RIM: "Apple's attempt to draw RIM into Apple's self-made debacle is unacceptable"

We couldn't imagine RIM, HTC and Samsung would be too keen on being held up as similar antenna sufferers during yesterday's iPhone 4 press conference, and sure enough the first official comment has arrived.  RIM's co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie mince no words, either, accusing Apple of "deliberate attempts to distort the public's understanding of an antenna design issue" and saying that their "attempt to draw RIM into Apple's self-made debacle is unacceptable."  Full, scathing statement after the cut.

"Apple's attempt to draw RIM into Apple's self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple's claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public's understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple's difficult situation. RIM is a global leader in antenna design and has been successfully designing industry-leading wireless data products with efficient and effective radio performance for over 20 years. During that time, RIM has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage. One thing is for certain, RIM's customers don't need to use a case for their BlackBerry smartphone to maintain proper connectivity. Apple clearly made certain design decisions and it should take responsibility for these decisions rather than trying to draw RIM and others into a situation that relates specifically to Apple." Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, CEOs, RIM

Apple currently has an antenna-specific page on their site that discusses attenuation and demonstrates how gripping the BlackBerry Bold 9700 in a certain way can negatively affect signal strength.  CEO Steve Jobs himself mentioned the same results on stage yesterday, as an example of how the iPhone 4's antenna issue was "an industry problem" rather than uniquely an Apple problem.

We're yet to see official comments from HTC or Samsung, but we'd expect them to both pipe up about the situation too.  Perhaps not quite so aggressively as RIM has done, but then again when you build your business on enterprise reliability you can't really afford to have someone poke holes in that.

[via CrackBerry - thanks Si!]