An Apple executive just signed up for Twitter. Amazing, given how secretive the company is (and that's why any story about a Tweet from Steve Jobs should be disregarded). Why, then, did Apple Senior VP of iPhone Software, Scott Forstall, just sign up for Twitter?
It is unclear, but as Forstall is SVP of iPhone software, perhaps it because there is some new iPhone - Twitter integration coming. It's not so he can follow tons of folks. As of the time of this writing, Forstall is following precisely one person: Conan O'Brien. Conan's last tweet was, interestingly enough:
I found a huge design flaw in my new iPhone. People get angry when I talk on it during a funeral.
By the way, both Conan and Forstall have verified accounts, so that means they are actually who they claim to be. That also brings up another point: Apple took the time to vet him for Twitter.
Right now, he's not posted any Tweets. Could this be where Apple explains the iPhone 4's issues (since they say it's all software)? Or is Forstall (18K+ followers) just out to try to surpass a million followers, as did Ashton Kutcher (who now has 5 million). Readers, what do you think?
Crisis management experts seem to agree that an iPhone 4 recall for its "Death Grip" problem is inevitable. However, most analysts believe that the odds of an iPhone 4 recall are small. Still, one took the time to calculate just how much it would cost Apple to do so.
Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi, in a research note on Tuesday, estimated that such a recall would cost Apple $1.5 billion, or 3.5 percent of its total cash on hand. Sacconaghi did call a full product recall of the iPhone 4 "highly unlikely."
Instead, as proposed by many, a more likely solution, according to Sacconaghi, would be a free rubber bumper case in the packaging. While the darn thing costs $30 to buy, Sacconaghi estimated it would cost $1 for Apple to insert one in each box. Makes you feel good about buying a case, doesn't it?
That's great, but we'd probably all get black, wouldn't we?
At any rate, Sacconaghi took Apple to task over its recent behavior. It's a laundry list of items that have driven some (not many!) away from the iPhone.
"Perhaps the bigger, longer-term concern for Apple investors is the emerging pattern of hubris that the company has displayed (you think?), which has increasingly pitted competitors (and regulators) against the company, and risks alienating customers over time. Examples of its behavior have included its limited disclosure practices (Steve Jobs' health; plans for deploying its cash balance), its attack on Adobe's Flash, its investigation into its lost iPhone prototype (which culminated in a reporter's home being searched while he was away and computers being removed), its restrictions on app development, and its ostensibly dismissive characterizations of the iPhone's antenna issues (i.e., phone needs to be held a different way; a software issue that affects the number of bars displayed). The worry is that collectively, these issues may, over time, begin to impact consumers' perceptions of Apple (no, really?), undermining its enormous prevailing commercial success."
All will be better if Apple's change to the signal level display fixes everything. our guess is if it can be fixed in software (and really, it's not just about signal level displays), it will. If not, hang on tight.
Despite the fact its iOS SDK policies were change in such a manner as to exclude AdMob, the mobile advertising firm that Google acquired, Apple does not seem to be enforcing that rule. Omar Hamoui, founder and CEO of Google's AdMob division, made that comment at the MobileBeat 2010 conference on Tuesday.
Hamoui said, "They haven't been enforcing (the new regulations) yet. We're very appreciative of that."
While the new iOS SDK policies didn't specifically exclude AdMob, they prohibited ad networks owned by or affiliated with "a developer or distributor of mobile devices, mobile operating systems or development environments other than Apple" (such as Google) from collecting analytic data. Without analytic data, AdMob couldn't track who had clicked on their customer's ads, and advertisers won't buy ads if they can't determine how many people had clicked on it.
Until now, there had only been anecdotal developer evidence that Apple wasn't enforcing its new policies. It is unclear why Apple has not enforced the prohibition. It's possible the rumored FTC or ITC investigation into Apple's iAd program had something to do with it.
In terms of contingency plans, if Apple were to enforce the rule, Hamoui skirted the issue by mentioning other platforms (including, naturally, that Android OS we hear so much about, where AdMob already has a presence). Hopefully, it won't come to that.
Despite all this, Hamoui noted that he was happy to see the introduction of the iAd network. The more, the merrier, basically, he said. "The really rich pretty ads they're doing are making advertisers and agencies think about what mobile means. Anybody getting advertisers interested in mobile is a good thing. It's not at all a zero-sum game."
At the very least, though, AdMob has yet another reason to thank Apple. It's been said that the development of the iAd network after Apple acquire Quattro Wireless (an AdMob rival) was what the FTC needed in order to approve the AdMob acquisition by Google.
Despite the huge publicity around the iPhone 4's antenna design issue, people are still rushing to by the device in droves. While the public loves the device, Consumer Reports however, said that it can't recommend the device based on the reception issue, which it reproduced itself.
This isn't to say that Consumer Reports didn't love the device. In fact, its report fairly gushed over the iPhone 4, with them saying that "its score in our other tests placed it atop the latest Ratings of smart phones that were released today."
However, it's usage as a phone in which the iPhone 4 suffers, at least if you hold it in such a way as to bridge the gap between antennas on the lower left-hand side. Naturally, you can buy a case, or even simply put tape over the area (either of which CR recommends).
[...] we can't recommend the iPhone 4.
We reached this conclusion after testing all three of our iPhone 4s (purchased at three separate retailers in the New York area) in the controlled environment of CU's radio frequency (RF) isolation chamber. In this room, which is impervious to outside radio signals, our test engineers connected the phones to our base-station emulator, a device that simulates carrier cell towers. We also tested several other AT&T phones the same way, including the iPhone 3G S and the Palm Pre. None of those phones had the signal-loss problems of the iPhone 4.
Our findings call into question the recent claim by Apple that the iPhone 4's signal-strength issues were largely an optical illusion caused by faulty software that "mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength."
The tests also indicate that AT&T's network might not be the primary suspect in the iPhone 4's much-reported signal woes.
Our issue with the iPhone 4's signal issues isn't so much the problem itself. After all, we'd never carry such a valuable device around sans case. It's the response by Apple, which seems to be that it's not a big issue, or that it's all about signal indicators (as CR notes).
Also, asking folks to buy a case to fix a design flaw grates on many. CR added if Apple came up with a permanent (but free) fix for the issue, they would revisit their recommendation decision.
CR's annual auto issue is frequently used by buyers. Will this report make a difference in sales? Probably not, based on the sales figures so far.
Wish you could get Apple CEO Steve Jobs to email you back? It's well-known that he, or someone monitoring his account, will email end users in response to a comment or query. Here is the next best thing.
eSarcasm has taken the time to create a Steve Jobs email creator. Indeed, based on their name, you might expect something like this from them.
The output you get is sort of what you might expect from an ELIZA-like system. In other words, it's something, but may not really make sense.
Certainly, it's not going to be worthy of commenting on, such as these real gems:
There are no reception issues.
Just avoid holding it that way.
A few examples of questions we asked, and how "Steve Jobs" responded:
Is Android better than iPhone?
From: Steve Jobs
Subject: Your email
You are most likely in an area with very low signal strength. Don't like it? Email Randall Stephenson at AT&T. Let me know what he tells you.
Steve
Sent from my Verizon Droid
Why did you choose AT&T?
From: Steve Jobs
Subject: Your email
This is Woz, isn't it? Dude, you're not fooling anyone.
Steve
Sent from my iPad
And, the statement, The best iPhone is a jailbroken iPhone.
From: Steve Jobs
Subject: Your email
No idea what to tell you. But while we're chatting, do you know of a good beard-grooming tool?
Steve
Sent from my iToilet
Give it a shot yourself, and let us know what kind of responses "Steve" gives you.
Consumer Reports said in their (very) recent iPhone 4 review that they couldn't recommend the device. You would expect a discussion thread to erupt at the Apple support forums. It did, or rather they did, and were promptly deleted.
It should be noted that those threads have mysteriously reappeared at the support forums. You don't even have to search for them as they are among the most discussed. The longest one, at the time of this writing, is here.
Humorously, the first reply to the post is "I'm sure this thread will be deleted soon lol...," while the next reply says "This thread being deleted in 5, 4, 3, 2...." Indeed, this wasn't the first time Apple has deleted such threads in its support forums. It also isn't the first time they restored them after a media blitz.
Apple surely has the right to delete what it sees fit in its support forums. We have no issue with that. What we continue to have issues with are their responses, such as Apple CEO Steve Jobs saying "Just avoid holding it that way."
Apple has said the issue is really software, with the signal levels on the phone being displayed improperly. Consumer Reports seems to disagree. You can bet that Apple is hard at work on a fix that does more than just change the display of signal levels on the device.
Whether or not they can come up with that fix remains to be seen.
Indeed, you are reading that title correctly. While Consumer Reports said in a recent review that it could not recommend the iPhone 4, that device still scored the highest in its smartphone ratings. CR said that if Apple addressed its famous antenna issue, it would revisit the non-recommendation.
At issue is the fact that many users have seen that when the gap between antennas on the lower left-hand side of the external antenna system is touched (for example, while holding the phone), the signal degrades, data transfer slows, and calls may be dropped. Apple has said it is all about the signal level display on the iPhone 4, but CR (and others) disagreed.
At any rate, the numeric rating (subscription required) given by CR is 76.
The year-old iPhone 3GS and the recently introduced Sprint HTC Evo 4G trail only slightly at 74. Thus, if you want phones that don't drop calls when held in the "wrong way," those two would seem to be your best bets.
The conundrum here, where the device gets the top rating, yet cannot be recommended by Consumer Reports, shows how complex and contentious this issue has become. The public is still waiting for that software update that supposedly fixes only the signal level indicator, to see if things improve.
As we look around the Web, it's amazing just how much vehemence is being directed at Consumer Reports. As you probably know, CR gave the iPhone 4 its highest smartphone rating, 76 out of 100 (2 points greater than an Evo 4G and iPhone 3GS), yet did not recommend the phone because of its well-known antenna issues. Then, it went so far as to recommend Apple give its customers free cases. Oh, the mud was a'slingin'.
On their post about Apple "doing the right thing," there are plenty of negative comments, and even those saying they cancelled their subscription to CR, because of the review. What's interesting is that there are tons of supporters of CR, as well.
The issue has become one of those that has no middle ground. You are either, it seems, firmly in Apple's camp, or (if an Apple support is asked) a jerk or liar. At least, that's the way it seems. One such:
I've subscribed to CR for a decade.
This whole thing is ridiculous. Why don't you describe how holding any cell antenna attenuates reception? Why don't you acknowledge that there is a bug in the "bars" display and therefore you can't be sure what you are measuring?
You've helped me make a long-overdue decision. After decades of being one of your subscribers I will not be renewing the next time around. [...]
[...] you had to rush to insult Apple (in real time this time) with that duct-tape-on-the-iPhone-4 deal, even after first lauding the phone for the tour-de-force it is. This was not objective reporting.
Jim, sounds like you have had too many sips of the Apple Kool-Aid. If this had been Microsoft, your reaction would have probably been different; however, as it is St. Steve's company, he can do know wrong I guess.
Remember, Jim, Apple is a corporation and not your best friend.
BTW, I have always been partial to Macintosh computers and have owned many. But even our heroes have flaws and CU pointed out that the emperor wasn't wearing some clothes.
And still more:
Dear Myopic Apple Apologists,
We understand your devotion to your iPhone. Blind devotion however is unbecoming. When you can carry on an intelligent conversation without blindly defending your beloved Apple device feel free to contribute. You love the image owning an iPhone portrays. We all buy certain items out of vanity. But please stop disparaging this fine publication and it's efforts to report its unbiased findings. Your efforts are transparent and embarrassing. It's okay to admit the Emperor has no clothes.
Since the issue appears "fixed" if one uses a case, or even one of Apple's bumpers, that's the recommended course by many. One could say that no one in their right mind would carry around such an expensive device without a case. Still there are many who like a bare device.
CR simply says that Apple should fix the issue. Whether it's hardware, or software, that's what it wants done, and at no end user expense. It doesn't seem like that is so much to ask.
You know things are really bad when David Letterman takes time out to skewer you with his Top Ten 10 (either that, or things have become really good). In this case, things are really bad, as David Letterman's Top Ten List on Wednesday was the "Top Ten Signs You've Purchased a Bad iPhone."
Of course, Mel Gibson received some air time, too, so the iPhone 4 wasn't the only thing Letterman felt was worthy of ridicule. Here's the list (video below):
Top Ten Signs You've Purchased a Bad iPhone
10. To make a call, you have to insert a quarter
9. Automatically answers every call with a computerized, "Yello!"
8. Operates on 20 "D" batteries
7. Pre-loaded with naked photos of Steve Jobs
6. You keep getting anonymous texts reading, "iPhone kill you"
5. "Apple Store" looks suspiciously like some dude's trunk
4. Looks, smells and tastes like a Pop-Tart
3. There's no lather when washing your cornea (Sorry, that's a sign you've purchased a bad eye foam)
2. You check your email and it shocks your nuts
1. Only accepts calls from Mel Gibson
A Bloomberg report issued Thursday has been dubbed "Antennagate" by some. It stated that Apple's senior antenna expert, Ruben Caballero, voiced concern over the antenna design last year. While Apple discounts that report, the Wall Street Journal confirm that design took priority over engineering, and adds there will be no recall.
The iPhone 4's problems with reception have been apparent since its release. Hold the phone such that the gaps between of the external antennas is bridged, and you will see signal attenuation and even dropped calls. A case seems to fix the issue, but Apple's new "bumper cases" cost $30.
Apple PR told the WSJ that the earlier Bloomberg report was false. They said, "We challenge Bloomberg BusinessWeek to produce anything beyond rumors to back this up. It's simply not true." Bloomberg News said it stands by its story, which used anonymous sources and would typically be labeled more than just rumor, at any rate.
Meanwhile, the WSJ confirmed the same story, though not in such detail. The WSJ cited its own source, who stated that although engineers warned over possible antenna issues, Jobs loved the design, and chose to ignore them. Additionally, according to further sources, Apple gave carriers far less time to test the iPhone 4 than is normal.
On Thursday, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) wrote Jobs an open letter, urging him to do the right thing and come up with a proper fix for the iPhone 4. Will that include a recall? No said the WSJ, citing yet another source.
iOS 4.0.1 was released yesterday, with what Apple said earlier was a "fix." However, all it does is change the way the signal strength on the phone is calculated. Apple plans a press conference at 10AM PDT this morning to discuss the iPhone 4.
Apple held a press conference on Friday morning, at 10AM PDT, to cover the iPhone 4 and its antenna issues. Much as we might hate to admit it, they did show a sense of humor, as they played the "iPhone Antenna Song" (below) as the conference began.
Of course, that song does tend to defend Apple ... at any rate, after that, we expected to see a ton of defensiveness by Apple, and that's what we got. Hold this phone and you see a signal drop in the signal level display on phone x, y, z (Blackberry Bold 9700, HTC Droid Eris, Samsung Omnia II).
Of course, as Apple stated, the iOS signal bar display was improper. That was what iOS 4.0.1 was designed to fix, the display. That way you could know how low the signal was, Apple, said, to anticipate when holding the device, which affects all devices, would drop a call.
True, we already knew that. It wasn't the degree of drop at all. It was the fact that the iPhone 4 could drop calls, and see data transfer slow or even halt, and that sort of drastic impact of holding wasn't seen on other devices, users said.
As Steve Jobs further emphasized, Apple had an "X marks the spot" moment with the iPhone 4. The gap between antennas on the lower left-hand side of the device was a perfect bulls-eye. That also is true. Apple also made sure to emphasize how many PhDs were pare of the iPhone 4 team, along with their state-of-the-art facilities.
Apple delved into statistics as well. AT&T supplied them with data, and the data says that iPhone 4s drop more calls than the iPhone 3GS. However, Apple said, the number is < 1 more per 100 calls than the 3GS. One again, all true. What was the bottom line of the press conference, though? Although Apple still believes this issue has been blown out of proportion, Apple came through the way we assumed, more or less (more, reallY). Free cases.
Ah, but not just bumpers. As Jobs readily admitted, Apple can't keep up with the demand for bumpers. Thus, the company is going to source some cases, and users will have a choice of cases. This applies to all purchases through Sept. 30th, and those who have already bought a bumper case, will get a refund from Apple. This will all be available on the site, according to Apple, late next week.
Here's what Jobs said:
We think this has been so blown out of proportion. It's fun to have a story, but it's not fun on the other side. So here's what we're going to do to make our users happy. The first part is the software update, that fixes the way the bars report and other bugs; that's out now. Second, people said the bumper fixes everything ... "Why don't you give everybody a case?" Okay, we'll give you a free case.
We're going to send you a free case. We can't make enough bumpers. No way we can make enough in the quarter. So we're going to source some cases and give you a choice.
Suddenly, we can see Consumer Reports changing their review of the iPhone 4 to "recommended." This is what they wanted, and it's indeed what they got.
Note however, the caveats: a deadline of September 30th, which Apple admitted would probably be re-evaluated at the time. Perhaps a more permanent fix in the manufacturing process will come. Also, the refunds promised will only be for those who bought bumper cases. That might prove to be an issue; we'll see.
