Apple to give away free cases to iPhone 4 users
By Paul Miller 
posted July 16th 2010 1:29PM
posted July 16th 2010 1:29PM
This solution comes at the end of 22 days of Apple engineers "working their butts off," according to Steve, with "physics" ultimately being pinned as the main culprit. Apple claims you can replicate the left-handed "death grip" bar-dropping problem on the BlackBerry Bold 9700, HTC Droid Eris, and Samsung Omnia II, and that "phones aren't perfect." Steve also claims that only 0.55% of people who bought the iPhone 4 have called into AppleCare to complain about the antenna, and the phone has a 1.7% return rate at AT&T, compared to 6% with the 3GS, though he would cop to a slight increase in dropped calls over the iPhone 3GS. For this Steve has what he confesses to be a pet theory: that 3GS users were using the case they had from the 3G, and therefore weren't met with the horrible reality of a naked, call dropping handset. Hence the free case solution, which will probably satisfy some, infuriate others, and never even blip onto the radar of many of the massive horde of consumers that's devoured this product in unprecedented numbers.
Update: Our own Richard Lai just waltzed down to the Regent Street Apple Store in London with his iPhone Bumper receipt in hand. A few minutes later he left with cold, hard cash, and kept the Bumper to boot. Seems as if the refund effort is a go, at least over in the UK.
Update 2: We've heard from several tipsters saying Apple no longer does Bumper refunds at its stores; customers will now have to make an online claim instead. Looks like we got super lucky.
Apple fanboys: prepare taunts!
Amdroid Fanboys: prepare rebukes!
Ready? RUMBLE!
As some people predicted. A bunch of numbers and self-congratulatory remarks, followed by a free case.
Done. Next!
@lnm4444
At least Apple gives out free bumpers.
I can't accept the fact they are finger-pointing to competitors too, when it's clearly their antenna design is a massive failure.
Please, I returned my iPhone 4 when this issue irritated me.
My EVO has no issue on this. So don't give a crap that every smartphone has a weak spot.
My phone has a weakspot, "it can make calls."
Funny thing, is they can't fix this issue until they re-engineer the antenna.
@Revolutionary
Putting plastic around the shiny stainless frame?
Fail.
@apple
Was that so hard?
@lnm4444
cost them less than like 30 cents to make so is nothing.
@lnm4444
Sir, I am no aMdroid fanboy!
And all you iPhone 4 users, enjoy your phone condom. Me and my android will go make a call without ;)
@lnm4444
What's to rumble about, they gave out the bumpers like they should. Pretty meh solution if you ask me, but a better end than the first half of the conference would have suggested.. god that was pathetic.
@lnm4444
HAHA APPLE HATERS
Screw you losers.
This issue has been blown way out of proportion. It's FUD. And Apple will NEVER bow down to you android fanboys LIES.
@lnm4444
In doing this they know there's a problem, stupid Apple. Always passing the blame.
just say sorry apple... is that too much?
I squeezed the crap out of my Nokia 5530XM and couldn't get one bar to drop. Whatever, Lyin' Steve!
@lnm4444 Yep, fisher price style.
After sep.30, iphone 4.1 (fixed)?
that's what i thought apple!
@Twoleaf They are giving out free cases, I think that is them saying sorry.
@lnm4444
YAY my phone is defective so i have to put a piece of rubber on it and cover it!!
@TheZaccharaSyndicate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=835LkDFdRcM
@lnm4444
I think this press conference is more pointless then Lebron's "The Decision"
@lnm4444
I think this is really cool. It's very rare that a company will give away a free product to fix something that is wrong with their product.
Kudos to Apple.
And yes, I am an Android user.
Geez... This is complete bullshit.
This is like is BP held a conference saying that "There is no Oil leak".
And by the amount of times Job's said theres no problem you'd think he's trying to do the Jedi mind trick or some shit.
@lnm4444
This is priceless so glad I followed that live feed!
$100m Investment
18 PhD Engineers
and they can not tell the difference between TOUCHING the antenna and SHIELDING it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Courts are gonna eat this up, this is deliberate lying! Better sell your APPL stocks now
I admit the satisfaction numbers look good though but it's enough when only a small groups sues!
@Revolutionary Funny my iPhone, Iphone 3g, Iphone 3gs, and iphone 4 all made/make calls perfectly fine. I got mine on release day and have not had 1 dropped call. I also run no case, I hate cases.
Good for Apple. Free cases for all the weeners, err winers.
@Revolutionary so True why this idiot jobs not take Nokia into consideration, my N-series do not lose signal even in 1st level basement, hold it with any hand and any manner...
@lnm4444
If you change the design in the next iteration of the iPhone, you blew it
@lnm4444
So basically he's saying..........iPhone 4 sucks! Don't buy it if you have a soul.
@lnm4444
Apple has made a dud of a phone and they still just wont come out and say sorry. What's the point of making it pretty, then covering it in a case?
@Badgerman most companies would replace a faulty product, apple is not actually admitting there is a fault
@lnm4444
They saved their butts with the cases, and it's ok for the early buyers to actually get a free one, but I HATE the fact that he didn't take the blame or accepted a design flaw. If it is noot a big issue then why would you bother to do this? Give me a break Mr. Jobs.
@benthe1 September 30th limit, no plans for redesign. What a fail. This means that the users purchasing iPhones after that date are screwed into buying their own bumpers.
@aubreyq
Hmm so basically a condom for the iPhone
@Revolutionary
If you have to hide a selling point of your product to make a phone call, you blew it.
@aubreyq
You notice it's not a complete admission to the facts (the design is flawed), nor a free give away of stuff (you need to opt-in, sign up, buy by this date, etc...). In the end it's a give and take between the consumer and Apple. The fact still remains that Apple wins on some level a faulty design, and consumers really lose in the end, cause you need to meet Apple 1/2 way for your choice [in buying an iphone].
ONE missed fact: they did not take a stab at Consumer Reports--hence I think we can conclude the CR article has more merit than vapor.
DONE. NEXT!
@Badgerman They should have done a product recall. When something has a major design flaw, you should cease production and give refunds to everyone who purchased.
What if you just purchased a bumper...would the possibility be there to get credited for that case?
@applehateboy a condom has only one end open.. you better hope only one end is open..
@lnm4444
10:41AM Q: I can't get my Bold to drop right now, maybe you can show me how to do it?
Steve: You may not see it in certain areas.
Priceless.
@Element115
Sell the stock? Are you smoking crack or something? Check the stock market the stock is going up up up .you sir when it comens to stock picking you FAIL miserably
@Revolutionary
Doesn't Warren Buffet put a bank around his green money?!
@aubreyq who gets dropped calls anymore anyway? i don't even talk on the phone for more than 10 minutes a piece. text messaging and emailing ftw!
@aubreyq Yep, tried this with my G1 (running Froyo) touching every surface on the thing and it didn't affect my bars.
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/197/4/7/User_surprise_by_pounding_senses.jpg
I'll just leave this here.
@Revolutionary
After watching apple trying to spread the blame around the whole market I tried to reproduce something similar on my HTC wildfire, and to my surprise I lose connection to the wifi and carrier. Luckily though, the antenna is on the top so it shouldn't cause any problems in use...but still..
@Element115
What are people suing over?
You bought a phone, you didn't get good reception, you have the option of returning it for a full refund.
What grounds do you have for suing?
You aren't forced to keep the phone.
FULL REFUND!!!
Idiot iPhone4 owner, "I hate this phone, it drops bars when I hold it."
Steve Jobs, "I'm terribly sorry, I love you and don't want you to be upset. Please have a free case, or you can return your iPhone with my most humble apologies and I'll give you a free refund."
Idiot iPhone4 owner, "You're not taking away my awesome, shiny, sexy phone! I'll see you in court!!!"
Really?
@lnm4444 Jobs is full of CRAP! I grip my DROID Eris completely and have NEVER dropped a call on it, NEVER seen my bars go down because of it. He is such a tard.
yeah, the other 99.45% can't complete the call to CS to complain about the issue
@Badgerman not really. wii. gave out rubber cases and new straps cuz ppl couldnt hold on to the wiimotes. car manufactures usually offer an expensive fix for free if there a legitimate problem. damn near every company gives out refunds or replacements for problems that may be affecting a small amount of ppl. apple on the other hand still wont come out right and say they screwed up. first it was atts fault then they tried to make you think there was better reception than there actually were, and tried to make the problem seem perfectly normal, every phone does it. the only reason theyre giving out cases is probably because people are starting to see through all the bs.
@Arkv2
Ah yes, only a design flaw could cause Apple to hold a press conference. Surely there's no alternative explanation like bad press, loaded with supposition and no hard data...
@Revolutionary They said 'cases' not 'bumpers'
@lnm4444
Now it´s official, Apples become the company they always refused to be. I´ve lost all respect for their response to this. After being a loyal Apple customer since 78, having bought way more than 100 Devices of that company I am now bringin back my iPhone and refuse to buy another Apple product.
This is way more than just anger on the way they handled this or the failing response they gave us. This is true and deep disappointment on they way they treat a customer.
They dare to compare their crappy phone with other phones on a total different basis? The iPhone 4 can be touched on one single tiny spot (located at the lower left bottom of the phone, prone to be touched each and every time the phone is held) and drops from 5 to 0 bars each time i grab it at home. It does not make a difference if I cover the whole phone or only that spot. I can try the same with my 3G, with my Nokia e50, with my 4 year old T-Mobile MDA, but almost nothings happens, at best I can make them drop 1-2 Bars.
So basically they are telling me to bend over? Screw your arrogance, I am done with this.