According to internal document sent by Apple to all technicians (geniuses) in Apple stores, the company does not officially recognize that the problems with the iPhone 4 signal are related to the antenna but are related to the incorrect way the phone is held and recommends all technicians to refuse the change if the phone signal drops when the phone is held in the hand. Moreover, Apple forces its employees to lie and say that the iPhone 4 has the best reception of all iPhones ever made and that these problems can be solved either by using the phone in a different position or by buying a case Bumper.
Gizmodo, a site "close" to Apple, started an online petition asking Apple to provide free bumper cases for the iPhone 4 because the signal problems with the iPhone 4 are clearly due to the bad positioning of the antenna. Apple also covered this problem in the internal document prohibiting employees from promising customers free bumper cases.
1. Keep all of the positioning statements in the BN handy – your tone when delivering this information is important.
a. The iPhone 4's wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped. Our testing shows that iPhone 4's overall antenna performance is better than iPhone 3GS.
b. Gripping almost any mobile phone in certain places will reduce its reception. This is true of the iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS, and many other phones we have tested. It is a fact of life in the wireless world.
c. If you are experiencing this on your iPhone 3GS, avoid covering the bottom-right side with your hand.
d. If you are experiencing this on your iPhone 4, avoid covering the black strip in the lower-left corner of the metal band.
e. The use of a case or bumper that is made out of rubber or plastic may improve wireless performance by keeping your hand from directly covering these areas.
2. Do not perform warranty service. Use the positioning above for any customer questions or concerns.
3. Don't forget YOU STILL NEED to test and troubleshoot. If a customer calls about their reception while the phone is sitting on a table (not being held) it is not the metal band.
4. ONLY escalate if the issue exists when the phone is not held AND you cannot resolve it.
5. We ARE NOT appeasing customers with free bumpers – OF WHICH promised a free bumper to customers.
Apple will have a lot to lose in terms of image by this stubbornness to admit that the iPhone 4 has problems with the signal but also because it blames the users accusing them of not knowing how to hold a phone, this in the conditions that in all the materials promotional Steve Jobs and the others in Apple's management hold the phone in the same way. At the same time, it seems that the rumors regarding the possibility of releasing an update for iOS 4.0 that would solve problems with the signal have disappeared.
So, if you want an iPhone 4, you should get used to signal-related problems.
