The ringer switch on my iPhone broke off

Heading to Apple Store today for this exact problem. Isn't the 3G supposed to have "metal switches" -the part that remains inside the case is clearly plastic. I was sitting at the airport and went to switch to silent and bam, the switch disappeared.

They replaced the phone. This switch is just plain badly designed... it easily switches too easily to silent in fact I NEVER put to silent position except in theaters or airports and yet I so often find the switch in that position on it's own. I complained about this the first week I switched to 3G.

When it broke it was a black plastic nub left inside that I could not move at all - the woman at the genius bar was able to with her long fingernail. I would never have glued it as it would never had held (and I never found the piece).

Something like this should've been an option as software or profiles. I don't know why Apple decided to add a switch to turn off the ringer when so many regular phones & smart phones out there do it all by software. And this is a company that dont view such basic things as MMS viable to its users currently but resort to such a flawed feature. Sure you can can send pictures via email. But can you send sound and video too? Nope...

Message was edited by: Kensei

I disagree... well, I think there should also be an active switch to turn ringer off like they have done - too many people never turn off their ringer because it IS software option only... you can turn it to vibrate in software on iPhone too. I like the switch I just think it is not a well designed switch (switches to vibrate often on it's own) and then when it broke off in my hand and I see others are having this issue... makes me wonder when mine will break again.

[quote]I disagree... well, I think there should also be an active switch to turn ringer off like they have done - too many people never turn off their ringer because it IS software option only... you can turn it to vibrate in software on iPhone too. I like the switch I just think it is not a well designed switch (switches to vibrate often on it's own) and then when it broke off in my hand and I see others are having this issue... makes me wonder when mine will break again.
[/quote]


Everyone phone I had used even the basic ones had software ringer silence. Even if Apple incorporated the switch for that I dont think it be any harder to add it as a software feature too. Then we wouldn't be breaking the switches and Apple wouldnt be hearing about broken ringer off switches. It be to their benefit to do this. Less parts, less replacements, less headaches about this issue.

Hey all,

I live in South America and bought my iPhone around 3 and a half months ago. Last week my ringer switch broke off just the day I was supposed flying to the US. When I got there, they told me at Apple in Miami that I would have to replace it at the place where I bought it. I was wondering that if I replaced it, if I could get a white iphone cuz I now have a black one and I realized that I liked the white one better. Is it possible to get a white iphone??

I personally love the physical switch for silence.

I don't need to pull the phone out of my pocket to turn it to silent i.e. a software switch, and its one of the most used functions of my phone 😀

Happened to me TWICE!!!
In fact the second time it happened to me a week after I got it replaced.
I'm terrified to use the switch.
I'm beginning to think the case I have has something to do with it. I have a Contour hard shell case, and I wonder if the way you access the switch, might aggravate an already vulnerable design.
They have replaced it twice for me, and said they wouldn't do it again if it happens.

So what about iphone 3G in Paris. The same thing - broken switch. Where should I bring it - to the store where I bought it ? there are no Apple Store in Paris yet - will I have it replaced or what ? If I live in US - that will be easy but what about Europe, France ?

Well I say youre lucky. The darn switch is a curse for me. It gets switched off while in my pocket all the time. (maybe cuz it gets rubbed, or maybe i have a nervous habit of flipping the switch on and off, whatever). So I miss a lot of calls.

the whole black part with the red dot?
or only the silver part thats glued to the black part with the red dot?

Search the forums. This has been reported before. Some folks glued it back on with Krazy Glue, others returned it for a replacement.

It's a reported problem.

Make an appointment with your Apple Genius Bar so that they can replace the phone for you.

My phone's vibrate broke. I was in the Apple store for that when the silet button broke off. They just gave me a new phone.

It would seem it's a common or at least a known problem.

Isn't that what the previous poster said?