ABI Insight

Apple Owners Are Happy, But What about the Handset Case Industry?

Author: Michael Morgan, Senior Analyst, Mobile Devices

Published: 08 Sep 2010

When Steve Jobs announced that he would be offering free cases or bumpers to iPhone 4 owners and refunds for those who have already purchased cases for their new device, Apple was admitting that without a redesign of the iPhone 4, the antenna issue will remain. Some may say that this was Apple avoiding a potential billion dollar recall scenario; however, in terms of problem resolution the recall would take considerable time and effort to execute. In the meantime millions of iPhone 4 owners would be stuck waiting for a new iPhone to be redesigned, manufactured, and distributed. Can the free case solution be both the quickest and cheapest road to a resolution of this problem for all parties?

The full text of this Insight is available to subscribers of the Smartphones & Mobile Devices Research Service and the Device Accessories Research Service and the Device Accessories Research Theme.

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