Apple Sued Over iPhone’s Poor Reception

Public anger in the U.S. is rising over the poor reception of Apple’s new smartphone iPhone 4, resulting in users suing the company.

U.S. media said Friday that a Maryland law firm representing two Apple customers filed a lawsuit against the company for interrupted calls and poor reception due to defects in the iPhone 4’s antenna.

In the suit, the plaintiffs said they experienced such problems though they held the smartphone the same as ordinary mobile phones. They demanded that the company suspend sales and marketing of the smartphone until the problems are corrected, adding Apple is hiding the iPhone’s problems.

Sales of the iPhone have reached 1.7 million units in the first three days after its release at the end of last month. Shortly after its debut, however, customers complained that their phones lost signals when they held them in the lower left corner.

Apple has advised users to avoid holding the phone that way. Many say, however, that such advice is not a fundamental solution since the lower left corner is where users often hold the phone when calling.

Apart from the lawsuit filed by the Maryland law firm, another in Sacramento is gathering plaintiffs to sue the company, indicating that Apple will soon face a series of lawsuits.

Reports say Apple has yet to comment on the lawsuit.

jarrett@donga.com