Inside these posts: iPhone 4

Visit our Filed page for categories. To browse by specific topic, see our Inside page. For a list of companies covered on this site, visit our Companies page.

 

Antenna problem fixed on Verizon iPhones

Gadget analysis group AnandTech, which was the first to diagnose the iPhone 4 antenna issue, ran a thorough test of the new Verizon iPhone 4 and found that the “death grip“ problem has been mitigated.

“Apple fixed the problem,“ said Brian Klug, author of AnandTech’s report. “You can use the Verizon Wireless iPhone with no case without any concern for losing signal because of how it’s held.“ Get the full story »

Apple working on smaller, cheaper iPhone

Apple Inc is working on a smaller and less expensive version of the iPhone, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing sources.

The prototype device is about one-third smaller than the iPhone 4, the report said, citing a person who had seen it.

Apple has considered selling the new iPhone for $200 without a two-year wireless contract, Bloomberg reported. Get the full story »

Apple turns another screw on iPhone 4 owners

Apple Inc. is giving a whole new meaning to locking your phone with its new screws.

In line with its infamous philosophy of maintaining absolute control over its products, sources said U.S. Apple stores are replacing screws on iPhone 4s brought for servicing with tamper-proof screws to prevent anyone else from opening the device. Get the full story »

iPhone alarm glitch to be fixed today, Apple says

(Reuters)

A glitch with Apple Inc.’s iPhone alarm gave some users a late start to the new year. The alarm application on the smartphone failed to work for alarms that were set for one-time use only — as opposed to recurring — on the first two days of 2011, triggering complaints of oversleeping.

A spokeswoman for Apple acknowledged the issue, saying that “customers can set recurring alarms for those dates and all alarms will work properly beginning Jan. 3.”

Apple declined to comment further about the exact nature of the glitch, but some Internet blogs said the problem was primarily affecting the iPhone 4 and older models that were updated with the latest software. Indeed, some iPhone users on Twitter boasted that their alarm clocks were working just fine. Get the full story »

Google Voice app finally approved for iPhone

Google Inc.’s Voice calling application has won approval to be on the iPhone after more than a year of haggling with Apple Inc.

The breakthrough announced Tuesday resolves a stand-off that triggered a Federal Communications Commission inquiry into whether Apple and AT&T Inc., the iPhone’s exclusive U.S. service provider, were trying to stifle competition by keeping the app off the popular device. Get the full story »

Apple to end free iPhone case program Sept. 30

Apple Inc. said on Friday it will end its free iPhone case giveaway at the end of September, saying the antenna problem was smaller than the company originally thought.

However, Apple said it wanted to continue to provide a free case to the “small percentage of iPhone 4 users” who need one.

Apple announced in July it would provide free iPhone 4 cases to those who requested one, after some users reported reception problems when they handled the smartphone in a certain way. Get the full story »

Verizon phone users gobble more data than AT&T’s

Thought your iPhone-toting friends were always buried in their phones? Seems Droid users are even more active Web surfers, according to a report released this week.

The average Verizon Wireless smart-phone owner gobbles up more of the network’s wireless data each month than AT&T customers, according to a survey of 20,000 cell phone bills by Validas. Get the full story »

Apple to expand iPhone 4 sales on July 30

Apple CEO Steve Jobs at a press conference on the Apple iPhone 4 reception problems at Apple's headquarters, July 16, 2010. (David Paul Morris/Getty Images)

Apple Inc. said on Monday that its popular iPhone 4 model will go on sale in an additional 17 countries on Friday, July 30.

The newest version of iPhone went on sale in France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. in late June, creating a carnival-like atmosphere and drawing tens of thousands of eager fans to Apple stores and retail partners. Get the full story »

White iPhone 4 delayed, harder to make

Customers will not be able to get their hands on Apple Inc.’s white iPhone 4 until later this year, the company said on Friday, conceding that making the model has proven surprisingly difficult.

Apple, in a brief statement, said that its black iPhone 4 had not been affected. As for the white iPhone, the company said it has “continued to be more challenging to manufacture that we originally expected.” Get the full story »

Apple to give free iPhone 4 cases

Apple CEO Steve Jobs addresses antenna problems in the iPhone 4 during a news conference today. (Kimberly White/Reuters)

Apple says it will give free protective cases to buyers of its latest iPhone model to alleviate the so-called “death grip” problem: holding the phone with a bare hand can muffle the wireless signal.

Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs announced the giveaway Friday at the company’s headquarters in California. Those who have already bought the phone and new buyers through Sept. 30 will all be eligible. People who already purchased the $29 “Bumper” cases will be refunded.

Earlier, Jobs declared, “We’re not perfect.”

iPhone 4 recall unlikely at Apple event

Apple Inc. is likely to announce a fix for the iPhone 4’s reception problems, rather than a recall, at a surprise press conference on the device on Friday, analysts said.

Apple has declined to provide any details about the morning event, called late Wednesday, at its corporate headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. Get the full story »

Apple to hold iPhone press conference Friday

Apple Inc has called a surprise press conference for Friday to talk about the iPhone 4, as the company continues to deal with fallout from reported reception problems on its popular smartphone.

Apple spokesman Steve Dowling declined to provide further details, or to say whether the event will address the signal-strength problems that some people have reported having with the iPhone 4 when the device is held in a certain way. Get the full story »

Consumer Reports does not recommend iPhone 4

The results are in. Consumer Reports’ engineers have completed their testing of the iPhone 4 and have deemed it unfit because of poor reception.

“When your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone’s lower left side — an easy thing, especially for lefties — the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you’re in an area with a weak signal,” a July 12 Consumer Reports blog post said.

“Due to this problem, we can’t recommend the iPhone 4.”

Network glitch slowing some iPhone 4 uploads

In the latest snag for the iPhone 4, AT&T Inc. said Wednesday that a software defect in its network is limiting data uploads from the phone in some areas in the U.S.

That means it takes longer for users to send pictures, video and other content from the phone.

Apple: iPhone signal formula ‘totally wrong’

Apple Inc. said Friday its formula to calculate signal strength is “totally wrong,” and that it will start using a new formula by AT&T to calculate how many bars to display to represent signal strength.

The announcement comes as customers continue to complain of a significant loss in signal when holding the iPhone G4 in a certain way that seems to interfere with the phone’s antenna. Unlike previous iPhones, the new phone’s antenna is a steel frame that wraps around the device. Get the full story »