No 2011 Alarm Call for Apple iPhone Users

Late for Work? :

More than 1.7m iPhone 4 users around the world were surprised to find that Apple didn’t give them that expected alarm call on New Year’s day. This two day glitch has prevented the phone’s built-in alarm clock going off, leaving thousands of smart phone owners with an extra lie-in and late for work and appointments.

Apple has acknowledged the problem with the iPhone, and says it will be fixed by 3 January. The glitch appears to affect single alarm settings on the iPhone 4 and earlier iPhone 3G models with iSO 4.2 software updates.

Same Problem in November 2010 :

This is not the first time that Apple have had a problem with the alarm call on its iPhone 4. Back in November 2010, a similar problem with the alarm call left thousands of people late for work and transport connections. While Apple acknowledge the problem, there doesn’t seem to been a fix for this glitch in November.

While Apple can expect some teething problems with their new products due to the use of advanced technology used, it doesn’t take too many problems before the company’s image is tarnished. While this was only a simple embarrassing glitch, Apple can’t afford to have many more problems with the iPhone 4.

IPhone 4's Other Problems :

Many people were surprised that Apple didn’t patch this problem first time around when it first came to light, and left to happen again. Hopefully, the patch available on 3 January will put to bed this problem with the iPhone’s alarm call. Of course, Apple’s iPhone has not been without its problems since the smart phone’s launch in July 2010.

Antennagate!

The most famous of these is the antenna ‘death grip’ or ‘antennagate’ which affected reception quality when users held the lower left side of the iPhone 4. Apple simply resolved the issue by telling users not to grip the phone by the lower left hand side. The whole outer metal band is an antenna, with thin black strips between the segments, and your fingers could result in poor reception. The also advised users to purchase a case to solve the problem, and offered a free case for those who purchased the iPhone from the launch date until the 30 September.

+" and "-" & Super Glass :

Other problems iPhone 4 problems have included, the glass back is too fragile, and is prone to break despite being super strong. While, on some batches of the iphone, the "+" and "-" buttons on the left side have been switched, which is not really a major problem, just a lack of quality control at the factory.

Batteries are Included :

Meanwhile, many people are not happy with the battery life, which they feel is below expectations. The iPhone 4 has a larger battery than the 3GS, but users were finding the battery going flat quicker. A recent software update by Apple has solved the battery life to a certain degree, but users are advised to turn off un-used power hungry functions.

Poor 3G and Green Blobs :

Poor 3G data speeds has been another issue with certain networks and caused some iPhones to run a bit hot through the rear cover, but again recent software update by Apple has all but solved these problems. Some iPhone 4 users have noticed green blob of discoloration in photos taken with the phone, but this doesn’t seem to be a widespread fault. Owners ears are also causing occasional problem when the proximity sensor used to turn off the screen when the iPhone 4 is next to your ear is resulting in accidental dialling, hang-ups etc.

Whiter Shade of Pale : The Missing White iPhone 4

Finally, where is the promised white iPhone 4? No word from Apple when the white version will be available. It’s not even available to pre-order on Apple Store. Perhaps there is not enough interested in the white version on the phone? The iPhone 4 might end up like the Model T Ford, available in any colour as long as it is black.

On a personal note: the author loves his Apple iPhone 4, and has never had any of the above problems with his phone.

© David Lloyd-Jones 2010

Have you had problems with your iPhone 4? Leave a comment and let us know…