Apple claims that they sell all the iPhones they can make -
If so, antenna-gate is pretty much irrelevant to anything but AAPL's cost per sale, and its still-rather-lucrative bottom line.
If antenna-gate was fiction it would not hurt. But the truth is, that without the bumper, calls are dropped when your hand remains on the spot located on the lower left hand of the device. Even with the bumper I’ve seen the calls dropped.
It really doesn’t bother me because I’m willing to hold the device in a different way but I believe this is hurting apple right now.
Mind, they still have a lot going on in China and the ipad demand is crazy good.
But again to add evidence to my claim about antenna-gate...
Availability of the iPhone 4 continues to improve in the United States, with the company’s online store now offering shipping estimates of “within 24 hours” for new orders. After spending much of the summer with three-week shipping estimates, supplies of the iPhone 4 began to increase in early October with a move to 5-7 business day shipping estimates. Estimates improved once again to 1-3 business days in recent weeks before making the final move to the minimum possible window today.
iPhone 4 shipping estimates in many other countries, where the company is typically selling unlocked and/or unsubsidized phones online, are registering with estimates of up to two weeks for new orders.