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Apple iPhone4 Ping!
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Posted on 10/13/2010 10:31:19 AM PDT by Swordmaker
Post 'antenna-gate', Apple-haters have a new myth. This morning's anti-iPhone info-blip sees claims that the "iPhone 4 breaks 82 percent more than iPhone 3Gs". Which sounds like quite a headline -- particularly given the mind-share wars between Apple and Android -- except it isn't strictly true. These claims are based on data from a firm called SquareTrade and is based on claimed analysis of 20,000 iPhone warranty customers. But this is a storm in a teacup -- though likely to attract the usual critics.
SquareTrade analyzed iPhone accidents for more than 20,000 iPhone 4s covered by one of its plans and found an 82 percent jump in reports of broken screens in the device’s first four months, compared to the first four months after the iPhone 3Gs release.
Described as '82 percent' of course this sounds like a big deal, but in reality it means 3.9 percent of 20,000 iPhone 4 owners reported a cracked screen rather than 2.1 percent of 20,000 iPhone 3GS owners.
Before rolling with these figures, do consider the fact that the iPhone 4 has glass on the back as well as the front of the product, while the iPhone 3GS carried it only on the front of the device.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.computerworld.com ...
Was “antenna-gate” ever solved?
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Nope. Antenna gate was sinply washed over by saying either keep your hand off the antenna part of the phone or get a cover for it.
So the defense is to state that the accusation is factually correct, but then try to spin it?
Neat! You Apple guys are awesome!
No spin. You can do simple arithmetic. Having glass on two sides rather than one presents twice as much chance of something breaking:
3GS = 2.1% cracked the front glass
4 = 3.9% cracked either the front glass or the rear glass
So to me, that sounds about right. Twice as much opportunity for something to break, and twice as many breaks.
I fail to see the big deal in these stats.
That's of course a different question from the technical issue of whether having glass on both sides was a good idea.
The defense is to state that there are lies, damn lies, and statics..
saying there is a 85% increase is nice, sensational but ultimately meaningless.
It took me 25% longer to get to work today, of course I only live ten minutes from the office and I missed a light I almost never miss. But boy that 25% is scary.
4 phones in 20,000 broke and the new phones are two sided, you don’t think thats in the least relevant?
“this is a storm in a teacup”
Lol! Engrish!
When the bumper program was announced it was scheduled to end in late September. I saw some speculation that the time frame was about equal to that to get new products to market without the defect. So they may have some type of clear coat on the antenna now that corrects the problem.
If properly understood, the 82% increase is quite meaningful.
The bottom line is, whereas about 1 in 50 iPhone 3s experienced cracked screens in the first few months, 1 in 25 iPhone 4s are having this problem.
It was not “4 phones in 20,000” that broke but about 4% or about 800 or the 20,000.
Also, the fact that there is a reasonable explanation for the increase does not make it meaningless. If an automaker stopped putting locks on the doors and there was a 10,000% increase in thefts, that lack of locks would explain the rise, but would not mean it was not a problem.
In the same way, the front and back glass on the iPhone 4 should probably be considered a minor to moderate design flaw. Apple generally makes quality products, but I do think its focus on style of substance is weakness.
I think that is the point. Putting glass on both sides doubles the chances of cracked glass. While it might look nice, IMHO, it was a poor design.
Of course, Apple fans seem to prioritize “coolness” over functionality and practicality, so for Apple's target market, the dual glass design might be a plus.
I don't mean that as a knock on Apple fans, just an observation. A more durable, but less esthetically pleasing device is not necessarily superior. It is a matter of preference.
I'll be interested to see how Apple addresses the problems of the iPhone4 design, in the next release. They're not stupid, and getting hit with these critiques SHOULD be an impetus to their engineering teams to see if they can address them.
Of course, that's true of every engineering team, for every company, for every product... nothing unusual there.
We-e-e-e-lllll, almost.
We have yet to see the next release of the iPhone, which has the opportunity to correct the problem, rather than talk about it or put a cover over it.
I don't consider the issue addressed until the next version is out, and solves at least the most critical part of the problem -- the juxtaposition of the two antennas with that little break between.
I'm sticking with my theory of a few months ago, that it'll be an insulating clearcoat over the bare metal (also mentioned by Mr. Blonde above).
Apple has such a loyal customer base, that I think it realizes it does not have to be as responsive to customer concerns. It seems like they keep rolling out what are practically “beta” versions of their devices, and getting long lines of customers waiting to buy them at premium prices.
The “cool” factor seems to really drive Apple’s sales. The iPad is a perfect example. It is a very cool looking device with some cool features, but it is less powerful than a notebook or netbook computer not really any more portable, is ergonomically inferior, and far more expensive.
Relevant? I suppose.
But the article calls the clearly stated, correct stats a “myth”.
That correct in your mind?
Quite the opposite. Apple customers tend to be far more demanding of the company than others are of their companies. The slightest mistake causes an uproar.
>>>SquareTrade analyzed iPhone accidents for more than 20,000 iPhone 4s covered by one of its plans and found an 82 percent jump in reports of broken screens in the device’s first four months, compared to the first four months after the iPhone 3Gs release.<<<
While the total population of iPhone 4s is obviously much greater than 20,0000, the SAMPLE that these statistics are based upon was about 20,0000 phones, of which about 4% suffered glass breaks.
So, based upon the sample, of those 1.5 million iPhone 4 sold on the first day, about 60,000 of them had glass breaks in the first few months. Perhaps not catastrophic, but 1 in 25 is significant number. Also, the fact that glass breaks are nearly twice as likely with the newer, presumably superior version is not a great sign.
Apple-haters have a new myth.Well, as new as anything they have ever saddled onto.
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