Need Free iPhone 4 Case? There's an App for That

So I don't have the slightest clue on how some factory Apple contracted with can't pump out hundreds and thousands of these little plastic cases in a single day.

BUT, assuming there is some legit reason why Apple can't produce enough, I think it was rather smart of them to turn to other vendors for help.

Having said that, almost positive most people will be waiting forever anyway, as they will select the "Apple Bumper" for the sole purpose that it has the word "Apple" in it.

So they have to use their defective phone for another two months. Ouch.

They need an App to tell them 'You are holding it wrong', not a new case!

Yeah. Like White iPhone, Apple is having problems with manufacturing these high technology gadgets too.

I predict the next Iphone 4 problem to be the white phones being an off-white color.

Steve Jobs: "They are white, you just aren't looking at it right!"

and

Steve Jobs: "Problem? What problem? Other phone companies phones aren't perfectly white either!"

The iPhone 4G-Ultra will be out before the bumpers get to the customers. Why should they care?

wth? why can't you just walk into a store, they scan your phone and they give you your rubber band?

Get some Taiwanese manager to these factories stat. Workers will soon be working 80 hours a week making cases.

Too bad Apple is paying living wages and abides by human right standard.

I have a case already and is better than the ones that Apple offers but mine is shipping at the end of September!

To download the iPhone app, and then use it, do you actually need a good signal to your phone?

Hope these poor iPhone 4 owners have an iMac or iBook to get on the internet with!! Poor folks!

Use WiFi!

they finally admit there is a flaw. they give everyone free cases. yet the hateful people on this site bash apple. ugh. wow. yah trolls!

Or they can use Wifi, or they can use a Windows machine.

I'm not even taking a free case, I like the size of it as is. Invisible shield came up with a film that goes around the metal band. So you get protection and no antenna issue. Even though I wasn't having issues it still stuck in my head when I used it, now I don't even think about it. And it's also only $9.99.

Sooo you will now have a defective phone with a condom on it. Just what I want. Doesn't change the fact they aren't fixing anything. I'm waiting for when they do actually fix the issue...everyone will be smashing their defective ones for a new one. I would...

The worst part is that Apple will probably recall the phone by then and tell everyone who ordered a bumper that their not eligible for the recall.

The phone's not defective.... the press is. This isn't a big deal. Anyone who thinks it is (A) doesn't have an iPhone or (B) hates Apple already.

Anandtech is the only site with an intelligent review on the phone. And these are hardcore PC guys: their verdict? It's better than any other smartphone on the market. The signal attenuates like any other phone - but a bit more. On the flipside, it holds a signal better than any other phone.

And no, calls do not drop if you just "touch" the spot. Maybe if you have a negative -121db signal, yes. But your Droid X won't even make a call at -121db. I can hold the phone in a death grip all day and not lose signal.

I don't want to say this is a NON-issue... but it is a silly issue. Apple isn't give away bumpers to fix the phone, it's to fix the ridiculous press.

If it wasn't for the press you would paying $30 for a rubber band after you already spent hundreds of dollars on a factory defective phone. Or is that what they call "features" over in apple la-la land now...

That's because some of us are smart enough to know that crApple caters almost exclusively to hipster losers, many of them similar to you I would imagine. crApple could be exposed sacrificing babies, and you would still defend them.

Anandtech even stated that it loses about 19db from holding it normally, which is about 2x as much as other phones. So if you have anywhere below about -94db and you will likely lose the call assuming as Anandtech did, -113 is the worst possible signal strength you can maintain a call with.

So just because you can hold your phone all day and not lose the signal, doesn't mean other people with a weaker signal won't lose their calls. There are plenty of areas and scenarios that would cause your signal to drop below -94db and lose the call just from holding it. You probably won't lose your signal in a city, but rural areas with fewer towers that are farther apart are likely to have the most issues.

It's great that it holds calls better than other phones when not being held and all that, but this problem pretty much eliminates that advantage.

Stupid Apple.

Those babies would have turned out to be criminals, so go home Apple hater! (just kidding)

Ummm.... so wrong. Anandtech never said iPhone 4 has the best signal. Also, the issue of dropped calls are mainly a problem when the user only has 1 bar/low signal to begin with. If you have 4 bars/good signal strength, and holding the phone in the "death" grip WILL NOT cause your call to drop.

Doubtful, by the time you have a Windows machine configured to use Internet, it's already picked up 14 viruses, 3 worms, and 2 spy-ware apps. Windows? Uhhh... no thanks.

Steve never admited to a design flaw. They just offered a "patch". Their first step was blaming the consumer. That alone sends a horrible vibe down my spine. Second was to blame software, yet OSX is always perfect. Third step was to ignore the problem. Finally step four, hold a meeting bashing other phones to try to throw the spot light off and patch the problem instead of actually fixing it permenently.

If you can support a company that does all that then go for it. I for one have a hatred for Apple just because Steve Jobs basically called his consumers idiots.

i bet they spent three weeks creating the App but not the case.

I already bought a Speck HD from ebay for $27 and because I bought it on ebay and not apple store or att, it looks like they won't reimburse me.

When i loaded the app, guess what case it had?! The same speck HD i bought for $27!!! And I doubt I can sell the one apple is sending me for anything if people are getting free cases.

From a report site:
============================
When Consumer Reports first looked at the iPhone 4, it said “some reviewers have reported problems with reduced reception when the iPhone 4 is being held in the left hand. So far, we’ve been unable to replicate the problems.”

Unable to replicate the problems. Unable to replicate the problems. Unable to replicate the problems. Get it?
============================


So..... I agree with where the media is taking us now. Antennagate is the lamest scandal ever. A non-scandal.

Sorry apple bashers.... You guys loose yet again. Must burn :-).
But you guys live for that and get plenty off it...

"the ipad will fail, who would buy a big touch?" - ha ha ha

Someone should create an app to teach iPhone 4 users how to "hold it correctly."

Thanks for the article as I was wondering how to get one. I actually already have a clear Belkin case which works very well. Yet, I submitted for an Apple rubber bumper, simply because it's different (not because it's Apple). They say 3 - 5 weeks delivery.

Btw., I could see that Apple was caught flat footed with the bumper "demand". It sure is a simple part by molding standards, BUT if you planned capacity for a 10% take-up rate (since most users probably will get a case case right in the store and not order from Apple.com). Suddenly the design issue brings this close to 100% and you find yourself having to build new (additional) tooling. In my job we purchase molds all the time and the turn-around is between 4 weeks and 14 weeks, add debugging and qualification and you can easily see why Apple may not be able to respond as swiftly.

Ragnar-Kon :"So I don't have the slightest clue on how some factory Apple contracted with can't pump out hundreds and thousands of these little plastic cases in a single day.

BUT, assuming there is some legit reason why Apple can't produce enough, I think it was rather smart of them to turn to other vendors for help."

ya apples vendor , FOXCONN, has a LIIIIITTTLLLLE problem with slave like labor practices, and it's kind of hard to make good products quickly when your employees on the production line are part lemming.