Consumer Reports has just published a report on the iPhone 4 that refutes Apple, Inc.’s claim that the iPhone 4 signal issues are a “shocking” software error. Consumer Reports says:

Our findings call into question the recent claim by Apple that the iPhone 4’s signal-strength issues were largely an optical illusion caused by faulty software that “mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength.” The tests also indicate that AT&T’s network might not be the primary suspect in the iPhone 4’s much-reported signal woes.

The report goes onto say that Consumer Reports can not recommend the iPhone 4 due to the antenna/signal issues that are obviously and apparent. CR adds a little bit of insult to injury by saying, “We did, however, find an affordable solution for suffering iPhone 4 users: Cover the antenna gap with a piece of duct tape or another thick, non-conductive material. It may not be pretty, but it works.” Ouch. Hit the jump for the video and link to the full report.

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