Exclusive Report--iPhone 4 Antenna Cover-Up Exposed

Well, I finally bit the bullet over the weekend and upgraded my iPhone 3Gs to iOS 4.2 and in doing so discovered an insidious cover-up by Apple Inc.

Apple was handed a major setback when Consumer Reports announced that it can’t recommend iPhone 4 due to its widely publicized reception problems. Users discovered that the reception problems were caused by a defective outer antenna design that wraps around the edge of the iPhone 4. When making contact with the antenna with your hand (as you normally would when making a call) reception degrades and calls drop.  Apple refused to acknowledge that the antenna was to blame.

Apple came back with a claim that reception issues were caused by false signal strength being reported on iPhones.  According to them, the algorithm that calculates cell phone signal strength is incorrect, falsely showing two more bars of signal than what is actually being received. So Apple altered the algorithm in a software update so that iPhones would now report "true" signal strength.

 
Consumer Reports questioned Apple’s claim that the problem is due to incorrect display of signal strength. They doubted the problem could be fixed with an iPhone software update. It added that "AT&T Inc, the exclusive mobile phone carrier for the iPhone 4, and whose network is often blamed for reception problems, was not necessarily the main culprit".

Ok, so after my upgrade to iOS 4.2, I can confirm what Consumer Reports is saying is true.  My iPhone 3Gs is now showing three bars of signal strength, two bars less than I normally get at home.  I find it curious that I’ve been with AT&T since they were called Bellsouth Mobility and then later Cingular, that I’ve always gotten five bars at home. Even with a variety of different cell phones by manufacturers including Motorola, Sony-Ericsson and Samsung.  Were the algorithms wrong on all those phones as well? Have I been going through life deceived into thinking I had five bars when all this time I only had three?
 
Apple is covering up the fact the iPhone 4 antenna design is just plain defective by making it seem like the phone isn’t getting full signal strength, and simulating weak signal reception with a software update.

 “They need to provide an actual fix — not a bumper fix — so that the product performs as it should,” said Ashok Kumar at Rodman & Renshaw. “Apple should have taken a higher road when addressing the design flaw, instead of taking the hard-line stance that they did.”

Apple has never admitted that the antenna design of the iPhone 4 is flawed. The company adamantly told users they are holding the phone wrong and agreed to give free cases to users to fix the issue. I don't know about you, but I don't like being told that I don't know how to hold a cell phone.

In this day and age it should come as no surprise that Apple has been sued by iPhone customers in at least three complaints related to antenna problems.

Apple has also not helped itself by deleting threads in its discussion forums pointing to the Consumer Reports article.

And finally to add insult to injury:  Mark Papermaster, the executive responsible for the innovative and problematic antenna design on the iPhone 4 "resigned".

But was Papermaster's hasty exit related to the antenna woes of iPhone 4?  Tell me if you've heard this before: “actions speak louder than words.” 

Some top public relations experts, believe that "Apple will be forced to do a recall of this product."

What do you think? I’d love to hear your comments.