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?

[stripes1776]

The people who have a problem with the iPhone 4 are people who don’t own one.

Bingo!

[RachelFaith]

Oh Boy, we ARE going to do some fuzzy math.

Wait.. we don’t HAVE a baseline!!

Oh No....

Now what? I mean if it’s 1 outa 10 calls then it’s nearly zero and if it’s 1 in 10,000 its HORRIDLY HIGH.

When I had my old Blackberry, it seemed like it was one out of every three calls....

Hmmm, what to do now...

[stripes1776]

But it's still... more. For every 100 calls, the iPhone 4 is dropping less than 1 more call than the 3Gs. So, to make things easy to count, lets say it's exactly one more call. If the 3Gs drops 3 calls every 100 calls, the iPhone 4 is dropping 4 calls. That would be 3% compared to 4%. An increase, but not a huge increase. But it could be 10% compared to 11%. Use whatever figure you like. But anyway you slice it, it's not much of an increase.

What happens when people have cases and bumpers for the i4? Will the rate go down? We'll have to wait and see. But as the guy in the song said, if you don't want an iPhone 4, don't buy it. If you bought one and don't like it, take it back.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Apparently you’re not interested in an adult discussion?

[RachelFaith]

Apparently you’re not interested in an adult discussion?

Now why would you go off and say something mean like that?

I haven't call you a lair, or implied that Satan owns your soul or nothin!!

I've been very serious and asked questions and explored the options...

But, like you said, there is NO BASELINE...

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku2wFaaPAzI"

so, that's just it...

WE DON'T KNOW !!

Maybe something bad, maybe something good...

I guess we'll never know...

[RachelFaith]

But, what if they bought a Droid Incredible ????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaDE941PzQk

[RachelFaith]

Something was wrong with my first link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku2wFaaPAzI

[Swordmaker]

Basically, what is the actual rate of drops? That’s never been given, only an acknowledgment that the iPhone 4 drops more calls than the previous iPhone model.

Gizmodo reported last year that AT&T was dropping 30% in New York City, That was as a network, not just for iPhone 3Gs. I can't find anything more specific.

[RachelFaith]

30% !!

WOW...

So my 1 outa 3 for my old Nextel was right on the money.

And 1 outa 3.... would be on the WAY WAY low end...

Hey Pug...

YOU LOSE AGAIN !!

I think he was really hoping to see some 1 in 10,000 numbers so he could have his 300% math.

Now he’s gonna need a beer or somethin’ to get over this one...

[RachelFaith]

Now where did he go....??

Just like that? POOF?

Not a very reliable troll if you ask me!!

Humph!!

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Rachel,

You’ve called me liar so many times I’ve lost count. Satan and diabolical are relatively new. So when you want to grow up let me know...

[RachelFaith]

No, I think I will have fun with you for a while now.

I used to take you seriously.

But, since you will just change whatever you posted from one day to the next, why bother with digging your old posts? You just claim you didn’t say what it says you said.

So, my turn.

I did not even type this.

How’s them Apples?

LOL

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Thanks Swordmaker. So we don’t know how many were AT&T, and how many were the phone. There are basically three general cases:

If they were predominantly the network (AT&T), then the 3GS was doing pretty good, meaning the increase in drops from the iPhone 4 is significant (going from 1 per 100 to 2 per 100, still small but a doubling in the number of dropped connections, NOT an improvement from a magical antenna).

If they were equally the fault of the phone and AT&T, then you get about 15 drops per 100 from the 3GS unit, and about 16 per 100 for the iPhone 4. Both are quite bad numbers, but the iPhone 4 is only 7-8% worse than the 3GS.

If it was predominantly the phone, then the iPhone 4 is about the same, but both are incredibly bad, with about 30 per 100 calls dropped.

I don’t think your stats show the “gotcha” that Rachel thinks it does...;)

[PugetSoundSoldier]

See your post 69 - you’ve proven you don’t understand basic numbers. I can help you if you’re not mentally restricted, but you’d have to want to actually LEARN a little something about logic.

But then again, you’re a lawyer, you have no need for logic!

Oh, and them Apples would be interesting if you could actually make a phone call with them...;)

[RachelFaith]

My post 69 was INTENTIONALLY FUNNY.

1/2 of 1% isn’t worth the energy to debate.

You said RECALL.

You said FATAL.

YOU LOSE.

Anything else is for the sport, sport!

Only liberals have no sense of humor.

It’s funny to watch you spin and twist and I admit for the last week, I took you seriously. And when this antennagate began, I even posted you MIGHT be right.

Then of course, reality set back in and I saw you not only go way over reaching but fall flat on your ass and I just had to laugh as you got up and pretended it didn’t happen that way.

So now... now whatever you post... I am going to mock and not even bother discussing. Cause it won’t matter. Win lose or draw, you will just SAY you won.

Ha Ha Ha Ha

“G’nite, See ya in another thread brotha”

[PugetSoundSoldier]

I’m sorry, was this a contest? Is that your idea, just games?

Rachel, you haven’t shown anything close to logic or reason, just anger and hatred and rage. Amazing, actually!

[NVDave]

Here’s some data that gives you a fuller picture:

http://www.changewave.com/assets/alliance/reports/cell_service_20100427/cell_service_20100427.pdf

Executive summary: AT&T would be dead without the iPhone in terms of customer satisfaction, and dropped call rates are a big piece of that dissatisfaction.

If Apple had an iPhone on Verizon, you’d see a bunch of people jump ship from AT&T. Heck, if the iPhone were available on Verizon’s network, I’d buy one tomorrow. Because the iPhone is limited to AT&T, I won’t buy an iPhone.

And mind you — I could get a subsidy to get into an iPhone in the next six months by just staying where I am: on an Alltel network area that has been acquired by AT&T. Instead, our household has had such crappy experience with AT&T Wireless in the past that we’re jumping ship to Verizon and (most likely) Droid phones.

[Swordmaker]

So again - no answer? How much worse is the call drop rate of the iPhone 4 versus the 3GS? We know it’s worse (that is not in dispute), but how much worse?

It's less than one additional dropped call in every 100... For me, my 3Gs maybe dropped one or two calls in every hundred calls. . . Usually when going through a cell tower change in rush hour. I do know that I am getting better reception from my 4 than I did with the original, the 3, or the 3Gs I had before it.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Thanks for the data!

I hear you on Verizon, too... I use them, and I cannot remember the last time I had a dropped call - we’re talking months here, and I’m not a light user (2100 minutes a month, and usually push that limit).

I know every year at CES and NAMM and AES the guys with iPhones are always complaining about dead connections, dropped calls, no data bandwidth, and I’m just humming along with my Verizon HTC phone. Even open up my built-in WIFI router so they can at least use Skype to make VOIP calls out...;)

[PugetSoundSoldier]

So, if it was less than 1 per 100, then with an iPhone 4 - per Steve Jobs - it would now be less than 2 per 100. About twice as often. Still a small number, but for a magical antenna configuration, doubling the number of dropped calls doesn’t seem all that special...;)