Apple on iPhone 4 Problems: “You’re Holding it Wrong!”

Since the debut of Apple’s latest hi-tech 4G version of the iPhone 4, consumers have been a much troubled lot with all the call-dropping, reception woes and antenna annoyances that allegedly came as a package deal.

Popular tech site Gizmodo.com and YouTube were flooded with videos showcasing the antenna problems, hours after the much-famed gadget reached the hands of the then-delighted users.

The main gripe, apart from a host of issues ranging from a highly scratch-prone plastic back to blurry, yellowing screens, is the lost of signal strength when the sleek mobile is held with the fingers wrapped around the metal edges, where the antenna is apparently placed.

 Apple CEO Steve Jobs responded to a customer email by saying: "Just avoid holding it in that way,"

This is what the harassed customer wrote to him:

I love my new iPhone 4(nice work) but when I put my hand on the steel bands I lose all reception. It appears to be a common issue. Any plans to fix this? 

The sentiment of Mr. Jobs is shared by the whole company, I believe, but perhaps in a slightly less blunt manner than Mr. Jobs, as they felt the need to elaborate a bit on the issue at hand -

“Gripping any mobile phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas.

This is a fact of life for every wireless phone.

If you ever experience this on your iPhone 4, avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band, or simply use one of many available cases.”

Besides this formal statement by Apple, they have been asking frustrated iPhone 4 consumers to “move your hand position” or “get a case or buy their $29 bumper” to break flesh contact.

Really?

For a gadget that has had people salivating after it since months before and had 600,000+ preorders in one single day, Apple couldn’t find this pesky defect before the hyped release?

One of the smart 4G phone’s new features is its super sleek design, as it’s about 25% slimmer than the last 3G iPhone. Apple Inc. accomplished that by fixing the antenna through a metal band externally, at the edges of the phone.

So it’s not a software or production defect.

But maybe a case of bad design is to blame?

Here what the tech site Engadget.com wrote on the issue:

“Admittedly, this isn't a problem that exists only for the iPhone 4 -- we've seen reports of the same behavior on previous generations (the 3G and 3GS), and there is a running thread about this problem with the Nexus One. While it is definitely true that interference is an unavoidable problem, we can't help feeling like this is really a bit of bad design.

If the only answer is to move your hand, why didn't Apple just move the antenna position?”

Good question.

Only Mr. Steve Jobs holds the answer to that.

Maybe we should email him about that too?