Apple Knew of iPhone Antenna Glitch – WSJ.com

See the link above for more detail about an interesting real-world example of how quality can impact the image of not just a product but of a company.  The timing here is great since we just discussed in class the idea that money spent on prevention/assessment can save a company from embarrassment that comes from having external failures.

It also seems that some of the secrecy that these days surrounds product-launches such as the one for every revised iPhone may have contributed to the antenna issue not being caught.

The iPhones Apple sends to its carrier partners for testing are “stealth” phones that disguise a new device’s shape and some of its functions, people familiar with the matter said. Those test phones are specifically designed so the phone can’t be touched, which made it hard to catch the iPhone 4′s antenna problem.

Apple has a news conference planned for Friday to address the antenna problem and perhaps that will take care of this issue.  If not, Microsoft is already jumping on the bandwagon to ridicule their competitor by calling the iPhone 4 “Apple’s Vista.”

And as if Microsoft bashing them isn’t enough, even Congress wants to get involved in the Apple debacle.

The mounting iPhone 4 controversy has hit a receptive ear in Washington, as Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D., N.Y.) Thursday wrote to Mr. Jobs urging Apple to come up with a “permanent fix” to the problem at no cost to customers. Mr. Schumer asked Apple to provide customers with a clearly written explanation of the cause of the iPhone 4′s reception problem and “make a public commitment to remedy it free of charge.”

Really? Is this the best thing they have to do over  in the Senate?  Aren’t there wars to handle? Isn’t the economy still fragile?  Chuck Schurmer wants to make sure all the people that can afford iPhones get their problems fixed?!!