- Image via CrunchBase
Apple has responded to the growing complaints about loss of signals and phone reception, on its latest smart-phone device, by offering a free case to every iPhone 4 owner. This announcement was made by Steve Jobs at a media conference in California, where he also admitted that Apple and the smart-phone device were “not perfect.”
The free protective “bumper” cases is expected to help overcome the so-called “death grip” problem – a problem in which the user’s hand can interfere with or block telephone reception when the phone is help up in a certain position. The offer will not be limited to those who have already bought the phone as new buyers will also be eligible. All iPhone 4 owners can apply via the Apple website from 22 July. The offer has already been estimated to cost Apple around $180m (£118m), based on expected retail prices. However, unhappy owners will still be eligible for a full refund until 30 September. So far, only 0.55% of users had complained about the new phones , and less than 2% had returned theirs.
While Steve Jobs maintained that the issue was “blown out of proportion” and that signal related problems was not limited to Apple alone but rather a problem shared by other smart-phone manufacturers such as Research in Motion and HTC Corp., this announcement is somehow in contrast to earlier claims that the problem was simply with the signal strength indicator. It is now believed that the issue might have been caused by the steel case of the phone which houses sections of the antenna and is bridged whenever the phone is held from the lower left hand corner. Early reports on how this announcement might be received by current users is quite promising especially as Apple shares rose 1.3 per cent following a fall of about 1 per cent earlier in the day.
Talking Point
Do you think this is a good move by Apple?