Apple

Talks between Apple and T-Mobile on bringing the iPhone 4 to a second carrier in the US are said to be in advanced stages, with an 80 percent chance that the device will be offered by T-Mobile by the end of September. Should this happen, AT&T would no longer be the exclusive carrier for the iPhone 4 in the United States.

The anonymous source told Cult of Mac that T-Mobile's parent company, Deutsche Telekom, was influencing the talks. Deutsche Telekom carries the iPhone on its network in Germany.

Millions of Apple customers who have already purchased an iPhone 4 Bumper case have been promised a refund by Steve Jobs over the antenna problems affecting some users. The company has started automatically sending refunds to those customers who ordered the Bumper online. Email notifications are being sent out as well, detailing the refund processing.

The email reads, “As of today, we have automatically processed your refund. You have also been refunded for any Shipping or VAT charges that may have been applied to your order.” Credit cards are expected to show the refund on accounts within 3-5 days after processing.

Apple says the white iPhone 4 will hit stores at the end of July. Unfortunately, reports of production issues are making the date sound less likely. Even if the white iPhone 4 does hit stores or pre-ordering commences this month, quantities are going to be limited due to pent-up demand and slow manufacturing.

The glass back featured on the iPhone 4 as well as the white bezel design may be causing Apple more headaches than it had bargained for thanks to a difficult manufacturing process and high standards for the finished product. Chinese supplier Lens Technology is having trouble getting the right level of paint thickness and opacity for Apple's specifications.

In the wake of what Steve Jobs referred to as "Antennagate," Apple has launched an informational website to follow up on its Friday press conference on the iPhone 4. Much of the smartphone graphics and testing facility photos presented at the event are explained in detail on the new Apple pages. Pictured below is one of Apple's 17 anechoic chambers, which accurately measure antenna and wireless performance.

Apple highlights the fact they have spent thousands of hours logging tests in special facilities like these and in the field with prototypes of the iPhone 4 and all of their wireless devices. These state-of-the-art facilities cost Apple over $100 million to design and build.

Apple, recently under fire for iPhone 4 antenna problems, publicly addressed the issue in a special press conference at its Cupertino headquarters today. Steve Jobs explained that the company isn't perfect, but they want to make their users happy. Over three million iPhone 4 units have already been sold.

According to Jobs, for 22 days Apple has been working non-stop on determining the root cause of the problem and coming up with a real solution. Reports have indicated that connecting a gap with your hand in the metal band around the outside of the iPhone 4 can cause a drop in signal strength. The media has affectionately referred to this hand position as the "death grip."