Apple has begun shipping free Bumper cases to many iPhone 4 owners who requested the accessory through the company's Case Program. Customers who already paid for a case before the special press conference have also received refunds for their purchase.
Following Apple's Q3 financial disclosures, COO Tim Cook played down the impact of antenna issues surrounding the iPhone 4. The executive suggests that, despite the reception problems, "we are selling every device we can make."
UBS has come out positive on AAPL stock following CEO Steve Jobs' response to the iPhone 4 reception issue. With Apple offering free cases and an option for a full refund, UBS analyst Maynard Um believes Apple has made a good effort to resolve the issue without a massive hit to its bottom line. The cost of the free bumpers should result in a loss of roughly $.03 in the next quarter. Um calls that a minimal impact, especially considering that some forecasters believed a recall would have cost the company $1.5 Billion.
As part of the Q&A session following Apple's iPhone 4 press conference, Steve Jobs disputed allegations in recent Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal reports suggesting he consciously ignored the antenna problem while the handset was still in the design process. The CEO called the claims a "total crock."
Although the focus of Apple's upcoming iPhone press conference remains unclear, a second source claims the company could be working on a permanent fix for the reception issues. The latest report, published by the New York Times, conflicts with several aspects of an earlier story posted by the Wall Street Journal.
