July 2, 2010: Apple opens up about “Antennagate,” addressing iPhone 4 reception issues for the primary time publicly.
In a letter to customers, Apple admits to being “stunned once we learn reviews of reception issues, and … instantly started investigating them.” Nonetheless, the corporate’s findings do little to dispel the rising Antennagate controversy.
Antennagate hits iPhone 4
The iPhone 4 was a fantastic handset. When it launched in early June 2010, it grew to become a large hit, smashing data for preorders and opening-weekend gross sales. The Antennagate situation reared its head when some clients reported dropped calls. The glitch occurred when a consumer held the iPhone 4 of their left hand, with their palm masking the handset’s tiny antenna hole.
iPhone 4 reception issues: A software program fault?
Apple design chief Jony Ive’s choice to take away the earlier iPhone’s plastic antenna band prompted the issue. In its letter to clients, nevertheless, Apple positioned the blame on a software program fault.
“Upon investigation, we had been surprised to seek out that the system we use to calculate what number of bars of sign power to show is completely flawed. Our system, in lots of situations, mistakenly shows 2 extra bars than it ought to for a given sign power. For instance, we typically show 4 bars once we needs to be displaying as few as 2 bars. Customers observing a drop of a number of bars once they grip their iPhone in a sure means are probably in an space with very weak sign power, however they don’t realize it as a result of we’re erroneously displaying 4 or 5 bars. Their large drop in bars is as a result of their excessive bars had been by no means actual within the first place.”
Apple mentioned it could repair the issue with a free software program replace that included the corrected system.
“Since this error has been current for the reason that authentic iPhone, this software program replace may even be accessible for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G,” Apple mentioned.
The Antennagate aftermath
Sadly for Apple, that didn’t put the difficulty to relaxation. A couple of weeks later, Antennagate hit important mass when revered commerce publication Shopper Stories mentioned it could not recommend the new Apple smartphone.
To calm the media firestorm, Apple CEO Steve Jobs flew again early from a household vacation in Hawaii to stage a press convention. He stood by the iPhone 4 (even playing a fan-made song defending it). Nonetheless, he addressed Antennagate truthfully — and provided clients free iPhone 4 bumper circumstances that solved the issue. Future variations of the iPhone additionally corrected the system’s fault.
Ultimately, it took till 2012 (and the resolution of a class-action lawsuit) for Apple to lastly deliver the controversy to an in depth.
Do you keep in mind Antennagate? Had been you an iPhone proprietor on the time? Tell us within the feedback under.