iPhone volume is too low

While the iPhone's volume tends to be a bit softer than other phones, the problem should not be that severe. I have access to 3 iPhones used in my family, and the quality has been the same, somewhat low, but not bad. I use the Jawbone bluetooth headset, and I find that I have to squeeze it to my ear when I am in a loud location. Otherwise, the iPhone is loud enough. You may have an issue that is specific to your iPhone. I would recommend contacting Apple support. Good luck!

I have two iPhones and both are not loud enough for me and my wife. Sometimes it is loud but most of the time its quite. Even the videos change sometimes which is strange?

When making a call I notice that when I switch the phone to speaker mode the first ring is loud and then it gets quite.

I think there is some software inside that is limiting the volume and it is flaky.

Tom

My husband and I both have iPhones and absolutely love them, however, we have real issues with both phones and low volume. If we're in a quiet setting we can hear callers ok, but if there's any kind of background noise forget it. We have to switch over to our cheapo Sprint phones to actually hear. I just got off my landland with an applecare rep who advised me to take both phones into an apple store so they can check the speakers against theirs and see if there's a major difference. This is what I'll be doing tomorrow... should be interesting!

All iPhones seem to have a major problem with the receiver, speaker volume, (some are happy) but I agree that you should take it in and let them (Apple) know that they have really missed the boat on this one.

I ended up buying the Apple Bluetooth, which for now is the only method I found for using the iPhone as a real phone and not just a $600.00 iPod/YouTube device.

As always, it is just a sad, sad thing about the volume on the iPhone.

I too had the problem and thought the phone was bad until I did a bit of looking around. Here is what fixed the so called problem:
Go to settings
hit the ipod settings
hit the volume limit selection
move the volume bar all the way to the max
go back to ipod settings and you will see that the volume limit now says "off"
back out of settings and you will now see the volume is no longer limited. Once I changed mine, the volume is extremely high for all options to include phone volume. I can now turn down my volume to about half before it gets too loud.

It's worth bearing in mind that however frustrating for users, 6 weeks is not much time for a corporate body to retrieve feedback, analyze the problem and then produce a fix that actually resolves the problem

As someone who's often dealt with the brunt of customer complaints, I'm the first to give a company slack on the odd mistake. These things happen, and you fix it as quickly as possible, test and distribute an update. Or you tell everyone about a workaround.

But the first volume issues were reported last April from initial field testing. This is public knowledge. They've had more than enough time to issue a software fix, if that were all it needed. A possible conclusion (since it doesn't seem to affect all of them) is that it's a hardware issue with a particular batch (large or small) of phones.

Has anyone had the volume fluctuate from very low to overly loud ?

I went to check a voicemail today and usually its very low but it BLASTED out and I had to actually turn the volume down about half way. Just now I checked the SAME voicemail and it was low like usual and I had to turn up the volume to max.

I had this happen a few times.

Whats strange is the iPod stuff all plays fine and I usually have the volume about half way.

Has anyone had the volume fluctuate from very low to overly loud ?

I went to check a voicemail today and usually its very low but it BLASTED out and I had to actually turn the volume down about half way. Just now I checked the SAME voicemail and it was low like usual and I had to turn up the volume to max.

I had this happen a few times.

Whats strange is the iPod stuff all plays fine and I usually have the volume about half way.

I have to agree with the people who think the plastic being an issue is absolutely absurd.

If you aren't smart enough to know the plastic is on your phone...you probably shouldn't have an iPhone especially since it doesn't really come with a manual in the box.

The volume is pathetic. Period. But...I can say that I've owned lots of smart phones (I'm a gadget geek) and they all have poor speaker phone capability. At least the smartphones I've used.

The only phones that have EVER had a decent speakerphone was Nextel phones.

What's frustrating is that some people say they got a replacement phone and all there issues were resolved. The volume issue. Then I've wrote about poor reception issues and people say the same thing.

I've replaced my phone (not because of volume) but reception/massive dropped calls and neither issue was resolved by switching the phone or the sim.

Yep, the only we can hear our conversations is through our bluetooth headsets. So far, that's been our only "work around." I agree, it's a sad day when you spend $600.00 for a cell phone and have to invest additional $$$ for a bluetooth headset just so you can actually USE the phone.

The PLASTIC ISSUE.

Everybody has removed their plastic. If you haven't you probably would think to do so before worrying about the volume. That Apple didn't put a slot in the plastic for the earpiece and the home button so you don't need to buy a screen protector....uhm... whatever. If you didn't remove it and you worry about the volume just take it off, but seriously. It's not that plastic.

Let's take a little lesson from history here.

MacBook : 'MacBook may run warm because rear vent is blocked'. http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303848

Not saying it happens, but how much quality can be tested when the whole device is locked? Who's to say that the fix isn't fishing a piece of plastic out of the ear slot.

Even if that's not the issue, all kinds of little manufacturing issues occur in any mass produced product. I just hope they fix this before a) China executes somebody like Zheng Xiaoyu (food and drug) or b) Somebody commits suicide because of a defect like Zhang Shuhong (lead in units just below 1 million). On the radio today I heard 'Made in China is becoming a warning label'. I'm all for designed in California. I noticed the made in china part isn't as prominent on some labeling (new iMac keyboard), but that isn't going to solve the problem. There's a quality control issue. For the love of gadgets and money (or whatever people put faith in) remember:"If you want something done right, do it yourself". The way I see it somebody designed the iPhone (you think maybe Jonathan Ive ?) and with the issues going on it seems time somebody takes a 'paid vacation' to China (go johnny go). Before somebody says it, yeah I would go myself.

So there were all these iPhones tested before release. Yeah, because we saw so many people HOLDING IT UP TO THEIR EARS IN PUBLIC before release? I didn't even see it hidden in socks or cases or whatever excuse comes up. Ever notice the sound is fine on the headphones and on a bluetooth headset? How else are you going to slyly hide the phone and test it?

I'd almost rather have voice dialing and call management (stereo audio as well) improved or added on the phone that raising the speaker volume because you know that's mostly a firmware/software issue and in reality nobody outside Apple knows what's going on with the speaker volume. If it doesn't work correctly return it. Don't wait for the mythical firmware. If it's out there don't you think maybe somebody from Apple would have stated something based on the volume of complaints and the prominence the iPhone plays in the media now? You would HOPE that with your customer service rating deteriorating (American Customer Satisfaction Index) when you have one of the most widely covered products in the press now might just be a good time to get back to some good old hands on testing and quality control.

Call AT&T, Call Apple, visit a store, and if you can't get it working take it back. If the display models are louder definitely get it exchanged on the spot.

I hope everybody has this issue remedied to their satisfaction as soon as possible.

Good Luck,
-j

But the first volume issues were reported last April from initial field testing.

So the only rational conclusion from that is that Apple went ahead and released the product with a known defect rather than resolve it. For if they did resolve it, it wouldn't be apparent.

As much as I like conspiracy theories, that really doesn't stand up. It makes far more sense that if volume issues were reported and known during testing, Apple would have re-engineered the product. If the supposition that a fix can be effected via a software update (and the recent one seemed to help some) then this would hardly be a problem. If it can't be resolved that way, then the defect has to affect every iPhone - which flies in the face of the evidence from those who can use them without problem. Including me, because my iPhone has perfectly acceptable volume - actually much louder than my Kyocera, and similar to my RAZR.

A possible conclusion (since it doesn't seem to affect all of them) is that it's a hardware issue with a particular batch (large or small) of phones.

That's far more likely - and actually far more worrying. That would imply wide tolerances in components causing wide variations is product reaching the public, or one of any number of a production lines turning out uniformly defective devices, meaning there would likely be many thousands in circulation.

I would contend that's why it is taking this long to issue a fix (assuming there is one), because it's really only by sifting every report, all the serial numbers and all the variables that it would be clear where the problem is and what the cause.

test and distribute an update

One hopes that's exactly what's being done now. Perhaps even it has already been done (the 1.0.1 update) that in some cases appeared to resolve the problem and in some cases didn't.

We're working in the dark - no information on which to base much in the way of solid conclusions about the problem, what causes it, what can be done about it, what Apple knows about it and what they can or are doing to resolve it. All we know is that there IS a problem, and that so far, Apple's response in terms of the update seems to have not helped everyone, or indeed many, and in terms of the knowledgebase article, has (rightly) angered people who should not have to accept being treated like half-wits.

I love my Macs, I love my iPhone. Nevertheless my iphone speaker volume on calls is criminal. Despite the phones many advantages, I find myself discouraging my friends from buying one just yet as the speaker volume on phone calls is so poor. When I first bought a treo I disliked it until I installed a handy little volume boosting application which fixed the problem. This issue is a phone killer. I am flabbergasted.

Ditto!

Flabbergasted. I totally love that word.
Didn't you play with one before you bought it ? Just curious. Also for me the volume is too quite on a public street, but then again it is almost as loud as being in a rock concert ( public street) and I would not imagine I could hear much there either. No one has any answers on Apple updates, what or when, or if the volume can be fixed or not. I have suggested the iphone to many people. In fact on my recent trip at least 5 peeps asked me about it, and I was honest. I said the volume was a little low to me, and seemed to be the biggest complaint, but other than that it rocks, go buy one.