Consumer Reports says it "can't recommend" the popular iPhone 4 until Apple fixes the "grip of death" — a reference to reception problems caused by touching the device's bottom left corner. The influential buyer's guide said tests prove the widely reported problem is hardware-related, refuting Apple's claim that it's merely a software glitch that an update could resolve. Though the review gave the cell phone high marks for its sharp touchscreen display, video camera and speedy performance, the ominous "can't recommend" warning has re-ignited demands that Apple recall the phone. Is a recall becoming inevitable? (Watch a Fox Business report about the iPhone 4's poor rating)
Do the right thing: Apple must "recall the iPhone 4," says Molly Wood in CNet. What started as a complaint among gadget "geeks," is quickly seeping into the mainstream. And Apple has only responded "with arrogance and dismissal." Of course, an Apple recall would be "expensive and unprecedented," but it would prove the company's "commitment to the impeccable quality and design principles it's always espoused," and win back "some flagging hearts and minds."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What's wrong with America's air traffic control systems?Today's Big Question The radios and radar keep going out at Newark International
-
8 splashy items to elevate any pool partyThe Week Recommends Fire up the snow cone machine, and turn on that outdoor movie projector
-
What to know as student loan collections resumethe explainer The restart comes as part of the Trump administration's reversal of Biden-era policies
