Sad times for Consumer Reports. After being so fickle with its stance on Apple’s iPhone 4, calling it the best smartphone on the market and essentially praising it as some technological work of art, then retracting nearly everything it said by saying it can’t recommend the phone, the company still can’t vouch for the iPhone 4. In light of the press conference that Apple held on July 16 regarding its smartphone’s antenna issues, Consumer Reports decided to comment again.
Somewhat pleased with the steps that Apple is taking toward a solution, Consumer Reports still can’t fully recommend the iPhone 4:
Consumer Reports believes Apple’s offer of free cases is a good first step. However, Apple has indicated that this is not a long-term solution, it has guaranteed the offer only through September 30th, and has not extended it unequivocally to customers who bought cases from third-party vendors. 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.
Like many Apple customers, Consumer Reports is just as fickle as anyone else regarding this issue. Is there a problem? Does it really affect daily usage? At this point, is there anything Apple can do to remedy the iPhone 4 problem? It sure seems like a lose/lose situation for the Cupertino-based company and Steve Jobs. A recall will just let all the haters gloat, and it’s not like Apple is going to redesign the antenna system in just a few weeks. Giving out free cases didn’t seem to quell any fires, and offering full refunds didn’t make anyone too happy, either.
From the fanboys to the haters, it seems like no one really wants a solution at this point. They just want to see Apple and Steve Jobs burn, or at least to come forward with the kind of humility that Jobs failed to display during Friday’s conference. Then again, what more could the jaded want? The conference did start with the words, “We’re not perfect.”
I believe that Apple has done everything it can to remedy this situation–just because it doesn’t fully solve the problem or make its users 100% happy doesn’t mean that Jobs and Co. are holding back. One can either return the iPhone 4 or not buy it at all based on Consumer Reports’ advice.
Image courtesy of Aaron Benson
[Via: Consumer Reports Blog]