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ExtraBITS for 28 June 2010

Is anything happening beyond the world of the iPhone, iPad, and iOS 4? Not that we’ve been able to tell, and given the incredible sales numbers that Apple’s latest devices are posting, we suspect lots of other people are in the same boat. Read on for links to articles about those sales numbers, iPhone antenna problems, FaceTime, and just how long you’ll have to wait for a white iPhone 4.

iPhone 4 Sales Hit 1.7 Million in 3 Days — Apple has announced that it has sold over 1.7 million units of the iPhone 4 in the first three days. Describing it as “the most successful product launch in Apple’s history,” Steve Jobs also apologized to customers who were turned away because of Apple’s inability to meet the unanticipated demand.

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Apple Confirms iPhone 4 Antenna Issue — The New York Times reports on Apple’s recent confirmation of connectivity issues with the iPhone 4’s antenna. Apple spokesperson Steve Dowling acknowledged that handling the latest iPhone in certain ways can decrease the phone’s signal reception, thus garbling or dropping calls. The issue has triggered a wave of concern, speculation, and solutions across the Web. Unfortunately, Apple’s response merely claims the problem is a “fact of life” with wireless phones, and advises users to use a case or avoid touching the phone’s lower left-hand corner.

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More Details on the iPhone 4 Antenna Issue — Spencer Webb, president of antenna design and consulting firm AntennaSys, has written a nice explanation of how cell phone antennas are designed and tested, and how this may play into the reception problems iPhone 4 users are experiencing when holding the phone in certain ways.

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Spend Some FaceTime with Apple — Are you the sole member of your social circle with an iPhone 4? Pining to test the much-lauded video-chatting feature FaceTime? (The feature requires both callers to be using an iPhone 4 over Wi-Fi.) Engadget is reporting that users without iPhone 4-toting friends can explore FaceTime by calling Apple. Simply dial 1-888-FACETIME between 8 AM and 8 PM CDT, and an Apple employee will appear, ready to show you ins and outs of FaceTime. Be nice, eh?

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iPad Sells 3 Million Units in 80 Days — It took Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg 80 days to travel around the world, and Apple has now announced that in the same period of time, it has sold 3 million iPads. It’s an impressive number that shows just how compelling the iPad is. And now, if you don’t mind, I’m off to download the free “Around the World in 80 Days” from the iBookstore for later iPad reading.

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White iPhone 4 Delayed into July — Apple has released a short statement that basically says, “It turned out to be harder to make the white iPhone 4 than we expected, so you’ll have to wait a few more weeks to get your grubby little hands on it. And speaking of which, we expect you to keep it clean!” We suspect the real reason has to do with matching the exact shade of Stormtrooper White.

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FaceTime Won’t Consume Voice Minutes for Video — Apple tells Business Insider that the iPhone 4 video chat feature FaceTime uses voice minutes only to set up the initial connection. Once video chat begins, the voice connection is no longer used. While this makes sense – just as with iChat video, a peer-to-peer data connection is built for the connection – Apple didn’t explain this so clearly at the iPhone 4 announcement or thereafter.

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