Consumer Reports still refuses to recommend the iPhone 4

Remember back in the midst of this summer, when Consumer Reports decided that it could not recommend the iPhone 4? As we reported, the non-profit organization said that although Apple's device featured the "sharpest display and best video camera" among all of the mobile handsets it had tested, the iPhone 4 would not get a  buy recommendation in the magazine until the "antennagate" problem was fixed.

But what about the free bumpers and cases that Apple has been shipping out in bulk to owners of the new iPhone? On its blog today, Consumer Reports wrote, "Our tests found the Bumper successfully mitigates the iPhone 4’s reception issue, which was a weak point in the phone’s otherwise-stellar performance in our tests." Hey! That sounds good for the iPhone. Perhaps now the device will get a green light for buyers? Not so fast. CR continues by saying, "And we agree with Apple that not all iPhone 4 owners will experience reception difficulties with the device. But putting the onus on any owners of a product to obtain a remedy to a design flaw is not acceptable to us. We therefore continue not to recommend the iPhone 4, and to call on Apple to provide a permanent fix for the phone’s reception issues."

Because the buyer of the iPhone 4 is left with the job of obtaining the free bumper, or paying for it after September 30th, Consumer Reports continues not to recommend the device. Despite this, sales of the phone have been tremendous and the handset was rated "Excellent" for its display, browsing, navigation, battery life and multimedia. Phoning and messaging were rated "Very Good" and voice quality was given a "Good" ranking. If the iPhone 4 can continue to garner strong sales even without a green light from Consumer Reports, what does this say about the influence that the magazine has over buyers?

Apple iPhone 4 Specifications | Review

source: ConsumerReports via AllThingsDigital