Apple confirmed today that it will hold a press conference tomorrow at 10 a.m. Pacific time. It’s widely believed the company will address the growing chorus of complaints surrounding the iPhone 4’s antenna problems.
For weeks now, the iPhone 4 has been the most talked about summer smartphone, but for all the wrong reasons. Some users complain that covering the bottom left-hand corner of the phone’s stainless steel antenna results in a nearly complete loss of signal. While the problem can be remedied with one of Apple’s rubber “bumpers” or any protective case, some say the problem amounts to a design flaw that can’t be overlooked.
Over the past week, calls for a full recall of the product have grown louder, with Consumer Reports just this week saying it is unable to recommend the iPhone 4 because of the antenna problem. Nevertheless, the iPhone 4 received the best overall rating of any smartphone that Consumer Reports reviewed.
Avi Greengart, director of consumer devices research for Current Analysis, confirmed that the press conference will be about the iPhone 4 but did not have any information about exactly what aspect the company will address.
“It could be about the phone’s phenomenal sales, or it could be about the white iPhone 4. You never know with Apple,” Greengart says.
When asked whether he thought Apple would recall the phone, he said that was not a possibility, nor was it necessary. Greengart says that giving out free bumpers would be enough.
“That’s been my recommendation all along… the bumper mitigates any issue with the antenna making contact with the skin,” he says, adding that it wouldn’t even be setting a precedent, as many OEMs already include cases with their phones, including HTC and Research In Motion.
Filed Under: Devices
