It's only mildly suspicious that this is the first time Apple has sold a case for the iPhone (so I've read) and it's also required for a lot of people to get good reception with the phone. A cynical person might see this as more than a coincidence.
I read an article a few days ago written by a mobile engineer regarding the iPhone reception issues. I don't remember the link, but the main point was that the issue does exist, and it is worse than what one would normally expect from a phone. While it's true that all phones will take some reception hit from your hand getting in the way of the antenna, the iPhone 4's exposed antenna combined with a bare hand has a much more significant impact than normal. This can be demonstrated by using an iPhone 4 with a cloth between your hand and the antenna and then using it with no barrier between your hand and the antenna.
iPhones are generally good devices. Hardware-wise, I like them. In some ways the hardware is behind the curve, while in others it is ahead of the game. It's really the software I dislike, and the company philosophy. Of course, that's a great thing about the market: choice. People who would rather have something that "just works" provided they accept the limitations imposed and them and use the accompanying "just works" applications like iTunes can go for the iPhone. People who don't mind putting a little more thought into their device in exchange for the freedom and power it gives them can get something else, with Android being a great alternative. What annoys me is not that people like the iPhone, it's that many iPhone users act like their phone's superiority is
objective rather than
subjective.