A for Apple, B for Bumper

There was a famous phrase in history books “Let them eat cake”, claimed to be said  by Marie Antoinette, Princess of Louis XIV, who said these words to her agricultural workers, when they were crying that they have no bread to eat. Well!! It looks like history repeats itself and we have another statement “Hold it other way”.

First let’s see the video of the Apple Press Conference held on July 16, 2010, many were wishing to see ..
Thanks to DeAchtergrondNL

Not discrediting Steve and his team for their great efforts, but sadly the conference last day, sure not going to solve the issues even if those been way ‘overblown’ as Antennagate now (in words of Steve himself).

Let me put why …

You need to understand and admit it BIG that there is an issue:

This was the song played by Apple in the press conference and though it was surprising to many that how Apple picked it, when it was uploaded on the same day, but it conveyed the same emotions that Steve and his team might be feeling now.

If you don’t like iPhone 4, don’t buy,
if you bought one and don’t like, bring it back.

Like the song says, the similar were sentiments behind the words of Steve as well.

The media loves a failure
in a string of success
the facts won’t ever matter
if they can make bigger messes

But is it only media?

It sounds justified on their part as Gizmodos screwed them big otherwise may be a retina display, front camera and FaceTime would have been more of surprise and selling point than they actually went like that ordinary on announcement day.

But now, its not just Gizmodos, you got every lead tech blog saying the same, you were due to respond. The above video was some sort of reaction to videos like this

The users reporting issue worldwide can’t all be wrong, specially when you yourself admitted that there is issue. You can’t say users to hold it other way or can’t grin teeth over them that you all are morons making all this issues out of nothing, when all leading tech blogs supporting it with evidences including Consumer Reports now (that eventually forced apple to bring this never precedent conference).

You are not being generous, if you get ready for giving free bumpers (costing 29$). Its a work around not a solution, you cant go away being arrogant that we given you bumpers (till September only), now what else you want? One didn’t bought a 1000$ phone for managing things with workaround.

Let me tell you that how one feel. Similar when your boss says that you may leave the job if you feel that some injustice is happening with you, we have no issue and will wave off your notice period and even will pay you one month salary. Can you leave?

You feel helpless and powerless from very deep inside coz you can’t do anything of them, you have no choice. There is only one iPhone people know about, the only thing to be shown off, the only thing that you waited for this much time, queued for hours and when got one, then you have to compromise and hear taunts from others, about which you can’t do a thing… coz you can’t make a complaint. You grin that why there is only one Apple, one iPhone. But …

A great read in the same regard might be the comparison article from Guardian that compares how iPhone 4 would be a debacle like Windows Vista been for Microsoft. Microsoft never admitted that Vista been a big failure and loss to those who bought it and same is being happened to iPhone buyers now.

Note that still there is one more pending issue with iPhone 4 that is proximity sensor issue, Steve already had admitted this one too and a software fix is on the way.

You screw it big when you blame others

Steve said that We are not perfect, Phones aren’t prefect. Every Smartphone has weak spots, only difference we made is to show it clearly and that’s where we screwed all things up.

Sorry Steve, it doesn’t help, it doesn’t help when you say that others have this problem too and its not unique to iPhone 4, when you say that you got highest customer satisfaction rating, when you say that you sold 3, 000, 000 in 3 weeks, when you say that only 0.5% people returned it or when you say that it drops hardly one more call per hundred than iPhone 3GS.

The screw up already started when Apple already got replies over their statement about comparing other devices with this self made debacle as RIM CEO says.

Its clearly been the design decisions that screwed it big. Apple decided to put the antenna outside as covering metal plate, so that they could reduce the size. The decision already damaged Apple in such a big proportion that wont be recoverable.

Nokia already pointed that they resolved such issues by keeping dual antennas; one on top and one on bottom and also with careful selection of material, so that no user may face this issue. Engineering companies and technical leaders behave in this way, not just saying one hand that we made the best phone of planet and on the other hand, we are not perfect like everyone else.

Let me tell you that I have tried to grip my Nokia N82 (that is a very old model from Nokia now) in each and every possible way, but it didn’t dropped a single bar. If someone could show me that N82 drops bar, then it would be a big time learning experience to me as I tried harder to produce a death grip over Nokia N82 and failed all the way.

It was interesting when one reporter challenged Steve to drop some bars from his Blackberry Bold and Steve denied it saying that it depends …

Figures don’t help you

You make joke of yourself when you say that we have state of art test facility, when you say that you have 17 anechoic chambers, when you say that you invested $100 millions, when you say that you have best 18 PhD scientist and engineers or specially when you say that you came up with “Advanced” Antenna Design. Neither it helps when you say that only 1.7% people returning their iPhone 4 that is nothing like panic as bg 1/3 of 6% return rate of iPhone 3GS via AT & T.

Even your figures said iPhone 4 drops more call than iPhone 3GS, while Steve say that people should be expecting half of the calls dropped, I will argue otherwise. This increase dropped calls percentage (by a big 1%) is even after well popularized fact now that there is a death grip one should avoid if use iPhone 4. I argue that even children around the world know that there is a death grip and they know exactly where it is, but still you are getting increased dropped calls. Nothing wrong?? Really??

You release one more version number to fix some formula of displaying bars, so that it could show less bars, which you were generously displaying more, out of proportion. Tell me one thing, you may start showing less bars, but will not people question that why adjacent Nokia Phones showing more bars at the same place, might be your basement and still there is no death grip?

Why people not returning their iPhone 4

1. Its true that not all will have this problem. Reason is that particular X spot, is on the left bottom side of the phone, particularly affecting only left handed people more. Will someone show figures on how many iPhone 4 buyers were left handed and how much percentage of left handed users facing it? Still people could avoid it, enjoy the really well made phone with features and keep on showing off that they have the best Smartphone on planet (?).
2. Its a phone that people waited over a long period, specially those with iPhone 3GS. Multi-tasking, retinna display and Facetime even if not biggest thing on planet, but sure are attractive things, if one think about living with just iPhone 3GS. What’s point in returning it, when you know that its not a problem with their model only, when you know that there is no fix on this, when you know that no other manufacturer has released something worth against it (Nokia N8 still keeping people frustratingly waiting and Samsung, HTC almost copying design model). If not iPhone when what else?
3. You spent f***** 1000 $ over the same phone and now just have to return it that you can’t change your habits slightly? Doesn’t seem to a good idea na? Why not to change the habits when you already made compromise by selecting touch phones, when there are still many advantages with H/W keypads. Why not to make one compromise more, when you already made many by choosing first a most costly touch phone driven by costly apps? If you paid this much then why not some more and buy a bumper even if it screw some of its looks?
4. Observers missing a great point, MicroSIM. No other manufacturer supports MicroSIM as of now, means if you go back from iPhone, then you need to buy another SIM. Trapped.. Do you feel?

So, it was just that people were feeling cheated when they were forced to buy a Bumper in 29 $ more, which was actually making it look bad and you were paying for making your device look bad. Congratulations!!! now Steve will pay for making your device look bad with a free bumper on your sleek iPhone 4.

Have a poll here … let me see what you all think over it.

Nitish Kumar

http://nitishkumar.net

http://scifireviews.wordpress.com