All eyes are on the Cupertino company’s next move to rectify the problem caused by their inaccurate signal displays. In an open letter, the mobile industry titan revealed the truth behind the numerous dropped calls, unsent SMS and connection problems experienced by iPhone 4 owners. The clincher is that Apple seemed to be well aware of the reception issue years before they even started working on the iPhone 4.

In July of 2008, version 2.0 of the iPhone 3G platform was released to the public and was reportedly full of bugs. A fix all patch was then released in August, a month after version 2.0 went live. The patch notes indicated that a number of performance related issues would be corrected upon installation of the patch. The description was very vague, but the noticeable improvements included improved keyboard responsiveness, quicker backups and less lag in the Contacts app. According to ZDNet’s observation, the update also resulted in an improved reception:

“One major improvement that I am seeing is that the reception capability has improved with the working 3G/EDGE data auto-switching”.

Or so we thought. The signal bar formula they used for the current operating system may have remnants of the old update, causing it to display one to two bars more than the actual signal reading of the device:

“Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place”.

So was this something that the Apple company neglected? Probably so. After all, there are more important wow factors to focus on such as its HD recording capabilities or its spiffy new Retina Display. The Cupertino company failed to check the basics including the signal bar display. The iPhone 4’s screen adhesive did not even have enough time to dry before it was out the door.

At least the problem can be corrected by yet another software update. Hopefully Apple is not out to give quick cosmetic fixes this time around.

There is a new kid in town and it costs as much as an iPhone 3G. You know that tough tablet phone surviving stabs from a screwdriver? Yes, getting the Dell Streak will cost just as much as an iPhone 3G when gotten with a contract from The Carphone Warehouse. By opting for a 25 GBP mobile broadband plan or a 35 GBP voice and unlimited data plan, you will get the 5 inch tablet phone for free.

For those who simply do not want to be tied down in a mobile data plan or contract, then you may opt to get the tablet phone on its own but it will cost you. If you get it off contract, the Dell Streak is priced at 429 GBP, which is the same cost you will be paying if you opt for a 16 GB iPad.

There is no word yet whether O2 UK will be able to give lower tariffs or if it will be a bit more expensive but considering previous trends, it is more likely that they will be a tad bit cheaper.

The tablet phone, powered by Google’s little green robot is definitely an entertainment powerhouse. It carries a super fast 1 GHz Snapdragon processor which lets you connect, browse the internet and fiddle with its multitude of available apps without experiencing even a small hiccup.

Having a 5 inch screen is nothing to scoff at as well. It gives you all the necessary space to read web pages or watch videos at your leisure. You get all the perks of having laptop and mobile phone rolled into one. The best part is that it fits in your jacket pocket so you can always keep it close at hand. The Dell Streak will be out and available for UK consumers on June 4.