Apple will end its free iPhone 4 case program on September 30, Apple announced in a note on its Web site.
Customers who purchase an iPhone 4 after that date and experience connectivity or "death grip" issues can contact Apple and discuss a free case option on a case-by-case basis.
"We now know that the iPhone 4 antenna attenuation issue is even smaller than we originally thought. A small percentage of iPhone 4 users need a case, and we want to continue providing them a Bumper case for free," Apple said in its statement. "For everyone else, we are discontinuing the free case program on all iPhone 4s sold after September 30, 2010. We are also returning to our normal returns policy for all iPhone 4s sold after September 30. Users experiencing antenna issues should call AppleCare to request a free Bumper case."
Apple released its iPhone 4 earlier this summer, and users soon reported that gripping the phone in a certain way decreased its reception significantly. Apple initially brushed off the problem - dubbed a "death grip" and "antennagate" - with Steve Jobs telling users to hold the phone a different way and Apple saying that most phones experience those kinds of issues.
Eventually, however, Apple called a press conference and announced that it would provide free bumpers or cases to iPhone 4 buyers until Sept. 30. At the time, Jobs said Apple would consider extending the program beyond Sept. 30 if that made sense, which it apparently does not.
Apple also waived the re-stocking fee it charged on returns; $20 for the 16GB iPhone 4 and $30 for the 32GB version. The return to a normal returns process likely means the return of that re-stocking fee.
Users who buy an iPhone 4 before Sept. 30, however, still have the chance to get their free bumper, which normally sell for $29. To order one, download the "iPhone 4 Case Program" app from the App Store, launch the app on your phone, and follow the directions. Apple will then send you one in the mail.