Rounding up the news and views on Apple’s iPhone 4 press conference

Well, Apple’s special iPhone 4 press conference is over and it’s all said and done, the facts and figures, the apologies and deflections, the updates and announcements, and quite a bit of downright confusion. TiPb’s iPhone 4 review covered a lot of that — a wondrous handset with a few killer flaws. Taken as a whole, many users will be extremely happy. Others… not so much. It really is the ecstasy with one crucial spot of antenna band agony.

If you missed any of the press conference coverage or you — like us — just want a chance to digest and mull it over, to see if it holds up or falls apart, here’s your chance:

• Apple posts iPhone 4 Antenna Press Conference Video, Antenna Information Page
• Apple iPhone 4 press conference meta-live blog
• Apple sells 3 million iPhone 4 in 3 weeks
• Apple: No software fix for iPhone 4 antenna issues
• Apple on iPhone 4 antenna: only 0.55% complained, 1.7% returned
• Steve Jobs: BlackBerry, Android, Windows Mobile have antenna problem too
• Apple refunding bumpers, giving free cases through Sept. 30
• White iPhone coming late July, Canada, Australia, 15 other countries coming July 30
• TiPb talking iPhone 4 press conference on ABC15 Phoenix
• The iPhone Antenna Song – Friday fun video

So now the only question that remains is whether Apple’s managed to turn the the bad publicity around, if they’ve done enough to end “antennagate” and get iPhone 4 back on track…

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Apple held a press conference today to discuss the antenna issue on the iPhone 4. To open the conference, they showed a YouTube video titled “The iPhone Antenna Song”.

Even though the song takes Apple’s side, it’s great to see Apple have a sense of humor about this whole mess and give a fan some spotlight. This song also takes a jab at certain blogs… — maybe that’s why Steve liked it so much?

Watch the video after the break!

The iPhone Antenna Song – Friday fun video is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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That was fast! Apple has not only posted up the video of their iPhone 4 Antenna Press conference from earlier today (sadly, without the Q&A), they have also put up a dedicated page to discussion signal strength issues with the death grip:

On a mobile phone, signal loss typically occurs when your hand attenuates the most sensitive part of the antenna. In the photos and videos below, we demonstrate how different grips cause attenuation on many popular smartphones — including iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS.

Say what you will about Apple PR, but when they decide to make a move, they move fast and make as big a splash as they can. Give it a watch and let us know: are you convinced?

Antenna page and Press Conference Video; via Engadget

Apple posts iPhone 4 Antenna Press Conference Video, Antenna Information Page is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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When asked during the iPhone 4 press conference if there would be a software fix for iPhone 4’s antenna issues, Steve Jobs and Scott Forestall both said an emphatic (borderline hostile) “no”.

While Apple offered apologies, facts and figures, demonstrations of other smartphones having the same issue, and free bumpers and cases to take care of their customers, they said no software fix was forthcoming:

Q (Josh, Engadget): NY Times says this might have a software fix, is this something that can be helped with software? Steve: We just spent the last hour going through how the iPhone 4 drops only 1 more call per hundred than the 3GS. … Go talk to the Times, because you guys talk to yourselves a lot, and they're just making this stuff up.

Forstall jumped up on stage: "That statement is patently false. Can we continue to tune the way the baseband interacts with the network? Yes, and we do this all the time. But that statement is untrue." Steve: "One many statements lately that fall into that category."

So does that mean no software fix, or is this like when they said no iPod with video or no phone?

[GDGT]

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Steve Jobs announced today during the iPhone 4 press conference that the white iPhone 4 will finally see the light of day — in limited quantities — by late July.

Also, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada (!), Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, and Switzerland will finally see iPhone 4 launching on Friday, July 30.

Anyone still waiting on white? Planning to line up for the international release?

White iPhone coming late July, Canada, Australia, 15 other countries coming July 30 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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During the iPhone 4 press conference, Steve Jobs said that while the iPhone 4 antenna issue isn’t affecting all users, they care about every user, and so will providing free cases to everyone who bought an iPhone 4 through September 30, 2010.

If you already bought an Apple bumper case, you’ll get a refund. If not, Apple can’t make enough bumpers so they’ll source other cases.

The procedure seems to be, if you bought a qualifying iPhone 4, you’ll get a website link to go to, pick a case, and Apple will send it to you.

UPDATE: Free bumper/case offer is international, no US only.

[GDGT]

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Steve Jobs, during the iPhone 4 press conference today, announced that despite very loud online and mainstream media attention being focused on iPhone antenna issues, only 0.55% of customers have complained to Apple, only 1.7% have returned their phones — less than a third of the number who returned iPhone 3GS.

On dropped calls, Jobs admitted AT&T data is showing that iPhone 4 drops less than 1 call per hundred more than iPhone 3GS, but he thinks this is because iPhone 3GS owners already had iPhone 3G cases to use while iPhone 4 may have been used naked at first.

iPhone 3G cases fit iPhone 3GS, neither fit iPhone 4. So that comment may be truthy but is it true? How many put cases on iPhone 3GS immediately compared to iPhone 4?

Did you?

[Engadget]

Apple on iPhone 4 antenna: only 0.55% complained, 1.7% returned is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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As part of Apple’s iPhone 4 press conference today, CEO Steve Jobs took the opportunity to bring out a BlackBerry Bold 9700, HTC Droid Eric, and Samsung Omnia 2 and highlight each of those devices dropping from 4 to 1 or 0 bars as well.

Jobs also pointed out that the formulae used to calculate and display bars isn’t standardized and everyone works out for themselves how they’re going to do it. (As of iOS 4.0.1 Apple is now using AT&T’s recommended formulae).

Lastly, he pointed out that Apple’s highly visible black bar at the bottom left of the antenna array made the problem spot easier to find on iPhone 4.

[Slashgear, Android Central's response]

Steve Jobs: BlackBerry, Android, Windows Mobile have antenna problem too is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Despite the ongoing iPhone 4 antenna issues, Apple just announced during their special press conference that they’ve sold 3 million iPhone 4 handsets in just 3 weeks. That’s a huge number, especially in light of the recent publicity.

Speaking of which, while using comedy and humility to fess up to those same antenna issues, they also took the opportunity to show off the high ratings iPhone 4 has received — including from Consumer Reports.

[Engadget]

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I had the pleasure earlier this morning to speak briefly about Apple’s upcoming iPhone 4 press conference with Kirk Yuhnke of ABC15 news in Phoenix, AZ. Will Steve Jobs be there? What action will Apple take?

Check out the video after the jump and join us for the live meta-blog starting soon.

[ABC15 Phoenix]

Video link

TiPb talking iPhone 4 press conference on ABC15 Phoenix is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog