iPhone 4 Antenna Failure
On the day of the release of the iPhone 4, huge problems are already being unfolded.
iPhone 4 Antenna
Unlike previous iPhone releases, in which the antenna is hidden in the back of the phone underneath a piece of plastic, the new iPhone 4 places the antenna in the metal outside as well as on the bezel. This feature, marketed heavily by Steve Jobs, was supposed to create better signal reception by putting the antenna in an area with better exposure.
iPhone 4 Antenna Complaints
Already, the web is a buzz with reports of low signal and dropped calls for left handed users. Insanely Great Mac has already released a video in which the new iPhone 4 drops call after call when the user touches the left hand corner of the device. View it here:
Are Antennas a Costly Repair?
The iPhone has had its own troubles on initial release, but the newest failure is a piece of hardware rather than software. As many as 600,000 phones were sold today, and nearly all could have to be recalled. No official statement from Apple regarding the iPhone 4 antenna has been released, however in the coming days we expect to see at least some kind of solution.
Replacing the antenna could be extremely expensive. This is the first time that any phone maker has ever put an antenna on the outside of a phone, and never have they put it under a button on the phone itself. So, should the iPhone 4 have to be recalled, or a new antenna system created, Apple could have a hell of a one-time charge when the next earnings call comes out. We shall see.
edit: Verizon iPhone coming January 2011.
