somewhat make calls.

[jonbruc Posted Jul 12th 2010 9:04PM]

@stealthcrawler29 I'll still take my iPhone 4 over my 3G.

[peterpulmonary Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:46PM]

delete all unfavorable thoughts from users minds.

aahh, so thats what they mean by "mindshare"

[whatevertrevor Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:47PM]

i know the antenna thing is a crappy situation and an epic fail for apple, but its still a good phone and since most people will put a bumper / case on it anyways it doesnt affect most ppl.

[EggoEspada Posted Jul 12th 2010 9:01PM]

@whatevertrevor Really doesn't. I went into the At&t store and saw a few looking for iPhones and others buying bumpers.

"Oh man my antenna is messed up. Well coincidently Steve Job's made these bumpers. Thanks SJ, always making great products!"

Either people don't read or watch any news relating to this, or they just don't care and willing to buy the $30 bumper which was purposely made for that.

[someToast Posted Jul 12th 2010 10:07PM]

@EggoEspada

Or... and here's the crazy thought... they're part of that group who didn't buy a bumper and their phones work fine.

I know, crazy, right?

[vvtopkar Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:47PM]

Well, at least buy purchasing Apple products I'm freeing myself from Big Brother A La 1984, right? RIGHT?

[Gabe Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:48PM]

So the cover up begins...

[remytech Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:48PM]

helloOOO apple is making their moves and so it time to control the world

[clai Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:48PM]

I very much doubt Apple will admit anything (I don't have an iphone4 so I can't say anything from experience) because its a publicly traded company, and the shareholders just won't let them even if they were nice enough people to admit their mistakes, assuming they are at fault.

If you were in their shoes managing a multi-billion dollar corporation, I think a lot of us would be forced to do a lot of things our real character does not represent.

It is a shame if Apple is really doing this for nefarious purposes.

[Wheee Posted Jul 12th 2010 9:06PM]

@clai
Yes... and to think that Jobs said at D8 that Apple is run like a big start-up company. If only that could be true.

[chuck67 Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:48PM]

@Lucas lmao harsh dude

[adamjustadam Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:49PM]

This is nothing new when google "buzz" came out i was really ticked off and posted questions on how to opt out and what a poor choice of "Services" it was .. they deleted every post that came down on them for having it turned on and creating it in general, it took 3 weeks until it got national attention before they stopped deleting posts.

Nothing to see here except a bunch of anti-apple trolls.

[chuck67 Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:49PM]

smh @ Apple

[pitnefor Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:49PM]

I LUB MY IPHONE 4 BECAUSE OF THE APP STORE NOTHING ELSE

[Ruthless Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:49PM]

Apple should face up to facts that there is a flaw, and offer a replacement product to all those who have been affected, once a new hardware fix is available.

However, I have an iPhone 4, but I have NOT seen any drop in signal strength and not experienced any dropped calls, AND..... I'm left/handed.

Sent from my iPhone

[carlosol Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:49PM]

Apple, I like your products and i really want to like you but you're making it so damn difficult!

[Rolando Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:49PM]

I'm very happy with my iPhone 4. I do have reception problems but it doesn't affect my since I always use a case. If apples decides to fix it or not I'm ok with it.

[Rolando Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:50PM]

Me*

[bech Posted Jul 12th 2010 9:08PM]

@Rolando
But that doesn't change the fact that is a faulty product that doesn't work as expected. I would feel ripped off, but that's me

[Kabirjohnson Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:50PM]

It's magical how it quickly disappeared.

[Lucas Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:50PM]

@chuck67 He's a douche, he deserves all harshness :p

[thinkspring Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:52PM]

Scary, bud sadly not surprising.

[thinkspring Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:52PM]

@thinkspring

*but

[bnekic Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:52PM]

I've had all 4 iPhones and really liked them, just recently bought a 27" iMac and love it but apples cocky attitude towards the iPhone 4 design flaw has put a very bad taste in my mouth. Also considering I called apple corperate relations 3 times today trying to get a bumper free of charge and was unsuccessful. They should send these bumpers out to every iPhone 4 customer since it fixes the issue THEY created. As far as I'm concerned right now apple can go fuck themselves!

[bathellfire Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:55PM]

@bnekic Just buy a case made by other companies. You already spent hundreds on the phone, spend just a few dollars more and enjoy the experience.

[rhomaion Posted Jul 12th 2010 9:02PM]

@bnekic I hear ya!

[bnekic Posted Jul 12th 2010 9:03PM]

@bathellfire
I have a Griffin Reveal case which corrects the problem. I put a case on all my iPhones so it's not a big deal, it's just the principle. Apple should supply bumpers free of charge to fix their defective design, simple as that. Apple needs ALOT more transparency in their company and take some cues from what Toyota has done since their recall situations!

[PrettyBoy droid Posted Jul 12th 2010 9:20PM]

@bnekic Transparency and apple do not even belong in the same sentence.

[someToast Posted Jul 12th 2010 9:36PM]

@bnekic

You like your phones, but since Apple won't send you a free case, they can go fuck themselves. Got it.

[bnekic Posted Jul 13th 2010 1:19AM]

@someToast
Your an idiot. They can go fuck themselves because they won't provide a free bumper that fixes THEIR design flaw.

[Information Central Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:53PM]

Great, Engadget's back to its bullshit of letting you type an entire comment and then claiming "an E-mail has been sent for confirmation" even though you're logged in with your direct-posting password.

COME ON.

[pshetters Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:53PM]

maybe that's why they are delaying the white iphone 4? maybe they are changing the place of the antenna or something? just a thought...

[glo2084 Posted Jul 12th 2010 9:24PM]

@pshetters you are correct. My friend actually works @ Apple and hes on the team thats working on the fix. Don't tell anyone but its a rubber hand with a handle that you slide the iPhone into. He said it looked so real he though he was actually holding himself. WOW! i cant wait.

[DrDetroit Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:53PM]

I won't sugarcoat it for Apple. The internet really is a big place and I, for one, intend to voice my opinions (both positively and negatively). At this point we're looking at an epic test of willpower. Apple standing steady, unflinching... while the world waits for that first visible chink in the armor to appear. Somehow I doubt that Steve Jobs and company won't be going down with a fight... to the nth hour.

[someToast Posted Jul 12th 2010 9:59PM]

@DrDetroit

And you can do so, as you're doing here now. Just as Apple is within their rights to moderate their support forums as they see fit (and clearly spell out).

[zob Posted Jul 13th 2010 9:35AM]

@someToast law is rather complicated, and law is not "morally just" in all cases (even if in an ideal world it should be)

in any case while it might be lawful to silence perfectly legitimate people on their forums, it certainly is not MORAL, that's the point

[progr Posted Jul 13th 2010 12:42PM]

@DrDetroit

They are modding their internal support forums, not the entire internet. You can write your opinion everywhere.

[devildrifterx Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:53PM]

Don't post on my forums, not a big deal.

-Steve

Sent from my iphone 3GS

[nelagster Posted Jul 13th 2010 1:10AM]

@devildrifterx
wait, Steve why aren't you using your iPhone 4.....oh wait

[boofay Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:53PM]

can't someone make an iphone4 housing case that's an antenna until they come up w/an internal solution or do that wrap around antenna like the ipad? i'm sure they're trying everything to save face. this is a little bit of humble pie for apple but it happens to everyone

[bathellfire Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:54PM]

Second post today, about iPhone4 antenna issue. Fuçk - we get it. It has flaws. And you know what? The major issue I see is the antenna one, and considering the fact that I have my iPhone is a plastic case, i'd get the case for iPhone4. So... I am still going to get the iPhone4, and will get one Android device (once something decent comes to Canada).

Engadget, if you can't find any more news, go review cars or something. Stop beating the dead horse. Morons.

[pappla Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:58PM]

@bathellfire
Can you say Sucker??

[AstroSeven Posted Jul 12th 2010 10:45PM]

@bathellfire

Actually, I think many would be interested to know about Apple restricting sharing of information about their products in their forum. When people were posting links to the Engadget 9/10 review, you didn't see Apple swooping to shut that down.

Now that it doesn't suit them - they try push it aside. That is not right!

[AstroSeven Posted Jul 12th 2010 8:54PM]

Foxconn, thoughts on Flash, IP4 holdin it wrong.... what a year for Jobs, and Jobs haters!