Consumer Reports: Apple’s free Bumper case does not earn iPhone 4 our recommendation

Mac Daily News ^ | Friday, July 16, 2010 - 07:09 PM EDT<

[Swordmaker]

"Apple CEO Steve Jobs on Friday announced that his company will give iPhone 4 owners free cases to address reception problems caused by the phone's external antenna, which is a metal band around the edge of the phone," John D. Sutter reports for CNN. "Mike Gikas, senior editor for electronics and technology at Consumer Reports, said in an interview that such a patch is a good "first step." But it's still not enough for his group to recommend the phone to consumers. 'What we were hoping for was a concrete, this-is-it fix for the phone,' Gikas said."

MacDailyNews Take: Consumer Reports would do well get their staff on the same page before allowing them to spout off: Consumer Reports: Apple’s Bumper case fixes iPhone 4 signal-loss issue - July 15, 2010

Sutter continues, "Gikas said such a solution makes it difficult to review the phone, because everyone has a different case, and it's unclear if the solution is permanent; there's a chance the phone could still be recalled after September 30, or that a new version could be issued, he said."

"During the press event in Cupertino, California, Jobs tried to spread the blame about reception issues across the smartphone industry as a whole," Sutter continues. "Gikas said that was a bit unfair. 'The human hand -- the body -- attenuates signal on all phones,' he said. 'But we haven't seen it happen to the degree that it's happened with the iPhone 4.'"

MacDailyNews Take: Did Consumer reports test iPhone 4 with iOS 4.0.1 with its the revised signal display algorithm? No they did not. They should take an iPhone back into their crap booth of flawed testing that's likely worth 1/1000th of Apple's state-of-the-art testing facilities (we're being exceedingly generous with that estimate even though it's certainly not warranted) and test the iPhone 4 running iOS 4.0.1 with and without Apple bumpers before they make any more of their conflicting and illogical non-recommendation recommendations. Again, anyone under the age of 115 who uses a Consumer Reports recommendation for any electronic device needs to seek immediate mental health counseling. The rest of you, enjoy your Aiwa boom boxes.

Sutter continues, "'The most important thing to remember is a problem was discovered with the phone and we can confirm it in a lab, and it was a significant problem,' Gikas said. 'And I don't think Apple fully admitted to it. They acknowledged it and they threw an interim solution at it. But everything spells fogginess about this thing.'"

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Fogginess?! Okay, let's talk fogginess:

In chronological order:

• "iPhone 4 reception is actually better than on the 3GS according to many to some highly respectable and thorough testers, including AnandTech... There's no reason, at least yet, to forgo buying an iPhone 4 over its reception concerns." - Mike Gilkas, Consumer Reports' Electronics Blog - July 2, 2010

• Apple iPhone 4 is the best smartphone on the market according to Consumer Reports' ratings. - July 12, 2010

• "Apple needs to come up with a permanent—and free—fix for the antenna problem before we can recommend the iPhone 4." - Mike Gilkas, Consumer reports' Electronics Blog - July 12, 2010

MacDailyNews Take: You already did recommend it, you moron.

• "But for those who prefer to keep their iPhone, we encourage Apple to step forward soon with a remedy that fixes the confirmed antenna issue, and not one that requires additional consumer expense." - Mike Gilkas, Consumer Reports' Electronics Blog - July 13, 2010

MacDailyNews Take: Milk the thing for all it's worth, Mike, why don't you?

• "With the Bumper fitted, we repeated the test procedure, placing a finger on the Bumper at the point at which it covers the gap below. The result was a negligible drop in signal strength—so slight that it would not have any effect, in our judgment... The Bumper solves the signal-strength problem... We're still calling on Apple to provide an acceptable free solution to the iPhone 4's signal-loss problem." - Paul Reynolds, Consumer reports' Electronics Blog - July 14, 2010

MacDailyNews Take: Apple did so today, but CR still won't recommend their top-rated smartphone, Apple's iPhone 4.

• "We look forward to a long-term fix from Apple. As things currently stand, the iPhone 4 is still not one of our Recommended models." - Consumer Reports' Electronics Blog - July 16, 2010

To recap the fogginess: Consumer Reports recommends the iPhone 4, then they don't recommend the iPhone 4 even as they say it is the top-rated smartphone on the market. Next, Consumer Reports calls three separate times for Apple to "step forward soon with a remedy that fixes the confirmed antenna issue" that does not requires "additional consumer expense." Consumer reports then tests Apple's Bumper case and find that it alleviates the issue. Apple then offers free Bumper cases to all iPhone owners. Consumer Reports then decides that what they asked for is not good enough (for then hits to their website from users who do not require bottled oxygen in order to click a mouse button would cease) and fails to recommed Apple iPhone to their geriatric readership which actually believe that Consumer Reports' opinions on electronic products and God-knows-what-else are worth more than a bucket of warm spit.

How many more illogical, contradictory, flawed articles can the transparent hit whores at Consumer Reports concoct regarding this non-issue?

[NVDave]

As a guy who has worked on cars and many motorized things since I was seven, I realized CR was full of crap from their auto recommendations as well.

For years, CR has slammed US made autos whilst singing the praises of all things Japanese. Anyone who has worked on Toyota or Suzuki auots knows that it is perfectly possible for the Japanese to produce lemons as well.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Thanks for the info!

[Psycho_Bunny]

I've owned two Razrs, a Sony 580i, an iPhone 3g and currently, a 3GS.

As a smart device, I don't think there's a better one on the market than the iPhone.

As a phone, it sucks eggs. Both of mine, and the two my employees have, drop calls constantly. I never had that problem with my three other AT&T phones. Nor did my employees have that happen on their Blackberrys. Thinking it was AT&Ts 3G network,I used the phone for several weeks on the Edge network: still dropped calls.

The phone is also much weaker than the Razrs and Sony were....it took me a couple weeks to realize all the spots in my work and home high-rises where my other phones worked but the iPhone won't.

Also, getting in and out of elevators, and walking around building cores, causes the phone to get confused with dropping and reconnecting to the network: necessitating a hard boot every couple days.

While it's the best at everything else, it's a crap phone. Total crap. I'd get something else if it weren't so good at non-phone applications.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Hmmm... Maybe an upgrade to the iPhone 4 will help? After all, it only drops more calls than your current 3GS...;)

[RachelFaith]

So is this your new whipping post? Don’t think you will have new FUD to go on about come Monday? How long do you intend to go on about this? After they sell a million more next week? 2 Million? 5 Million? Continue to gain overall market share? When does a non issue, no matter how Technically accurate it may be, become a non issue? Ever? If it’s the best iphone and smart phone ever made and sells better than any other, will it still be a FATAL flaw?

Fatal means... I dunno... death, the end,... I mean to most people, when you say “FATAL” they don’t mean a thumb tack poke, the mean two gun shots to the head BANG BANG you are dead.

I guess FATAL to the Apple haters can mean anything they can milk FUD for a week or so.

[RachelFaith]

It drops LESS than 1 per hundred more.

LESS than 1... could be 0.000000001 is less... could be .99 is less. NO CARRIER wants their competition to KNOW this. None of the other carriers are gonna say SPOOK about this. They got some intel on the leader of the back, drew some blood and will be praying that the scratch gets infected, because they were unable to land a “FATAL” blow.

[RachelFaith]

Consumer Reports is the National Inquirer of Tech Magazines.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Simple questions, Rachel:

1. Is there a problem with the antenna hardware?

2. Does the iPhone 4 drop more phone calls than the 3GS?

Simple yes or no answers for either will suffice. Then we can go from there...

[PugetSoundSoldier]

It drops LESS than 1 per hundred more.

But it's still... more.

[RachelFaith]

Yes it is More.

But why? Is it the antenna? Is it the fact that 3 million more cell phones just got dropped into ATTs network? Is it just the upswing in the first 22 days since it was released?

Like global warming alarmists, you have NO DATA except the data Apple choose to give you and you run with it to absurd conclusions.

Of course, I am still laughing at the spin you put on “FATAL” and “Recall” and 1.5 billion loss.

As if!

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

[deoetdoctrinae]

I guess I am a member of the "...geriatric readership which actually believe that Consumer Reports' opinions on electronic products and God-knows-what-else are worth more than a bucket of warm spit."

My lawnmower, dishwasher, roofing shingles and other items were purchased after consideration of Consumer Reports' recommendations. So far, so good. Not saying they haven't blown a few calls over the years, but by and large I have found them to be a valuable resource.

CR definitely doesn't have all their ducks in a row on the IPhone issue, but the folks at MacDailyNews have gone over the edge of decency in their response.

Insulting the people at Consumer Reports ("...transparent hit whores...") and their readers ( "Again, anyone under the age of 115 who uses a Consumer Reports recommendation for any electronic device needs to seek immediate mental health counseling.") is just school-yard name-calling. They have a strong case with the facts. No need to degenerate into a hate filled rant.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Well, Apple’s own spin is that it’s the phone. Not the network. Why else would the offer a bumper and admit to trying software fixes to make it work right?

I think it’s a fatal flaw; a phone should make calls, not drop them. You don’t think so, that’s fine.

But at least we’re agreed - it’s a less reliable phone (it drops more calls) than the previous generations. Can you agree to that?

[tacticalogic]

I thought it quite telling that the iPhone 3GS had 6% returns to the iPhone 4’s 1.7% return rate.

Is that 6% the return rate from the time it was released until now, or 6 weeks after the initial release?

[PugetSoundSoldier]

When you don’t have facts on your side, insults become your only option...

[RachelFaith]

Simple questions, Rachel:

1. Is there a problem with the antenna hardware?

2. Does the iPhone 4 drop more phone calls than the 3GS?

Simple yes or no answers for either will suffice. Then we can go from there...

You don't answer ME with straight forward answers so what gives you the audacity to think you can do the cross examination with me buckaroo?

Now, I will answer them MY way.

There is no problem with the antenna that does not exist as a matter of course and material fact with ALL other cellular compact antennas to one degree on another. So, if it is NOT a newsworthy problem for anyone else, then it is NOT a newsworthy problem for Apple.

Further, if it IS in fact just an occurance common to all phones, then by that standing it does not rise to the level of problem.

Thus, NO is the answer in the general sense. Now is ANY dropped call a Problem? For that call it is. But then, I have been on Verizon and Sprint and T Mobile and Cingular and Nextel, and guess what,.... go on.. take a guess.... yup... they ALL Dropped calls.

Which one was the BIGGER Problem? I mean if we are counting fractions of a percent. Guess. Which one did I HATE, LOATH and could not WAIT to switch....

Nextel. I had the very first Nextel Blackberry. LOVED the speaker phone. Man that speaker phone was loud, clear and you could really just set it in the middle of the room and do live conference calls with 8 people in the room and it was amazing. Until it dropped the call 3 times in a half hour.

I so hated that phone.

So what? Was that a Problem? Some times it sure the heck was. Other times, getting my push mail and being hands free in a noisy place and still being able to hear it.

NONE of my phones since have had that great of a speakerphone. And frankly, the iPhone speaker is the WORST. But that would make it a problem right?

See. You use of words is what is so poor. No, not poor, you intentionally slice and dice and pick and choose them. So BIASED is the right word. Your questions are biased to get the answer you seek. And when you don't get it, you LIE and pretend you do. Somehow, you will extrapolate whatever effect you wanted from this long post. That will be fun to watch. Hope I gave you enough info to really do some good moves with.

Does the iphone 4 drop more calls than the 3GS?

Depends. In the last 22 days it has. By a fraction. But the only reason they released this is because YOU trolls claimed 49% or worse... I dunno... "FATAL FLAW" it's kinda vague and you keep changing the meaning from a total recall to God knows what. So, ask me next week, if anyone has the data. Maybe YES, maybe NO? 22 days and a fraction of a fraction of less than 1%...

Does your car go slower than my car? Depends on what road we are on. Traffic. Lots of things besides the horsepower. Maybe I am a better driver?

Irrelevant questions.

THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS WHICH MATTER:

Are sales of the iPhone 4 better or worse than previous iterations?

Is customer satisfaction higher or lower than previous?

Is the hardware faster, battery last longer, screen brighter with more resolution, stronger, more features?

And are returns higher or lower?

Of course we all know on EACH and EVERY ONE of those questions, APPLE WINS and SO DO THE CUSTOMERS.

The losers are pushing the virus ridden, plastic break in your hand, fuzzy dots on the screen, competition!

[RachelFaith]

When you don’t have facts on your side, insults become your only option...

Sooo, like all those nasty sexist comments you made to me on those threads last week?

[BunnySlippers]

I can only help you by referencing Apple’s super high consumer satisfaction scores.

Yes, I know you will try to nit pick. But please respond with higher satisfaction levels on other phones please.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

I’m sorry, which were those? Can you show me what they were? I know I was called the biggest liar in the history of the Earth and a bigger liar than Satan himself, and diabolical.

But I don’t remember making sexist comments about you...

[tacticalogic]

If you don’t know, is it possible to just say you don’t know, without trying to redirect?

[PugetSoundSoldier]

So, the answer is “I’m not going to answer”?

That’s fine.