SAN FRANCISCO – After a quote from Steve Jobs, and a statement from Apple attempted to gloss over the antenna reception issue plaguing the iPhone 4 launch as a “non-issue”, it seems that Apple may actually be treating it as a real issue–at least internally. There are reports that an update to the iOS 4 firmware could come as early as next week to address the problem.

Rumors are circulating that an IOS update was confirmed in the Apple tech support forums–but all traces of it are gone now. According to a post on AppleInsider “Readers report that Apple’s tech support forums originally confirmed that a iOS 4.0.1 software fix addressing the issue would ship early next week (as early as Monday), before the comments were subsequently taken down along with all the other related discussion about the matter.”

I have an iPhone 4. Pre-ordered it before the onslaught of pre-orders crippled the system. Ordered it early enough that I was one of the lucky few who received it on Wednesday–a day before the official launch.

I took it out of the box, and activated it. I synced it up with my iTunes to get all of my apps and music installed. All the while, it had a full five bars of 3G signal. It was a beautiful thing.

Then, a call came in. I picked up the phone and said “hello”….then nothing. Apparently, I missed the memo that if you hold the iPhone 4 the way you would hold any other smartphone–including the iPhone 3GS I just deactivated–it actually becomes an iPod Touch. Maybe that’s a feature rather than a bug from Apple’s perspective, but they should at least include a little memo when you open the box explaining the precise manner you must hold the iPhone 4 in order for it to function as a phone.

After reading reports identifying the issue, I was able to recreate the attenuation problem myself. Holding iPhone 4 gripped in my palm–no signal. Holding iPhone 4 daintily between fingers, avoiding the lower-left corner of the metal casing–five bars of signal.

What I also noticed, though, is the lag. It takes about ten seconds for the signal to completely disappear when I touch the lower-left corner of the case, and another ten seconds for the five bars of signal to return and establish contact with the 3G network once I stop touching the lower-left corner.

Based on that observation, the rumors of the iOS 4 fix actually make sense to me. The AppleInsider post explains that “The fix is expected to address a [sic] issue in iOS 4 related to radio frequency calibration of the baseband. Readers who saw the original forum discussions say that the issue is believed to occur when switching frequencies; because the lag is allegedly not calibrated correctly, it results in the device reporting “no service” rather than switching to the frequency with the best signal to noise ratio.”

Yes, it is true from a technical perspective that the mechanics of antenna signal reception will be impacted any time the device comes into contact with human flesh–or many other things for that matter. The length of the antenna is a factor in receiving on a given frequency, and coming into contact with another conductive material can significantly alter the functional length of the antenna.

However, Apple can’t simply call it a “non-issue” and ignore the fact that every other device out there–including their own previous iPhone models–have managed to compensate and overcome this physical hurdle without providing users with instructions to hold the device differently.

Apple sold an estimated 1.5 million iPhone 4s on launch day. Four days later, that number might be north of two million at this point. Apple has an obligation to address the issue and resolve the problem rather than trying to convince two million customers that the problem is their fault.

The Android-based HTC EVO 4G experienced a number of launch-day issues as well–but at least it could make and receive phone calls. More importantly, Sprint and HTC acted quickly to acknowledge and address the issues rather than issuing statements and platitudes in an attempt to brush the issue aside.
Hopefully the Apple tech support forums thread–which no longer exists–is correct, and Apple is hard at work on the firmware update that will solve the problem for real and at least make reception on the iPhone 4 only as dysfunctional as it is on every other comparable smartphone when held the normal way. I guess we’ll find out this week.

SAN FRANCISCO – Now that Apple has successfully launched this year’s iPhone, what can we expect next from Cupertino? Here are five strong candidates:

1) Apple TV, take two: Apple’s set-top box has never garnered much respect from reviewers, consumers, or even the company itself. Steve Jobs famously (or infamously) referred to the device as a “hobby” back in 2007 at the Wall Street Journal’s All Things Digital conference. Living room entertainment has changed dramatically since then–video streaming, in particular, has gone mainstream with the burgeoning popularity of Netflix and other online movie sites–and rumor has it that Apple TV will soon undergo a similar transformation. Engadget recently reported that an upcoming Apple TV box will feature 1080p HD video, cloud storage (rather than the hard drive found in today’s model) for movies, TV shows, and music, and cost as little as $99. The device had better impress because competition in this space is intense. In addition to Internet-ready TVs and Blu-ray players, set-top boxes from Roku, and upcoming devices like the Boxee Box, the next Apple TV will have plenty of challengers. Oh, and a little company called Google has something in the works too.

2) iPod fall classic: It happens every September. Apple refreshes its iPod lineup at a music-oriented shindig in San Francisco. At last year’s event, Apple introduced the video camera-equipped iPod nano, and announced a few minor upgrades and price changes to the rest of the iPod family. While the era of the standalone digital music player (excluding the iPod touch) is drawing to a close, there’s still some life left in the genre. This year’s happening could bring a Web-based iTunes service borne from the Lala online music streaming service, which Apple bought in late 2009 and shuttered last month. Long-suffering Windows users, forced to use the bloated and slow iTunes desktop client, would certainly rejoice.

3) iPod touch meets iPhone 4: Or Apple might dote on the iPod touch and pretty much ignore the rest of the iPods. Since the multi-talented touch is really an iPhone without the phone (or camera), it’s likely the next-gen model will adopt the iPhone 4′s slimmer shell and some of its capabilities. How about an iPod touch with a front-facing camera for FaceTime video chat? Considering the touch’s popularity with kids, and the fact that it already has Wi-Fi (required by FaceTime), video chatting is a natural. As for the iPhone 4′s rear-facing camera, no, the touch won’t get it. Apple needs some product differentiation, after all.

4) MacBook upgrade: Too boring? Perhaps, but Macs still sell like hotcakes, even though Apple is obviously more focused on its mobile devices these days. The entry-level MacBook did get a minor upgrade recently, as did the pricier MacBook Pros. But what about the ultra-thin MacBook Air? Apple’s once-hip-but-now-forgotten laptop is ripe for an upgrade, although some critics believe the Air’s time has passed.

5) iPad 2: OK, the iPad is still new by Apple standards, which is fond of annual (or even longer) upgrade cycles. Still, Apple’s tablet is crying out for a front-facing camera, particularly since the shiny new iPhone 4 has one. Tablets and video chat are made for each other, and the camera-less iPad is strangely ill-equipped in this area. Plus, competing tablets will almost certainly include a Webcam. It’s unlikely a new iPad will debut by the end of the year, however. January 2011 is a safe bet though.

SAN FRANCISCO – If early reports of iPhone 4 problems are any indication of what’s ahead the thousands of giddy Apple faithful, waiting in line for an iPhone, there could be trouble ahead. Some early iPhone 4 owners are reporting a few minor problems you should be aware of.
Here’s a guide to what to expect and what to watch out.

Yellow iPhone

Once you’ve unboxed your iPhone 4 today you might want to check your device’s display for discoloration. Some iPhone 4 owners who received their devices a day or two earlier than expected have complained of yellow discoloration on the iPhone 4′s new 960×640 retina display .
FedEx Freakout

Some prospective iPhone owners had a mild freakout on Wednesday evening after FedEx’s package tracking system crashed. It’s unclear whether or not iPhone 4 fans crashed the system by obsessively tracking the route of their beloved new smartphones. No doubt the fact that there were so many problems with iPhone 4 pre-orders added to the overall anxiety of anxious Apple customers.

Never fear, however, FedEx says “package deliveries are proceeding as normal.” So there’s no reason to expect delays today.

Fourth time’s not so charming

The new iPhone 4 has several new features that are supposed to help guard it against everyday wear and tear most cell phones experience. Apple’s latest device features aluminosilcate glass on the back and front that is thirty times stronger and twenty times stiffer than regular plastic. The new device also features a steel band made from Apple’s own special alloy that has been forged to be five times stronger than regular steel. Apple says this steel band gives the iPhone 4 “impressive structural rigidity.”

So how does these new durability features hold up under torture? Engadget did their best to scratch the glass, and eventually succeeded. The gadget blog didn’t detail how they scratched the device or how long it took them, but Engadget did say that you can see “incredibly minor ” scratches if you place the iPhone 4 under bright light and hold it at the right angle. Wow, sounds like a deal breaker to me.
Repair services provider iFixYouri tested out the steel band’s durability by dropping a fully-functioning iPhone 4 directly onto concrete. In iFixYouri’s tests the iPhone 4 shut down completely after the second direct drop, but the screen didn’t crack until the fourth drop. By comparison, during PCWorld’s stress test of the iPhone 3G , Apple’s second generation smartphone had a few screen cracks after the first drop. But the iPhone survived a total of five drops before the screen was significantly damaged and shut down completely.

If you’ve got an iPhone 4 you’ll want to make sure you get a protective case for the device, because if you do crack that screen you’ll have to replace the outer glass, digitizer, and LCD panel, according to iFixit’s recent iPhone 4 teardown .
iFixYouri’s iPhone 4 Drop Test :

Embedded antennas, not so genius after all?

During iFixit’s teardown of the iPhone 4 earlier this week, the gadget repair site described the iPhone 4′s four antennas embedded into the structural steel band as a “work of genius .” However, some users in the Macrumors forums have posted videos and complaints that when you hold the iPhone 4 by the steel band, your reception bars start to decrease down to zero.

Some are claiming this has caused dropped calls, while others say nothing happens. This problem may also be related to a software bug The Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg discussed in his review of the iPhone 4 .

Macrumors , however, thinks this might be an ongoing issue with the iPhone in general, and not specific to the iPhone 4. To make its point, the blog found a video showing the same problem with an iPhone 3G .

SAN FRANCISCO – Microsoft is coming fashionably late to the next-generation smartphone party. New cutting edge Android devices seem to come out monthly, and Apple just unveiled its big iPhone overhaul for 2010, but with Windows Phone 7 looming on the horizon, businesses may have reason to delay any decision until they can directly compare the benefits and drawbacks of all three platforms.

Businesses should wait to evaluate Windows Phone 7 before selecting a smartphone platform.The headlines have been dominated by smartphones like the HTC Incredible, HTC EVO 4G, and this week’s launch of the next-generation iPhone 4. It seems as if iPhone and Android are the only two smartphone platforms, but the reality is they aren’t even the top smartphone platforms.

In fact, RIM is still the number one smartphone platform with more market share than second place Apple and third place Microsoft combined. Android, while it has been gaining significantly since its launch, is still the fourth place smartphone platform with only 60 percent as much market share as Microsoft.

The primary reason that hugely popular platforms like iPhone and Android aren’t already dominating is the business market. The iPhone led a revolution that has blurred the line between consumer gadget and business tool, but RIM has established itself as synonymous with mobile business communications and Apple and Google don’t provide infrastructure integration or management tools comparable to those available with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES).

It is a testament to the continued divide between consumer and business that Microsoft still has 15 percent market share and is still in third place. Aside from the incremental Band-Aid update of last year’s Windows Mobile 6.5, Microsoft has not even been in the game. While Apple and Google are leapfrogging each other with amazing innovations, RIM and Microsoft have been relatively stagnant.

The reason for the lengthy delay in new smartphone technology from Microsoft is that it has had some leadership shakeups and went back to the drawing board to completely reinvent its mobile strategy. Windows Phone 7 is not simply an incremental evolution of Windows Mobile 6.5. Microsoft started from scratch to design an entirely new mobile OS platform that recognizes the difference between a desktop PC and a smartphone rather than assuming that the smartphone is simply a very small Windows PC.

When the Windows 7 smartphones hit the street later this year, they promise a compelling combination of the intuitive touch interface and experience found in the iPhone and Android, along with tight integration and native apps to tie in with the Microsoft server infrastructure that makes up the backbone of most customers network and communications architecture.

The Windows Phone 7 platform will have its issues as well. Following very closely in the footsteps of Apple’s iPhone, Windows Phone 7 is expected to lack true multitasking, and copy and paste functionality out of the gate. Microsoft is also locking down the environment with hardware and software restrictions that limit how smartphone manufacturers can customize the devices, and scrapping all backward compatibility with existing Windows Mobile hardware and apps.

That said, if your company is not in any urgent need of replacing smartphones immediately, it makes sense to wait a few months for Windows Phone 7 to arrive on the scene and compare and contrast all three platforms before making any decision about which best meets the needs of your mobile users.

I suppose it would be prudent to also consider RIM in that mix, but the BlackBerry smartphones are not really in the same league as the next-generation iPhone and Android devices, or what it seems Microsoft will bring to the table based on what we know so far.

SAN FRANCISCO – During today’s introduction of the iPhone 4, Steve Jobs detailed that the upcoming device will make use of what Apple calls the Retina display .
But what exactly is a Retina display and how will it, along with other screen technologies, benefit the new slimmer, HD-ready iPhone? To put it simply, Apple’s figurative Retina display is an LCD that boasts a super high pixel density by squeezing a 960-by-640-pixel resolution into 3.5 inches–a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch (ppi).

The Retina display has four times the number of pixels as previous iPhones; its screen size is unchanged, resulting in double the pixel density. When compared to the now $99 iPhone 3GS, which has a 163ppi screen with a 480-by-320 resolution, it’s easy to imagine just how this new screen will shine.

While talking about the new display, Steve Jobs went on to detail that after a certain point the human eye fails to distinguish individual pixels. According to the Apple CEO this “magic number,” when visible pixelation is no more, is around 300ppi. Therefore, with the iPhone 4′s screen coming in at more than 300 pixels per inch (326ppi) the display will supposedly always looks smooth and crisp, with no jaggies in sight.

The photos to the left, taken by PCWorld Senior Editor Melissa J. Perenson, show an icon on an iPhone 4′s screen compared to the same icon on the iPhone 3GS’s screen. The difference, as you can see, is pretty remarkable.

Apple’s retina display also promises an improved contrast ratio. The company claims that the upcoming iPhone 4 will have a contrast ratio four times higher than that of previous models. Beyond the use of more compact pixels the screen, which is a backlit LED, will also adopt In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology to improve viewing angles and enhance color display.

Apple isn’t the first to put a super-high-resolution screen in a smartphone. Google’s Nexus One, for example, features an OLED screen with a resolution of 800-by-480 pixels, but its subpixel arrangement has some issues.