iPhone 4: The biggest screw up of Apple's current renaissance?

There’s a super post on Intomobile this afternoon by Stefan Constantinescu highlighting that iPhone 4 has a real reception problem. Stefan embeds a video from independent agency, Consumers Reports, who tested 3 different iPhone 4 units and discovered that the ‘death grip’ (i.e. being stupid enough to hold the iPhone like a normal person would) is a real problem.

Stefan writes:

Consumer Reports is suggesting you use “a piece of duct tape” on the bottom left hand corner of your new, beautiful, glass and aluminium mobile phone to fix your reception issues.

Or you could just buy a [$30 plastic] bumper.

Now, let’s just take a little step back here.

Are you telling me, Apple, that when I plonk down $600, I can’t actually use it. Unless I buy a $30 plastic bumper thing?

In which case, why wasn’t this $30 included with the iPhone?

In fact, let me get radical on your ass, Apple. Why didn’t you design the phone to work, properly?

It seems absolutely ridiculous to require iPhone 4 customers — premium customers — to use a bit of sticky tape (or plastic) to ‘fix’ their phone.

I cannot believe Apple. It’s this kind of occurrence that…

a) reminds people that The Emperor Has No Clothes (Apple ain’t all that)

b) irritates folk

c) will make consumers think twice

d) gives (previously) jealous friends the ability to rib the iPhone 4 user in their group (this will be a bit of a shock since he/she will be accustomed to lording it over their friends)

I don’t think Apple’s competitors are making enough of the issue though.

I’d like to see Nokia offering free plastic ‘bumpers’ for iPhones along with a flyer explaining that the company knows precisely how to build and operate wireless technology and has been doing so for years. Something utterly cheeky like that.

I am sure there was a Nokia executive who commented that ‘Apple doesn’t know anything about making mobile phones’ way back just after the iPhone launched. It turns out that the executive was right.

Utterly ridiculous.

Apple, you’ve screwed up monumentally. Let’s see a proper public fix (beyond offering to waive the $30 ‘bumper’ fee for those who complain).

(You can pick up the iPhone. iDrive. iCrash bumper sticker image above at Zazzle).