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Hardware 2.0

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

1.7 million iPhone 4 handsets sold in three days

By | June 28, 2010, 7:23am PDT

Summary: iPhone 4 represents Apple’s strongest launch to date.

iPhone 4 represents Apple’s strongest launch to date.

Apple today announced that it has sold over 1.7 million of its iPhone 4 through Saturday, June 26, just three days after its launch on June 24

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is well pleased:

“This is the most successful product launch in Apple’s history. Even so, we apologize to those customers who were turned away because we did not have enough supply.”

No word on the issues that customers are reporting.

I believe that there’s always a strong correlation between sales and reported issues, and the iPhone 4 is no exception. The 1.7 million sales would explain why I’ve received several dozen emails from new iPhone 4 owners outlining a series of problems, ranging from poor reception to scratches and weak glass which shatters from even small drops.

Given these high sales, I hope that Apple issues some kind of statement on these issues within 14 days so that users have a chance to return the handset if they’re not happy with whatever solution Apple comes up with. I’m not convinced by the rumors that the antenna issue can be fixed by a software update - at least until i see such an update in action.

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Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

Disclosure

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

All opinions expressed on Hardware 2.0 are those of Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. Every effort is made to ensure that the information posted is accurate. If you have any comments, queries or corrections, please contact Adrian via the email link here. Any possible conflicts of interest will be posted below. [Updated: February 23, 2010] - Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other actual/potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted so far on this blog.

Biography

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology -- whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera.

Adrian has authored/co-authored technical books on a variety of topics, ranging from programming to building and maintaining PCs. His most recent books include "Build the Ultimate Custom PC", "Beginning Programming" and "The PC Doctor's Fix It Yourself Guide". He has also written training manuals that have been used by a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Adrian also runs a popular blog under the name The PC Doctor, where he covers a range of computer-related topics -- from security to repairing and upgrading.

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RE: 1.7 million iPhone 4 handsets sold in three days
opcom 29th Jun 2010
software fixes are simple. Just set the signal strength meter to read higher and boost the TX power and RX gain by 3dB. yeah that will fix the problem. SRSLY I'm waiting to find out what it is really about. the antenna and its location is certainly a suspect. Typical interesting problem.
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adrian
banned from zdnet 28th Jun 2010
of course you are not convinced that it is only a minor software glitch that will be addressed within a few days. you couldn't go one writing clickbaiting blog posts and give us your "concerns" if you were.

will you write a post in a few days like this one: "apple fixed it and i was wrong (again). i have blown the reception issue for some lefties totally out of proportion"?
from everything i've read not everyone is able to recreate these problems.. which might meant that it might very well be a manufacturing problem and not a design flaw..
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You're kidding, right?
Cylon Centurion 28th Jun 2010
NT
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why?
banned from zdnet 28th Jun 2010
@NStalnecker
most reviewers didn't have any issues and most buyers neither. a few lefties have experienced the bars dropping (note: only the indicator bars dropped, their calls and reception were as clear as before) when they hold it with sweaty hands. some may even have an issue that will probably addressed by an update every minute. only the apple hating blogosphere and posters like you could use this minor software glitch and blow it totally out of proportion.
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NO... i'm not..
doctorSpoc 28th Jun 2010
...go to sites like engadget or gizmodo.. see report of people with iPhones in hand most don't seem to be able to recreate this problem.. some only in very specific conditions/networks.. i don't have an iPhone and i'm guess you don't either i'm just going by what people with them are reporting.. if you don't believe me got to gizmodo and engaget and see for yourself..

the REALLY odd thing is that the most vocal people about this problem seem to be the people who don't even have the device or would never even contemplate having the device..
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You know there seems to be more than just "a small group". And yes, I have been to Gizmodo, and Engadget. Youtube is also full of videos and CNN had published an article on their homepage over the weekend also detailing the problem. Even Jason O'Grady admitted to it.
@NStalnecker .. that can't recreate this problem or only under some very specific conditions? why is that? how do you explain that?
@NStalnecker - saying Jason O'Grady "admitted it" is actually pretty similar to saying Jason Chen admitted it.. in spite of the fact that he does the apple blog Jason O'Grady is one of the most iHating, bias guys on ZDNet...

I actually think Adrian tries to be fair and even handed as he can, it just turns out that he makes a lot of premature, inaccurate statements in trying to be first to address issues.. lot of updates in Adrian's blog articles.. Jason O'Grady just obviously has an enormous chip (more like a bolder) on his shoulder and should really just give the apple blog to someone else or ZDNet should take it from him.. his blog post are really rather transparently bias.. kind of pathetic really..
@NStalnecker
When a handful of screens start lifting on Android phones, the iDiots go NUTS, proclaiming Android phones to be poor quality, etc. When it happens to the iPhone, many other factors suddenly come into play.

Cue the double standards...
@doctorSpoc
it might very well be a manufacturing problem

I guess Jobs is doing a lousy job of handpicking components! wink
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Remains to be seen....
James Quinn 28th Jun 2010
@NonZealot
Still not sure a simple software fix won't fix the limited problem are we? Now as for your previous claim that iDiots came out of the wood work to slam Android phones with screen issues I don't recall that myself I'm sure some slammed Android that is the nature of these posts after all but how do you know they did not own BB, WebOS, WM, something from Nokia? Seriously I have my doubts serious doubts about your abilities to determine fact from fiction when the data is easily available. For me to believe that you just happen to know the phones every post owns/uses is more than I can except.

Pagan jim
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Apple is finding it out the hard way
NonZealot 28th Jun 2010
It is harder than it looks to make a good phone!
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Actually no.....
James Quinn 28th Jun 2010
@NonZealot
Just a day or so ago the blogs were full of doom and gloom for the iPhone 4. Terrible news it would seem.. Now just a day or so later the storm clouds are parting the phone sold very well and the so called terrible problems seem to have shrunk considerably. People can't re-create the problems, not many had the complaint in the first place. Etc.. etc. Heck at this rate tomorrow the iPhone 4 will be noted at Apple's bestest ever product and product release to date:P To bad things did not turn around this quickly for Vista eh:)

Pagan jim
Still really looking forward to getting mine in the mail, hopefully this week!
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Of course no mention of the problems...
GoodThings2Life 28th Jun 2010
...it's already been reported on every other tech site on Earth, and yet the iMorons still can't admit it because their fearless leader hasn't come on record discussing it. This way they can claim it's just a handful of people that clearly must be doing something wrong!

Except that hundreds of videos and posts across the Internet can demonstrated it with remarkable ease, often on multiple handsets.
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@GoodThings2Life
their fearless leader hasn't come on record discussing it

Not technically true.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/24/apple-responds-over-iphone-4-reception-issues-youre-holding-th/
In essence, Apple cops to the fact there are reception issues with the new iPhone -- namely, that if you cover the bottom-left corner of the phone and bridge the gap between the notch there with your naked flesh, you could see some signal degradation. Yes, you read that right: it's not a software or production issue, simply a matter of the physical location of your hand in regards to the phone's antenna. The company's suggested fix? Move your hand position, or get a case which covers that part of the phone, thus breaking contact.

I think the fact that some Apple zealots are denying it is because they are simply too stupid to read.
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HTC Droid Incredible:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaDE941PzQk


Nexus One:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2g5J4qPp54

Nokia E71:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi1gHDa7-X0

Nokia 6230:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_RP7Fn1w8Q

Nokia 6720:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ7t75Uo6qQ

Read more: http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/06/28/nokia.ribs.apples.sensitive.phone.design/#ixzz0sD7ZXKd3

guess is that All phones have this problem to some degree or another.. you need to hold all phones so as to not obscure the antenna.. yes, the laws of physics still apply to non-apple phones as well..
software fixes are simple. Just set the signal strength meter to read higher and boost the TX power and RX gain by 3dB. yeah that will fix the problem. SRSLY I'm waiting to find out what it is really about. the antenna and its location is certainly a suspect. Typical interesting problem.

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