If iPhone 4 signal problems have been bothering you and you were planning on popping into the Apple Store to complain, we can save you some time. Instructions for Apple employees on how to deal with iPhone 4 signal problems have leaked online. Two things stand out: there’s no chance of you getting a free Bumper case for your iPhone 4 and there’s no mention of that iPhone 4 software fix we’d heard whispers of.
We got official iPhone 4 signal advice from Apple when the issue first came to light and that boiled down to: hold it differently. The AppleCare support document grabbed by Boy Genius Report sticks to that position advising Apple reps to tell customers: “The iPhone 4’s wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped.”
The Apple document goes on to note (correctly) that “gripping almost any mobile in certain places will reduce its reception”. Then there’s the official advice for both iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS owners on where you shouldn’t put your hand if you want to avoid hampering the signal.
For the iPhone 3GS, Apple says you shouldn’t cover the bottom-right side. For the iPhone 4, it’s “the black strip in the lower-left corner of the metal band” that you need to avoid.
The stand out paragraph of the Apple troubleshooting guide though is the final point which declares (in bold and with capitals): “We ARE NOT appeasing customers with free bumpers – DON’T promise a free bumper to customers.”
So while Apple has stated that a rubber case that covers the metal band like its own Bumper cases could reduce iPhone 4 signal problems, it’s not going to be handing them out free. And it’s not telling customers that a software fix is on the way either.
Have you heard anything different from Apple? And are you planning on shelling out £25 for a Bumper case? How well do you think Apple has handled the iPhone 4 launch?
If you haven’t decided whether to pick up iPhone 4 yet, make sure you take a gander at our comprehensive iPhone 4 review.
Out now | £varies | Apple (via Boy Genius Report)
