Steve Jobs stated that all iPhone 4 handsets purchased before September 30 will be valid for the casing refund.
For those who missed out on the news, the iPhone 4 has antenna problems. However, instead of dealing with the problem directly, Apple decided to ignore the situation making things worse for everyone. It was not until last Friday night that Apple finally decided that they should be doing something for the users; and declared that they would be giving away free iPhone 4 cases to current owners (and for those who already bought a Bumper, a refund).
While that is interesting and there are plenty of theories about Apple’s decision, what is more interesting is the fact that the refund is only good until the 30th of September. This would mean that by that date, the refund would no longer be needed and the antenna issue would be no more.
This may be because by that period, a new iPhone 4 would already be available –one with no antenna issues. At this point, this is merely a speculation –an observation based on the strange date that Apple has given to the crowd.
Of course, the company would not go out and say it in public: that a fixed iPhone 4 is going to be available soon. After all, if they did that, they would be contradicting everything that they said about the smart phone not having issues in the first place (if it did not have problems, they would not need a fixed version).
Once again: current owners of the Apple iPhone 4 (and new buyers) will have a choice of cases or Bumpers (or so Jobs states) and those who have already purchased one can just ask for a refund instead. It is not much of a solution for those who are willing to bear with the iPhone 4’s antenna issues, but compared to having the device sent back for a full refund, this is the only option available.
