“Consumer Reports” (http://www.consumerreports.org) says it still can’t recommend the iPhone 4. The product testing company/mag says Apple still hasn’t adequately addressed the issue of when your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone’s lower left side if the phone is being used in an area with a weak signal.
Apple has discontinued its free-case program for the iPhone 4 effective Oct. 1, but says it will still provide a case to the “small percentage” of buyers who will need one due to the phone’s “antenna attenuation issue.” The company says “we now know” that the antenna issue is “even smaller than we originally thought.”
That move is “less consumer-friendly in several respects,” says “Consumer Reports.” Here’s the organization’s take: “First, if you are ‘experiencing antenna issues’ with your iPhone 4, Apple says, you’ll need to call the company to request a case. And where the current program allows owners a choice of seven cases, including some from third-party manufacturers, the new program only offers Apple’s own Bumper, a frame-like cover that runs around the edge of the phone.”
“Consumer Reports” is calling on Apple to provide a “permanent solution for the phone’s reception issues.”