iPhone 4 users sue Apple over signal problems

"JUST don't hold it that way," said Steve Jobs of the iPhone's signal problems. Customers didn't buy it.

USERS of the new iPhone 4, who suffer signal problems because of the way they grip their phones, have filed two class action law suits against Apple in US federal courts.

The suits allege false advertising and breach of warranty by the technology company, claiming that chief executive Steve Jobs' advice that users "just avoid holding it that way" isn't good enough.

In San Jose, California, plaintiff Alan Benevisty said his phone drops signal altogether or loses signal strength if its bottom left corner is covered by the palm of his hand, Courthouse News reported.

"Apple CEO Steve Jobs extolled the iPhone 4 in the keynote address at the Worldwide Developers conference on June 7, 2010, stating, among other things, that the iPhone 4 is 'the most precise thing we have ever made' and its 'brilliant design' has 'integrated antennas right in the structure of the phone; it's never been done before and it's really cool engineering,'" according to the complaint.

But despite Apple's claim that loss of reception was a "non-issue" and that users should "just avoid holding it that way", the "cool engineering appears to be the problem", the suit claims.

The company announced earlier this week that the iPhone 4 sold 1.7 million handsets in its first three days on the market — Apple's best ever product launch.

In addition to telling users to hold the phone differently to avoid the signal issue, Apple said customers could "simply use one of many available cases" — something Benevisty says "comes as no surprise", as Apple markets these for $US29 ($34.25).

A second federal class action, under the name of plaintiff Christopher Dydyk, claims that while the case "magically" fixes the reception issue, it "simultaneously detracts from the aesthetic value of the phone", making the phones customers receive "significantly different from the phones those customers agreed to purchase".

Mr Benevisty sued on behalf of the customers who bought the phone since it was released, and Mr Dydyk on behalf of those who pre-ordered it.