After weeks of controversy surrounding the iPhone 4's antenna issues, Apple has responded by offering free cases to current owners and anyone who purchases an iPhone 4 before September 30.

Rumblings of technical issues with the iPhone 4 antenna began on launch day, when users and tech blogs were reporting that, when touching the iPhone's antenna in the lower left part of the phone, service would drop out substantially. It was found that having a case, such as Apple's rubberized Bumper, would prevent direct contact with the antenna and thereby fix the issue. The Bumper sells for $29.99.

Earlier this week, Consumer Reports announced that it couldn't recommend the iPhone 4 until Apple offered a free solution to the antenna problem.

Apple held a press conference Friday (July 16) to discuss the problem. Steve Jobs, the co-founder and CEO of Apple, spoke to a small crowd of media, saying the antenna problems on the iPhone 4 have been blown out of proportion. Jobs mentioned that "less than one half of 1 percent" of those contacting AppleCare were experiencing problems with the iPhone 4 antenna and that the rate of dropped calls is equal to that of the iPhone 3GS.

Jobs continued, saying that "[smart] phones aren't perfect ... every phone has weak spots," and he proceeded to show videos of other smart phones experiencing the same drop in reception when held in a certain way.

But Jobs was quick to note that Apple is still concerned about the small percentage of users who are experiencing problems with their phones. He announced that any current iPhone 4 owner, or anyone who purchases the phone before September 30, 2010, will be able to submit a request online for a free case. Because Apple won't be able to manufacture enough Bumper cases for everyone, the site will allow users to select from a range of third-party cases as well.

Those who receive a free case will then have 30 days to decide whether they want to keep the phone or take it back to the store for a full refund.

Apple will begin taking requests for free cases starting late next week.

For more on the iPhone 4, head on over to Multiplayer.MTV.com.