Issue with Proximity Sensor during calls - Continued.

Blah blah blah ...during one of your "tests" try holding the paper or whatever else your using as a "point A" and leave it there stationary for a good five minutes pffffft better yet put your finger over the sensor touching the glass and leave it there with nothing but flesh between your finger and the sensor ...the backlight on your phone should NEVER come back on ...go ahead take the time, don't give up, dont think it's fine ...by 10-15 mins it will flicker on at least a few times ...all your theories mean nothing! STOP towing the Apple wagon

Message was edited by: iFaceDial

Ummm...okay. I'm game. I'm happy to do that for the sake of getting to the truth, rather than blindly complaining.

How about you, have you tried the very thing you suggest? Or have you tried the procedure I suggest, for that matter?

My mom and I are both having the proximity sensor issue... it's ridiculous. I've muted my calls via facedialing so many times. The reception is improved (not counting the grip of death), but it doesn't matter when, instead of cutting out in the middle of a call, you're face-dialing Mute, Speaker and dialing random numbers all at the same time!!!! I really hope this is a software issue with an easy fix.

I tried all the test out there ...and finally put my finger on the sensor ....it's the same when I talk on the phone with it mashed up against my ear without moving ...like a manican. I'm conscious of where the sensor is and that there being a "problem" so I tried very hard while talking to not let space get between my ear and the sensor with out moving and still had the problem...still being affected it spawned my "touch test" ...the reality is there is no set way to trigger it ...the whole bug is completely random just random times your sensor goes bazerk ...record yourself a looooong voicemail to do the touch test.

Message was edited by: iFaceDial

Whoops! I didn't mean to say "bug" ...that's software LOL! ...what I'm trying to say is that this proves to me it's a Hardware issue, the sensor is just flat out busted and unreliable! ...I dunno about anyone else but when, for example a light bulb in my house starts to flicker randomly, I call it a bad bulb and replace the stubborn thing. When every other bulb I take out of the box does the samething, I finally see the light and return the bulbs.

Sup Mods, you'll get you phone back in 3-5 business days.

I tried that test with the finger over the sensor area. I even tried covering the whole face with my palm. The screen still flickered on. What else can I try?

There's not much more you need to try. Your test proves there is either a software or hardware problem if the screen still flickers. It shouldn't do this. I'm taking my phone back after I get off work.

Thanks for collaborating!! This proves it has nothing to do with the way it reads the light or whatever. It's just plain old losing it's power source.

I truly believe Apple's "next update" excuse is only to keep the bulk of the buyers locked in after 30 days, before they announce it's a bigger problem.

Message was edited by: iFaceDial

iFaceDial wrote:
Blah blah blah ...during one of your "tests" try holding the paper or whatever else your using as a "point A" and leave it there stationary for a good five minutes pffffft better yet put your finger over the sensor touching the glass and leave it there with nothing but flesh between your finger and the sensor ...the backlight on your phone should NEVER come back on ...go ahead take the time, don't give up, dont think it's fine ...by 10-15 mins it will flicker on at least a few times ...all your theories mean nothing! STOP towing the Apple wagon

Message was edited by: iFaceDial

It's funny, your post was the first one I've read in this thread since the press conference. I too 'thought' the proximity sensor issue was solved after I did the update...it wasn't. I was first in a bright room and it seemed that no matter how I cradled the phone on my shoulder, I couldn't get the light to come on. I had disconnected 5 calls over the last 2 days as the result of this flaw.

I then went into a dimly lit room and there, for some reason, the light began to come on and again the opportunity to disconnect calls was there. So at least in my case the problem has not been solved. People should more thoroughly check this out before assuming it's been fixed.

I suffered from the proximity sensor issue as well, but have managed to get rid of it.

When I first got my iP4, I activated and then restored from my old 3G. Following a suggestion from an Apple techie, I restored by phone back to factory and the installed it as a new phone. I then synced with my iTunes.

Since then I have not had the problem. I am sure you guys have tried this, but hey, it worked for me.

Most of the reporter's questions WERE pointless. Anyway, I am very, very glad that Mr. Jobs mentioned this in the press conference. Although they are aware of the situation, you all saw his emphasis on statistics. Let's all call AppleCare if we haven't yet, if we have time, and if we have a comfortable cushion still left on our return window. I'm calling as soon as I can.

Now we know they keep track of these complaints. Just call it in. Most people won't call in now because he's acknowledged the issue. No conspiracy theories here, but don't let them cite anymore low numbers in the future if they realize they can't fix it because it is hardware!

Message was edited by: LorangeJuice

Not certain yet, but the 4.0.1 update appears to have addressed at least some aspects of the prox sensor issue--hysteresis

Before I updated, I placed my phone on the table and placed a non-speakerphone call. I moved my hand near the sensor to see at what distance the sensor triggered. I then spread my fingers, and moved horizontally across the sensor at that same distance--the sensor responded very rapidly, turning the screen on and off quickly: that is the problem. The prox sensor noticed the gaps between fingers very rapidly, and turned on the screen. So a similar problem could happen when holding the phone to your ear--move it slightly, screen pops on.

After the update, it Appears (not certain) that they adjusted the hysteresis/timing. I repeated the same test, and the screen never turned back on when I moved spread-fingers in front of it, either quickly or slowly.

This is a sample of one, and so until I place a lot of calls, I won't know for sure if this improved the situation enough. I will repeat the experiment on my wife's phone when I update it tonight or tomorrow.

iFaceDial wrote:
Blah blah blah ...during one of your "tests" try holding the paper or whatever else your using as a "point A" and leave it there stationary for a good five minutes pffffft better yet put your finger over the sensor touching the glass and leave it there with nothing but flesh between your finger and the sensor ...the backlight on your phone should NEVER come back on ...go ahead take the time, don't give up, dont think it's fine ...by 10-15 mins it will flicker on at least a few times ...all your theories mean nothing! STOP towing the Apple wagon

Message was edited by: iFaceDial

Well, I gave your suggestion a try. With two iPhone 4s, no less...on a half-hour mobile-to-mobile call. A cowoker just got one on Wednesday, and he has proximity sensor issues too. (We were able to pass the time by talking about how silly it is that anyone could ignore such direct, meticulously collected evidence. Probably the same ignorant people who deny the mountains of varied evidence for evolution and would rather cling to superstition to explain the natural world.)

For 15 minutes while on a call to each other, we sat without our fingers directly touching the glass in front of the the proximity sensors. Neither phone (his running 4.0, mine running 4.0.1) had its screen flicker on even once.

Then, for the next 15 minutes, we held our hand over the sensor at a distance of around 0.75 inches. We figured out this was easier to do if you placed a book next to the phone and just let your finger tips hang over the edge while you rested your hand on the book. We expected that it would be too hard to hold still enough to test whether the sensor could stay activated, but it actually worked for both of us the first time. For 15 minutes, neither one of our screens lit up.

We then did one last trial, but only for 5 minutes because our patience is finite. This time, we hovered our hands over the edge of the book and above the prox sensor, but after touching the phone's glass to blank the screen. The screen came back on as expected ( +even though it shouldn't, and that's the problem!+ ), and stayed on continuously for the entire 5 minutes. Both phones behaved identically through all phases of this test.

I'd do it again and post videos, but i know that literally no one wants to watch half an hour of motionless hands next to phones with blank displays. Nothing moving, nothing changing. It's good data, but it's not entertaining.

So there, I humored you. And the results showed consistent, predictable behavior all around. That behavior isn't like faulty hardware, but like uniformly buggy software.

Y'all can argue all you want about this test or that test, but when I use my iPhone 4 as a phone I hang up on, mute, place on hold, activate FaceTime or dial numbers on more than half my calls. I don't need a test to tell me that the phone doesn't function as, well, a phone.

And for those who loved the press conference today, what does it mean that apple is tracking some issues on the proximity sensor? Is it hardware or software and if it's software then why did apple give me a new phone and tell me it was hardware related?

They know one way or the other and they're just not telling us.

I absolutely totally agree with you %100! Couldn't have been said better. Tired of all the people trying to act like it's not a problem. It is and they just need to fix it. It doesn't work right point blank. Everything else is just chatter.

Txatty wrote:
Y'all can argue all you want about this test or that test, but when I use my iPhone 4 as a phone I hang up on, mute, place on hold, activate FaceTime or dial numbers on more than half my calls. I don't need a test to tell me that the phone doesn't function as, well, a phone.

And for those who loved the press conference today, what does it mean that apple is tracking some issues on the proximity sensor? Is it hardware or software and if it's software then why did apple give me a new phone and tell me it was hardware related?

They know one way or the other and they're just not telling us.