A few weeks back scores of Apple fanboys and girls lined the streets eagerly waiting to get their grubby little paws on the new IPhone 4. Now it seems there will be scores lining up to return them as antenna problems and software issues blight the image of what was heralded as the smart phone of smart phones.
First it was the embarrassing signal drop out when you bridge the phone with your hand – as 99% of people do when they hold a phone. Mr Jobs suggestion – “Just don’t hold it that way”. I’m sorry, but if I had just shelled out up to £600 for a new phone, I don’t want to be told I can’t hold it like a normal phone. Then Apple say they have been calculating signal strength using a completely incorrect algorithm for years, and will be switching to a proven algorithm used by AT&T. Now it’s a software update that’s causing headaches for the millions of IPhone users.
Clearly punishing 3Gs users for not buying the new IPhone 4, the latest software bug effects 3Gs phones and makes then even more susceptible to dropping calls, typically the handset will reboot mid-conversation. Safe to say, the Iphone phenomena is slowly blowing up in Apple’s face!
For me, this justifies what I have said for years. Apple got into the cell phone market with zip experience in the production of mobile technology – they made an interesting device with some nice features, but relied heavily on the aesthetics of the device to cancel out the severe flaws in the Iphone performance as a cellular phone. I’m just surprised it took till version 4 for a serious consumer backlash, which is almost certainly on its way. Good luck with that one Apple!