6 ms·

They should just offer a generic case/bumper or $10 rebate towards the sale of a range of cases with proof of purchase. Brand image restored, the world continue

They should just offer a generic case/bumper or $10 rebate towards the sale of a range of cases with proof of purchase. Brand image restored, the world continues spinning.

jolan 16y ago
I doubt they'll want to admit that the phone requires an accessory for proper operation. I'm thinking they'll announce some sort of swap program for a new phone with a non-conductive coating on it or somesuch. That way they can continue to sell their $29 bumpers for a ridiculous profit (which will make up for the cost of refurbing the old models).
theBobMcCormick 16y ago
I'm not sure that would help. I think that would be sufficient if this were a BlackBerry or something where people expect it to look utilitarian. But one of the major features of the new iPhone was it's stunning looks. To then be told you have to put a big rubber bumper on it would be pretty disappointing.
goatforce5 16y ago
That the minimum they should do, and if that's all they do people will be like "Meh. That's an alright deal, I suppose..." They need to go above and beyond to create confidence going forward - something that'll actually make people happy with the resolution. Throw $50+ of store credit in to apologise for the concern/confusion they've caused, or similar. Everyone makes mistakes. It's how you respond to it that makes the difference. Apple wants people to walk away from this thinking "They messed up, but they really went out of their way to make things right. I'll trust them with my future purchases."
- billturner 16y ago
  Everyone makes mistakes. It's how you respond to it that makes the difference. Exactly. I think Steve Jobs responding to a customer's email with "Don't hold it that way" was one of the worst responses ever to a growing PR problem.
  - Tamerlin 16y ago
    I agree, but it's also in line with how he responds to other problems -- largely, Apple's approach has been vehement denial combined with heavy spin doctoring. It's also how Apple responded to the performance comparisons -- like commissioning a benchmarketing firm to run a mangled suite of SPEC tests that showed that even though Apple's G5 was FAR below expectation, Intel's horse was slower if you put heavy enough balls on its feet!
skalpelis 16y ago
Whatever they should do, they will announce tomorrow what they are going to do. Meanwhile, it's just a phone.
- harshpotatoes 16y ago
  A luxury phone people payed good money for. It's like if BMW was selling a car which could only make right turns (ok, not a perfect example, I be more pissed about the car, but bear with me). Obviously this car is defective, but BMW responds by saying, "It's ok, you can still make left turns, because three right turns is the same as a left turn. It's only a car." I think people might be a tad bit outraged, less so about the problem, more so about the response. "it's just a car? You've been telling me in all your advertisements that it is the pinnacle of german engineering. If I wanted to deal with problems in the design and live with them, I would have gone with your much cheaper competitors." However, we shall see what they say tomorrow.
  - asmithmd1 16y ago
    Or like BMW selling a car with an extra hand operated lever and an extra foot pedal. And if you don't operate them correctly the car will barely move and maybe even stall... Apple could have handled this much better saying it is a high-performance, tuned antenna. If you choose to operate it correctly you get superior performance; or you can ignore it and get the same performance as any other hidden antenna.
    - nooneelse 16y ago
      Honesty and openness is sometimes very nice not just as an ideal, but because it gives you the chance to be the first to shape perspectives like that. And that, asmithmd1, is some very nice spinning of the issue you did there. Outright denial of something which is shown in several seemingly honest online videos was a bad move all around. It was socially equivalent to publicly calling some of their early adopting customers liars. Of course the public reacted badly to it and didn't let the matter drop.
  - deleted 16y ago
jonknee 16y ago
Releasing a beautiful product that needs a plastic cover to function properly (without this being made known at launch) is no way to restore brand image. That's actually a great way to become a laughing stock and make the early adopters feel like chumps. I think that woud actually be worse than doing nothing--it admits fault. Apple has never hosted a press conference like this, I doubt it will be for something as simple as a free bumper.
- redrobot5050 16y ago
  Critics have always and easily posited that Apple makes shiny devices that are easily scratched up in your pocket or through day to day use. Critics have always pointed out the need for a case to "properly use" an Apple product...going as far back as the original 5GB Firewire only, Mac only iPod.
  - gmac 16y ago
    I disagree. I've had my iPhone 3G for 2 years and always carried it in my pocket. I keep keys and coins (and anything else scratchy) in a different pocket. The phone is completely unscratched (apart from tiny and unimportant scratches on the plastic back from being placed on hard surfaces). Every iPhone case I've seen has looked ugly and clumsy to me. The 'bumpers' are better than most, but there's no way I'd be prepared to use one, even if it were free.
  - ghshephard 16y ago
    Totally disagree with you here. As of (at least) the 3G (and 3GS), Apple has delivered very scratch resistant products. I totally abuse my iPhones, carry them in the same pocket as my keys and coins, and I've yet to put a visible scratch on them. I've got a tiny little chip on the side of my 3GS, but that was from dropping it onto a concrete sidewalk from a height of about three feet.
  - theBobMcCormick 16y ago
    If I had an iPhone4, I'd get something like this: http://www.zagg.com/invisibleshield/apple-iphone-4-cases-screen-protectors-covers-skins-shields.php http://www.zagg.com/invisibleshield/apple-iphone-4-cases-scr... I don't know if it'd help the antenna issue, but they work great for protecting your devices from scratching without covering up their good looks. I've got a similar skin for my Nexus One and have been very pleased so far.
yardie 16y ago
Honestly, I don't think it would kill them to include a basic rubber case in the color of their choosing (probably black). It's not like Nintendo Wiis were less popular because they had to put that big rubber cushion on the hand controller. After people were breaking TVs and getting concussions. If anything it made the controller more attractive since adults could finally hold it.
- jordanroher 16y ago
  This situation is definitely most analogous to what happened with the Nintendo Wii Remotes going through TV screens (as opposed to Toyota's acceleration issue). - Both happened when products were used without cases or safety straps - Both are hard for experienced users to reproduce (well, it's easy to toss a Wii Remote, but I doubt any hardcore players lost a TV to it) - Both rely on anecdotal evidence (I own a Wii, as do my friends, and nobody has sent a Wii Remote sailing through anything) - Both are annoying but not a deal-breaker in the use of the product - Both can be alleviated by holding the product a different way - Both have hilarious class action lawsuits against the parent company - Most importantly, both were discovered shortly after the launch of a highly desirable product and nobody returned theirs because of this issue The last point is what annoys me the most. It's not reasonable to say "if this antenna is such a big deal, why isn't everyone returning their iPhone 4?" A problem doesn't have to be some titanic issue to need to be addressed. Nintendo did the right thing and packaged the Wii Remote with $0.50 of plastic, even without anyone beating down Gamestop's return desk. We shouldn't accept anything less from Apple.
  - gmac 16y ago
    A free bumper is my least preferred resolution. It essentially says you can't have the phone you thought you were buying. Instead, you have to choose: faulty or ugly.
    - jordanroher 16y ago
      I agree, even though I think the bumpers are kind of stylish. But Apple's between a rock and a hard place. Either they lose millions now proving free bumpers/gift certificates to customers, or they lose millions later by ignoring the issue and suffering a huge hit to their reputation. Or worse, they attack Consumer Reports. I would love to see that fight. A for-profit company that lots of people love but not necessarily trust, versus a non-profit that lots of people trust but not necessarily love.

They should just offer a generic case/bumper or $10 rebate towards the sale of a range of cases with proof of purchase. Brand image restored, the world continues spinning.

jolan 16y ago

I doubt they'll want to admit that the phone requires an accessory for proper operation. I'm thinking they'll announce some sort of swap program for a new phone with a non-conductive coating on it or somesuch. That way they can continue to sell their $29 bumpers for a ridiculous profit (which will make up for the cost of refurbing the old models).

theBobMcCormick 16y ago

I'm not sure that would help. I think that would be sufficient if this were a BlackBerry or something where people expect it to look utilitarian. But one of the major features of the new iPhone was it's stunning looks. To then be told you have to put a big rubber bumper on it would be pretty disappointing.

goatforce5 16y ago

That the minimum they should do, and if that's all they do people will be like "Meh. That's an alright deal, I suppose..." They need to go above and beyond to create confidence going forward - something that'll actually make people happy with the resolution. Throw $50+ of store credit in to apologise for the concern/confusion they've caused, or similar. Everyone makes mistakes. It's how you respond to it that makes the difference. Apple wants people to walk away from this thinking "They messed up, but they really went out of their way to make things right. I'll trust them with my future purchases."

billturner 16y ago
Everyone makes mistakes. It's how you respond to it that makes the difference. Exactly. I think Steve Jobs responding to a customer's email with "Don't hold it that way" was one of the worst responses ever to a growing PR problem.
- Tamerlin 16y ago
  I agree, but it's also in line with how he responds to other problems -- largely, Apple's approach has been vehement denial combined with heavy spin doctoring. It's also how Apple responded to the performance comparisons -- like commissioning a benchmarketing firm to run a mangled suite of SPEC tests that showed that even though Apple's G5 was FAR below expectation, Intel's horse was slower if you put heavy enough balls on its feet!

skalpelis 16y ago

Whatever they should do, they will announce tomorrow what they are going to do. Meanwhile, it's just a phone.

harshpotatoes 16y ago
A luxury phone people payed good money for. It's like if BMW was selling a car which could only make right turns (ok, not a perfect example, I be more pissed about the car, but bear with me). Obviously this car is defective, but BMW responds by saying, "It's ok, you can still make left turns, because three right turns is the same as a left turn. It's only a car." I think people might be a tad bit outraged, less so about the problem, more so about the response. "it's just a car? You've been telling me in all your advertisements that it is the pinnacle of german engineering. If I wanted to deal with problems in the design and live with them, I would have gone with your much cheaper competitors." However, we shall see what they say tomorrow.
- asmithmd1 16y ago
  Or like BMW selling a car with an extra hand operated lever and an extra foot pedal. And if you don't operate them correctly the car will barely move and maybe even stall... Apple could have handled this much better saying it is a high-performance, tuned antenna. If you choose to operate it correctly you get superior performance; or you can ignore it and get the same performance as any other hidden antenna.
  - nooneelse 16y ago
    Honesty and openness is sometimes very nice not just as an ideal, but because it gives you the chance to be the first to shape perspectives like that. And that, asmithmd1, is some very nice spinning of the issue you did there. Outright denial of something which is shown in several seemingly honest online videos was a bad move all around. It was socially equivalent to publicly calling some of their early adopting customers liars. Of course the public reacted badly to it and didn't let the matter drop.
- deleted 16y ago

jonknee 16y ago

Releasing a beautiful product that needs a plastic cover to function properly (without this being made known at launch) is no way to restore brand image. That's actually a great way to become a laughing stock and make the early adopters feel like chumps. I think that woud actually be worse than doing nothing--it admits fault. Apple has never hosted a press conference like this, I doubt it will be for something as simple as a free bumper.

redrobot5050 16y ago
Critics have always and easily posited that Apple makes shiny devices that are easily scratched up in your pocket or through day to day use. Critics have always pointed out the need for a case to "properly use" an Apple product...going as far back as the original 5GB Firewire only, Mac only iPod.
- gmac 16y ago
  I disagree. I've had my iPhone 3G for 2 years and always carried it in my pocket. I keep keys and coins (and anything else scratchy) in a different pocket. The phone is completely unscratched (apart from tiny and unimportant scratches on the plastic back from being placed on hard surfaces). Every iPhone case I've seen has looked ugly and clumsy to me. The 'bumpers' are better than most, but there's no way I'd be prepared to use one, even if it were free.
- ghshephard 16y ago
  Totally disagree with you here. As of (at least) the 3G (and 3GS), Apple has delivered very scratch resistant products. I totally abuse my iPhones, carry them in the same pocket as my keys and coins, and I've yet to put a visible scratch on them. I've got a tiny little chip on the side of my 3GS, but that was from dropping it onto a concrete sidewalk from a height of about three feet.
- theBobMcCormick 16y ago
  If I had an iPhone4, I'd get something like this: http://www.zagg.com/invisibleshield/apple-iphone-4-cases-screen-protectors-covers-skins-shields.php http://www.zagg.com/invisibleshield/apple-iphone-4-cases-scr... I don't know if it'd help the antenna issue, but they work great for protecting your devices from scratching without covering up their good looks. I've got a similar skin for my Nexus One and have been very pleased so far.

yardie 16y ago

Honestly, I don't think it would kill them to include a basic rubber case in the color of their choosing (probably black). It's not like Nintendo Wiis were less popular because they had to put that big rubber cushion on the hand controller. After people were breaking TVs and getting concussions. If anything it made the controller more attractive since adults could finally hold it.

jordanroher 16y ago
This situation is definitely most analogous to what happened with the Nintendo Wii Remotes going through TV screens (as opposed to Toyota's acceleration issue). - Both happened when products were used without cases or safety straps - Both are hard for experienced users to reproduce (well, it's easy to toss a Wii Remote, but I doubt any hardcore players lost a TV to it) - Both rely on anecdotal evidence (I own a Wii, as do my friends, and nobody has sent a Wii Remote sailing through anything) - Both are annoying but not a deal-breaker in the use of the product - Both can be alleviated by holding the product a different way - Both have hilarious class action lawsuits against the parent company - Most importantly, both were discovered shortly after the launch of a highly desirable product and nobody returned theirs because of this issue The last point is what annoys me the most. It's not reasonable to say "if this antenna is such a big deal, why isn't everyone returning their iPhone 4?" A problem doesn't have to be some titanic issue to need to be addressed. Nintendo did the right thing and packaged the Wii Remote with $0.50 of plastic, even without anyone beating down Gamestop's return desk. We shouldn't accept anything less from Apple.
- gmac 16y ago
  A free bumper is my least preferred resolution. It essentially says you can't have the phone you thought you were buying. Instead, you have to choose: faulty or ugly.
  - jordanroher 16y ago
    I agree, even though I think the bumpers are kind of stylish. But Apple's between a rock and a hard place. Either they lose millions now proving free bumpers/gift certificates to customers, or they lose millions later by ignoring the issue and suffering a huge hit to their reputation. Or worse, they attack Consumer Reports. I would love to see that fight. A for-profit company that lots of people love but not necessarily trust, versus a non-profit that lots of people trust but not necessarily love.