iPhone 4 predictions
Antennagate is old news now. While my 2 week old iPhone 4 has been a joy to play with, dropped phone calls are alarmingly becoming more common. I am able to drop the 3G download rate to zero Mbps using three separate 3G speed test applications. Yes, zero!! Merely by touching the lower left soft spot. There are you tube videos, and people are also making money by demonstrating it.
My personal anecdotes may be tainted because I get only 1-3 bars at home, and that may be amplifying the attenuation problems. I’ll have more to say later on why my iPhone 4 is slowly turning into a glorified iPod Touch.
It’s surprising how Apple has gotten away with its iPhone 4 debacle; the Apple store still indicates a 3 week wait. But, as most people suspect, it will probably improve the antenna in a new model to arrive before the holiday shopping season.
So, what about current owners who will continue to stare at their unsightly bumpers for the remainder of their 2-year contracts?
“Oh, so you have the old iPhone 4 with antenna problems?!”
I suspect that Apple/AT&T will offer something along the following lines (pick one):
- AT&T would reduce their contract to 1-year, hence they would be able to upgrade to next year’s June 2011 model as soon as it starts selling. This would effectively cost AT&T/Apple about $200 per customer (their $400 phone subsidy is currently spread over 2 years) but keeps customers away from an ‘upgrade’ rush.
- For an extra $100, customers can immediately exchange old iPhone 4s for a new ‘fixed’ model. The net cost to customers is $70 (discounting the free $30 case). AT&T/Apple might lose maybe $100 per customer, as they will still be able to sell refurbished old models (like they sell the iPhone 3GS 16/32 GB models today).
- For free, Apple will replace the antenna at Apple stores. There are 2 visible screws on the bottom plate and possibly the lower antenna can be taken apart and replaced. This one may be hard to implement, but might be preferable to customers less willing to switch devices but who want some remedy.
