If no, isn't Apple guilty of releasing a product with an inherent design flaw? Except this is entirely the wrong question to ask. More appropriate from an engi

If no, isn't Apple guilty of releasing a product with an inherent design flaw? Except this is entirely the wrong question to ask. More appropriate from an engineering perspective would be: is this an acceptable trade-off? Is there an attenuation issue? Yes. Does it appear, from independent testing, that the iPhone 4's antenna is nonetheless much more sensitive than previous models and much better at holding onto calls with low signal? Yes. These are the two sides of the trade-off, and the only useful question we can ask is whether this trade-off is acceptable. Because, ultimately, engineering is all about trade-offs. You give up this, you get that, and you aim to make the best trades you can.