New York Senator Charles Schumer writes open letter to Steve Jobs

By on Jul 15, 2010 at 12:31 PM
Legal July 15, 2010

charles-schumer1

New York Senator Charles Schumer (D) has written an open letter to Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs asking for a quick and transparent fix for the iPhone 4′s antenna woes. Citing the Consumer Reports report from several days ago, Schumer’s letter also asks for “a written explanation of the formula it uses to calculate bar strength.” We’ve got the full letter for your scrutiny after the bounce.

July 15, 2010

Dear Mr. Jobs,

I write to express concern regarding the reception problem with the Apple iPhone 4. While I commend Apple’s innovative approach to mobile technology and appreciate its service to millions of iPhone users nationwide, I believe it is incumbent upon Apple to address this flaw in a transparent manner. According to Consumer Reports’ review, released Monday on its website, the iPhone 4′s signal-strength problem is a hardwire glitch triggered by gripping the device in a particular manner. This finding, according to Consumer Reports, “call[s] into question” Apple’s recent claim that the problem is “largely an optical illusion caused by faulty software.” Consumer Reports declined to recommend the iPhone 4 because of this hardware design flaw.

Given the discrepancy between Consumer Reports’ explanation of the reception problem and the explanation provided by Apple in its July 2 letter to customers, I am concerned that the nearly two million purchasers of the iPhone 4 may not have complete information about the quality of the product they have purchased. The burden for consumers caused by this glitch, combined with the confusion over its cause and how it will be fixed, has the potential to undermine the many benefits of this innovative device. To address this concern, I ask that Apple provide iPhone 4 customers with a clearly written explanation of the cause of the reception problem and make a public commitment to remedy it free-of-charge. The solutions offered to date by Apple for dealing with the so-called “death grip” malfunction-such as holding the device differently, or buying a cover for it-seem to be insufficient. These proposed solutions would unfairly place the burden on consumers for resolving a problem they were not aware of when they purchased their phones.

I also encourage Apple to keep its promise to provide free software updates so that bars displayed accurately reflect signal strength; I further urge Apple to issue a written explanation of the formula it uses to calculate bar strength, so that consumers can once again trust the product that they have invested in.

I look forward to Apple’s swift action on this matter, and once again laud Apple for its innovative efforts and service to millions of Americans.

Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer

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  • Paul Trotter

    Hey – Steviejobs- this has nothing to do with President Obama. Get a life- become a liberal.

    • Leroy Jones

      Nobody would claim to have anything to do with prezdint Odumbo at this point.

  • Capt.Obvious

    I can’t wait for tomorrows news conference. I want to LOL when I see Steve Jobs trying to convince the world that their defective antenna issues are a political ploy by the Democrats and Obama Administration to make Apple look bad!

    • MikeD
      • Capt.Obvious

        LOL

    • iStruckout

      Apparently the fanboys are already ON BOARD with that news conference.. lol

      @fanboys Yes, it is THE JOB of the government to perform oversight, thats the reason they exist, and what we PAY them to do. Govern / Government.

      A couple million people just bought an premium “smart phone” that has a poor antenna design, and many of those folks cannot make calls without some type of covering the phone. That’s right, A STOCK premium phone that cannot make calls if actually held.

      I bet tomorrow, Apple will offer free bumpers for the phone, or iTunes store credits UP to the value of a bumper (saving themselves the APPLE CUT , 30%?)

      That’s a WHOLE lot cheaper than a FULL recall or redesign.

  • George Washington

    Chuckie Schmoemer help start the financial collapse (with the help of Barney Frank and Chris Dodd) and now he wants to bring down other evil businesses. We are so screwed. Oh wait, no we aren’t, when there are no jobs left, we can collect unemployment forever and free high quality health care. All is good.

    • boris

      omg, this is the most confused comment ever. poor george, you’ve been dead 211 years and it shows.

  • Sally Mae

    These all knowing Democrats in Congress no nothing about creating jobs, but they are experts at destroying jobs (no pun intended).

    • boris

      george? is that you?

  • Bdus

    And the rights create jobs that line their pockets and watch the middle suffer

    • Astroud

      Fight the power! Bdus is a tard.

  • Seismo

    This is just grandstanding by Schumer. The trouble with Democrats (yes, yes, I voted for Obama and against GW Bush, twice) is that they try to tell businesses how they should be run, when most all of them have zero business experience. Schumer should sit down and be quiet, and let the Free Market System take care of this. That’s what capitalism is all about. People like Schumer give Democrats a bad name.

  • S6DRVR

    Politicians will use anything for PR. What better way to get to our youth than to stick their two cents in on a hot, yet badly built phone that tons of people are buying. Eventually they are going to screw up everything that is creative about consumer products. Apple tried to create something innovative and fresh, and I applaud them for that. It’s unfortunate that they didn’t think everything through. I’m still excited about what Apple is doing though and would never take my I4 back. Buy an Incipio and go with it. Apple, make it right and keep on creating please.

    Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).

  • Notta MacUser Loser

    Well, to piggy back off of the previous comments…they’re all null and void because the President of the nation uses a cell phone provider that is actually capable of keeping a properly functioning network. So, he doesn’t even apply to this conversation. Secondly, why is the iPhone 4 so innovative? This is the FOURTH in the past THREE years and it just now has a 5 MP camera? Innovative? The HTC Evo is innovative. The Droid X is innovative. iPhone users are just cult users who buy for the logo. That’s it.

    But, really…the senator Thesaurus’d the Hell out of that letter. Who actually uses “laud” anymore?

  • Aayjai

    What is wrong with a politician looking out for the interest of a group of regular people who have problems with a product that is defective. If said people who complained about product, say apple fanboys for instance, I’m quite sure they would want justice. Seeing how apple fanboys will refuse to buy non apple smart phone. Be thankful someone is looking out for you. Anybody hear complaining of an over reach of government have no idea that government works for the best interest of people. Takes like five minutes to write a freaking letter if he even did that.

  • p51d007

    Hey Chuck…
    CHUCK-U!

  • jdex

    I guess I’m failing to understand how everyone isn’t completely ENRAGED at the overwhelming arrogance and lack of concern it takes to have such a fundimental flaw in your brand new high end smartphone, and then explain to your (previously) loyal customers that it’s hardly more than a miscalculated signal strength algorithm and denying an obvious lack of judgement in external antenna design. look apple, if you screw up just say so. it’s just sad when one of the worlds leaders in consumer level technological design decides to brush off paying customers with BS excuses, and thoughtless advice that fixed nothing and meant even less.

    Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).

  • Tony

    I got to tell you if politicians would put this much effort in to other items I think the USA would be a better place, I agree is bs that everyone is allowing apple to make excuses for there mistake period but it seems like they are resolving it in a timely manner..

    Questions did he write a letter to BP? When all marine life is gone as we knew it ? Took them almost 2 months to fix it come on!! Politians need to stop being media hungry and get priorities straight.

    Sent from my iPhone

    • T

      Live under a rock much? Instead of having a staffer write a letter that he only needed to sign, with BP, he’s been physically involved. He was the first to say they should pay for everything… and now he’s calling on the UK to release all the details of BP pushing the government over there to release the Lockerbie bomber so they could secure drilling rights in Libya… does that answer your question?

  • http://www.webhostinglogic.com Frank Adams

    I don’t think there is an issue here with Sen. Schumer writing a letter to Steve Jobs requesting an explanation from Apple. If we can see from the letter, Sen. Schumer did not include the prefix sen on his name. So basically he is writing as an ordinary citizen and as a consumer, in which he has every right to do so.Let us just stop critizising the Sen for what he did he thought is best for him as an iPhone user.

  • http://ipadcasesblog.com Pat

    Yes, let’s just wait for tomorrow’s conference and see what will happen next. Hopefully, they will not recall but issue a work around.

  • S6DRVR

    What better way to get PR than to put your two cents in a device that billions of people are buying. I agree with what someone else said earlier in the comments. There are far more important issues that he should be focusing on. People, Apple tried to create something fresh and innovative, and I applaud them for that. Its unfortunate that they didn’t think everything through. I am absolutely not saying that Apple shouldn’t be held to its social responsibility. Buy an Incipio and keep it moving. Apple, make your mistake right and keep creating.

  • bmjennar

    @Tony,

    That’s retarded. If you think typing out a couple short paragraphs obviously you are around the age of 13. Get a clue dude. Apple screwed the pooch and that’s all there is to it. They need to make it right. The fact they keep trying to downplay their huge mistake is the wrong avenue to take. Anyone with half a brain can figure that much out. The only people who side with apple on this are the ones who are total fanboys and the ones that want to give Stevie a hummer. It’s apples fault. Apple needs to fix it. If the senator helps by bringing attention to the issue then I applaud him.

    Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone) at: North Americas

  • offdayJB

    thank u Charles Schumer for ur support in what’s right!!

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