Apple offers free iPhone 4 case solution

Free cases for all

In an attempt to quell the criticism levelled at Apple over their iPhone 4, which has received bad press due to its antenna problem, the tech-giant on Friday said they would be offering a free rubber case to every iPhone 4 owner in order to temporarily fix the problem.

At a press conference, Apple founder Steve Jobs said the case would solve the problem of the phone signal disappearing if held in a certain way.

To get your iPhone case, Jobs said that owners will be able to apply via the Apple website from 22 July. Mr Jobs said Apple could not make enough for all owners of the phone but would source a supply and offer a range of cases. If customers have already bought a case, they can get a free refund.

Apple will offer the cases until 30 September, when they will re-asses the situation. Offering free cases could cost the company as much as $180 million.

"Blown out of proportion"

Speaking to those present at the press conference, Steve Jobs said the iPhone 4's signal problem was not unique to the iPhone and that the situation had been "blown so out of proportion, it's incredible".

He showed videos off the same problem occurring in other smartphones such as the Blackberry Bold 9700 and said that the design of having the phone's antenna in the rim of the unit was a challenge for the whole industry.

In the case of the iPhone 4, Jobs said the design of the phone that sees a gap separating two sections of the antenna, may have contributed to the problem of the phone as it could have "subliminally" encouraged people to touch that spot.

However, in defence of the company, which has been described as losing its sheen in the past few weeks, Jobs cited figures from its Apple Care service arm that showed only 0.55 percent of all iPhone 4 users have complained to the company about the issue.

"Historically for us, this is not a large number. This doesn't jive with what you read about this problem."

Jobs also added that compared to the iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 4 only drops one more call per hundred that its predecessor. He speculated that this was because most 3GS owners have a case for their phone.

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