Apple has admitted that there are problems with their iPhone
4 and antenna reception. Apparently,
many people hold the iPhone 4 in such a way that the antenna is covered, thus
blocking the reception. Because of the
problems, Apple is offering a new case for free.
In early models of cell phones, folks often had to go out to
their garage, open the garage door and stand in a certain way to get good
reception. Now, that is just a bit too
much of a hassle these days, so in this instance, Apple had to do something to
make things operate better or risk losing both market share and credibility.
But Apple is nothing if not aware of both their marketing
and of their responsibilities to the consumer.
By providing free cases, Apple defuses the problem and also gains
goodwill in their quick response.
Over the years, many electronic problems have been solved by
going to the garage and opening the garage door. In the early years of transistor radios, the
reception was poor in many areas so the radio owner had to go out to the
garage. And even then, unless the garage
door was wide open and the radio placed in a specific location, often with the
radio’s antenna making direct contact with the garage door, the reception was
limited. Especially if the garage door
was metal, as the metal in contact with the radio antenna offered a wider area
for the radio signal to hit, thus increasing the antenna capability.
Most automatic garage door openers are actually radio
signals themselves, although opening the garage door from the inside is usually
direct wiring rather than the radio signals.
One electronic phenomenon that has to be accounted for with radio
signals, whether from automatic garage door openers or cellular phones is
“electro magnetic interference” or EMI.
It is because of EMI that travelers are requested to turn off their cell
phones and computers for take-off and landing of passenger airplanes. While it may be a hassle to some folks to
have to do this, it is better to be safe than sorry as the cliché goes.
So as Apple has shown, these days it is far better to be
quickly responsive to customer complaints rather than forcing the customer to
go to their garage and open the garage door to get better reception (not that
this would have worked in the iPhone 4 situation mind you.) As the basics of technology have improved,
the willingness of the technology user to take extra steps to make it work
decrease.
Besides, who wants to stand out in the garage with the door
open in the middle of the summer or winter?