10 iPhone 4 Launch Issues That Could Alienate Buyers

More problems with the iPhone 4 launch have come to light. After it was revealed the week of June 14 that AT&T may not have tested out the iPhone's preordering tool and some consumers were being logged into the wrong accounts, word broke over the weekend that AT&T has been cancelling iPhone preorders for seemingly no good reason.

All the while, Apple hasn't said a thing about what it will do to make the situation right and start helping consumers who want to get their hands on the popular smartphone as soon as possible.

This cavalier treatment of prospective buyers shouldn't go unnoticed. Although both AT&T and Apple are apparently sweeping it under the rug, fully aware that once the iPhone 4 launches and demand dies down, consumers will forget all about these snafus, maybe it's time for customers to push back against such callous treatment by these companies.

Yes, the iPhone 4 may be a highly desirable smartphone. But based on the way Apple and AT&T have been treating customers over the past week, maybe the device isn't as desirable as all that. Users can only be treated poorly for so long before they decide to go elsewhere. And the iPhone preordering and launch problems might be the best reason so far to do so. Here's why:

1. There is no excuse

Apple and AT&T might be trying to come up with good reasons for why customers are forced to wade through such a trying and downright ridiculous launch, but in reality, there isn't much they can say. There is no excuse for why the iPhone-ordering process has gone so awry. And yet, A&T is still trying to make excuses. First, the system possibly wasn't tested. Then, it became an issue of unprecedented demand. Enough with the excuses, AT&T. Not only does it make customers feel less appreciated, it also makes the iPhone 4 a far less desirable product.

2. Apple has said little

Why should consumers want to buy a new smartphone from a company that's totally unwilling to admit that there have been huge mistakes with the iPhone 4's launch? As it has in the past, Apple has decided to practically ignore all the issues that are affecting customers. It relies upon the average person to forget about all those troubles when the they get their hands on the device. In the past, such a strategy has worked. But when will it finally go to that well one too many times? Apple's decision to practically ignore iPhone 4 issues is insulting.

3. AT&T won't give an inch

Unfortunately, AT&T has done little to make things right for customers. Rather than address each issue individually or find a way to appease those who were most negatively affected, AT&T has trudged on. By not giving an inch, it's forcing its customers to determine just how badly they want an iPhone 4. Yes, the device might be the most capable smartphone in history. But if the carrier that supplies the network the phone runs on continues to show little regard for customers or the plight they are facing, it might make some wonder whether or not the iPhone 4 is really worth its price.

4. A wake-up call is needed

It's about time AT&T and Apple had a wake-up call. For four iPhone generations, the companies have simply coasted, knowing all too well that the phone's features will trump all. Until the companies realize that their customers will decide the fate of their products, they will continue to make mistakes and ignore them. It's about time that customers start acting out against the iPhone 4 launch. It would put AT&T and Apple on notice for once.

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