Apple Inc. said Wednesday that it will hold a news conference Friday concerning its iPhone 4, which is facing mounting criticism over reception problems tied to antenna design.

An Apple spokesman declined to give further details, including whether the conference will address reported reception problems or Apple's response to those problems. Apple plans to hold the conference at its headquarters, the spokesman said.

Apple watchers speculated that the company will offer a solution. 'Given the intensepressure and scrutiny Apple has come under on the problem with the iPhone 4,It's going to be about some kind of fix or compensation for the owners of the phone,' speculated Ed Snyder, an analyst with Charter Equity Research.

The Cupertino, Calif., company launched the phone last month to great fanfare as it boasted of a design that put the antenna in a stainless steel band around the phone's frame.

But even as the phone has continued to sell well at stores, it has been plagued with user complaints about dropped calls when the phone is held in a way that covers part of the antenna.

Antenna-design experts have said that the phone design, while cutting-edge, was risky because it exposes the antenna to touch. While this problem can occur in all mobile phone devices, the design of the iPhone 4 makes it more susceptible than others.

On Monday, Consumer Reports magazine said it couldn't recommend the iPhone 4 and suggesting that it had a hardwaredefect. Its findings, which directly challenged Apple's claims that it was an easily-fixable software issue, were the first time the product-quality watchdog failed to recommend an Apple phone.

What started out as a small number of users complaining about reception has now ballooned into a full-scale public-relations issue, potentially threatening to hurt the brand image Apple has so carefully built up.

Apple had maintained silence after making two comments early that downplayed the reception problem. But it has been facing increasing calls by users and analysts to explain the situation and provide some kind of solution.

A recall of the device is unlikely, because since the problem doesn't affect safety and only occurs for some users in certain situations. But financial analysts said Apple could give away its $29 rubber 'bumper' case, which they said would solve the antennareception problem. Analysts estimate that such action would cost Apple $1 to $5 a phone.

Yukari Iwatani Kane

• wednesday [´wenzdi] n.星期三 (初中英语单词)
• conference [´kɔnfərəns] n.讨论(会)；会谈 (初中英语单词)
• criticism [´kritisizəm] n.批评；评论(文) (初中英语单词)
• headquarters [´hed,kwɔ:təz] n.总部(署)，司令部 (初中英语单词)
• solution [sə´lu:ʃən] n.解答；解决；溶解 (初中英语单词)
• pressure [´preʃə] n.压榨 vt.对...施压力 (初中英语单词)
• charter [´tʃɑ:tə] n.许可证 vt.特许 (初中英语单词)
• recommend [,rekə´mend] vt.推荐；使受欢迎 (初中英语单词)
• device [di´vais] n.装置；器具；策略 (初中英语单词)
• affect [ə´fekt] vt.影响；感动；假装 (初中英语单词)
• financial [fi´nænʃəl] a.金融的，财政的 (初中英语单词)
• rubber [´rʌbə] n.(摩)擦的人；橡皮 (初中英语单词)
• estimate [´estimət, ´estimeit] n.估计；评价 vt.估价 (初中英语单词)
• concerning [kən´sə:niŋ] prep.关于 (高中英语单词)
• reception [ri´sepʃən] n.接待；欢迎；招待会 (高中英语单词)
• response [ri´spɔns] n.回答；响应 (高中英语单词)
• intense [in´tens] a.强烈的；紧张的 (高中英语单词)
• compensation [,kɔmpen´seiʃən] n.补偿，赔偿 (高中英语单词)
• consumer [kən´sju:mə] n.消费者；用户 (高中英语单词)
• defect [di´fekt, ´di:fekt] n.缺点，不足 (高中英语单词)
• hardware [´hɑ:dweə] n.五金器皿 (英语四级单词)
• antenna [æn´tenə] n.触角；天线 (英语六级单词)
• spokesman [´spəuksmən] n.发言人 (英语六级单词)
• equity [´ekwiti] n.公平；公正 (英语六级单词)
• susceptible [sə´septəbəl] a.敏感的；易受影响的 (英语六级单词)
• unlikely [ʌn´laikli] a.不像的；未必可能的 (英语六级单词)