Charles Schumer, a Democratic senator from New York, sent an open letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs over the much-publicized reception issues of the iPhone 4. Schumer, who expressed "concern" for the problem, says that the company needs to "to address this flaw in a transparent manner."

The senator, who serves as vice chairman of the Senate's Joint Economic Committee and the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, writes that iPhone 4 buyers, which may be as many as about two million people, may not have "complete information" about the device.

Apple has faced a public uproar over the issue since the day of the iPhone 4's launch. Users reported that holding the phone in a certain way, usually if the lower left part is covered, causes the signal to weaken or disappear. Apple's initial response was to tell customers that the problem was common to all phones. In a note to customers, the company suggested that users buy a rubber bumper case or hold the phone in a different way to fix the problem. Apple later said that the problem was caused by faulty software, a claim that was rejected by product reviews magazine Consumer Reports, which gave the iPhone 4 a negative review.

The senator writes that he wants Apple to provide customers a clear explanation for the reception issues and to offer a free fix to the people who've already bought the phone.

"The solutions offered to date by Apple for dealing with the so-called 'death grip' malfunction--such as holding the device differently, or buying a cover for it--seem to be insufficient... These proposed solutions would unfairly place the burden on consumers for resolving a problem they were not aware of when they purchased their phones," the senator wrote.

Schumer may get what he wants soon. Apple will be having a press conference at its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. The company offers no further details other than saying that it would be talking about the iPhone 4.

The full text can be found here.