Apple iPhone 4 reputation irrevocably damaged?

Now my headline is based on a small number of direct samples. But I think it’s a useful barometer to consider.

Although Apple have hitherto sold a whopping 3 million iPhones in the 20-something days since the official device launch, I wonder how much sales are going to be hit by the recent antennagate fiasco?

I think iPhone 4 is now considered a broken phone by the Great Unwashed, thanks to mainstream media reporting of the issue last week.

Here’s a case in point — and I’m sure you’ve had similar experience in recent days.

Over the weekend my sister-in-law was considering whether to take a day’s worth of work she’d been offered during her holiday. It paid something like £400 for the day. But it was a lot of hassle. Lot of travel. Lot of sweat. She was wavering on whether to bother.

As she stood there, I noticed her white iPhone 3G in her hand.

“Why don’t you do the day’s work and then blow the money on a new iPhone 4?”

I thought it was a brilliantly conceived suggestion. She’s been using an iPhone 3G as, until recently, she’s been in contract and unable to upgrade to the 3GS. The 3G is now getting a bit slow for her so she is most definitely in the market for a new device.

Her response to my suggestion?

“No, the iPhone 4 is broken, isn’t it?”

“Err, no, it’s fine now!” I said. Now I know that isn’t entirely true per se, but, you know, stick on a plastic cover and you should be fine, right? I wondered how she’d react to my immediate ‘it’s fine’ retort.

No.

She wasn’t buying it.

Not at all.

She’s been told by the mainstream media that it’s broken so she won’t be going there.

I’m mystified as to what she’s going to do.

Will she upgrade to the 3GS?

Will she leave it a few months and then buy the iPhone 4? It’s a big, big decision for your standard consumer, especially given most will be considering the device on a 24-month deal.

I really don’t know.

She was *definitely* going to upgrade — until the antennagate news erupted. While the mainstream media did a good job of telling her that the iPhone 4 ‘was broken’, it’s failed to reach her with the solution.

I wonder how many other consumers have been totally put off the iPhone 4? And for how long?