By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com
July 7, 2010
For Apple, the company earning superlatives from investors and consumers alike, it seems nothing can stop it. But even super companies hit a few bumps every once in a while.
For Apple, it's been a very bumpy road of late.
Riding a hot streak following its introduction of the tablet computer iPad earlier this year, Apple took the tech world by storm last month with the introduction of the iPhone 4, which includes video calling and an HD video camera.
But alas, no sooner had consumers started playing with their new toys than they started complaining about weak signals when they held them a certain way, which users quickly dubbed "the death grip."
"So far my phone has dropped nearly every phone call I receive or made," Angelo, of Huntington Beach, Calif., reported to ConsumerAffairs.com after trying out his new iPhone 4. "If I hold the phone with my hand the signal goes from full bars all the way down to 'no signal.'"
It turned out that a software glitch caused the iPhone to display more bars than it was actually receiving from AT&T;'s network. When you hold the phone a certain way, it accurately displays the signal. Apple says the drop-off in bars does not result in dropped calls, but for many consumers, perception is realaity.
Slow
Even those who didn't upgrade to the iPhone 4 experienced problems. Several users of the iPhone 3GS complained they were forced to upgrade to a new operating system that made their phones slow down.
"I have the iPhone 3G," George, of Chantilly, Va. told ConsumerAffairs.com. I downloaded the 4.0 software update and it is noticeably slower. All apps load and run slower, lots of hestitation and waiting for responses from apps. You have to wonder if Apple tests these updates or what? Apple is really starting to get a bad name for testing their products appropriately."
Robert, an iPhone user from Simi Valley, Calif., says its all just a little too coincidental.
"They conveniently launch new update software whenever there is a newer product," he told ConsumerAffairs.com. "What they don't tell you is that this update software will completely render your device unusable, or slow it down to the point that you are forced to purchase their new product. This is done intentionally."
Apple, meanwhile, found itself dealing with another speed issue this week. AT&T;, the only U.S. network for the iPhone, has revealed that a software defect in its network, has severely limited the speed of iPhone uploads in some parts of the country.
Dial-up speed
The slowdown was first reported Tuesday by technology bloggers, who tracked some uploads at below dial-up speed. Apparently there is a glitch in Alcatel-Lucent's base station software. AT&T; says only two percent of subscribers are affected. But those two percent are not happy.
Finally, Apple's iTunes online store has a problem with a rogue app developer. The company said it is implementing new security measures after some iTunes customers reported unauthorized charges on their credit cards.
Apple said the developer was able to breach security on about 400 accounts, charging customers for things they didn't buy. Apple said the company servers were not compromised, but that it has implemented an extra layer of security to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
