iPhone 4 shunned by French consumer watchdog over antenna issues
By Vlad Bobleanta on 28 Jul 10Oh, consumer watchdogs, you all say the same things.
At least in relation to the iPhone 4′s antennas.
There was the US-based Consumer Reports. Along came Stiftung Warentest from Germany. And the latest watchdog to confirm the infamous death grip? France’s UFC-Que Choisir. This is a non-profit organization established in 1951 and is one of the oldest consumer associations in Europe.
On their site, Que Choisir have extensively gone through what makes the iPhone 4 one of the best smartphones around, but, predictably, in the end they say they can’t recommend it.
The death grip is real according to them, and will affect both call connectivity and data transfer. And while they do acknowledge that given France’s more advanced mobile networks (compared to the US), the effects of this issue will probably not be felt by a large number of people, they still claim it’s a fatal flaw in the current iPhone 4 design.
Not even Apple’s solution of giving away free bumpers is deemed appropriate. In fact, Que Choisir state that until a ‘proper’ solution is found, they won’t recommend the iPhone 4.
And it’s a shame really, since it bested all their other tests. The death grip and a minor water resistance issue that hasn’t yet been confirmed are the only factors that led to this recommendation.
A phone, be it smart or not, should be able to make calls no matter how it is handled. That’s the bottom line here.
Via Que Choisir
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