The controversy surrounding the new iPhone’s reception problem has seemed to go back and forth since shortly after the iPhone 4 was released. Within only weeks of the iPhone’s release, the Web was plastered with angry consumers. Nobody was certain of the source of the problem, but everybody was certain that they wanted the problem resolved quickly. Apple was hesitant to take the blame for the problem, even though it was surely at least partially to blame.
Tech experts posted potential sources of the iPhone’s reception problem. Of the first theories to be promulgated was one that claimed the problem was due to the iPhone’s stainless steel perimeter. The iPhone, in an effort to enhance reception strength, was designed with a stainless steel band. The idea was that when users gripped the phone, the stainless steel band would act to magnify the reception strength. While the experts disputed this notion, and claimed that the band was actually to blame for the faulty reception, Apple maintained that the problem was in no way related to the iPhone’s design.
Apple was so sure of itself that it released an official letter claiming to have diagnosed the problem. According to this initial release by Apple, the problem was actually due to a software malfunction. This malfunction, according to Apple, was causing the iPhone to display more bars than were actually present, leading consumers to believe that they had a strong signal, when, in fact, they were in an area with little or no reception. To remedy this problem, Apple promised a software update that would surely resolve the issue.
Well, as it turns out, Apple is eating its own words, so to speak. The initial theory pushed by tech experts, it seems, is the real source of the problem. Steve Jobs addressed a crowd of Apple enthusiasts and consumers last week to discuss the iPhone’s reception problem. And, what he said had nothing to do with software malfunctions or problems with more bars being displayed than what were actually available. Rather, what Steve Jobs reported to the crowd was that the problem was, in fact, due to the stainless steel band.
And, just like the tech experts proposed early on in this debacle, the solution to the problem is quite easy. It turns out that the problem can be nearly fully eradicated by placing a bumper, or other rubber case, on the iPhone. By wrapping the stainless steel band in a rubber bumper, the reception problem seems to disappear. The best part of all of this is that Apple is doing its part to help iPhone consumers get their hands on one of these bumpers – and off of the stainless steel band that was causing the problems.
As it now stands, the rubber bumper is the most popular accessory for the new iPhone. Apple is offering a full refund for consumers who have already purchased this item, and for those who have yet to pick one up, Apple is providing it to them for free. While Jobs didn’t seem happy admitting that the problem was in the design of the hottest new phone on the market, he must have felt some sense of relief in appeasing the masses by providing a free and easy solution.
