Apple's fix for iPhone 4 antenna glitch: Free cases for users

Facing heat from customers, the media and Wall Street analysts over iPhone 4 antenna and reception problems, Apple CEO Steve Jobs today said every iPhone owner would be given a free case.

The announcement came at a hurriedly-called news conference at Apple's Cupertino, Calif. campus. The event was announced late Wednesday, and came amid a three-week span of negative publicity surrounding the iPhone 4 that reached a crescendo Monday when Consumer Reports said it could not recommend the smartphone because it dropped calls and lost signals when users held it in certain ways.

"We love our users, we really love them," Jobs said during the news conference. "We try very hard to surprise and delight them. We work our asses off. When we fall short, which we do sometimes, we try harder. We pick ourselves up, figure out what's wrong and we try harder."

Customers who have already purchased a $29 Bumper case from Apple will receive a refund, Jobs said, and all iPhone owners will be given a choice of several different manufacturers' cases, including Apple's. "We can't make enough bumpers," Jobs said. "No way can we make enough in the quarter. So what we're going to do is source some cases and give you a choice."

:story: Full story: Computerworld