Edible Apple

Unfortunately for Apple, the reception and signal issues associated with the iPhone 4 have become the larger talking points of the device in the wake of its release. Since then we’ve heard Steve Jobs tell users how they should hold their own phones, while also hearing rumors that the problem might be rectified with a software fix that may be released early this week.

Adding yet another mysterious cryptic piece to the puzzle, a MacRumors reader emailed Jobs over the weekend trying to fanagle a free bumper out of Apple. His email reads:

Just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that this is the most amazing phone I’ve ever owned. FaceTime is incredible! Everything is fantastic except the reception issues I’ve been having. My buddy has the same issue and he called AppleCare and was shipped a free bumper case. I called too, 2 hours and 3 dropped calls later, I was told that nobody is getting free bumpers. Which is strange because I saw my friends email confirmation saying he was getting a free one. I tried to get one on launch day but the store was sold out. is there anything you or one of your executive escalations people can do? I love everything about the phone except my signal issues. I hope to hear back with good news.

Thanks

Mark

Jobs reply simply read,

There is no reception issue. Stay tuned.

And here’s where the guessing game begins. Is Jobs saying that there is no reception issue and that users should stay tuned for an upcoming software update? Or is Jobs stubbornly clinging to the notion that thousands of iPhone users aren’t experiencing reception issues, with a “stay tuned” tossed in there for good measure as Apple scrambles to come up with a tenable solution.

And just for the record, there have been rumors that Apple is handing out free bumpers but these are completely unsubstantiated. Apple doesn’t like giving anything away for free so iPhone 4 users shouldn’t expect a shiny new bumper on the house anytime soon.