Something going down.....
Friday, July 16, 2010 at 7:36AM Gruber made an interesting (and slightly unexpected) post yesterday, about how the iPhone 4 press conference is going to play out:
Sounds crazy, I know, but I think something big, or at least biggish, is going down tomorrow.
He makes a point of emphasising it's a "proper" hunch and not based on inside information, but John is a pretty smart cookie, and always worth listening to.
I've felt for a couple of days now that Apple needed to take the heat out of the ridiculous escalation of the current "Antennagate" situation. Sure, they need to fix the root cause of the media frenzy and do something to fix the actual problem, but I've felt they've needed some diversionary tactics to reset the agenda.
Visions of Apple bringing forward some big announcement or doing something off the wall to refocus all the misguided attention away the iPhone 4 reception issues.
How come it's taken them three weeks to decide on the course of action?
There won't be a recall but they may give away free bumpers (three weeks to ramp up bumper production?)
I really can't see Steve Jobs sitting down at a press conference, repeating what he said in his open letter from a couple of weeks ago and announcing the fix which was issued yesterday.
That's it?
Surely, there has to be more to it than that?
So what will go down in the press conference to take our minds off "AntennaGate"?
I wonder....
Don McAllister
OK, So Gruber (and I) were wrong and Apple kept pretty much on message about the antenna issues. The main distraction ploy was the heavy usage of the "other smartphones do it too" and including the videos was a smart way to convey this. I for one, had always had an issue with attenuated signals when holding my 3GS at home, an area of low signal. I never gave it a second thought.
The contempt for the media was palpable during the press conference and I wonder just how uncomfortable it made some attendees sitting in the audience.
Hopefully we can move on from "Antennagate" now but I fear we've still not heard the last of it.
At least I'll get a refund for my Apple bumper purchased a week or two ago!
Reader Comments (3)
I'm not so sure Don, I think they will go through the software update and explain what they've done to rectify the situation. Apple doesn't usually jump in to fix something they normally take their time, and then actually fix the problem.
I don't know about the bumper giveaway, but I'm wondering if there might be a back handed apology to users for any inconvenience caused.
If an apology from Apple is big then that's al I think will happen.
Mind you I've never been right before so why change the habit of a lifetime lolz
Gaz.
Also don't think it's any more than the antenna issue; more than coincidence I think that "big bad" Consumer Reports yesterday said "oh, the bumper case solves the antenna issue" ... I think Apple will heavily play down the issue, emphasise how most folks have no problem, and then announce some special bumper case offer for those who are still concerned. Maybe free, maybe a low cost, but using Consumer Reports confirmation as justification of the final solution for the few "not perfectly happy" iPhone owners.
In USA at least this issue is big media, mainstream TV coverage, Apple have to quiet it.
The whole scenario is a real PR disaster for Apple, especially for Steve Jobs. What can he do? Surely there is a problem, maybe not major and not for everyone, but it can be verified. So, if it's a hardware problem, why did they talk about its being a software issue? If it's hardware, why didn't they recognise it during development? Hey, this is Apple we are talking about, not an insignificant backyard company.
I ordered an iPhone 4 last Friday and I have no intension to cancel it. But the way Apple is adressing potential or rather existing problems is more than disappointing. As a customer I feel treated like a dumbhead, and this can't be right.
You have to hold the phone differently! What?
Bigger bars will solve the reception problem! Excuse me?
Sorry, but it's purely Apple's fault. They caused this "ridiculous escalation" on their own.
I honestly hope that they won't try to pull more wool over their customer's eyes tonight. It would be a shame.