Lawsuit against Apple for iPhone 3G problems

Jessica Allen Smith, a resident of Alabama, has filed a lawsuit against Apple claiming that the company’s claims of the iPhone 3G’s performance and reliability is not accurate. Like many others, Smith bought the iPhone 3G after seeing the advertisements and believing them. When she noticed that the iPhone was causing problems with its 3G connection like dropping calls, etc. she decided to take it to court against Apple. Smith is aware that other users have also faced the same problems and is hoping that the lawsuit would be accorded class-action status.

The question is could Apple have avoided this by reacting to the problem a lot sooner?

The lawsuit is against Apple’s claims of the iPhone 3G being twice as faster than the previous generation phone. Well aren’t these things measured under test conditions? I agree that there are problems with the iPhone 3G but is a lawsuit justified? Many of the automobile companies claim their models to have a fuel efficiency of 35 mpg. Can somebody sue that company because on his/her car he/she gets 30 mpg?

I loathe the fact that Apple did not respond to the 3G problem sooner, but a lawsuit against that seems a bit too much.

Finally Apple acknowledges iPhone 3G problems

Finally, Apple has acknowledged the 3G connectivity problems that users have been complaining about. They have also confirmed that the 2.0.2 firmware update was meant to fix these problems.

The 2.0.2 update has reportedly improved 3G reception but has not fixed the problems altogether. Chuq Von Rospach, a formal Apple employee, thinks that Apple knows that it will take several months for a full fix for this bug as the fix has to be developed by Infineon.

At least the consumers now know that Apple is aware of their problems. Good for Apple.

Apple’s iPhone 2.0.2 update does not fix 3G problems say users

Apple’s newly launched iPhone 3G has of late drawn a lot of flak because of reported problems with the 3G system. According to complaints the iPhone 3G has been suffering from call drops and slow speeds while surfing. Apple acted ignorant of this problem by never acknowledging the existence of this issue. In fact the Apple customer care representatives were bold enough to suggest switching off of the 3G feature as a solution to the problem.

Monday afternoon, Apple updated the iPhone’s software with the 2.0.2 firmware. However users who have installed the update still complain about the same problems with 3G reception. A few users said that although the update does not fix the problem apparently it improves 3G reception.

What is it with Apple? Why are they not acknowledging the problem? At least by acknowledging the problem they can provide some consolation to the consumers by making them feel that a fix is on the way. Instead the way Apple is operating with regards to this iPhone bug, it seems as if they have the power to decide what is a problem and what is not on behalf of the consumers.

Apple has already taken the hit with the Mobile Me fiasco and now by this high-handed behavior in dealing with a crucial problem they are further hurting their own reputation. Seems like their success has gone to their heads and made them increasingly arrogant.

Apple ignores iPhone 3G problems; Immature chipset to blame

Apple’s latest iPhone, the iPhone 3G, has been reported by many to be suffering from dropped calls and bad web surfing. It seems that the reason for this is an immature chipset from Infineon that has faulty software on it. This faulty software causes problems when an iPhone needs to switch from a faster network to a slower one.

Also there maybe problems with the AT&T network in places where the disruptions have been reported most. However AT&T has insisted that this is not true. Even though AT&T has acknowledged the problem they have so far maintained that the overall experience with the iPhone has been satisfactory.

Apple, on the other hand, has refused to acknowledge or comment on this. In the meantime users who are facing this problem are going through a frustrating experience with Apple customer service. Apparently the solution given by Apple customer representatives is to shut off the 3G feature. Then what is the difference between the old iPhone and the 3G version? Definitely its not an acceptable solution to this problem.

The odd thing is that Apple is acting totally ignorant about this issue. Speculations are rife that a solution maybe on hand through a software update. But till such time that it actually happens people would still face the problem.

According to Richard Windsor, an analyst with Nomura Securities, this problem is unlikely to be solved through firmware updates. If this is true then the only option left for Apple is to issue a product recall. Now that would hurt Apple’s reputation a huge lot and bring down the confidence that people have on the company’s products. This would in all probability also hurt the sales of its future products(apparently the new laptops are due in a few months time). Apple has already suffered from the MobileMe online service that has made a dent in its so far unblemished product reliability record. And now comes the iPhone problem that has the potential to seriously hit the company’s future. No wonder Apple does not want to own up to the problem.

More problems for Apple iPhone users

In spite of Apple selling around 3 million iPhone 3G cellphones worldwide and a huge lot of applications, the iPhone seems to be pretty far from being a technological success. Initially there were problems with connecting to Apple’s servers, then MobileMe failed to light a spark and then there were reports that the new plastic casing was not the best. But now the iPhone is facing an accusation that can potentially drag it down from its high pedestal.

Many iPhone users have complained about dropped calls even in areas that are under AT&T’s coverage map. Apple’s message boards have been flooded with complaints about this and as a result the main thread has been locked up. The reason cited by Apple is browser timeouts being faced by many users. On top of it Apple has not acknowledged the problem.

This call drop problem is not specific to the US. T-Mobile Netherlands has in fact issues a statement in which it has acknowledged the problem and also put the blame on their partner Apple.

Personally I like the iPhone but not for the value that it delivers. Its a cool gadget to have that showcases cutting edge technology. But definitely its not a replacement for business phones like the Palm Treo or RIM’s Blackberry. The coolness of the iPhone still lies in the cosmetics. If functionality and performance are the important, probably RIM, Palm and even Nokia have more convincing products.

Hopefully Apple would do something very soon to iron out this problem which according to many is the cardinal sin of cellphones.