Apple is a company under siege right now. They’re backed into a corner, and they’re coming out fighting. Software updates, press conferences, and no doubt soon a letter from Steve Jobs himself titled “Thoughts On Innovative But Ultimately Flawed Smart Phone Antenna Designs”.
One aspect of Apple’s carefully assembled defense wasn’t fully appreciated by the other company involved though. Blackberry maker RIM apparently wasn’t too thrilled that Apple demonstrated to the world that their phones are just as susceptible to antenna issues as the iPhone 4.
Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, co-CEOs of RIM responded quickly and angrily, saying Apple should take full responsibility for the antenna issue, and that RIM customers certainly don’t need a case to be able to successfully make and receive calls.
“Apple’s attempt to draw RIM into Apple’s self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple’s claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public’s understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple’s difficult situation.”
While RIM is correct that this is Apple’s problem and Apple should take full responsibility, they don’t actually address the fact that the issue does in fact exist in the Blackberry Bold 9700 smartphone.
It’s reasonable that RIM should be upset at Apple’s attempt to drag them into the quagmire, and you can’t blame them for taking the chance to score a point or two on the issue of iPhone users having to rely on cases.
I just hope RIM doesn’t experience some kind of internal tech problem with a phone down the line.
The fact of the matter is that ALL cellphones will lose reception if you cover their antenna. However, Apple has chosen beautiful design over reasonable functionality and they need to take responsibility for this design flaw. It makes them look like bigger jerks when they try to deflect like this.
Apple is trying to make things right by giving away bumper cases or refunding the money for those who already bought one. They are not helping their case by pointing out the flaws of other cellphone manufacturers. Steve Jobs needs to focus more on iPhone 4 issues in my opinion.
The issue with Apple and the antennas was not so much that there is a problem, it’s that they tried to deny it. They tried to ridicule people that were pointing it out to them. They were trying to blame faulty software calculations, to show that the number of “bars” shown were not representative of the actual amount of coverage the iPhone was getting. So why the line “I just hope RIM doesn’t experience some kind of internal tech problem with a phone down the line”? Again, this won’t be an issue as long as RIM are upfront about it, acknowledge it, and correct it quickly and without fuss, should it ever occur. We don’t like being called stupid, which seemed to be (purely perceoption or otherwise; it doesn’t matter) what Apple was doing, in this case.
The didn’t try to deny anything, even the first statement they made had no element of denial. Every thing Apple stated was centered around the FACT that attenuation issues occur in ALL handheld wireless devices. The examples of the RIM and other phones isn’t to “draw them in” to any fray. The point is to illustrate that it is in FACT an issue that other devices suffer from as well. It has nothing to do with responsibility or diffusing. Is everyone actually too stupid to get it. Or is this some sort of iSoap Opera, where everything is over dramatized, and twisted to sound ridiculous? It’s as dumb as believing the cover of the national enquirer. When did the tech following community become a bunch of chatty hens that sooner make up dramatic rumors than acknowledge reality.