iphone screen is dark

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iphone screen is dark

My wife has a new iphone that has the 2.2 os running on it. As of yesterday, the screen has gone dark (but the icons of the phone are still visible) the phone still functions. Brightness is at its highest level. Can't get into the genius bar for two days (typical). Any ideas? She is heading out of town prior to being able to get an appt.

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Dec 26, 2008 5:24 PM

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Answer 1

Jason L

Community Specialist

Dec 26, 2008 6:12 PM in response to sthersh

Hi sthersh,

Do you have a protective case on the iPhone? If you do try testing without it.

"Proximity sensor.
When you lift iPhone to your ear, the proximity sensor immediately turns off the display to save power and prevent inadvertent touches." http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/sensors.html

If there is not a protective case on the iPhone, try resetting or restoring the iPhone.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305743
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305744

-Jason

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Answer 2

sthersh Author

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Dec 27, 2008 5:46 AM in response to Jason L

Good idea, however, the phone screen is still dark. I tried taking the skin off and restoring the settings, but the dark screen remains...looks like my Treo in sleep mode...80% dark but you can still see all the icons. Since we downloaded 2.2 the other day, this has been a problem.

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Answer 3

Tpplus

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Dec 27, 2008 7:32 AM in response to sthersh

This happened to me yesterday on my non 3G. I saw the top and bottom, but the rest was dark. Couldn't dial, go to contacts, anything. I turned off, restarted, and it was fine. Good luck.

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Answer 4

Jason L

Community Specialist

Dec 30, 2008 3:54 PM in response to sthersh

sthersh,

When you restored the iPhone, did you set it up as a new phone or recover from backup? Try restoring and setting it up as a new phone.

If the issue persists, the iPhone may need hardware repair. Just make a reservation to have a Genius at a local Apple retail store take a look at it or call AppleCare.
http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/
U.S. iPhone technical support: 1-800-MY-IPHONE (1-800-694-7466)

-Jason

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Answer 5

Jan 21, 2009 3:23 PM in response to Jason L

I had the same problem several days ago after charging my 3G iphone placed screen side up under a bright table lamp. I could barely make out the icons and the screen was almost completely dark but from what I could still make out all the apps and phone continued to work. I tried all of the suggestions in this thread with no luck. I then turned out all lights and went to sleep deciding to visit my Genius Bar the next day. When I awoke, the screen back light had restored itself when I tried it. My opinion is that the light sensor on the phone was "overloaded" or "desensitized" from being charged for several hours sitting underneath a bright table lamp light. I have had no problem or recurrence since. If anyone is still having this problem simply try turning the phone off and placing it in a dark place for a few hours or overnight, make sure it is charged, and try again in the morning.

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