I remember buying the Bumper for my iPhone 4 clear as day. What started off as a mere protective accessory took a wild turn.
iPhone 4 Bumper Started its Journey as a Stylish Protective Accessory – Saw itself Become a Solution for Cellular Problems
We’ve known Apple for making iPhone cases for a long time. But, the company’s journey started from the good old Bumper for the iPhone 4. A plain accessory, designed to keep the sides of your iPhone 4 safe from bumps and drops.
The Bumper came in several colors, too. You could buy one in white, black, blue, green, orange, or pink back then. And, the Bumper was a mixture of metal, plastic and rubber materials. Priced at $29, it wasn’t expensive either.
Nothing was expensive back in 2010.
The whole point of the accessory was straightforward – protect the sides of your iPhone 4 while showing off the beautiful glass back and the silver Apple logo. The decision to make a bumper-style accessory instead of a proper case felt very intentional, and it still does.
Soon after the launch of the iPhone 4, the Antennagate issue popped up. Steve Jobs even called a press conference, which gave the entire issue a new turn and the Bumper along with it.
The Bumper was dubbed as the solution to the Antennagate problem because it kept the user’s hand away from the antenna lines. With time, Apple was giving away Bumpers for free to customers who were affected by the issue the most. So many people asked for these, Apple pulled the ones on sale and directed the rest to affected users.
Later on, the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s would see a change in antenna design, which meant you no longer needed a Bumper if you were facing cellular issues.
What started off as a great way to liven up your iPhone 4 look turned into a solution for cellular issues. I’m pretty sure Apple is not going to make a similar accessory again, given how infamous the Bumper has become.
Nothing about the accessory was particularly good. If your iPhone 4 managed to hit something protruding from a surface, the back was definitely going to crack. The cutout for the silent switch was deep and awful, too.
The day I bought one, it felt like an incomplete case and now when I look back at it, it’s the most un-Apple thing ever.
I really, really don’t want this one to return. Ever.
