Issue with Proximity Sensor during calls

I borrowed a brand new 3Gs running iOS4 from a colleague at work today and her iPhone 3Gs's proximity sensor activates at a distance of 2" from the phone and all 4 iPhone 4s that I have tested activate at about 3/4". This seems to me to be the issue that is encountered as the phone rocks back and forth - particularly, as some have indicated, when holding the phone between the shoulder and the ear.

I don't know the cause, but my iPhone4 has started hanging up while I am talking on the phone. Is this problem being looked into by Apple?

@djproduct: I also got my phone replaced, I thought it had stopped but then it started up again. I even set up my phone as a new phone and everything. I'm more inclined to believe this is a software issue.

Same crappy issue. To make matters worse, I'm left-handed too. I just can't believe how much Apple dropped the ball on this one. I'm seriously considering down-grading to the 3GS

Husband and I have both been using our old 3G cases, I didn't think that was it but it appears the issue has gone away since I quit using the old case.

jls33fsls wrote:
I am having the same issue. I am holding my phone in the exact same way I always did with my 3G, and it is right up against my face, but it continuously switches the screen on and off. I was just on a 10 minute call where mute was turned on 3 times and speaker once, all by my ear.

Count me in - same exact problem here.

Same problem here. It happen a few times while holding the phone against my shoulder and another time when I pull it away to look at the screen and then brought it back to my ear. I hope is only a software issue and they can release an update soon. Between this and the antenna problem I am re-thinking my position for apple. They need to get it together, to much bad rep since the release. Not good apple, not good.

In just 3 days my ear and cheek muted calls, started FaceTime, moved calls to speakerphone out of the blue, hung up on people I called, went back to the home screen and launched apps... Worst yet: putting one caller on hold while dialing an expensive international call and putting it in conference.

This has NEVER happened to me with my 3G and my 3GS - NEVER, not even once. The iPhone 4 did it to me about 25 times in its first 3 days alone!

This is just not a device you can trust in a normal course of communications and business. I don't understand how this experimental shoddy unit ever made it to market in this condition.

Agreed. I have had all iPhones released and never did i experience this horrible issue. I do not have an issue with reception but this sensor problem makes it almost impossible to use the iPhone most basic function and that is cellular service. Im returning on Friday!

I have had the same issue with my iP4...I was in the middle of a call and I assume that my cheek must have pressed the END CALL and dialed another number from my call list, because next thing I knew - my phone was calling someone else. Now, I wish that I had waited a few months to let Apple work out their bugs!

Message was edited by: bbrannan

This s happening to me as well. I have the 32gb iPhone 4. And every time I place a call and the phone reaches my face. It does something I didn't tell it to. It hangs up or puts mute or speaker on

I am having all of the issues that the rest of iPhone 4 owners are having. I just got back from the Genius Bar and the rep told me that this is a known issue and he thinks it will be fixed in the upcoming update. He said he could exchange my handset but there is a good chance it will have the same issue. He said to just wait and see if the update fixes the problem and if it doesn't they will gladly exchange the handset.

Ditto. Me to. So far muted calls and dialed numbers during a call a few times. Blamed others for pressing buttons in my ear until realized it was ME!!!

The screen will blink randomly when I have headphones in while on a call. Seems to be related. Haven't made enough calls yet to see if it happens when I have to up to my face. I did drop some calls recently with excellent signal...

I reported this issue to Apple tech support. I was instructed to perform a Restore on my phone. I did that, and although it may be too soon to say, so far it seems like performing the Restore has resolved the problem with the proximity sensor for me.