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It seems that Apple could have avoided antenna issues as the problem was discovered during the design phase. An unnamed source sited by Bloomberg claims that Apple’s senior antenna expert voiced a concern to CEO Steve Jobs early on that the antenna may cause dropped calls.

Ruben Caballero, a senior engineer and antenna expert from Apple brought forth his concern to management some time last year, pointing out that the design may hinder reception. This concern about iPhone 4 antenna also came up with a carrier partner before its release on June 24th.

The problem with the latest iPhone model lies in the placement of the metal antenna. Executives at Apple made the decision to focus on creating a lightweight and thin design over other aspects of the phone.

Unfortunately this decision affected the quality of calls made by the iPhone 4. The problem with the signal arises when a user places a finger on certain places on the phone, which Consumer Reports suggests can be remedied by cover the antenna with duct tape.

However this solution is not very likely to please iPhone users who have high standards when it comes to sleek gadgets.

Since complaints hit from customers and due to a lack of support from Consumer Reports, Apple has been feeling pressure to fix the problem. Currently Apple’s spokesperson Steve Dowling has declined comment, but Apple will be holding a press conference to discuss it further.

With the iPhone 4 reaching record breaking sales all over the world, customers and stockholders surely anticipate Apple’s response. So far, Apple’s advice has been to be conscious of how you hold the phone. Apple has also suggested that it may simply be a software problem and they’re looking into a solution.

At this point some speculate that Apple faces the possibility of a recall due to complaints, lack of promotion and even pressure from the government.

Consumer Reports isn’t recommending the iPhone due to its poor signal quality while U.S Senator Charles Schumer insists that Apple “address this flaw in a transparent matter.”

However the real uncertainty lies in how Apple addresses this issue, according to analyst Andy Hargreaves, who also adds, “A product recall is extremely unlikely.

Some users may be quick to speculate that the real source of the signal problems comes from AT&T’s networking being flooded with users (in part thanks to the popularity of the iPhone) but Consumer Reports testing indicates that the problem is unique to the iPhone 4.

At this point the problem with the antenna is in the public’s eye it’s up to Apple to assure customers that a solution is on the way.