Hours away from Apple’s (AAPL) moment of truth regarding the iPhone 4’s antenna-reception problems, the company’s relationship with consumers worldwide is on the line.
While Apple figures to come up with a technical solution and credit redemption for customers experiencing dropped signals on their new phones, the company’s real challenge will be in restoring its connection with a generation of fans and followers.
Worse than initiating a police investigation for the lost iPhone 4 prototype and prohibiting developers from using flash to program their apps, Apple in this episode ended up trying to throw consumers under the bus. Not happening.
If users are indeed holding the phone the wrong way, than tomorrow would be the world’s largest tutorial on how to avoid a “death grip.” A spectacle like that would make LeBron James’ “The Decision” special seem like the Shawshank Redemption.
We need a better answer.
Apple knew the risks all along
But as Bloomberg and the Wall Street journal are reporting, Apple engineers knew as much as a year ago that the iPhone 4’s state-of-the-art design could compromise call quality.
Emphasizing style over substance is bad enough, but ridiculing customers who spent hours in line to shell out hundreds of dollars for a flawed product borders on an unforgivable offense.
Humility doesn’t have to hurt
If any company in the world deserves a mulligan, it is Apple. While the global economy faltered over the last two years, Apple built a multi-billion dollar app ecosystem where independent developers introduce new innovations to every stage of life each and every day. The iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac are joyful inventions that truly make the world a better place.
While most iPhone 4 owners rave about the new features, a significant and vocal minority rightly feel shafted for buying a faulty product. They deserve more.
By taking accountability and acknowledging where it went wrong, Apple can restore its setting as the most admired company on the planet.
Trentp
Iphone 4 Proximity Sensor Problems Being Ignored- Please help concerned users !!!!
The new Iphone 4 OS update has been released. A few users have stated that it may have resolved their proximity sensor issue. Although, some of them have later reported that the issue returned or it was a false positive result. Most Iphone users are reporting in the various discussion forums that the Iphone 4 OS update released on Thursday has not fixed the proximity sensor issue on the Iphone 4. One individual was told by Apple last night to go to her local store and exchange her Iphone 4. She visited her local Apple store and exchanged her Iphone 4 for a new one and installed the new OS update. At first, she thought that the new phone was working better. Later she reported that the faulty proximity sensor issue remained on her new Iphone 4 with the new OS update installed. Many users are at the end of their rope with this issue. The discussion forums have numerous reports that the OS update has done nothing to resolve the proximity sensor issue with the Iphone 4.
Please report on this issue and if you have been blessed to attend the Apple press conference today or know someone that is attending, then please ask Apple to let all of the very concerned customers know what has or is going to be done to resolve this issue. So far Apple has not acknowledged this issue. So are users going to be forced to return their Iphone 4 before the 30 day return policy expires? That day is very near! Are users going to have to wait several months until Apple releases a patch to resolve the issue? Are users going to receive a new Iphone 4 do resolve this serious issue.
Please help. Your readers are desperate for some answers from Apple on this very serious issue with the Iphone 4.
Regards,