Apple's Antenna Press Conference

     So Apple has held a press conference attempting to reassure everybody that the iPhone 4 antenna issues aren't really any worse than any other smartphone.  So thanks for that Apple, you've pointed out that I can "Death Grip" my 3GS into a state of minimal reception as well.  Am I meant to feel better about the iPhone 4 issues because of this?  I do not.
     I accept that there's going to be some signal attenuation when you hold the phone and cover the antenna.  I accept that all phones do this to some extent, it's just physics after all.  I don't think the issues that have surface with the iPhone 4 are to do with a simple blocking of the antenna though.  Apple hasn't admitted that it's any more than this, though they may have offered a solution to the real problem with the free bumper cases.
     After all, the iPhone 4 antenna goes around the entire phone.  Unless you've got hands like boxing gloves or are so worried about dropping your shiny glass tech-toy that you're using a two handed grip, you're not going to be able to cover the whole antenna.  So if that's the situation, why is the attenuation actually worse on the iPhone 4 than the iPhone 3G?  Less than 1 more dropped call per hundred, but worse nonetheless.  Also, why do the problems go away when you do something to stop conductivity to the antenna, either with a case or a strip of tape?  Because when you do these things you solve the root cause of the iPhone 4's antenna problem.
     You see, I believe that the problem with the iPhone 4 isn't the same signal attenuation problem that you do get with every mobile phone.  It _is_ due to the external conductive antenna.  Hence why the "Touch of Death" decays the iPhone 4's reception as much as the death grip on a comparable phone.  See this video for an example.  You don't need to "Death Grip" the iPhone 4, just touch it in a way that shorts the antennas.
     Apple came a long way with their recent press conference, but for whatever reason, they stopped short of admitting that the iPhone 4 has a fundamental design issue which causes it to be more sensitive to signal degradation than normal phones.  It's odd that they'd go so far, but stop short of admitting the whole truth.

     At the end of the day though, they _have_ taken steps which will rectify it with the bumper case, and I'm guessing there'll be a minor hardware change to coated metal bands by September.  I don't think it's been handled in the best way, but there's no hardware issue I can see with the phone which would deter me from buying it.
     There's a caveat to that statement though.  I plan on putting mine in a silicone case, I'd put one on with or without the exposed metal and shatterable glass - I just like the grippiness that cases provide.  I've got a Speck ToughSkin on my 3GS and think it's great.  If I was buying the phone for its industrial design though, I think I'd wait until September and see if there's little hardware tweak.