Issue with Proximity Sensor during calls

Yes, AT&T responded, but they also fully identified the defect... meaning that they can fix and are working on the fix (probably just Q&A the fix and waiting for Apple approval with its OS). AT&T only responded as such because they have a fix in mind.

Maybe Apple does not fully have a fix in mind at this point... weighing the options of software update (does it affect the battery life or some other feature), hardware fix (revising the whole iPhone 4 line), or both. Maybe, they have a solution and are ready to release the updated OS once they fully addressed it, so they can acknowledge and address at the same time. What if the fix affects how apps are coded? There are things to consider.

Yes, I want to see the fix and Apple saying they addressed it after identifying. I just know that it is not simple and quick, especially if the firmware is going to manipulate voltage, amperes, and wattage at the circuit level to boost or change the sensor. This can certainly affect other pieces of hardware and their performance and potentially the battery life overall. Just my 2 cents... and giving Apple some time.

And, yes, Apple DOES read the forums, and, yes, the developers do see this, and, yes, customer service knows about these issues. They all play the silent part in the interest and direction of Apple till they can say something that aligns with the company and their course of action they want to take.

I just hope the issues are software issues, not hardware issues. I've done some testing of the proximity sensor on my iPhone 4 compared to my iPhone 3G (still running iOS 3.x) and the iPhone 3G behaves correctly - the minute you cover the earpiece with your finger, the screen goes black. And, the minute you remove your finger from over the earpiece, the screen returns. However, with the iPhone 4, I can place my finger an inch away from the earpiece and the screen goes black. And, after moving my finger further away, it takes over a second for the screen to return.

It definitely "seems" like a software issue, I just hope that it truly is because, otherwise, it will be harder for Apple to "make it right" for everybody. And I don't see them sending replacement iPhones to everyone to remedy a hardware problem.

Message was edited by: anderly

In response to:

riversen wrote:
For everyone returning their iPhone's, I suspect you have little or zero investment in apps purchased, iTunes music bought, Podcasts listening to, or videos or TV shows played, correct? I cannot see how someone can so quickly give up on the phone. If it is so bad.

To say that we have not invested money into our phones and therefore will not cost us to return the Iphone 4 or etc. I will give you an example. I purchased some ring tones (about $15 worth). Apple Iphone Support instructed me to conifigure my Iphone as a new phone to address the proximity issue and I did. I did not know that those ring tones would be deleted in Itunes. So I lost $15 worth of ring tones. I asked Apple how to get them back. They told me to restore a previous backup on the phone and it would restore them. I could then sync with Itunes again. Wait a minute.... They told me that I needed to get ride of the previous backup on the phone, because it could be causing the proximity issue. Now they are telling me to reinstall it so I can get my ring tones back. Does not make sense to me. So do I reinstall a previous backup, restore the ring tones and maybe make my phone unstable? Do I try to make my phone stable and kiss the $15 goog bye? So this does cost pepole money! These ring tones were purchased on the Iphone 4 and downloaded directly onto the Iphone 4 via the app store.

TrentP wrote:
I told her that they needed to fix the problem with the proximity sensor. She said that she had not heard of this issue ant that the store Genius’s had not either.

snip

She then said that they had had a few customers enter the store to complain about the proximity sensor issue (so they were aware of it).

Wait, reading your post (which was very thorough and well explained, thank you), I gather that the manager changed her story from when you first told her you had a problem with the proximity sensor to when you were about to leave the store. Am I mis-reading, or did she really change her story about whether or not she or the geniuses had heard of the proximity sensor issue before?

Agreed.

Will return and wait. In the meantime I need to be able make some calls.

I mean, that's what I bought the phone for. Lol.

Apple = Excellence

That's what we have gotten used to. I can't make excuses for them now.

riversen wrote:
Yes, AT&T responded, but they also fully identified the defect... meaning that they can fix and are working on the fix (probably just Q&A the fix and waiting for Apple approval with its OS). AT&T only responded as such because they have a fix in mind.

Maybe Apple does not fully have a fix in mind at this point... weighing the options of software update (does it affect the battery life or some other feature), hardware fix (revising the whole iPhone 4 line), or both. Maybe, they have a solution and are ready to release the updated OS once they fully addressed it, so they can acknowledge and address at the same time. What if the fix affects how apps are coded? There are things to consider.

Yes, I want to see the fix and Apple saying they addressed it after identifying. I just know that it is not simple and quick, especially if the firmware is going to manipulate voltage, amperes, and wattage at the circuit level to boost or change the sensor. This can certainly affect other pieces of hardware and their performance and potentially the battery life overall. Just my 2 cents... and giving Apple some time.

And, yes, Apple DOES read the forums, and, yes, the developers do see this, and, yes, customer service knows about these issues. They all play the silent part in the interest and direction of Apple till they can say something that aligns with the company and their course of action they want to take.

You are not mis-reading. They are all a bunch of liars. I had the exact same thing happen to me on the phone with an Apple senior advisor. "oh no sir, that's terrible you are hanging up / muting calls. I am so sorry for the trouble you are having. This is the first time I have heard of that issue."

Then 30 minutes later after me grilling him about how widespread the problem is, he admits that this is his second time addressing the issue. I asked him if he really expected me to believe that either and he went silent. Even later in the conversation he admitted that he was also having the issue and recommended I purchase a $30 rubber band (bumper case) that "might" help. I told the guy I understand that he is given direction on what he is supposed to say, but that I DO NOT APPRECIATE BEING LIED TO.

This service from apple is unbelievable. I have never had such a poor experience from them. My guess is that they must really be scrambling to try and fix it or we wouldn't be getting so much grief. Like the previous posts, returning the phone really isn't a viable option for me. Neither is sending in for a 3rd iphone4. This is such a JOKE!!!

Apple get this taken care of.

avanpelt wrote:

TrentP wrote:
I told her that they needed to fix the problem with the proximity sensor. She said that she had not heard of this issue ant that the store Genius’s had not either.

snip

She then said that they had had a few customers enter the store to complain about the proximity sensor issue (so they were aware of it).

Wait, reading your post (which was very thorough and well explained, thank you), I gather that the manager changed her story from when you first told her you had a problem with the proximity sensor to when you were about to leave the store. Am I mis-reading, or did she really change her story about whether or not she or the geniuses had heard of the proximity sensor issue before?

riversen wrote:
For everyone returning their iPhone's, I suspect you have little or zero investment in apps purchased, iTunes music bought, Podcasts listening to, or videos or TV shows played, correct? I cannot see how someone can so quickly give up on the phone.

Incorrect, in my case. I have several hundred dollars invested in apps and DRM'ed iTunes music. However, I had a 32 GB iPod Touch before I got my 16 GB iPhone 3G (which my wife now uses and loves.) If Apple refuses to acknowledge the proximity sensor issue with iPhone 4 and state that a fix will be available on or before ex date, I will revert back to using the iPod Touch for Apple specific apps and carry the Verizon Droid X as my primary means of communication. I can use the Droid X as a "MiFi" for the iPod Touch for $20 per month if absolutely necessary.

Lol. This is what I am saying. Welcome to the new Apple.

@riversen - How do we even know they are working on a fix? I have never dealt with this version of Apple. Hmmm.

Apple 2.0

RyeDarrow wrote:
You are not mis-reading. They are all a bunch of liars. I had the exact same thing happen to me on the phone with an Apple senior advisor. "oh no sir, that's terrible you are hanging up / muting calls. I am so sorry for the trouble you are having. This is the first time I have heard of that issue."

Then 30 minutes later after me grilling him about how widespread the problem is, he admits that this is his second time addressing the issue. I asked him if he really expected me to believe that either and he went silent. Even later in the conversation he admitted that he was also having the issue and recommended I purchase a $30 rubber band (bumper case) that "might" help. I told the guy I understand that he is given direction on what he is supposed to say, but that I DO NOT APPRECIATE BEING LIED TO.

This service from apple is unbelievable. I have never had such a poor experience from them. My guess is that they must really be scrambling to try and fix it or we wouldn't be getting so much grief. Like the previous posts, returning the phone really isn't a viable option for me. Neither is sending in for a 3rd iphone4. This is such a JOKE!!!

Apple get this taken care of.

avanpelt wrote:

TrentP wrote:
I told her that they needed to fix the problem with the proximity sensor. She said that she had not heard of this issue ant that the store Genius’s had not either.

snip

She then said that they had had a few customers enter the store to complain about the proximity sensor issue (so they were aware of it).

Wait, reading your post (which was very thorough and well explained, thank you), I gather that the manager changed her story from when you first told her you had a problem with the proximity sensor to when you were about to leave the store. Am I mis-reading, or did she really change her story about whether or not she or the geniuses had heard of the proximity sensor issue before?

Good post, riversen. I just think as the 30-day window closes for people that got their's around launch day, Apple will need to say something. They don't have to get into specifics if they haven't found a solution for this issue, or for others, but at least give some sort of acknowledgment of complaints. I'm new to these boards, but I gotta think 136K views is a bit on the high side and should get their attention.

An acknowledgment would at least give me confidence they intend to act on the issue. Without that, I am left to speculate if they even consider the sensor issue a problem, and would think about returning it. Especially with the "we haven't heard about this before" response. My thought process would consider my investment in apps, and the fact I'm locked into their device to play music. BUT, this particular device is a phone, and right now, it's not performing as well as it should.

I just received my third iphone 4 today. I have had the same proximity sensor issue with the previous two. Hopefully this third phone will be the charm.

The genius at the store claims to not have seen or heard of the proximity sensor problem and there is no official word from Apple on the issue. I am not terribly shocked by this. What is shocking is that they are replacing my phones with no questions asked and very little testing.

I know this link has been posted elsewhere earlier this morning, but I just have to say that this guy over at PC World completely hits the nail on the head with regard to iPhone 4 problems and returning the device:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20100708/tc_pcworld/iphone4customershavelimitedt imeandlimitedoptions

Samircortes wrote:
What is shocking is that they are replacing my phones with no questions asked and very little testing.

That is Apple's policy. if they are investigating reports of a problem with a device, they immediately offer to exchange the device so that they can "capture" the problematic devices.... I had an issue with my first iPhone (the bottom of the screen was not touch sensitive) and the genius just offered me a replacement without even looking at it... when I expressed surprise, he said Apple's engineers want to see all the problems, so they can figure out what the production is.

The fact that they are in "capture" mode and trying to get their hands on as many physical instances of the problem in hand that they can is a pretty good indication that they are trying to figure out the problem. I expect we will hear from them once they have the problem identified and have decided what/how they will be addressing it... as this is usually how they handle issues.

I wouldn't worry about "return dates" - Apple's long standing policy has been to extend warranties indefinitely whenever there have been hardware issues... and if necessary to provide an exchange program.

If you pre-ordered through ATT, please note that your 30 day window for return starts on the date you ordered it - NOT the date you received it. This comes straight from an ATT support rep who verified that with his supervisor.

He told me I had until the July 16th (I pre-ordered on June 16th) to return for a full refund with no impact to my contract. After that, I'm on my own.

I've done everything recommended on this thread and even had the Apple Towson store replace the phone. Nothing works. I'll try making calls without the case to see if it improves the sensor function. You know, quite a few people complained loudly enough about diminished battery life of the 3GS; enough that Apple promised a software fix. If you follow that history, you'll see that a few had their issue remedied through a software update. 3 updates on with the 3GS and there were still people who had battery issues. My point is, even if Apple acknowledges the problem and promises a software fix, don't think it will solve all of our issues.

avanpelt wrote:
I know this link has been posted elsewhere earlier this morning, but I just have to say that this guy over at PC World completely hits the nail on the head with regard to iPhone 4 problems and returning the device:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20100708/tc_pcworld/iphone4customershavelimitedt imeandlimitedoptions

He did hit the nail on the head.

Now, I'm seriously considering returning both iPhone 4 devices that I ordered and reverting back to the iPhone 3G. Maybe a later batch of iPhone 4s manufactured later this year will fix the multiple issues, or maybe I'll just wait until next June/July for the next iPhone.

pedropolis wrote:
If you pre-ordered through ATT, please note that your 30 day window for return starts on the date you ordered it - NOT the date you received it. This comes straight from an ATT support rep who verified that with his supervisor.

Hmmmm. . .I was told by an AT&T rep who verified with her supervisor that I had 30 days from the date my phone shipped. In my case, the phone left the AT&T warehouse in Ft. Worth on June 22, so she said I have until July 22 to return the phone. She also said she noted this on my account. Assuming I'm able to order a Droid X on July 15 and get it by the 16th, I will be returning my iPhone 4 and canceling my AT&T contract on the 16th.

From AT&T's website:

+Equipment may not be refunded and the equipment may not be returned to you if one of the following applies:+

+- Equipment was returned more than 30 days from the purchase or ship date.+
+- Equipment was determined to be ineligible (e.g., opened software, liquid or physical damage.+

I assume "purchase date" applies solely to equipment purchased in an AT&T store and "ship date" applies to equipment purchased on AT&T's website. Technically, I purchased the phone on attwireless.com on 6/15, my order in their system was dated 6/16, but the phone shipped out on 6/22. So, according to AT&T's policy, I do have until 7/22 to return it.

I hope people who pre-ordered the iPhone 4 in an AT&T store didn't pay for it until they picked up the phone. If they didn't pay for it until pick up, their return cutoff should be cut and dry, in my opinion. . .30 days from the day they paid for it.