iPhone 4's 'Call-Making App' Suffers from Design Flaw

24th July 2010

Apple's latest flagship product, the highly anticipated iPhone 4, has suffered from a serious design flaw often making it unable to make calls while holding the handset. The problem, believed to be caused when the user's hand connects the two external antennas means that the phone gets limited or signal. The result of this renders the phone unable to make calls.

While Apple have yet to release an official statement regarding the fault they have released an official bumper case to prevent users making contact with the antennas. This is the first in a serious of rumoured product lines, including the highly anticipated iGlove – which many predict will be the next fashion hit.

Many users feel aggrieved that after shelling out for the most expensive smart phone Apple have ever produced that they should have to pay even more money towards an accessory to get it to function correctly. In an effort to appease unhappy owners, Keith Wilson, chief cleric of the Apple League of Followers has listed a number of conditions in which the iPhone 4 can be used properly without the need for further hardware:

"The most obvious is via the speaker phone option, as this enables you to place the phone on the desk and communicate without having to touch it. Of course, if you wish to have a private conversation you can leave the phone on the desk, turn off speaker phone and bend so your head is just above the phone. So long as your ear does not accidentally touch the antennas that should work without a problem.

"Some users have reported a problem with their necks tiring using this method however I have been using this method all day and have had no problems whatsoever. Maybe it is all the training I have from bending over whenever Steve Jobs announces another yet new product. After iPad I believe there are no limits to my flexibility."

The problem itself is seen as somewhat ironic given that the fundamental design responsible for the problem was the very design feature that Steve Jobs boasted about during the unveiling of the product in his keynote speech in early June:

"Steve Jobs stood up on stage and said 'external antennas... no one has ever done that before'" Chuck Hankman, a phone engineer from a rival manufacturer commented, "Well Steve, no one has ever put a C4 powered battery in a cell phone before... or a razer blade ear piece. Why don't you try implementing those features too."

Despite the many attempts to reassure users that the inability of the new iPhone to make calls in certain conditions, they are a large number of users complaining that this problem should have been picked up during the product testing. However, the analysts for many tech news websites are unsurprised because as one pointed out 'How many times do people actually use their iPhone to make phone calls?'