The Cupertino, Calif.-based electronics maker said it would terminate the offer because the associated connectivity issues were not as extensive and “smaller than [we] thought,” Apple’s statement said.
Nevertheless, Apple acknowledged that it will still honor the free case to the “small percentage of iPhone 4 users” who may require one.
Media criticism spread when it was discovered that the latest version of the smartphone would lose its wireless signal when handled in a particular way. Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs offered to provide free cases to counteract the problems in July. This incident was referred to by the media as the “death grip.”
According to Bloomberg, Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray & Co. in Minneapolis, said when the free-case program was announced that it would cost Apple $40 million if it ran through Sept. 30.
