The Social Analyst is a weekly column by Mashable Co-Editor Ben Parr, where he digs into social media trends and how they are affecting companies in the space.

Now that the iPhone 4 press conference has wrapped up and we’re all going to get free iPhone cases, it’s time to decompress and look at the big picture for Apple and the iPhone 4.

In the nearly 90-minute presentation and Q&A, Steve Jobs provided a compelling and mostly frank defense of his company’s device, which he said is “perhaps the best product we have ever built.” He admitted that there was a problem but put it in the context of other competitive smartphones, which he said have similar issues. He addressed the concerns of unhappy customers with an offer of free cases and an option for users to return their iPhones. Above all, he admitted that Apple “is not perfect.”

Was it enough to quiet the critics, though? What’s next for the world’s most valuable technology company and its crown jewel?

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The Storm Has Passed

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On Wednesday, I wrote a post entitled What Apple Must Do to Stop the Bleeding. In it, I provided five suggestions for recovering from this most recent PR nightmare:

1. Acknowledge That the Antenna Problem Is Real

2. Go into the Technical Details

3. Roll Out the Software Update

4. Make the Bumpers Free

5. No Matter What, Don’t Issue an iPhone 4 Recall

Apple implemented all of these things to a reasonable degree. It acknowledged that the antenna problem is real, and the company even created a website detailing the specific issues. It went into specific data on dropped calls, user complaints and attenuation. It rolled out iOS 4.0.1. It made the bumpers free. And finally, it avoided a costly recall.

Yes, Jobs dodged an apology to unhappy customers. Yes, Apple kept on pointing to the antenna issue as an industry-wide one. However, Apple’s actions are likely more than enough for the vast majority of its customers. The rest will either get a free case or return their mobile devices.

By addressing the media, Apple has effectively weathered this storm. The worst is behind them.

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But the Damage Is Done

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Apple didn’t come out of this unscathed, though. They had to take a beating from the media first. It doesn’t matter whether “antennagate” was overblown or not anymore: The damage has been done.

1. There will be financial damage (but not much). The free cases, free bumpers and iPhone returns will cost the company some revenue. However, we predict that the damage will be minimal in the face of overall profits. Expect record quarters — just not as high as they could have potentially been.

2. Apple is no longer perfect. That’s not to say that they ever were, but most people blamed AT&T for many of the iPhone’s problems rather than blaming the Apple team. Now, the door is open to criticism of Apple and its future products after Jobs’ admission of imperfection.

3. Future products will undergo more scrutiny. The media is just going to be more critical of Apple, at least for a while.

Consumers will likely remember “antennagate” when they purchase their next iPhone or iPad, and this episode might make them more cautious when they consider buying their next Apple product.

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What’s Next?

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Apple is moving on from this fiasco. It’s tough to tell now whether the antenna issues and resulting PR problems will be a quickly healing scratch or a long-lasting scar on Apple’s public face, but at least for now the company will turn its attention toward new products. The media will be on the lookout for the next opening though — and there will be one. When this happens again, many people — media moguls and end users alike — will be less likely to look past Apple’s imperfections.

However, consumers are almost certain to stay loyal to Apple. The explanation will be satisfactory to the vast majority of iPhone owners. Plus, who wants to give up their Retina Display and iPhone apps? I love Android(I own a Droid and an iPhone 4), but it doesn’t provide the iPhone experience. Anyone who’s become hooked on Apple products isn’t going to ditch them over “antennagate.”

The only thing Apple can is do is keep building products that enthrall millions of customers worldwide as users, media and Apple’s competitors watch ever more closely from the sidelines. Oh, and Android will continue to gain ground, providing more pressure on Apple to get as close to perfection as possible with its next few product launches.