Patrick Kerley from Levick Strategic Communications has decided that Apple’s on stage performance was good, but their PR was lacking the entire time. I would agree.

Computerworld reports:

“Apple got caught flat-footed,” said Kerley. “By waiting as long as they did, they created a vacuum of news, and others stepped in, like Consumer Reports, to fill that vacuum.”

While Apple quickly acknowledged that holding the iPhone 4 could diminish the signal, its initial advice — “avoid gripping it in the lower left corner” or “use one of the many available cases” — struck some customers as insulting. A week later, Apple muddied the water by admitting that the iPhone 4’s signal strength formula was flawed, a clear misstep, according to Kerley.

“Their message was different from one week to the next,” Kerley said.

He did note that not many companies can wait so long to issue a response, and that Apple is special in that arena. While Apple hasn’t fully smoothed over all their customers, at least each and every iPhone 4 owner has the option to do what the want with the phone: get a refund, or a bumper. For the full analysis, be sure to check out the source below.

[Computeworld excerpted via Macworld]