Otterbox and echo problem

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Level 1

8 points

Otterbox and echo problem

Is there a correlation beween these two? I've seen a couple of posts that said the iPhone had an echo after it was placed in an Otterbox case. I put my wife's phone in a new Otterbox Defender last night, and it has a terrible echo today. It's never had the echo before, and the echo can only be heard on the other caller's end (not by my wife). Does anyone know what might cause this?

BTW, I've got an Otterbox Defender on my iPhone and have never had the problem. Mine is a new 8GB iPhone, while my wife's is a 4GB phone that was purchased the day the iPhones were released.

Dell

Posted on Jan 30, 2008 10:20 AM

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Answer 1

Jan 30, 2008 10:28 AM in response to edlover

I had that problem on my crappy razor, but it always ended up being an issue with the signal or the connection. Could that be the case here? Also have you tried removing it from the case during an echo call to see if it clears up?

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Answer 2

edlover Author

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Jan 30, 2008 1:01 PM in response to sanguinarian

I haven't had a chance to take it out of the case yet, because my wife still has it. However, every call that she has made today has had the echo, not just to me but to everyone else. I've got a feeling that the echo will stop when I take it out of the case.

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Answer 3

edlover Author

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8 points

Jan 30, 2008 1:12 PM in response to edlover

OK, here's a weird update. My wife got aggravated with the thing, so she took the silicon sleave off of the Otterbox Defender but could not get the hard plastic case off. She calls me to ask how to remove the plastic case, and guess what...no echo on the call. What could the silicon sleave possibly be doing to cause the echo?

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Answer 4

Frodo B

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129 points

Jan 30, 2008 1:56 PM in response to edlover

I had the same problem! I put my iPhone in my new Otter Box Defender case and my sister said she could hear herself echoing when I called her. I did not hear an echo on my end. I hung up and called her again and she still heard the echo. After taking off the case she said the echo was gone. Now the weird thing is I put the case back on and the echo was gone. I was beginning to think it was a network issue but then I read this...

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Answer 5

edlover Author

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8 points

Jan 30, 2008 2:07 PM in response to Frodo B

I'll try that approach (take it off and then put it back on). I can't imagine what is causing this, especially since the echo stopped after the silicon was taken off of the case. To my knowledge, there's only 4 places that the silicon actually touches the iPhone (volume up, volume down, lock button on top, and home button). But I don't think that any of these would be causing a malfunction.

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Answer 6

edlover Author

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8 points

Jan 31, 2008 7:08 AM in response to edlover

Update - I put the silicon sleave back on the Otterbox Defender and the echo did not return. After I tested it, I went ahead and rebooted the iPhone and did the connect/disconnect headphoned remedy, just for good measure. The iPhone has worked without any problem, at least as of this morning. I'll post any update if things change.

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Answer 7

Jan 31, 2008 8:11 AM in response to edlover

that has to be one of the strangest things i can think of. Maybe (and i am spitting in the wind here) if the silicone gets misaligned a certain way it creates this weird sound hole that bounces the sound waves of your voice, but when repositioned it clears it up.

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Answer 8

edlover Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 31, 2008 8:31 AM in response to sanguinarian

I agree...very weird. I was trying to think of a reason why that would cause it. The sensor above the earpiece is not covered at all by the silicon, so I don't think that has anything to do with it. But there is no doubt that the Otterbox was causing something, because the echo stopped when she removed that silicon sleave. I've emailed Otterbox's support center, and hopefully I'll hear something more concrete from them.

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Answer 9

Jan 30, 2008 1:23 PM in response to edlover

maybe you have the ultra sonic reverb silicone?

I kid..honestly that is odd...put the silicone back on and see if it comes back.

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