iPhone 4 Bumper

Ah, the Bumper — the only Apple case born out of a public apology.

The iPhone 4 debuted a gorgeous new antenna design: stainless steel bands wrapped around the edges of the device. Users quickly discovered that holding the phone in a certain way — covering the lower-left corner where two antennas meet — caused a significant drop in signal strength. The "death grip" was born, and the whole controversy was dubbed antennagate.

Steve Jobs held an entire press conference about it, explaining that signal attenuation was common across smartphones — just more noticeable on the iPhone 4 thanks to its antenna design. Apple's remedy was the Bumper: a case that wraps around the edges of the phone without covering the back or front, keeping your hand from touching the antenna bands directly. Every iPhone 4 owner could claim one for free, for a limited time.

The iPhone 4s arrived with a reworked antenna system, and the drama was over.