WSJ: Apple lost confidence in Papermaster months ago, Jobs accepted iPhone 4 antenna risks
By Thomas Ricker 
posted August 9th 2010 2:31AM
posted August 9th 2010 2:31AM
In other words, it wasn't just about the iPhone 4's antenna. In fact, the WSJ claims that Jobs knew about the risks of the antenna design as much as a year ago and it was his decision, not Papermaster's, to move forward with its development. Whatever the real story is, we're sure that Steve, visibly agitated at having to host an antennagate press conference, wasn't too pleased at having stood in front of the media promising an "end of July" ship date for the already delayed white iPhone 4 only to delay it again just a few days later. Straw, meet camel.Mr. Papermaster had lost the confidence of Mr. Jobs months ago and hasn't been part of the decision-making process for some time, these people said. They added that Mr. Papermaster didn't appear to have the type of creative thinking expected at Apple and wasn't used to Apple's corporate culture, where even senior executives are expected to keep on top of the smallest details of their areas of responsibility and often have to handle many tasks directly, as opposed to delegating them.
Bullshit PR spin
@Evan
That's what PR was invented for ; )
If you know there is a defect/risk in your product, why not fix it?
@NuklearPanda
Because fixing it would have delayed the iPhone 4 for months. There was no quick fix (beyond giving users cases) that they could have done so they instead hoped the press wouldn't make a big deal out of it.
@NuklearPanda
You can bet that the next generation of iPhones will have this issue with the antenna fixed, but it's hard to roll out a fix once the 4's have all shipped without a recall, and Apple's made clear that they're not doing that.
@Evan
I love the fact that they are more concerned about being the smallest smart phone than putting a small plastic or rubber spacer between the two antenna gaps. But form factor is more important >.>
Regardless, I don't like Steve Jobs. If he was out of the equation, I would be a lot more fond of Apple. But the way he direct them will make me passionately reject his companies products.
@Steve B
Wow. We just heard that Steve KNEW about the antenna issues and then later denied them, all while moving on with a flawed device.
This shows willful negligence in order to screw the consumers in the end. Why redesign when millions of people will buy it to get their next iFix?
@Mike10010100
He knew about the RISKS of the design, not that the design was definitely problematic.By the time they knew for sure that there would be a problem, they would have most likely had to delay the phone to fix it. Apple is a company known to take chances; in this case, taking the chance got them into trouble.
@Steve B
dude, considering people have fixed it with a SINGLE STICKER, I hardly believe that it would have taken months to fix.
And Engineers usually KNOW when this stuff is gonna happen, rarely is it a "risk"
@Steve B
Even a small coating of plastic or glass around the edge would have fixed this. It didn't even have to be visible. Why on earth would you RISK such a stupid mistake? An antenna professor even spotted the problem beforehand from the leak shots!
@Mike10010100
In Australia, their is no reception issues with the i4.
Perhaps because we have less signal traffic or better reception or just lucky because I couldn't death grip my friends i4!
So this leads me to believe, during testing reception was very well, but they never thought about AT&T's reception having an effect. Maybe field testing the i4's was a good idea even if it meant the risk of us finding it in an abandoned bar.
@Kangal
It's entirely possible. There also may be an even further regional effect based on signal strength, overall humidity, skin type, etc. Electrical connections are finicky... They will short out for a number of different reasons.
@Evan
This is what the whole thing was about - Apple's strength over its competitors is that its design credentials are above anyone else in the media - that's the impression that people had. The iPhone 4 was put out there on the basis that this was the most revolutionary design ever. Much was made of the revolutionary thinking of doing an external antenna, which allowed the whole device to be made smaller, and allowed more space for a larger battery.
The fact that all the field-tested iPhone 4 devices were tested with cases on to make them look like 3GS devices meant that they missed the antenna fault - which external testing (i.e. Consumer Reports) showed that the phone drops 20dB in signal strength when touched in the lower left corner. Outside of the spin that was spun, a device that drops 20dB just by touching a corner is a problem - how much of a problem it is depends very much on whether you're in an area of strong reception or weak reception. But ignoring that particular issue, any phone that drops 20dB reception by allowing human contact with the antenna could be seen as a design fault. That it drops up to 1 percentage point more calls than the 3GS (which, with a 1.44% AT&T dropped call rate overall for AT&T - an extra percentage point of dropped calls is a significant relative increase in dropped calls)
But Apple's perceived strength over its competitors was its perceived brilliance with design, and that had to be protected.
So when it became apparent that there was a problem - a design problem, but admitting that it was a design problem would lose Apple significant market advantage. So we had "just don't hold it that way" (it's the user's fault), and when that didn't wash, that it was a software problem ("we're shocked to discover that we're calculating the bars wrong") and eventually when Consumer Reports announced that it was a design fault and they couldn't recommend the device until this design is fixed, the Antennagate press conference was called. But note that at no time in that press conference did Jobs mention that the design was problematic - and he went to lengths to demonstrate Apple's design credentials (I lost count how many times Jobs talked about how they're an engineering company, etc.) and the "it happens to every smartphone" thing was all to protect the image that Apple's design decision (to make an external antenna) was not at fault.
You can be sure that the next antenna will be shielded from human contact much more effectively. But the whole thing from Apple's side has been to protect the public's belief that Apple does innovative design.
@NuklearPanda
What, you never saw Fight Club?
@NuklearPanda: Because you're Apple. You know people are going to buy it, whether it's crap or not, and if they complain you just dump on other products and manufacturers instead of improving your own.
Main reason I ditched my iPhone and got a Nexus One.
When the iPhone first came out it was best of its class, because it was a new class, there were hardly any touchscreen phones available, but for some reason they think they own the first place in that class permanently and no matter what they do, it's "revolutionary" "the best" whatever. Just not true. iOS 4 didn't convince me, yes, it's great, but it doesn't have anything revolutionary, people have been begging for multitasking since day one, it took them 4 years to do what Google has done with Android in a little over 2. They don't dislike Google because they got in the phone business, they dislike them because they're really becoming a big competitor, which kind of tells me they're not fully convinced their phone is the best out there.
Microsoft is also a big competitor, but Apple knows they can just laugh at them because their OS is clearly better. If they were truly convinced the iPhone 4 is the best phone they wouldn't care about Google getting in the smartphone business or fire people or dump on other manufacturers (which is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen, it's like in school when you're caught doing something wrong and instead of taking it you just say "But John did it too", hoping it makes it better).
They really lost me on the iPhone, which is unfortunate, because I love my Mac.
@Mike10010100
Why would you bother changing a device with a problem that only affects a handful of users that aren't doing it deliberately?
@charlieward
Are you still pushing that apologist point? It is a systemic problem. Just because users won't notice doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. Just fix it.
@sebastian
You make it seem that multitasking is the only "revolutionary" function a mobile phone can have. On such a small, underpowered device it's unnecessary and if anything a step backwards. Pre-iOS4 my iPhone could play music and surf the web at the same time, what more could you possibly want?!
Multitasking on a mobile device is completely superfluous, when are you ever going to need more than one app at a time? Oh wait...
@Mike10010100 Why are you iHaters here? Go read an Android post and leave us ignorant Apple simpletons alone. If Apple brought about world peace tomorrow, you will still be finding fault.
@charlieward
HAHAHAHA. Wow. Just wow. I seriously hope you're trolling. Nobody has thought this way since there wasn't a multitasking option.
"Pre-iOS4 my iPhone could play music and surf the web at the same time, what more could you possibly want?!"
I LOVE the fact that there are no options on my phone!
The cognitive dissonance is strong with this one.
@Freaking Haters. Go away!... please. Why do you have this constant need to call others stupid and ignorant? It is a matter of choice. I respect yours so please leave me alone with my choice. Screw you.
@JojoMojo
Amazing that you take it personally. If you're really so sure about your own purchasing decision, why question yourself/defend your device? Especially since your entire argument boils down to:
"WAAAAAAAAA!"
This is a feedback effect from years of Apple put-downs and fanboys screaming "Apple is the best." It is expected.
Also funny how you think I criticize your phone choice. I've criticized the phone itself and the designers at Apple. Somehow you've internalized your phone so much that it insults you whenever someone else points out the flaw in your phone. Interesting.
@NuklearPanda It's not defective I'm on mine right now
@Evan
I'm sorry but Steve Jobs is on record saying that the antenna was the result of ENGINEERING GENIUS. Mr. Jobs should fire himself, but I guess he is too arrogant to get the job done.
@Mike10010100
You're right about him taking it personally. But if you think you don't also have a personal emotional investment in this issue, you should think again.
@xyglyx
Nope. I keep myself absolutely separated from my gadgets. Sure I get attached to some, but not so much that I can't admit that my Hero is pretty crappy. I love it, it's the funnest phone I've owned, but it's friggin slow and the screen in small. And the battery life sucks. All which could be fixed (except for the screen lol) with 2.2 which HTC isn't giving us. Thanks. lol
@sebastian I love my iPhone 4 I don't use a case and have no signal problems. I love all the apps the display camera and all the little features like screen shots and copy and paste.
@Evan
Just wondering... Did Engadget revise their iPhone4 review? ... i think its pretty sure now that there is a defect with the devices, and thats what they were waiting for.. confirmation. no?
I'm in Canada and I have no such issues either. Guess the signal strength here must be amazing compared to the US? shrug.
@Kangal I wouldn't say *no* reception issues in Australia... I can very readily completely kill web browsing over 3G.
@NuklearPanda Because Steve Job's is well aware he has one of the most apologetic customer bases in the world. Apple isn't even close to expending their customer good will. Until Apple's customers start holding their feet to the fire over things like this, they'll keep doing it because they know they can get away with it. We do realize corporations have decided NOT to fix things like brakes or firewalls in cars before right? It's not that far fetch to think Apple knew about the antennae and released it anyway, at least no one is going to directly die from their phone not getting signal.
@corylulu
A rubber spacer wouldn't fix it, the antenna band needs a thin clear coating of some kind. This is not as simple as everyone thinks from a manufacturing point of view. It obviously can't be paint, Apple doesn't paint things. Perhaps a plastic coating, but that requires a whole additional manufacturing process to be put in place. They didn't know this would end up being as big a deal as it ended up. At this point, they are already working on iPhone 5. Also, Steve Jobs saved Apple from almost going under in the late 90's and turned it into the #1 American electronics company on the stock market. If he were "out of the equation", there wouldn't be an Apple today. He IS Apple, like it or not.
@NuklearPanda
microsoft and apple are both guilty of stuff like this
@corylulu Man we must be separated at birth because that has been the way i felt for a decade now about that Guy. I just really dont like his attitude and his personality.
@beardoc
"But the whole thing from Apple's side has been to protect the public's belief that Apple does innovative design."
And in my eyes they failed to show prove that perception true miserably.
Sadly, their PR machine seems to have worked just fine. I guess we'll see how the next one sells to see if they suffered from this debacle. I sure hope they do, as companies with too much power just end up swindling the consumer.
@beardoc
Seriously....SERIOUSLY you ar eon the money +1. I thought i was the only one that saw this. It was always about the market share and their quarters they did not want to start a new quarter with dropped sales. God you are awesome!!
@jrox
Not just a spacer, but something that actually covered it like the Stickers that engadget showed that fixed the issue.
But regardless, stock market prices is just an inflated artificial value for a company, true value is still held by Microsoft as the largest.
And Steve Jobs brought them back from the dead using cut throat practices that would eventually ruin the company. So Steve Jobs is both the thing keeping Apple alive and killing it, However Steve isn't really that needed anymore. People are brainwashed enough by Apple to not need Steve.
Looks like he didn't have enough pieces of flair.
@Evan 囧
@Mike10010100
LOL at your "cognitive dissonance" meme
@corylulu
Ridonkulous....
"Cutthroat practices" that will "ruin the company"? Are you truly naive enough to think that anything Apple does in term of manufacturing / outsourcing is any worse (or better) than any other large company?
I agree that SJ bolloxed the iPhone4, but on the whole, he has done nothing short of incredible, taking Apple from the brink of death to the dominant or a major player in a number of markets - MP3 players, media downloads, smartphones, laptops, consumer desktops... The only thing stronger that the Reality Distortion Field around el Jobso is the one around iHaters...
I usually stand behind Apple but they really didn't deal with this very nicely. Time to hire some new PR people...
@DanMan
:) When you have a problem with your hardware, hire better PR people.
Yeah, the company I work for does that too.
Spin isn't reality.
@DanMan
Are you implying that Apple ever handles situations honestly and in goodness? You're in for a rude awaking ...
@DanMan
no its time to fire Mr. Jobs
@DanMan I read all this.. I tried to get angry... but... I kinda like my iPhone4.... So.. Don't really care that much....
*plays iphone4 antenna song*
@DanMan
*allocates resources*
"pr advertising, pr advertising, pr advertising.. fix iphone"
@DanMan When the dictator says: JUMP! what do you do?
@HellFlyer
hahah
someone had to take the fall and it wasn't going to be jobs this time.. he learnt from the 90's. he's not just a pretty turtleneck. :P
@HellFlyer
A comment like that shows how misinformed & clueless you are. Get rid of Steve Jobs - are you serious? Any CEO in the computer industry has to give props to SJ, he has just about performed miracles with Apple. He did what everyone said was impossible. Brush up on your computer industry history & see for yourself, or just continue with blind hatred because he is the CEO of the company that created things you wish your favorite company came up with, instead of imitated.