Apple begins iPhone 4 Case Program: apply for your free case or Bumper now
By Darren Murph 
posted July 23rd 2010 8:53AM
posted July 23rd 2010 8:53AM
Oh, and if you happened to have already purchased a Bumper, the company should be hitting your credit card with a full refund (including any applicable taxes and shipping) momentarily. As for the case / Bumper choices? Every single option is available in any color you like... so long as it's black, of course. There's a black Apple Bumper option, an Incase Snap Case, Belkin Shield Micra, Griffin Motif, Griffin Reveal, Speck Fitted and Speck PixelSkin HD, but again, don't go in hoping to select your favorite hue. Yeah, you're free to bicker about free things -- we won't judge.
Update: If you're one of those wise guys who purchased an iPhone 4 right away just to sell it, you can forget about getting a free case for the handset you no longer own. Apple has arranged this so that only one case can be ordered per iPhone 4, so even if you ordered two under your account name, you'll need two phones to place both of those orders. Check out the error message below if you still don't believe us.
Okay get your $1 worth of bumper now!
@Revolutionary
come one come all!!
@Revolutionary
They proved that the 3GS had problems too. Can I get a free case for it?
@Revolutionary
If you actually read the article, you would realize that the bumper is not the only option.
@Revolutionary
Couldn't Apple just build the bezel just a few MM thicker outward, and then surround the metal of the antenna in clear lexan or other plastic?
Problem solved, and it would still look nice.
@r34p3r
Pretty sure Apple hasn't built its reputation by slapping plastic on the outside of their products.
Feel free to apply to Apple as an Engineer though. They may still be looking for people who Think Different. O_O
@TMoney4Life
Not sure if you were agreeing in a roundabout way with me or not, but I will say that the plastic wouldn't extend out past the body of the phone. The device would look like it does now, but as stated before, just a few mm thicker outwards, and with the plastic strip embedded into the body, covering the metal of the antenna. It'd be perfectly clear so you wouldn't really notice the plastic trim.
@r34p3r
I.E. completely flush with the edges of the phone. The only thing that would stick out would be the buttons, as they currently do.
Sorry for the continued post... Engadget REALLY needs an edit function.
@r34p3r
Wasn't necessarily agreeing or disagreeing. Just stating their trend tends to be away from plastics.
Wonder if they anodized the metal if that would stop the capacitance issue?
@Darren Murph
could you just go buy the bumper now and ask for the refund? (thus saving the 3-5 weeks wait) or it only works retroactively?
@TMoney4Life
Could work, although I'm not sure what non-conductive coatings exist that would be viable for this type of application.
Then again, the iPhone's body is made of plastic, with a glass coating. So, a glass-like hard, transparent plastic wouldn't be too far out of the design approach, don't you think?
@TMoney4Life
They didn't build their reputation that way, but it's how they're destroying it :)
@Revolutionary
Breaking News? Seriously?
@PookiePrancer
Exactly my thoughts. +1
@r34p3r
Interior structural plastics are a bit different than exterior plastic. Apple works their hardest on a product's look and feel (obvious jab at the antenna issue?) and a structural exterior plastic doesn't really jibe with that trend.
@Revolutionary
So now everyone is wrapping Steve's beautiful iconic "revolutionary design" with a rubber band.
How much do you think this pisses him off?
@Why should I have all the fun
You think *his* paycheck is being hurt? I'm pretty darn sure he doesn't give a crap. He's more concerned with how he's going to make you get all juicy over the iPhone 5.
@TMoney4Life
Well every iPhone up until the iPhone 4 has plastic on the outside, didn't it?
@r34p3r Yep, exactly! But they moved away from it, didn't they? So did the iMac (barring the back which points toward a wall). And the Macbooks (barring the cracbook which is a total piece).
I personally welcome my new metal-wrapped glassy overlord.
@TMoney4Life
"You think (Jobs) paycheck is being hurt? I'm pretty darn sure (Jobs) doesn't give a crap."
Actually Jobs has the same attitude as the Joker:
"It's not about the money. It's about sending a message."
And this whole bumper thing is really screwing up his message.
@Revolutionary
They said this was also a problem on the iPhone 3gs... So logically, I should be getting a free case too, right?
@Why should I have all the fun
Staring at your icon really makes me want to run out and get a double down for breakfast...
@Why should I have all the fun
You really believe that? He's no different than any other CEO, in the fact that he doesn't give a shit about anything other than money.
@Revolutionary
I searched for iphone 4 case program in app store and nothing even close to bumper/case program comes up. What's going on?
@sharms
Ok... downloaded the app and ordered my case. So the app self-destructs or just sit there looking pretty?
@TMoney4Life A little ironic dont you think?
@not that geeky
no because they're no longer available for sale -- as has been well documented.
@r34p3r It's funny how in some articles Engadget sees a few millimeters bigger as significant when comparing other phones to the iPhone but now a few millimeters is insignificant.
@sharms What are you a searching rookie??? Use: iphone case. Scroll down a bit. Done.
@Fozzy Bear You can still buy cases at an AT&T store and Apple will give you a refund for that.
@Revolutionary
Here's hoping that you're actually able to connect to the App Store without losing the connection.. like a million times...
Apple's ideas FTW!!!
How the hell is covering an otherwise a very attractive piece of gadget with a rubber band to make it make calls, good news?! o_O
@Revolutionary
lol @ the pixelated banner image:
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/07/iphone-4-case-program_384x150.jpg
@Revolutionary
so they are only making 51,000 bumpers, right? since that is all that have had the problem, right jobs?
@Revolutionary
So while reviewing other smart phones after this, is Engadget now going to consider not having a bumper accessory with any phone as a negative point?
@Revolutionary Can you imagine the embarassment of walking into any bar/cafe/whatever with a FREE iPhone 'bumper'. You bought the iPhone to look cool. Now it says 'Hey, I was screwed over by Steve Jobs. But look! He gave me a FREE reacharound....'
@loocas. Exactly! I do not get why folks are giving the impression they're okay with this? Everyone I know with the iphone 4 are pissed!
@RhymeMaster Exactly! Just hold it different...its a non issue :P
@TMoney4Life ah ? have you seen the original iMac ? :-p
@not that geeky
the iPhone Case App will only download to an iPhone 4 so you first have to get your back-ordered iPhone and only then can you order a case for it. that means a multiple-week wait for the iPhone 4 followed by another multiple-week wait for the case. so you can expect to wait a minimum of 2 months after you order the IPhone 4 before making you first un-dropped call on it. that sucks.
@profgaylord naw, the app will download on any iphone, but will only let you order if your phone is an iPhone 4.
@Major Plonquer Ummm no one buys the iPhone to "look cool"; they buy it because it's a kick ass handheld computer
@vqro He typed it in but didn't hit search, it doesn't populate when you type it in yet. If you have to hit search to find it in the app store, you blew it
@scorpeo All your friends who are so "pissed" that they own iPhones - they're aware they can return them for free, right?
ah any customer can have a case any colour that he/she wants so long as it is black.
I gotna refund on my bumper and then I dled te app and it let me order a case. You think they'll cancel it?
@krishansy Yeah, as in to alert all of us iPhone owners that it's now open for us to sign up for our cases. I wouldn't have known without this post. If you don't own an iPhone why do you care?
@DCTenor1 Bullshit. Maybe some of them did, but for the majority of iPhone users (soccer moms, those in enterprise, dumb teenagers, etc.) it's because it's trendy, well-advertised and a status symbol.
@Why should I have all the fun Hes not like the joker at all joker wants to watch world BURN Jobs rides in his green ass prius and all that shit, thx, but gtfo plox
I bought a IPhone 4 case from AT&T. I was told I could fill out the rebate form on the Apple store and get a rebate. Well, Apple is only giving a rebate for 6 specific bumpers - not cases. This is a disingenuous offer from Apple. Their bean counters have probably figured out they will limit the cost/exposure by making people wait weeks for cases and limiting the models they will reimburse. Apple is acting like a medical insurance company. I am so disappointed in Jobs. Maybe he should go back on medical leave
@pple is poo Dickhead. Those aren't the Apple bumpers.