The Sound and the Fury: Apple’s Antennagate

Steve Jobs lashed out at competitors last week, calling their handsets’ reception just as spotty as the iPhone’s. RIM and Motorola fired back, claiming their units’ antennas work far better than Apple’s. How all this “neener neener” will help iPhone owners deal with dropped calls is anybody’s guess, but it’s good theater in an otherwise dull summer.

Steve, we love ya. You’ve always been the creative wild man standing up against the monolith of IBM, Microsoft, and now, the entrenched mobile players.  So we forgive you for the “antennagate” outburst. We’re writing this off to the crankiness that comes with age.

But the next time a problem comes along, just admit it, fix it, and move on. Apple’s devoted followers will continue to love their iPhones, and the issue soon will be forgotten. Trying to sweep a problem under the rug only highlights what you’re trying to hide. If it was a PR agency that recommended this strategy — or even if it was your idea and they went along without warning you of the repercussions — you might consider yanking them.

In your defense, you’re not the first to think he can gloss over a blatant problem. Roman orator Cicero provides a choice example, describing a senator who tried to deflect attention from a bad decision by reciting his many virtues.  As Cicero said of that inept politician, “The more he spoke of his honesty, the faster we counted our spoons.”  You can’t run from trouble.

Thanks for the free phone case, so nifty that it almost, but not quite, thrusts the antenna issue from our minds. If you really want to do something nice for customers, though, maybe partner with a robust network service provider?

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