The iPhone 4 antenna issue should have been no surprise to Apple. Bloomberg, citing a source that wished to remain anonymous, reports that Apple senior antenna expert and chief engineer Ruben Caballero informed CEO Steve Jobs of the potential reception issue early on in the design phases of the record-breaking phone. In a controversial and innovative design statement, the metal antenna on the iPhone wraps around the thin edge of the phone, and is external. According to Apple, this decision made the phone lighter and thinner than other phones of the competition. It also gave the phone a unique industrial look that is a departure from most smartphone designs on the market.
Apparently, the engineering flaws of this design were voiced early on. Bloomberg has tried to contact Apple spokesman Steve Dowling for comment and was told that Caballero would not be allowed to answer questions on the subject.
As we inch closer to the much anticipated Apple press conference tomorrow regarding the iPhone 4, this new piece of bad news will only exacerbate the steadily mounting pessimism in the market. Apple’s stock, while initially bolstered by record-breaking sales at the release of the iPhone 4, has been under marked pressure as the criticisms keep pouring in and respected companies like Consumer Reports fall back from their initial optimism about the device. For a company that prides itself on product image, the iPhone 4 doesn’t seem to be helping image much, and it seems Apple is paying the proverbial price for its failures.
102 Comments - Add comment