Apple must recall the iPhone 4 or risk tarnishing its reputation, PR experts tell the Cult of Mac. The company's explanation that the handset's reception problems are the result of a software problem has been undermined by Consumer Reports, which blamed a hardware issue in deciding not to recommend the phone. “Their response has been borderline irresponsible,” one crisis management expert says. “They are in danger of betraying customers’ trust and hurting the brand, which is infinitely more valuable than any one product.”
Apple needs to reclaim the initiative on the iPhone 4 issue, and that means taking decisive action—and not being tight with the purse strings. “Apple lives and dies by its reputation,” a Wayne University communications professor says. “We pay a premium for its products. We expect them to operate on a premium level. It’s very unfortunate, but they will have no choice but to mount a recall.”
(More Consumer Reports stories.)
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