We’re only a short time away from Apple‘s hastily organised press conference, which should kick off at around 6pm UK time. It’s expected by all that the topic of conversation will be concentrated on the failings of the iPhone 4′s antenna, but what are we going to learn? There’s been plenty of speculation, rumour and discussion over the last few days – will there be a recall?

Don’t expect Apple to take too much responsibility. The Cupertino company is almost laughably secretive and has already tried to swerve the spotlight by releasing statements which claim the problem is not as serious as suggested, common on every other phone, not a hardware issue and almost every other kind of dodge you can possibly imagine.

In a week that has seen Consumer Reports – the US version of Which? – conclude that after rigorous in-house testing it couldn’t recommend the iPhone 4 to its readers, followed by a report from TUAW that revealed Apple were deleting posts mentioning the report from their forums, you would think that Apple might consider coming out with their hands up.

But anyone expecting any kind of admission of guilt is likely to end up disappointed…..

The Wall Street Journal revealed yesterday that a “source” had claimed that there would definitely be no recall and also reported that Apple “already knew” about the “iPhone issue” before the launch. It seems that at best, Apple will offer a free “bumper”, voluntary recall, an extension of guarantee or a software update.

It’s fair to say that whatever decision Apple make, it is unlikely to affect the attitudes of the core fan-club that has built up slowly since the mid-80′s. However, there seems to be a growing number of people who are starting to feel a bit weary of certain behaviours and bad seeds that seep from Apple’s core; the paranoia, the secrecy, the strong arm tactics, the exclusiveness and the dismissive way they treat other products.

Today’s Independent has run a large piece about Apple and public opinion that is well worth read. Could tonight’s press conference further damage the general public’s view of Apple? It’s possible, if they don’t get it right.

It’s quite a turnaround, when you think about it; back in 1984 and all the way through the ’90s, Apple were the independent; the underground; the rock and roll cousin to Microsoft’s stiff suited, conservative geek. Now, though, there seems to have been a complete reversal, in the same way that many young students with socialist values end up on the political right as soon as they get their hands on a decent wage.

You only have to take a look at their first ever advertisement – posted below – to see how things have almost turned around; now it’s Apple who have the control – and they seem to want to keep it that way.

We’ll be back with the fallout next week…………

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