Giveaway

Solve the iPhone 4 Antenna Issue With These Decals

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Update #2: Congrats to the winners: Ryan, Kristina, Ritchie, The Junk Monger, Rob, Zack, Mike, Benjamin, Chris and Mary. I have sent you emails requesting a mailing address. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Update #1: Amanda of CraftyGalDecals has offered to donate 10 single packs of the iPhone 4 decal wraps. Leave a comment on this post to receive yours. Let me know if you have a color preference.

Not satisfied with Steve Jobs’ answer to the iPhone 4 antenna issue? To avoid blocking the antenna signal when holding the iPhone 4 left-handed, Jobs says simply “stop holding it that way” or use a case. Gee, thanks. Jobs’ suggestions are not ideal fixes for many people, including Etsy seller CraftyGalDecals, who came up with her own smart solution to the iPhone 4 reception issue.

iPhone 4 Antenna Decal on Etsy

CraftyGal has devised a simple vinyl strip that blocks the conductivity from your finger from interfering with the iPhone 4 antenna. Although I have not tested the decals myself, they should theoretically work, considering an iPhone case has the same effect. As someone who sometimes likes to go without a case — to get the “real” iPhone experience, as Apple intended — I appreciate this alternative solution.

The decals come in a multitude of colors, and add style to your new iPhone without the need for a case. Plus they will protect the bezel of your iPhone 4. You can purchase them from the CraftyGalDecals Etsy store in single packs or in sets of three.

The seller has offered to donate a few decal sets to my readers, so leave a comment if you want one and I will select the winners by Tuesday, July 6. In exchange for the gift, I simply ask that you come back here and comment to tell me if the decal solved your iPhone 4 antenna problem.

Leave a comment below for a chance to win.

iTunes Gift Card Drawing: Winners Revealed!

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iTunes gift card drawing

Congrats to the 10 winners of the iTunes gift card giveaway! I asked my readers, Twitter followers and YouTube subscribers to enter the drawing by telling me what one iPhone feature they would most like to see in 2010.

Find out who the winners are and what they had to say:

What one iPhone feature would you like to see in 2010?

The Winners:

  1. Paula said:
    I really need a way to lock up instant messages so no one else can see them when they are using my iPhone.
  2. Tammii92 (via YouTube) said:
    A feature id like would be, if you would have skype or something like that, u could video chat? with them instead of just talking like you would on a phone.
  3. Nick Rangel said:
    I think that apple should add a video camera to the iphone,Also i think that they should add a feature where you can change your backgrounds and app logos without having to jailbreak it.
  4. Mohamed said:
    I would like my contact folder to be linked to the Calender so I can set up meetings with my contacts without re entering the contact information.
  5. TheJunkMonger said:
    The thing I woukd really like my iPhone to be is an open platform and better battery life.
  6. birdman9564 (via YouTube) said:
    the feature i’d want on the iphone is for it to be faster..
  7. Joe Fishman said:
    I would like to be able to sort contacts by various groups or sub groups and have it be user defined.
  8. Pat Wolverton said:
    I want more frequent updates for the 3g,,, I know apple can do that, I want them to free up more apps,,, haven’t we proven our loyalty?
  9. BG said:
    I wish that I could have a custom background without having to jailbreak my phone.
  10. Jeffrey Hagedon said:
    iPhone needs a folder system for organizing and storing apps. I have over 300 apps and many can only be accessed using the finder. You need a very good memory to know what you’re looking for.

Thanks to everyone who participated and congrats to the winners!

Check out my top 10 iPhone wishes for 2010. What are yours?

Video: My Top 10 iPhone Wishes for 2010

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iPhone wishes for 2010

I’ve asked my readers what one iPhone feature they would like to see in 2010, and the responses have been trickling in.

Here are my top 10 feature wishes, including some that my readers have mentioned:

  1. Increased SMS privacy. For a long time, Apple caused humiliating situations for many iPhone owners because of its SMS Preview feature, which interrupts you to display an excerpt of the content of an incoming text message on your screen. You couldn’t turn off SMS Preview, so an inconvenient or naughty text message would pop up on your screen for anyone to see. Read: How Has iPhone’s SMS Preview Gotten You Into Trouble? Apple fixed the problem, but I would like them to take it one step further and allow me to turn off all notifications for text messages.
  2. Locking native apps like Messages, Email and Calendar. I don’t want to Passcode Lock my entire iPhone, I just want to lock certain apps. Let me put a password on my text messages, emails, and any app I want.
  3. Delete native app icons from the home screens. No longer are the Weather, YouTube and Stocks apps the highlight of iPhone’s magnificence. I use more apps from the App Store than I use the native, rudimentary ones. Let me delete native apps from my home screen, they are wasted space.

    Ritchie Champagne says:

    I want to delete the stock and weak weather apps that came with the phone.

  4. Multitasking. I want a Google Latitude app that broadcasts my location to friends even when the app is closed. I want music from Pandora to play while I browse the web on Safari. I want multitasking on my iPhone.
  5. Better battery life. No doubt the main reason Apple has not enabled multitasking on iPhone is that it would be a battery drain. For that reason, I hope to see a better battery on new iPhones in 2010.

    Laura T. Rush says:

    Better/longer battery life

  6. Removable battery. The iPhone’s lithium ion battery will weaken over time, and you will have to replace your entire iPhone, instead of just the battery. Also, if your iPhone battery drains on any given day when you are away from an outlet, you’ll have to own a backup battery add-on if you want to add battery life to your iPhone. What if I could just pop in another battery instead. iPhone’s fixed battery is inconvenient, and an unfair way of forcing you into buying another iPhone. This is the reason some people don’t buy the iPhone, including my step-grandfather Virgil, who is interested in one but does not like the idea of not being able to remove the battery.
  7. A hardware switch for custom uses. I would like a switch to turn off WiFi, or to launch the camera or any other app. Essentially, I would like a switch that I can use for whatever I want… a Settings Switch?

    Itasara says:

    A custom button to add your own text sound alerts.

  8. Allow media downloads. If you can download songs, movies and applications from whatever sources to your Macbook, why then does your iPhone forbid you from downloading media to your device? Apple has too much control over my iPhone. I demand the right to download whatever media I want to my iPhone.
  9. An open platform. I don’t expect Apple to go ahead and reveal all the source code for the iPhone platform, but I would like the iPhone platform to be more accessible to developers so that they could be free to build apps that interact with native iPhone features. For example, an app that accomplishes functions like hiding text messages or putting your calendar as your wallpaper. A more open platform for iPhone would be very appealing.

    TheJunkMonger says:

    The thing I would really like my iPhone to be is an open platform…

  10. No more carrier exclusivity in the US. You don’t need me to tell you AT&T has made a lot of iPhone users very angry, most notably for dropped calls and weak 3G coverage. I would like to see Apple drop the US exclusivity deal with AT&T, and allow me to use my iPhone on any carrier.

iTunes Giftcard Giveaway

Let me know your iPhone wish for 2010 and I’ll enter you in a drawing to win one of ten $15 iTunes gift cards. Tell me if you agree with any of my iPhone wishes, or if you have an iPhone wish of your own. To enter, go here: 10 iTunes Gift Cards for 2010! [Comment to Win] Update: The giveaway is now over. Happy New Year and thanks for playing!

What is your #1 iPhone wish for 2010?

10 iTunes Gift Cards for 2010! [Comment to Win]

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iTunes Gift Card Giveaway

Update: Comments are now closed. Winners will be announced this weekend.

Celebrate the New Year with a bundle of apps, songs, or a couple of movies from the iTunes Store, my treat to you.

I’ve gone out to the local Apple Store and purchased TEN $15 iTunes gift cards to give away to my readers on January 1. Just tell me your most wanted iPhone feature for 2010, and I’ll enter you in the drawing for an iTunes gift card.

I will personally ship the iTunes gift cards to ten lucky winners. Comment below, retweet this post, or reply to my YouTube video to win!

My most wanted iPhone feature for 2010: Multitasking (i.e. let App Store apps run in the background) — and better battery life to support it. What about you?

Comments close January 1, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST. Good luck & Happy New Year!

Chris

P.S. Check out: The Most Memorable iPhone Moments of 2009

Join the ‘iWant a Better iPhone’ Challenge & Win Free iPhone Gear for the Holidays!

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Update: The contest is over. Thanks to those who participated. Feel free to add to the discussion below, though prizes have already been awarded.

iPhone holidays

For all its majesty, the iPhone has its flaws. That’s why this Christmas, I want a better iPhone!

The iPhone is a remarkable device, but a strict App Store, privacy concerns, and a “closed” operating system prevent iPhone from reaching its full potential. That’s my opinion, now I want to hear yours.

The “iWant a Better iPhone” Challenge

Tell me what one iPhone improvement would make you most happy this holiday for a chance to win 1 of 6 first-rate iPhone accessories.

The companies below have been kind enough to donate their iPhone accessories as prizes for the ‘iWant a Better iPhone’ challenge. If you’re slacking on holiday shopping, this gear makes a great gift for an iPhone owner in your life.

  1. miCradle & UltiMount iPhone Car Mount Solution

    miCradle iPhone car mount
    Who makes it: Pro-Fit International
    My review: iPhone Car Mount Review: Pro-Fit miCradle UltiMount V2, Jan 30, 2008

  2. iON Mobile Power Bank Backup Battery for iPhone

    iON Mobile Backup Battery for iPhone
    Who makes it: FSP Group
    My review: iON Mobile Power Bank: Backup Battery for iPhone [Video Review], Jul 13, 2009

  3. GoRide iPhone Bike Mount

    Bicio iPhone bike mount
    Who makes it: Bicio
    I have not yet reviewed this product.

  4. Defender Series iPhone Case

    Defender iPhone case
    Who makes it: Otterbox
    My review: Otterbox Defender iPhone Case Review, Oct 12, 2009

  5. Pogo Stylus for iPhone

    Pogo Stylus for iPhone
    Who makes it: Ten One Design
    My review: Pogo Stylus for iPhone [Video Review], Feb 15, 2008

  6. Xtand for iPhone

    Xtand for iPhone
    Who makes it: Just Mobile
    My review: iPhone Xtand [Review], Feb 1, 2009

Six of you will get these accessories for free!

How to win

To enter, leave a thoughtful comment (one sentence to one paragraph) on this blog post telling me:

  • The one iPhone improvement that would make you most happy this holiday.
  • Your top 3 preferred prizes, numbered from 1 (most preferred) to 3.

I will randomly select the winner of each accessory and notify you by email.

Don’t wait!

Update: The contest is now over, but feel free to comment anyway and tell me how you think the iPhone could be improved.

Disclaimer: Comments that do not answer the question, or those that include profanity or personal insults, will not be considered. I reserve the right to give your prize to someone else if I don’t hear back from you within 3 days after emailing you, or for any other reason.

Why do YOU want a better iPhone? Let me know!