Apple iPhone 4 Owners Can Get a Free Case or a Full Refund

During a press conference this afternoon, Apple CEO Steve Jobs revealed his company's plan for dealing with the iPhone 4's "death grip" problem: owners of this smartphone can get a free case. If that's not enough, they can get a full refund instead.

Since the iPhone 4 debuted last month, a storm of controversy has arisen after users discovered that holding this device in just the wrong way can greatly reduce wireless performance.

Steve Jobs announced today that Apple is going to give a bumper case to everyone who has an iPhone 4 now or buys one before September 30. Those who have already purchased a bumper case from Apple will get a refund.

The company is going to set up a website in August where customers will be able to choose from a selection of cases from a selection of makers.

Those who still aren't happy with their iPhone 4 will be able to return it for a full refund, as long as they are within 30 days ofpurcase and the device is unharmed.

The Problem
The iPhone 4 has a new design in which the outer edge of the device is used as a collection of antennas. While in most cases this improves the phone's wireless performance, a problem cropped up as well.

Numerous people and organizations, including Consumer Reports, have established that if a user's finger or hand touches a spot on the iPhone 4's lower left side -- an easy thing to do, especially for lefties -- the signal can degrade enough to cause the device to lose its connection completely in areas with low signal strength.

Putting the smartphone in a case prevents this from happening, which is why Apple is  giving out free cases.