A couple weeks ago (July 12), Consumer Reports published a damning review of the iPhone. CR tested three iPhone 4s and several other AT&T phones in their RF isolation chamber, which simulates varying levels of signal from every carrier, and found that the iPhone 4 was the only handset to suffer signal-loss issues.

Up to that point, Apple had pinned the problem on a “miscalculated signal meter,” but CR’s tests indicate the problem may not be due to AT&T’s network, wrote Nilay Patel of Engadget.com (July 12).

“CR found that simply putting duct tape over the bottom-left corner is enough to alleviate the issue – we’re guessing that’s Jony Ive’s worst nightmare – and says that while the iPhone 4 has the ‘sharpest display and best video camera’ of any phone it’s tested, it simply can’t recommend the device until Apple comes up with a permanent and free fix to the antenna problem,” Patel adds. “Ouch.”

Ouch indeed. Fast-forward to July 16, where, in a high-profile press conference, Apple CEO defended the performance of the iPhone 4, citing a range of statistics on the gadget’s return rates and dropped call figures, but said Apple would offer the more than 3 million customers who purchased an iPhone 4 a free case that Jobs said would improve the phone’s reception, as reported by Mike Dano of FierceWireless (July 16).

“Jobs said all smartphones suffer from similar antenna issues,” Dano wrote. “He said the problem is due to physics, and argued that the iPhone 4 antenna issue – dubbed ‘antennagate’ – has been blown out of proportion by an overzealous tech media. For evidence, Jobs said 0.55 percent of iPhone 4 users have called Apple’s customer care department about the phone’s antenna or reception. Further, he said the iPhone 4’s return rate is 1.7 percent – far lower than the iPhone 3GS’ 6 percent return rate.”

On the carrier end, AT&T reported higher profits last week, in part because of a record number of iPhone activations. “Chief Executive Ralph de la Vega said his company has a ‘great’ relationship with Apple and that they’re unworried about the loss of iPhone exclusivity, although he refused to confirm how long AT&T would continue to be the iPhone’s only carrier,” wrote Sascha Segan of PCMag.com (July 23).

As for the actual users themselves, AT&T and Apple should be relieved to discover that “despite a very vocal group of detractors, the vast majority of iPhone users love AT&T,” wrote David Goldman of CNNMoney.com (July 26). A survey released this week by Yankee Group reported that 73 percent of iPhone users are very satisfied with AT&T’s service.

“The satisfaction rate of AT&T subscribers as a whole is 68 percent, and only 69 percent of smartphone users say they are satisfied with their mobile provider, Yankee Group found,” Goldman adds.

“The results are surprising, given the pounding AT&T has taken in the media and the blogosphere about its service-related issues with the iPhone.”