July 14, 2010: Trouble with Apple iPhone 4

THANKS TO THE iPOD AND
THE iPHONE, APPLE IS
WORLD'S UNDISPUTED LEADER
IN MUST HAVE GADGETS.
BUT FRUSTRATIONS WITH THE
BRAND NEW iPHONE 4 IS
CHALLENGING APPLE'S
REPUTATION AS A COMPANY
THAT CAN DO NO WRONG.
CONSUMER REPORTS IS NOT
RECOMMENDING THE LATEST
iPHONE WHICH DEBUTED IN
JUNE.
WHEN YOU TOUCH A CERTAIN
SPOT ON THE PHONE'S
LEFT-HAND SIDE, IT WEAKENS
THE SIGNAL AND CAUSES
DROPS CALLS.
IN THE MEANTIME, CONSUMER
REPORTS HAS A LOW TECH
FIX.

>> BY USING NON CONDUCTIVE
TAPE, LIKE DUCT TAPE, AND
COVERING THE GAP ON THE
SIDE OF THE iPHONE, WE
WERE ABLE TO REDUCE THE
RECEPTION PROBLEMS.

>> Rooney: SINCE THE
IPHONE'S ELEGANCE IS PART
OF THE APPEAL, THE DUCT
TAPE SOLUTION MAY NOT BE
EVERYONE'S BAG.
VIDEO PRODUCER LIKE STEVE
GARFIELD ARE UNDETERRED.

>> I ORDERED IN FOR AN
IPHONE 4, AND AS I
ORDERED IT, I SAW ON THE
NEWS ALL THE PROBLEMS, AND
BASICALLY THE PROBLEMS CAN
BE SOLVED.

>> Rooney: INSTEAD OF
DUCT TAPE, HE SUGGESTS
USING EAR BUFFERS, AND HE
ADDS THAT THE iPHONE
STRIKES LIKE SHOOTING HIGH
DEFINITION VIDEO, ARE TOO
GOOD TO PASS UP.

>> I THINK IT IS CRAZY FOR
CONSUMER REPORTS TO
DISCOUNT ALL OF THE GREAT
THINGS OF THE iPHONE 4
BECAUSE OF THIS ONE SMALL
ISSUE.

>> Rooney: IT IS SAFE TO
SAY HE IS NOT ALONE.
WITH ME NOW, "THE BOSTON
GLOBE"'S TECHNOLOGY
REPORTER HIAWATHA BRAY,
AND JEFF WILD.
WELCOME TO BOTH OF YOU.
BUT THIS THING HAS A
FUNDAMENTAL FLAW.
I LIKE GADGETS, BUT IF YOU
HOLD THE PHONE THE WAY
MOST OF US DO -- STEVEN
JOBS HAS THE NERVE TO SAY
YOU'RE NOT HOLDING IT
RIGHT.

>> I AGREE.
I DON'T SEE HOW YOU DON'T
DO SOMETHING.
I THINK THEIR EARLY
REACTION TO THIS IS
MYSTERYFYINGLY CLUELESS.
WHEN YOU'RE A MAJOR
CONSUMER PRODUCTS COMPANY,
AND YOU'RE FACED WITH
SOMETHING LIKE THAT,
YOU'VE GOT TO DO
SOMETHING.
THERE IS AN ARGUMENT
WHETHER YOU RECALL THE
PHONE OR SEND OUT THE
RUBBERIZED BUMPERS, BUT
THEY'VE GOT TO DO
SOMETHING.

>> Rooney: ADMITTING
THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW --
OR THEY'RE NOT QUITE
THERE?

>> THEY HAVE.
WHAT THEY'VE SAID
ERRONEOUSLY IT IS CAUSED
BY A SOFTER BUG THAT
MISREPRESENTS HOW MANY
BARS YOU HAVE.

>> IT IS NOT THAT YOU'RE
LOSING SIGNAL, BUT THE
PHONE IS INCORRECTLY
TELLING YOU YOU'RE LOSING
SIGNAL, AND ACTUALLY
EVERYTHING IS FINE.

>> ON THE ONLINE FORM
WHERE COSTUMERS CAN SAY
WHAT THEY THINK, THEY'VE
DELETED LOTS OF MESSAGES
WHERE PEOPLE ARE SAYING
CRITICAL THINGS.

>> Rooney: AND WET THESE
ARE FLYING OFF THE SHELVES
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE BUYING
THEM.
THEY WANT THEM.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> Rooney: WHY?

>> PERSONALLY THE MOST
IMPRESSIVE FEATURE ABOUT
THE iPHONE 4 IS THE
TELECONFERENCING.
IT IS CALLED FACE TIME,
AND IF YOU NOTICE, ALL OF
THE TV COMMERCIALS FOR
THIS PHONE ARE BASED ON
COMMERCIALS.
ALL THEY DO IS TELL YOU
HOW COOL IT IS TO LOOK AT
THE PHONE AND SEE THE
PERSON YOU'RE TALKING TO,
AND THEY CAN SEE YOU.

>> Rooney: CAN YOU DO
MORE THAN ONE PERSON AT A
TIME?

>> I BELIEVE YOU CAN.
I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT.
I'VE TRIED IT WITH ONE AND
ONE, AND IT WORKS
AMAZINGLY WELL.
AND NOBODY ELSE HAS BEEN
ABLE TO COME CLOSE TO
DOING TELECONFERENCING
NEARLY AS WELL.

>> AS AN iPHONE 3 OWNER,
I SUFFER, AS MANY DO, FROM
DROPPED CALLS.
AND WHETHER WE BLAME APPLE
OR AT&T, THERE ARE DROPPED
CALLS.
I WOULD RATHER SIMPLY PUT
A BUFFER ON IT.

>> Rooney: A REPORT CAME
OUT SAYING THEY HAVE BEEN
MISREPRESENTING HOW STRONG
THIS SIGNAL WAS.
THAT IS A SEPARATE ISSUE,
THOUGH, CORRECT?

>> IT IS.
I THINK APPLE WOULD LIKE
TO SEE THAT LUMPED
TOGETHER, BUT IT IS A
SEPARATE ISSUE.

>> IT IS ALMOST LIKE
THEY'RE LAYING IT OFF ON
AT&T --

>> Rooney: I MEAN, I
CAN'T USE MY PHONE IN MY
CONDO.

>> WELL, AT&T, AS YOU
KNOW, HAS ACTUALLY GOTTEN
CONSIDERABLE PRAISE.
WE BROAT ABOUT THIS IN --
WE WROTE ABOUT THIS IN THE
GLOBE.
THEY HAD PEOPLE SPANNING
OUT ALL OVER THE U.S. TO
TEST THE 3G, AND THEY
CONSISTENTLY FOUND IN MOST
PLACES AT&T WAS THE BEST.
SO ACTUALLY THE PROBLEM,
IN PART, IS THAT CERTAIN
CITIES, PARTICULARLY --
NOT LOS ANGELES -- EXCUSE
ME, SAN FRANCISCO AND NEW
YORK ARE NOTORIOUSLY BAD.
AND THEY HAPPEN TO BE BIG
MEDIA CENTERS, SO THERE IS
HUGE PUBLICITY ABOUT THIS.

>> Rooney: THERE IS THE
iPOD, THE iPHONE, THE
iPAD, AND STEVEN JOBS HAS
BEEN CONSUMER FRIENDLY FOR
THE MOST PART.
HE KNOWS HOW TO ROLL
THINGS OUT, AND HE IS
GEEKY ENOUGH AND HE
DOESN'T HAVE THAT YOU'RE
STUPIDER THAN I AM, AND SO
TO PUT THIS BACK ON THE
CONSUMER, I'M SURPRISED.
AREN'T YOU?

>> I THINK BECAUSE OF HIS
SUCCESS HE'S HAD A BIT OF
A TIN EAR.
OUTSIDE OF PUTTING ON
FIREWORKS AND A GREAT SHOW
ONCE A YEAR, I'M NOT
SURE -- HE'S CERTAINLY NOT
ALWAYS MEDIA SAVVY.
HE HAS A REASON TO HAVE A
TIN EAR.
HERE IS A MAN WHO HAS
TAKEN A COMPANY ON THE
VERGE OF DEATH AND TURNED
IT INTO THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL CONSUMER
ELECTRONICS COMPANY IN THE
WORLD.
AND HE DID IT ALMOST
ENTIRELY BY IGNORING WHAT
PEOPLE LIKE ME HAVE SAID.
TIME AND AGAIN APPLE HAS
BROUGHT OUT PRODUCTS, AND SAID
THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK,
AND HE SAYS, YES, IT IS.
AND HE HAS ALMOST ALWAYS
BEEN RIGHT.
I DON'T THINK IT IS GOING
TO WORK THIS TIME.

>> I BELIEVE THE FACT THAT
MAIN STREET KEEPS COMING
AND BUYING THESE PHONES IS
THE ULTIMATE TESTAMENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE
APPLE -- I AGREE WITH
THEM, COME OUT AND OFFER
THE BUFFER.

>> Rooney: HERE IS THE
OTHER CRITICAL QUESTION:
HAVE THEY ALREADY STARTED
TO CORRECT THIS DESIGN
FLAW?
I DON'T EVEN USE A COVER
ON MY PHONE.
ARE THEY GOING TO CORRECT
IT NOW?

>> THEY HAVE TO REDESIGN
THE PHONE AND GO TO THEIR
MANUFACTURER AND GET THE
REDESIGN --

>> Rooney: I'M ASKING
YOU IF THEY'RE DOING THAT?

>> THEY'VE GOT TO BE.

>> I WOULD SAY THERE ARE
ONES GOING TO STORES
ALREADY.

>> Rooney: HOW MANY HAVE
THEY SOLD SO FAR?

>> THE LAST I HEARD, A
COUPLE OF MILLION.
IT IS BOUND TO BE GOING UP
STEADILY.
HERE IS THE OTHER
IMPORTANT THING THAT WE'VE
GOT TO REMEMBER HERE, WHEN
THE iPHONE MADE ITS
DEBUT, THERE WAS NOTHING
ELSE LIKE IT.
FORGET THAT.
ANDROID IS HERE, AND THE
ANDROID PHONES ARE SELLING
LIKE WILDFIRE.

>> Rooney: AND WHO MAKES
THEM?

>> NO ONE COMPANY MAKES
THAT.
ANDROID IS THE OPERATING
SYSTEM DEVELOPED BY
GOOGLE.
AND ANY COMPANY THAT MAKES
PHONES --

>> Rooney: THAT'S NOT A
BAD IDEA.

>> AND LATER THIS WEEK,
VERIZON WILL BEGIN OFFING
THE DROID "X," AND IT'S A
MARVELOUS PHONE.
IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT
BUYING AN iPHONE, YOU
DON'T HAVE TO SAY I HAVE
TO WAIT FOR THE iPHONE.
THERE IS NOTHING ELSE AS
GOOD -- OH, YES, THERE IS.

>> Rooney: ARE YOU AN
iPAD USER?

>> iPAD?
NO.

>> I HAVE ONE.
IT IS MAGNIFICENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
DRIVES ME CRAZY IS THE
LACK OF A CAMERA ON THE
iPAD.

>> Rooney: AND THE LACK
OF A PHONE.

>> I DON'T MIND THE LACK
OF THE PHONE.
BUT THE LACK OF THE CAMERA
SO YOU CAN DO FACE TIME ON
THE iPAD.
AND YOU BET THE NEXT
IPAD IS GOING TO HAVE
THAT CAMERA IN THERE AND
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DO FACE
TIME AND IT WILL BE
FANTASTIC.

>> Rooney: WE'LL
CONTINUE.
IT WAS A PLEASURE.
THAT IS IT FOR "GREATER
BOSTON." TOMORROW NIGHT,
DESTROYED BY FIRE.
THE OWNER OF A BEACON HILL
LANDMARK VOWS TO REBUILD.
AND JARED BOWEN PREVIEWS
THE BIG LITTLE SHOW.
THAT'S TOMORROW NIGHT AT
7:00.
I'M EMILY ROONEY.
GOOD NIGHT.