As the iPhone’s antenna issues brew, resulting in a lot of users complaining about poor reception and transmission, Apple held a press conference where it laid the blame on its primary competitors for constructing phones with bad signal pickup. It’s quite a brash move from a respectable company that led to a media war with RIM, HTC and Samsung. The saga continues, so to speak.
The Apple Attack
During the press conference, Apple – instead of admitting the iPhone’s shortcomings – presented the alleged weaknesses of rival mobile phones. They claimed that the Blackberry Bold 9700, HTC Droid Eris and the Samsung Omnia all had difficulty picking up and sustaining a decent phone signal, unlike the iPhone. When asked about the antenna problem, Apple’s reply was their product is not perfect. Such a display warrants criticism from its competitors, and it sure did.
The Retaliation
RIM, manufacturer of the highly-touted Blackberry, responded by saying that Apple is merely twisting the public’s perception of antenna signals and how they are picked up by mobile phones. According to them, the press conference is a ploy to swing the people’s attention away from the iPhone’s flaws.
HTC may not have a prepared response for Apple’s press conference at this time, but they claimed that very few users complained about the Droid’s reception.
Nokia, even though they weren’t attacked by Apple, commented on the issue. They clarified some of the factors affecting the reception, and explained why their phones don’t suffer signal-related issues.
With Apple’s rather abrasive take on the subject, the “Antennagate Scandal” looks to continue. iPhone 4 owners, however, wish that the company focuses more on the solution, not mudslinging and media distractions.