In case Apple has somehow managed to perfect the art of selective disremembrance across a wide population, here's a refresher: Consumer Reports has thrown down the gauntlet, stating that it "can't recommend" the iPhone 4 until the antenna issues are fixed, issues that its labs and ours have verified quite substantially. Apple apparently isn't happy about that, and has taken to deleting threads about the Consumer Reports article from its support forums
yeah, CR pulling a recommendation is really startling. it creates a lot of bad press for apple, despite the fact if there's a widespread issue or not. the deletion of the threads on the official apple discussions forum is just fucked out.
hell, i'm still on the waiting list for an iPhone 4; i've been waiting over 2 weeks now. but the more i read about this antenna problem, the better my glitchy 3G barely running 4.0 is looking.
I bet Microsoft is wishing that WinPho7 was ready to launch tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Google is in the catbird seat, withe the Droid X and Vibrant both launching this week.
I've been saying that this market is Apple's to lose (blackberries going the way of the typewriter is only a matter of time) but doing things like ignoring consumer reports is exactly how they could lose it.
I'm not sure how Apple's support forums should provide support about a Consumer Reports article.
It would be nice if they didn't try to cover up what's happening.
It would be nice if people used an appropriate forum to air their complaints. You know, just for instance, not a manufacturer's support forum.
[ed] That's not even "air their complaints." So it's even stupider. The support forums, one assumes, are a place to receive support for a specific issue that one has. Not a place to post articles about a consumer protection company failing your phone for it's lack of ... I dunno what to call that... being a good phone?
What they need to do is actually fix the problem. Then AngelHedgie and Evander will be happy with the iPhone 4s that they presumably purchased and used on a regular basis (and upset them so greatly with their antenna problems) and will stop posting page after page of complaints about Apple.
They have acknowledged the problem, from my understanding. Or at least one of the two issues.
There are 2 problems.
1) the antenna is exposed to a degree that's not usual, which causes greater signal attenuation issues than with other phones.
2) their formula that determines how many signal bars to display is borked.
They're correcting #2 via a software update. #1 they're really not going to be able to solve without a hardware revision. There are a lot of disagreements about how many customers #1 affects though. It's definitely an issue though, the only question is to what degree and for how many people.
I'm disappointed in how they handled it. They basically said "nah, not an issue. Here, just buy this cover from us. That'll solve this iss... erm... this non-issue." Which isn't true and was a shitty response. Even if it weren't an issue, the answer they gave ticked me off because it seemed very hand-wavey.
iTunesIsEvil on
0
jungleroomxIt's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovelsRegistered Userregular
edited July 2010
They said there was a problem with the software displaying more bars than it should.
What they need to do is actually fix the problem. Then AngelHedgie and Evander will be happy with the iPhone 4s that they presumably purchased and used on a regular basis (and upset them so greatly with their antenna problems) and will stop posting page after page of complaints about Apple.
Actually, we both own Android phones (I have a Droid Incredible, he has a Nexus One.) And I find it hilarious how Apple's been cutting its own throat. The main issue with the whole antenna issue is how ineptly they've been covering it up. (When you put up ads for antenna engineers while claiming the issue is with the software, it's not surprising when people start wondering if something isn't being said.)
What they need to do is actually fix the problem. Then AngelHedgie and Evander will be happy with the iPhone 4s that they presumably purchased and used on a regular basis (and upset them so greatly with their antenna problems) and will stop posting page after page of complaints about Apple.
Actually, we both own Android phones (I have a Droid Incredible, he has a Nexus One.) And I find it hilarious how Apple's been cutting its own throat. The main issue with the whole antenna issue is how ineptly they've been covering it up. (When you put up ads for antenna engineers while claiming the issue is with the software, it's not surprising when people start wondering if something isn't being said.)
What they need to do is actually fix the problem. Then AngelHedgie and Evander will be happy with the iPhone 4s that they presumably purchased and used on a regular basis (and upset them so greatly with their antenna problems) and will stop posting page after page of complaints about Apple.
Actually, we both own Android phones (I have a Droid Incredible, he has a Nexus One.) And I find it hilarious how Apple's been cutting its own throat. The main issue with the whole antenna issue is how ineptly they've been covering it up. (When you put up ads for antenna engineers while claiming the issue is with the software, it's not surprising when people start wondering if something isn't being said.)
History is repeating itself.
Clearly this is the end of apple.
adytum on
0
KalTorakOne way or another, they all end up inthe Undercity.Registered Userregular
What they need to do is actually fix the problem. Then AngelHedgie and Evander will be happy with the iPhone 4s that they presumably purchased and used on a regular basis (and upset them so greatly with their antenna problems) and will stop posting page after page of complaints about Apple.
Actually, we both own Android phones (I have a Droid Incredible, he has a Nexus One.) And I find it hilarious how Apple's been cutting its own throat. The main issue with the whole antenna issue is how ineptly they've been covering it up. (When you put up ads for antenna engineers while claiming the issue is with the software, it's not surprising when people start wondering if something isn't being said.)
History is repeating itself.
What history are you referring to?
That time when Julius Caesar ignored his wife's complaints about her nocturnal dream reception.
Most of the people I know that own iPhones say that AT&T drops a lot of their calls already. I wonder how people will know if it's the antenna or just the service.
What they need to do is actually fix the problem. Then AngelHedgie and Evander will be happy with the iPhone 4s that they presumably purchased and used on a regular basis (and upset them so greatly with their antenna problems) and will stop posting page after page of complaints about Apple.
Actually, we both own Android phones (I have a Droid Incredible, he has a Nexus One.) And I find it hilarious how Apple's been cutting its own throat. The main issue with the whole antenna issue is how ineptly they've been covering it up. (When you put up ads for antenna engineers while claiming the issue is with the software, it's not surprising when people start wondering if something isn't being said.)
The deleted posts were less about the antenna issue, and more about the quality and accuracy of CR testing. Expressed in highly emotional fan-boy terms. It would seem that Apple has not touched the real ongoing discussions of the antenna issue, but just taken down the threads that strayed into CR bashing.
heehee, Slashdot for Apple news. This is like going to the GOP for news regarding Democrats. Or has /. gotten better since '05-'06-ish?
It's a comment on the same article from someone that bothered to actually look into what was happening, rather than immediately believing the hysterical headlines.
The actual Slashdot headline and summary are AngelHedgie-worthy, though.
I don't think Apple is evil; they are basically behaving like any other company would. However, compare their response here to Google's response with the Buzz rollout.
I don't think Apple is evil; they are basically behaving like any other company would. However, compare their response here to Google's response with the Buzz rollout.
They responded pretty well to the Buzz nonsense, but they've said some pretty stupid stuff before. Didn't Page say something recently about how we shouldn't be searching for things we don't want other people to see we searched for? I could be imagining that, but I'm pretty sure it happened. :P
They responded pretty well to the Buzz nonsense, but they've said some pretty stupid stuff before. Didn't Page say something recently about how we shouldn't be searching for things we don't want other people to see we searched for? I could be imagining that, but I'm pretty sure it happened. :P
I don't remember him saying that. (https google search would seem to contradict this sentiment as well.) I believe he made a comment to the effect that we shouldn't assume internet activity in general is private?
Most of the people I know that own iPhones say that AT&T drops a lot of their calls already. I wonder how people will know if it's the antenna or just the service.
Anandtech has a good article explaining the issue - both the attenuation and the "too many bars" aspects. Jump to page two for the antenna stuff:
Apple went with a neat design esthetically, but in order to have the phone work as well as they intend, you need to buy a case that hides the neat design... It doesn't bother me personally (was always planning to get a case), but it does seem kinda dumb, given the apple dedication to style and especially in the light of the whole anything better than 40% signal strength = 5 "bars"
They responded pretty well to the Buzz nonsense, but they've said some pretty stupid stuff before. Didn't Page say something recently about how we shouldn't be searching for things we don't want other people to see we searched for? I could be imagining that, but I'm pretty sure it happened. :P
I don't remember him saying that. (https google search would seem to contradict this sentiment as well.) I believe he made a comment to the effect that we shouldn't assume internet activity in general is private?
It could have been that. I went and looked again and still can't find it. I guess I was wrong. Whoopsydoodle. :oops:
They responded pretty well to the Buzz nonsense, but they've said some pretty stupid stuff before. Didn't Page say something recently about how we shouldn't be searching for things we don't want other people to see we searched for? I could be imagining that, but I'm pretty sure it happened. :P
I don't remember him saying that. (https google search would seem to contradict this sentiment as well.) I believe he made a comment to the effect that we shouldn't assume internet activity in general is private?
It could have been that. I went and looked again and still can't find it. I guess I was wrong. Whoopsydoodle. :oops:
You're not wrong.
It was Schmidt and it was retarded. Did he mean it the way it sounded? I'm not sure and his message wasn't terrible, but the quote about "shouldn't be doing it" came out pretty bad.
edit: Wiki to the rescue:
If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you should not be doing it in the first place, but if you really need that kind of privacy, the reality is that search engines — including Google — do retain this information for some time…
What they need to do is actually fix the problem. Then AngelHedgie and Evander will be happy with the iPhone 4s that they presumably purchased and used on a regular basis (and upset them so greatly with their antenna problems) and will stop posting page after page of complaints about Apple.
Actually, we both own Android phones (I have a Droid Incredible, he has a Nexus One.) And I find it hilarious how Apple's been cutting its own throat. The main issue with the whole antenna issue is how ineptly they've been covering it up. (When you put up ads for antenna engineers while claiming the issue is with the software, it's not surprising when people start wondering if something isn't being said.)
History is repeating itself.
And I'm just commenting on movements I see in the market.
Any limitations that Apple products usually have are deliberate. No flash to keep from draining battery and eating prcocessing power, etc. Apple products are designed very deliberately, with features often left out rather than implimented poorly.
That is why it is interesting to watch how the company reacts when it becomes clear that they made a decent sized mistake in their design. The answer is, they aren't reacting very well (but not much different from how Microsoft reacted to the Red Rings, and definitely better than Sony reacts to most things, so far. The proof will be in what they do when their software fix does nothing about a hardware issue.)
What they need to do is actually fix the problem. Then AngelHedgie and Evander will be happy with the iPhone 4s that they presumably purchased and used on a regular basis (and upset them so greatly with their antenna problems) and will stop posting page after page of complaints about Apple.
Actually, we both own Android phones (I have a Droid Incredible, he has a Nexus One.) And I find it hilarious how Apple's been cutting its own throat. The main issue with the whole antenna issue is how ineptly they've been covering it up. (When you put up ads for antenna engineers while claiming the issue is with the software, it's not surprising when people start wondering if something isn't being said.)
History is repeating itself.
And I'm just commenting on movements I see in the market.
Any limitations that Apple products usually have are deliberate. No flash to keep from draining battery and eating prcocessing power, etc. Apple products are designed very deliberately, with features often left out rather than implimented poorly.
That is why it is interesting to watch how the company reacts when it becomes clear that they made a decent sized mistake in their design. The answer is, they aren't reacting very well (but not much different from how Microsoft reacted to the Red Rings, and definitely better than Sony reacts to most things, so far. The proof will be in what they do when their software fix does nothing about a hardware issue.)
Wait, the software problem wasn't real? I thought it was that the screen said you were dropping from four bars to one bar when you tried to hold your phone like a phone when it "should" have said you were dropping from two bars to negative two.
Either way, they're pumping out an Ipod Touch with built in No Signal App and marketing it as a phone.
Near as I can tell the software problem IS real, it's just separate from the hardware problem.
I'm of two minds about this whole thing. On the one hand, the problem isn't really that bad. It doesn't affect everyone (never affected mine), but for folks who are affected it's easy to fix with a case or duct tape. Granted, it's silly to have to ask people to do that, but at least solutions are there.
On the other, given that the problem has been proven to exist and the solution is so damn simple, it's odd that Apple doesn't just spend a few million to send out free bumpers. It's not as if they won't make the money back via more iPhone sales, and a thin coat of something placed over the metal during the manufacturing process will fix things for good.
Apple hasn't ever had any experience with product recalls/fixes, have they?
Posts
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/comments_blog/2010/05/ellen-iphone-ad.html
depending on your definition of "like this" it HAS happened sooner
Apple keeps pulling this shit, and folks seem to be starting to notice.
Yeah, I don't think there's any defense for this.
hell, i'm still on the waiting list for an iPhone 4; i've been waiting over 2 weeks now. but the more i read about this antenna problem, the better my glitchy 3G barely running 4.0 is looking.
Meanwhile, Google is in the catbird seat, withe the Droid X and Vibrant both launching this week.
I've been saying that this market is Apple's to lose (blackberries going the way of the typewriter is only a matter of time) but doing things like ignoring consumer reports is exactly how they could lose it.
It would be nice if they didn't try to cover up what's happening.
[ed] That's not even "air their complaints." So it's even stupider. The support forums, one assumes, are a place to receive support for a specific issue that one has. Not a place to post articles about a consumer protection company failing your phone for it's lack of ... I dunno what to call that... being a good phone?
This is an outrage!
It doesn't sound like a huge problem. "If you touch the lower left of the phone, it may drop a call. Don't do this. Or put tape over it."
Their explanation for it does sound like bullshit. "Cover-up" sounds awfully dramatic, but that's what it strikes me as.
Sounds like that might be the real problem.
There are 2 problems.
1) the antenna is exposed to a degree that's not usual, which causes greater signal attenuation issues than with other phones.
2) their formula that determines how many signal bars to display is borked.
They're correcting #2 via a software update. #1 they're really not going to be able to solve without a hardware revision. There are a lot of disagreements about how many customers #1 affects though. It's definitely an issue though, the only question is to what degree and for how many people.
I'm disappointed in how they handled it. They basically said "nah, not an issue. Here, just buy this cover from us. That'll solve this iss... erm... this non-issue." Which isn't true and was a shitty response. Even if it weren't an issue, the answer they gave ticked me off because it seemed very hand-wavey.
So... no.
Actually, we both own Android phones (I have a Droid Incredible, he has a Nexus One.) And I find it hilarious how Apple's been cutting its own throat. The main issue with the whole antenna issue is how ineptly they've been covering it up. (When you put up ads for antenna engineers while claiming the issue is with the software, it's not surprising when people start wondering if something isn't being said.)
History is repeating itself.
What history are you referring to?
Clearly this is the end of apple.
That time when Julius Caesar ignored his wife's complaints about her nocturnal dream reception.
SteamID: devCharles
twitter: https://twitter.com/charlesewise
Mac v. PC.
Keep on keepin' on with the hysterics, though.
tissues, picture of crying Steve Jobs
It's a comment on the same article from someone that bothered to actually look into what was happening, rather than immediately believing the hysterical headlines.
The actual Slashdot headline and summary are AngelHedgie-worthy, though.
I don't think Apple is evil; they are basically behaving like any other company would. However, compare their response here to Google's response with the Buzz rollout.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3794/the-iphone-4-review
Apple went with a neat design esthetically, but in order to have the phone work as well as they intend, you need to buy a case that hides the neat design... It doesn't bother me personally (was always planning to get a case), but it does seem kinda dumb, given the apple dedication to style and especially in the light of the whole anything better than 40% signal strength = 5 "bars"
More bars, more places, indeed.
You're not wrong.
It was Schmidt and it was retarded. Did he mean it the way it sounded? I'm not sure and his message wasn't terrible, but the quote about "shouldn't be doing it" came out pretty bad.
edit: Wiki to the rescue:
And I'm just commenting on movements I see in the market.
Any limitations that Apple products usually have are deliberate. No flash to keep from draining battery and eating prcocessing power, etc. Apple products are designed very deliberately, with features often left out rather than implimented poorly.
That is why it is interesting to watch how the company reacts when it becomes clear that they made a decent sized mistake in their design. The answer is, they aren't reacting very well (but not much different from how Microsoft reacted to the Red Rings, and definitely better than Sony reacts to most things, so far. The proof will be in what they do when their software fix does nothing about a hardware issue.)
Wait, the software problem wasn't real? I thought it was that the screen said you were dropping from four bars to one bar when you tried to hold your phone like a phone when it "should" have said you were dropping from two bars to negative two.
Either way, they're pumping out an Ipod Touch with built in No Signal App and marketing it as a phone.
I'm of two minds about this whole thing. On the one hand, the problem isn't really that bad. It doesn't affect everyone (never affected mine), but for folks who are affected it's easy to fix with a case or duct tape. Granted, it's silly to have to ask people to do that, but at least solutions are there.
On the other, given that the problem has been proven to exist and the solution is so damn simple, it's odd that Apple doesn't just spend a few million to send out free bumpers. It's not as if they won't make the money back via more iPhone sales, and a thin coat of something placed over the metal during the manufacturing process will fix things for good.
Apple hasn't ever had any experience with product recalls/fixes, have they?
http://gizmodo.com/196422/apple-battery-recall-official