Apple Engineer Told Jobs iPhone 4 Antenna Might Cut Calls
Apple Inc.s senior antenna expert voiced concern to Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs in the early design phase of the iPhone 4 that the antenna design could lead to dropped calls, a person familiar with the matter said. Last year, Ruben Caballero, a senior engineer and antenna expert, informed Apples management the devices design may cause reception problems, said the person, who is not authorized to speak on Apples behalf and asked not to be identified. A carrier partner also raised concerns about the antenna before the devices June 24 release, according to another person familiar with the situation.
The latest model of the iPhone carries a metal antenna that surrounds the outside of the device — a design chosen by Apple executives because it yielded a lighter, thinner handset. It has also resulted in reception problems that led Consumer Reports to refrain from endorsing the iPhone 4, weighed on the companys shares and stepped up pressure on Apple to issue a fix. Apple, which has built its brand on delivering cool, meticulously crafted designs, may alienate customers as critics continue to point out reception flaws with its device. Consumer Reports said it isnt recommending the iPhone 4 following tests confirming the handset has a hardware shortcoming that causes signal quality to degrade. The publication has recommended the three previous iPhone models.
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