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'Antennagate' just turned 10. Here's how the iPhone 4's antenna issues became one of Apple's biggest scandals of all time.

<p><div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"></div><p class="source">Jay Yarow</p></div>Remember everyone flipping their lids when the iPhone 4 was revealed to have a problematic antenna?</p>
<p>Remember when <keyword id="6354427" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Apple">Apple</keyword> agreed to settle the ordeal by dividing up $53 million amongst iPhone 4 owners who didn't receive a free bumper case?</p>
<p>Your $15 share of the settlement is officially in the mail, <a href="http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/04/iphone-4-owners-receiving-their-15-antennagate-settlement-checks/">reports Ubergizmo</a>. The checks were issued on April 17th and will remain valid until July 16th.</p>
<p>(If you're clambering to submit a claim and get your check, that window of time has already passed, unfortunately.)</p>

Apple Is Sending Out $15 Checks To iPhone 4 Owners Following The Antennagate Debacle

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Apple-iPhone-SE/b488d8cee2574364b97b2424ac119d62/12/0">AP</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Apple apologized on Thursday for slowing down iPhones with older batteries. </strong></li><li><strong>The apology is extraordinary: Apple isn't apologizing for a hardware glitch or a software error; it's apologizing for a choice it consciously made.</strong></li><li><strong>Apple is adding new features to iOS to tell if your battery is healthy, which it should have had since the beginning. </strong></li><li><strong>It might be the most far-reaching apology Apple has had to make, and could result in a new way for the company to do business.</strong></li></ul><p><br />Apple's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-apologizes-for-iphone-slowdowns-2017-12">apology on Thursday</a> was an extraordinary move for the company.</p><p>The iPhone maker just doesn't say, "I'm sorry," very often, so any apology at all is unusual. But even by those standards, the statement it issued regarding the slowing of iPhones with older batteries was an uncommon one - and it could have important implications.</p><p>Apple isn't apologizing for a hardware flaw, as it did with the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/7895612/Apples-Steve-Jobs-admits-we-are-not-perfect.html">Antennagate</a> controversy that plagued the iPhone 4. And it's not apologizing for lackluster software, as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tim-cook-apologizes-for-apple-maps-2012-9">it did in 2012</a> when the launch of Apple Maps was a fiasco.</p><p>No, Apple is apologizing for something it did intentionally without telling customers about it. What Apple is apologizing for isn't a bug; it's a feature. </p><p>Now that it's been caught, Apple has basically been cornered into making the consumer-friendly moves it should have made in the first place. For the next 12 months, it will replace the batteries in customers' iPhones for $29 each, instead of the previous charge of $79. And its iOS operating system will get new features that will allow users to monitor the health of their batteries. </p><p>But more importanty that those particulars, the apology could fundamentally change a key piece of how Apple does business. </p><h2>iPhone 'glitches' could have been fixed by swapping the battery</h2><p>Many iPhone owners have upgraded their device because their older phone had gotten slow and buggy. Now, we know that in at least some cases - at least in the last year - merely swapping the battery could have fixed the problem, rendering it unnecessary to buy a new phone.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>David Paul Morris/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Steve Jobs apologizes for Antennagate in 2010.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Did Apple purposely keep the battery performance slowdown a secret to drive sales? Apple says no, that it was just trying to prevent phones from shutting down. You can read <a href="https://www.apple.com/iphone-battery-and-performance/">its apology</a> and decide whether that's credible. Either way, what matters is that Apple knew what it was doing and users didn't.</p><p>Now, having apologized, Apple is committed to giving users the information they need to decide whether to upgrade their phone or whether they can just get by with replacing their battery. I know at least one iPhone user who - after Apple's statement - now intends to swap batteries rather than buying a new device. </p><h2>This apology will be felt for years to come</h2><p>This incident - and Apple's response to it - stands apart from past scandals. Antennagate - which involved the iPhone 4's antenna losing signal strength when the phone was gripped a certain way - faded away after Apple offered customers with a free plastic shell for the phone that was supposed to address the problem and after it fixed the design flaw on the next model. Meanwhile, in response to the Maps controversy, Apple has slowly but steadily improved its navigation app so that it's no longer a huge embarrassment and is no longer the focus of customer ire.</p><p>But the implications of Apple's decision to add a battery monitoring feature to iOS are likely to endure. This information will be available on iPhones and iPads, for both current models and, presumably, future ones. Every up-to-date iPhone will carry the result of this apology from Apple for years to come. Apple can't back down - it's already essentially admitted that it made a mistake.</p><p>And yet, this whole battery-slowdown snafu could have a silver lining for the company. Assuming the data the battery monitoring feature shares is helpful and that the battery replacement program goes off without a hitch, Apple customers will be better informed and have better-functioning iPhones. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Justin Sullivan/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Former Apple Senior VP Scott Forstall introduces Apple Maps in 2012. Apple Maps would go on to be a fiasco that Apple CEO Tim Cook would apologize for, with Forstall departing Apple soon after.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Sure, Apple likely lost some goodwill. But the end result of previous fiascos show Apple has a way of bouncing back. Maybe this will serve as a positive lesson to Apple about the value of openness and transparency - things it has long lacked.</p><p>Or, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/live-apple-iphone-4-antennagate-press-conference-2010-7">as Steve Jobs put it when he apologized for Antennagate</a>: "So we do all this because we love our users. And when we fall short - which we do sometimes - we try harder. We pick ourselves up, we figure out what's wrong, and we try harder. And when we succeed, they reward us by staying our users, and that makes it all worth it."</p> <p class="tagline"><div id="categorypromo" style="border:1px solid silver; min-height:90px; padding:10px;vertical-align:top;"><a href="http://read.bi/next-smartphone"></a><strong>EXCLUSIVE FREE SLIDE DECK:</strong><br>The Next Smartphone by the BI Intelligence Research Team.<br><strong><a href="http://read.bi/next-smartphone">Get the Slide Deck Now »</a></strong></br></br></div></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-stock-price-iphone-x-cycle-could-send-shares-tumbling-2017-12">The end of the iPhone X cycle could send Apple's stock tumbling</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Apple's battery apology could be its most important ever

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>Whenever Apple releases a new product, somebody finds something wrong with it. </p>
<p>Then, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/consumer-reports-new-ipad-heat-test-2012-3">that problem</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ipad-3g-sensor-2011-12">regardless of the size of the problem</a>, becomes a story. </p>
<p>With the iPhone 6, the story is the fact that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-6-plus-bending-issue-2014-9">some iPhone 6 Plus owners are finding that their phones bend if they sit on them</a>. Others find that if they try to bend the 6 Plus... <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-iphone-6-plus-bends-easily-2014-9">they can bend it</a>. </p>
<p>There's a lot of interest in this story right now. </p>
<p>And yet, Apple's stock is barely moving, so investors don't seem to think it matters. </p>
<p>Why? Because, duh, if you sit on your phone, it's going to bend, so don't sit on the phone. If you sit on anything made of glass or metal, it's generally going to bend under pressure.</p>
<p>Apple has had stuff like this in the past. The iPhone 4 had "Antennagate" where users found that holding the phone a certain way led to a decrease in cell signal. </p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div><p></p></div></div>Antennagate became a big, major story. Apple actually <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/live-apple-iphone-4-Antennagate-press-conference-2010-7">called a press conference to address it</a>. Steve Jobs cut a vacation in Hawaii short so he could attend the press conference.</p>
<p>Apple gave away iPhone cases to sate upset iPhone 4 owners. </p>
<p>But guess what? Antennagate was nonsense. The phone worked just fine. Maybe if you squeezed it really hard in just the right place, you noticed a tiny problem. For most people it was non-issue.</p>
<p>Apple introduced the iPhone 4 in June of 2010. As of January this year, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-india-iphone-4-2014-1">it was still selling the iPhone 4 around the world</a>. </p>
<p>So, a design that was so controversial that Apple had a special press event lasted Apple for 4 years. </p>
<p>Bendgate hasn't risen to the level of Antennagate. And we don't expect it to. </p>
<p>We've only seen a few people complaining about it on the internet thus far. It doesn't seem to be a genuine structural problem with the phone. </p>
<p>Plus, as Cult of Mac points out, all phones bend... <a href="http://www.cultofmac.com/297404/get-bent-shocking-history-bent-smartphones/">if you bend them</a>. </p>
<p>So, this will be a story for a few days, some people will howl about it, but in the end it's a nontroversy. </p>

Here's Why iPhone 6 Plus Bending Is Probably A Non-Issue

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach</span></p><p class="caption">Eric Schmidt</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has a custom-made comic strip hanging in his office of Apple CEO Tim Cook, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and himself apologizing.</li><li>The detail was reported in The Wall Street Journal's recent piece about the lessons Schmidt learned from the late Silicon Valley business coach Bill Campbell.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul><p>Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google that sits on parent company Alphabet's board of directors, has an unusual piece of artwork hanging in his office. </p><p>A custom-made comic strip featuring Apple CEO Tim Cook and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg seemingly apologizing hangs in the doorway of his office, reports <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/eric-schmidt-has-lessons-to-pass-along-11556206787">The Wall Street Journal.</a> The revelation was made in an article discussing the new book Schmidt co-authored alongside two other Google executives about renowned Silicon Valley business coach Bill Campbell. </p><p>The artwork depicts Zuckerberg saying, "Sorry, but we're still right," and Cook saying, "You're holding it wrong." Schmidt, too, is shown in the comic saying, "We screwed up. Sorry."</p><p>The illustration encapsulates Schmidt's approach and the lessons he's learned from Campbell, who was known for mentoring high-profile executives like Schmidt, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, and Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg. Schmidt's book, which he co-authored alongside Google's Jonathan Rosenberg and Alan Eagle, is called "Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell" and was released on April 16. </p><p>It was from Campbell, who died at age 75 in 2016, that Schmidt learned how to own up to mistakes, according to The Journal. "If you make a mistake, admit it, and do it right now," Schmidt said to the newspaper in reference to the lessons he learned from Campbell. "And if you didn't make a mistake, don't admit it."</p><p>Schmidt didn't discuss the meaning behind those quotes featured in the comic strip when speaking to the Journal. But they sound similar to some of the responses Google and Apple have issued to controversies in the past.</p><p>For example, when asked in 2010 about using the Google Street View program to collect data about personal internet usage, Google co-founder Sergey Brin said, "In short, let me just say it. We screwed up," according to an article from <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/googles-brin-on-wi-fi-spying-we-screwed-up/">CNET</a> published at the time.</p><p>The Tim Cook quote could be a reference to Steve Jobs' response to what was known as "Antennagate" back in 2010 following the launch of the iPhone 4. Shortly after the device launched, customers complained about the phone dropping calls and seeing their cell signal bars decrease when their hand bridged the exposed antenna located along the bottom of the device. In what appeared to be an answer to a customer email regarding the issue, <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2010/06/24/apple-responds-over-iphone-4-reception-issues-youre-holding-th/">Jobs issued the now-famous advice</a> to "just avoid holding it in that way."</p><p>The theme reflected in Schmidt's comic strip about owning up to mistakes may be more relevant than ever today, as companies like Google and Facebook face increased scrutiny from regulators, the government, and the public. Earlier this month, Facebook was under fire after it was discovered that the social network harvested email contacts from 1.5 million users without their knowledge, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-uploaded-1-5-million-users-email-contacts-without-permission-2019-4">Business Insider's Rob Price</a> reported. In late 2018, Google <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-employees-walkout-protest-andy-rubin-sexual-misconduct-allegations-2018-10">grappled with backlash</a> over the way it handled allegations of sexual misconduct, leading to worldwide protests in the company's offices. Alphabet and Google also face ongoing criticism -<a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/carolineodonovan/google-project-dragonfly-employees-quitting">including some employees quitting in protest</a> - over Google's secretive work on a censored search engine for the China market, which internally was called Project Dragonfly.</p>  <p class="tagline">Get the latest Google stock price<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/GOOG-Quote"> here.</a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facial-recognition-technology-regulation-creepy-future-2019-4">Facial recognition is almost perfectly accurate - here's why that could be a problem</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has a custom-made comic strip in his office showing himself alongside Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg apologizing

<p>The Apple Watch casing has proven to be pretty strong, but it's apparently normal for the various watch bands to become deformed, discolored, or scratched over time, according to <a href="http://9to5mac.com/2015/04/24/apple-watch-straps-expect-discoloration-deformation-of-sport-and-leather-bands-over-time/">Apple blog 9to5Mac</a>.</p><p>Citing sources briefed on internal Apple support documents, 9to5Mac says Apple will not allow returns or replacements for watch bands that show normal wear and tear. This includes the discoloration of the leather bands "due to sweat or lotions," deformity of the fluoroeslastomer bands, and scratches and marks on the metal bands: Apple calls it all "expected behavior."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><a href="http://9to5mac.com/2015/04/24/apple-watch-straps-expect-discoloration-deformation-of-sport-and-leather-bands-over-time/">9to5Mac has more photos of what those worn down wristbands look like, if you want an idea of what Apple considers "wear and tear."</a></p><p>Apple is likely trying to prevent another "gate" from happening to its products. The iPhone 4 suffered from "AntennaGate," which resulted in Apple providing free phone cases to all customers that requested one to help fix the cellular issues. More recently, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus suffered from BendGate, in which the phone could be slightly deformed if they were sat on, or intentionally bent.</p><p>Financial implications aside, both "gates" cast shadows over these new products as critics and fans poked fun at these imperfections. Apple had to do a lot of marketing to help compensate: Steve Jobs <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/live-apple-iphone-4-Antennagate-press-conference-2010-7">called a press conference for AntennaGate</a>, and the company <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-where-apple-bend-tests-the-iphone-6-2014-9">invited journalists to tour its secret facilities</a> that stress-tested the iPhone 6 during BendGate, in addition to a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-on-bending-iphone-6-2014-9">press release</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-replacing-bent-iphone-6-2014-9">offering replacements</a> for bent phones.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-watch-unboxed-video-2015-4">UNBOXED: The Apple Watch</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Z1Z3JwdDqiJ9kg_WTT4vSKVcgzmbtkuK" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Here's how Apple plans to prevent 'DeformGate,' 'DiscolorGate,' or 'ScratchGate' from happening to the Apple Watch

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>First there was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/live-apple-iphone-4-antennagate-press-conference-2010-7">Antennagate</a>. Then came the infamous <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-on-bending-iphone-6-2014-9">Bendgate</a>, and after that <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/hairgate-iphone-6-customers-complaining-the-phone-is-ripping-out-their-hair-2014-10">Hairgate</a>. Now, Hissgate?<p>A number of iPhone 7 owners are reporting that their new Apple smartphones are making a strange hissing noise.</p><p>Business Insider hasn't experienced this ourselves - we don't have an iPhone 7 to hand to test it - but some reputable people are reporting on social media that the newly released device is emitting the unexpected sound.</p><p>Stephen Hackett, cofounder of podcast network Relay FM, <a href="https://twitter.com/ismh/status/777149981421699072">tweeted that his iPhone 7 Plus</a> "makes terrible noises when under load," and shared <a href="https://twitter.com/ismh/status/777149981421699072">an audio clip of the noise</a>.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/etherington/status/777184006735556608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">TechCrunch writer (and former Apple employee) Darrell Etherington responded that his</a> "brand new, just-unboxed [device is] doing the same thing right now."</p><p>It sounds like the problem isn't affecting all devices, and it's not immediately clear what's behind it.&#xa0;Hackett said on Twitter that Apple will be replacing his device with a new one, which suggests it's a defect rather than just an unexpected quirk of the new smartphone's design.</p><p>There's some speculation out there as to what's causing it - but nothing concrete yet. <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/17/iphone-7-hissing-sound-reports/">Engadget's Jon Fingas suggests it could be "coil whine,"</a> a process where electronics make an unintended noise while working, for example.</p><p>We've reached out to Apple to see if it can shed more light on the subject, and will update the story when it responds.</p><p>Not sure if your device is making the hiss? Hackett's recording is below.</p><p><div></div></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fix-slow-iphone-reset-ram-2016-9">This incredibly simple trick fixes your iPhone if it's acting slow - and it takes less than 30 seconds</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="4yY3hpMTE67RikNrGxaXVWTQuxXqC79X" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Some people's iPhone 7's are making a weird hissing noise

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>You may've heard that the iPhone 6 Plus <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-iphone-6-plus-bends-easily-2014-9">has a bending problem</a>.</p>
<p>The iPhone's malleability has spawned #bendgate, reminiscent of the iPhone 4's #antennagate.</p>
<p>Even brands are getting in on the fun:</p>
<div><biembeddedobject id="44c63f35-de0b-494a-d4bf-d8093918269b"></biembeddedobject></div>
<p class="embed-spacer">Now there's <a href="http://i.imgur.com/9PjwR8Z.png">this Imgur photo</a>, designed to look like Apple's homepage. It touts "Flex" a new feature for iPhone 6 users.</p>
<p class="embed-spacer">We first heard about the spoof <a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/spoof-apple-site-touts-bendable-iphone-6-as-a-plus/">on CNET</a>, which <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">highlights an "aluminum alloy" that creates "a more enjoyable viewing experience."</span></p>
<p>Laughs aside, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-6-bending-a-non-issue-2014-9">bendgate is probably a non-issue.</a></p>
<p>Probably.</p>

People Are Already Spoofing The iPhone 6 Plus 'Bendgate'

<p><em><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-Empire-Apple-After-Steve/dp/0062128256">Screenshot via Amazon</a></span></p></div><p></p></div>A critical account of Apple is disappointingly short on thoughtful analysis.</em></p>
<p>When Steve Jobs returned to the helm of Apple in 1997 as interim chief executive, the company he had co-founded was on the brink of bankruptcy. The tale of how Apple's visionary boss saved it from oblivion and then turned it into an innovation powerhouse that wowed the world with its iPods, iPhones and iPads is one of the greatest business stories of all time.</p>
<p>Since Jobs's untimely death in 2011, there has been plenty of speculation about how Apple will fare without its renowned leader. Yukari Iwatani Kane, a former Wall Street Journal reporter who covered Apple in the last years of Jobs's reign, thinks she knows the answer. In "Haunted Empire", she concludes that a decline in Apple's fortunes seems inevitable. Ms Kane's instinct may be right, but unfortunately her disjointed narrative fails to make a convincing case for the prosecution.</p>
<p>That is a shame because the notion of an Apple haunted by the spectre of Jobs is a powerful one. The company has yet to demonstrate that it can perpetuate its record of turning staid markets upside down with new money-spinning ideas. And its past success has made it a hunted empire that now faces stiff competition from Google, South Korea's Samsung and other rivals bent on disrupting everything from TV viewing to wearable computing--smart watches, smart glasses and so forth.</p>
<p>Ms Kane recounts several episodes that she thinks illustrate the fact that Apple is already on a slippery slope of decline. These include controversies over working conditions and environmental practices at some of its Asian suppliers; its long-running legal tussle with Samsung over smartphone patents; and the bungled launch in 2012 of its own mapping app to rival Google Maps.</p>
<p>Chapters in "Haunted Empire" recount such episodes in excruciating detail, but they often ignore the bigger picture. There is no doubt that Apple has been deeply embarrassed by revelations about working conditions at some of its suppliers. But its ability to source parts quickly and cheaply remains the envy of many competitors, who are keen to copy its methods.</p>
<p>The wrangling over patents is more telling. By the end of April 2012 Apple and Samsung had filed more than 50 lawsuits against one another in 16 courts in ten countries. And the battle continues: in a San Jose court this week, Apple argued that Samsung owes it $2.2 billion for infringing patents on its devices.</p>
<p>Ms Kane notes that Apple's campaign of litigation was inspired by Jobs, who was determined to stymie the advance of Google's Android mobile operating system, which Samsung has championed. But she fails to reflect on whether Apple's growing fondness for litigation is a sign that it is now more obsessed with protecting existing innovations rather than coming up with new ones.</p>
<p>Then there is the issue of comparisons with the Jobs era. Ms Kane tends to look back at this through rose-tinted glasses. The launch of Apple's glitch-ridden mapping service under Tim Cook, Jobs's handpicked successor as chief executive, was bungled. But she neglects to point out that there were memorable hiccups in Jobs's time too.</p>
<p>For instance, problems with an internal antenna marred the launch of the iPhone 4. In spite of the embarrassment, "Antennagate", as it was dubbed, did no lasting damage to the firm's reputation and it is hard to see the maps debacle doing any either.</p>
<p>"Haunted Empire" could have probed more deeply into areas such as Apple's $159 billion cash pile. This is certainly impressive, but it may also be a sign that the company is running out of good ideas to spend its money on.</p>
<p>The burden of responsibility for producing revolutionary new products lies squarely with Mr Cook and his senior team, notably Sir Jonathan Ive, Apple's design guru. Ms Kane is not optimistic about their prospects. She portrays Apple's new boss, who made his mark by managing its supply chain, as an uninspiring number-cruncher.</p>
<p>And she muses on whether Jobs made a mistake by choosing the self-proclaimed "Attila the Hun of Inventory" to run it rather than someone with a more creative bent.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, Mr Cook has rubbished "Haunted Empire", claiming that it "fails to capture Apple, Steve, or anyone else in the company". It also misses an opportunity to make a compelling case that Apple is past its prime.</p>
<p>Click <a href="https://subscriptions.economist.com/nwcd">here</a> to subscribe to The Economist.</p>
<p></p>

Apple: Ghost Of Glory Past

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><p class="source">REUTERS/Stephen Lam</p><p class="caption"><keyword id="6354427" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Apple">Apple</keyword>'s iPhone leaders, Jony Ive and Craig Federighi.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Apple released <keyword id="1507548" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="iOS-7">iOS 7</keyword>, a complete remake of the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad's operating system, last week. </p>
<p>iOS 7 had the potential to be a complete and utter disaster for Apple. It was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-apple-changed-iphone-software-2013-9">tossing out Steve Jobs' design</a>, which featured life-like illustrations, in favor of a simpler design that had none of those. </p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">It was, in many ways, the first truly post-Steve Jobs product Apple released. </span></p>
<p>iOS 7 is not a disaster, though. It's a success. A smash hit, if measured by consumer downloads. Over the opening weekend, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-5s-5c-opening-weekend-sales-2013-9">200 million people signed up for the new software</a>. </p>
<p>The new software looks great, and works well. </p>
<p>There have been some complaints, but <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/complaints-about-ios-7-2013-9">most of them are middling</a>, or <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-ios-7-is-making-people-motion-sick-2013-9">easily corrected</a>. </p>
<p>The relative lack of an outcry is astounding considering what a change Apple made. Going into iOS 7, a lot of Apple bloggers <a href="http://www.loopinsight.com/2013/07/15/the-coming-freakout-about-ios-7/">expected a massive backlash from mainstream consumers</a>, and mainstream media. </p>
<p>So far, that hasn't materialized. People seem pleased.</p>
<p>This is an excellent turn of events for Apple. In the past three years, Apple's new iPhone led to a variety of controversies, and embarrassments. </p>
<p>The iPhone 4 led to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-4-problem-2010-6">Antennagate</a>, which ultimately proved to be utter nonsense, but still led mainstream news programs and even forced Apple to hold an impromptu news conference to explain why people thought the phone was losing its reception. </p>
<p>The iPhone 4S came with Siri, which was supposed to be a voice activated personal assistant. Siri didn't work as billed. It was, and still is, essentially useless. A year after it was released, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ex-apple-insider-people-are-embarrassed-by-siri-2012-5">a former Apple employee said</a>, "<span>People are embarrassed by Siri ... Steve [Jobs] would have lost his mind over Siri."</span></p>
<p><span>The iPhone 5 came with Apple Maps, which were another mess. Apple Maps replaced Google's maps on the iPhone. But, Apple Maps didn't (and still don't) have transit directions. It gave (and still gives) bad directions. Its vaunted 3D maps were glitchy and filled with inaccuracies. </span></p>
<p>Apple Maps were so flawed that Tim Cook <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tim-cook-apologizes-for-apple-maps-2012-9">apologized for the product</a>, and recommended other mapping apps to customers. The failure of Apple Maps led in part to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/scott-forstall-apple-maps-apology-2012-10">Scott Forstall being forced out of the company</a>. Forstall was the iOS leader, and he built the iPhone's software with Jobs. </p>
<p><span>With Forstall out, Cook promoted Jony Ive, the design god who made the hardware that defined Apple through the years. Ive, who had no real software expertise, took over the the look and feel of iOS.</span></p>
<p>At the same time, Craig Federighi, who was leading OS X, the operating system that runs Apple's iMacs and laptops, took over as the lead engineer for iOS.</p>
<p>Essentially, Ive was responsible for the look of iOS, Federighi was responsible for the nuts and bolts of iOS, making sure it works. Federighi contributed ideas for the look, but his role is less visionary than Ive.</p>
<p>Together, Ive and Federighi got started on iOS 7 in November. We don't know all the inner workings of Apple, but it seems like they ripped up whatever Apple had planned and started from scratch. </p>
<p>In just 10 months, it managed to overhaul almost every piece of the iPhone's software while still adding new gestures and features. At the same time, Apple was adding features to OS X, it was developing the new iPhones, it was developing new iPads, and we assume it was working on new products like an iWatch, or Apple TV, or something else we can't imagine. </p>
<p>It would have been very easy to botch iOS 7.</p>
<p>The fact that Apple got iOS 7 right has largely been taken for granted. It shouldn't be, especially considering all that we just detailed. </p>
<p>When Apple delivered back to back flops with Siri and maps, it was worrisome. Apple's rivals were catching up in hardware quality, and by offering bigger screens, one could argue rivals were beating Apple in hardware. </p>
<p>Apple's only defense against Android is the superior quality of iOS. But, the last two major innovations for iOS - Siri and Maps - were not good. It was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-apples-iradio-is-going-to-be-a-test-of-apples-future-2013-6">a bad sign for the future of the platform</a>. </p>
<p>That Ive and Federighi managed to pump out a totally new look for the operating system without any deadly, major flaws in less than twelve months bodes well for the future of Apple.</p>

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