iPhone News Updated

Apple to discuss troubled iPhone 4

Apple to discuss troubled iPhone 4

Apple Inc. is holding a news conference at 1 p.m. ET Friday to discuss its latest iPhone model, which has come under fire for antenna problems that cause it to drop calls.

Apple has provided few details of the event at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters other than the fact that it deals with the iPhone 4, which was released in the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany and Japan in June.

Almost immediately, users complained of losing reception.

At first, the company told users to avoid holding the device in a certain way, or advised them to buy a protective case for it. The company then said the issue was largely the result of a software problem that stemmed back to the original iPhone, released in 2007, that displayed signal strength incorrectly. Apple said it would soon issue a software update to correct that issue.

Thumbs down from Consumer Reports

The phone received a critical evaluation this week from Consumer Reports, a website and magazine that has provided influential consumer product research and reviews for decades. After testing the phone, it said it could not recommend the device until Apple comes up with a “permanent — and free — fix for the antenna problem.”

Analysts do not expect Apple to issue a recall, as that would be very expensive — about $1.5 billion, Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi estimated in a research note Tuesday, Cnet News reported. Bernstein suggested instead that Apple may give away rubber cases that stop users from touching the antenna, which normally retail for $29 US, but would likely cost the company just $1 per unit, or $2 million to $3 million in total.

All three of Canada’s major cellphone providers — Bell, Rogers and Telus — have said they will carry the iPhone 4, but none have specified a release date yet.

[Thanks: http://www.cbc.ca]

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