Could Apple's iPhone 4 be cursed?

The popular device has been plagued by misfortunes — including a suicide, two lost prototypes and a shaky debut. On Friday, the company is expected to respond to antenna complaints

By David Sarno and Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times

Could anything else go wrong with the iPhone 4?

The popular device has been plagued by misfortune — including the suicide of a Chinese worker, lost prototypes and a shaky debut last month, where Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs could not get the phone to connect to the Internet.

Now, in what amounts to a rare acknowledgment of a misstep, Apple Inc. has scheduled a news conference Friday where it is expected to announce its response to widespread complaints about the phone's antenna.

Analysts say potential remedies range from giving customers a free protective case to launching a massive recall that could cost Apple $1.5 billion.

The string of woes have been so striking that some have sought alternative explanations, including the notion that the phone may simply be jinxed. One theory focuses on the number four.

In China, where the iPhone is manufactured, four is considered to be bad luck. That's largely because the word for four is nearly identical to the word for death. Many buildings in Hong Kong do not have a fourth floor, and people try to avoid phone numbers and license plates with "4" in them.