It can’t be more ironic: Today, in order to distribute free bumpers which fix the iPhone 4‘s antenna attenuation problem, Apple has released an iPhone application … that you have to download. Using, we assume, your obviously powerful and reliable iPhone connection.
Also, you’ve got to hurry: The bumpers are in limited supply and are expected to run out quickly. Apple has also noted that customers who purchased an iPhone before July 23 must apply for a free case by August 22. Others will need to apply for the bumper “within 30 days of your iPhone 4 purchase.” The entire program ends on September 30, because this “free stuff” notion is just getting ridiculous.
It’s a clever ploy by Apple to reel in more potential iPhone buyers: Get your iPhone (and free bumper) now and solve this antenna issue for free, or risk purchasing a potentially still-faulty version of the iPhone and the bumper later.
Customers, upon accessing the application, can log on via iTunes username and password, and then be walked through the process of selecting a bumper or case.
For customers who have already purchased an Apple-made bumper, Apple writes on their website that they will provide “a full refund for your previously purchased iPhone 4 Bumper, including any taxes and shipping fees,” though a method for in-store purchase refunds has yet to crop up.
According to PC World, though an Apple bumper originally sold for $29, it is estimated that each case actually costs Apple around $1 to produce. Still, the company estimates that this free bumper program will set them back by about $175 million.
Meanwhile, Apple has released the following statement regarding the iPhone’s anticipated white models:
White models of Apple’s new iPhone 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year.
Now that’s just absurd. What, it’s really challenging to dip it in white paint? Most likely, Apple is trying to buy time as it scrambles to find an elegant way to solve the antenna problem. Smartphones can be dumb sometimes.
(image via Ars Technica)
