Issue with Proximity Sensor during calls - Continued.

Finally Even MACRUMORS is covering the issue now here is the link guys


http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=969451

I hope more media covers this issue till this think is totally resolved and I hope the software will be able to fix this on the next update and i hope it comes soon

why are apple so concerned with the aerial the proximity sensor is far more of a problem , phone keeps muting during a call. after a call there is just a black screen and no way to end call. this is a real problem far worse than the antenna and we get one line in a 90 minuite press conferance why did non of the guests bring this up

I guess cause lot of people are not really reporting this to apple they need to report this to apple by calling APPLE CARE AT 1-800 MY APPLE so they can address this issue So people please please start calling.

iphone4_925 I think you're right

People seem to be too engrossed coming on forums to whine about it rather than report it to apple, much like the aerial issue. Coming on here it seemed like most people had issues with the aerial but only 0.55% could be bothered to report it to apple. They are hardly going to invest much time and money into an issue that such a small % of people have an issue with, it will most likely be put down to some defective handsets.

I am currently waiting for a replacement from apple partly due to the prox. sensor. If more people did the same and registered the fault, the figures would be more significant and apple would take more notice (as well as noting the cost of sending out all the handsets and collecting old ones)

I reported my Proximity sensor issue to Apple last week and no questions asked, they offered to send me a replacement because I have an Apple Care plan. I have the replacement. I received it the same day as the update was released. I activated it and performed the update so I can't tell you if the device I received was different or if the update helped, but this replacement device does perform better where the PS is concerned. I have hung up on a caller or two, but nothing like I was doing with the original device I purchased on launch day. I understand that the update was not supposed to help the PS issue, but my new phone is performing better. I am actually using the ear/shoulder hold a lot just to test it and I am 100 % convinced that this replacement device works better than the first. Since I have had no attenuation issues (I am in an area of very good service), I feel like I am well on my way to being very happy with this phone.

Dear Iphone4_925:

I have always thought it was a software issue. Hardware can be designed in such a way to have a hysteresis effect. So it is possible that it could be hardware, but I doubt it. Even if the hardware is somewhat at fault I still think and have always thought it can be fixed via software. I really think that it is software.

Look at the post I did on this page:

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=11920701#11920701

The prox sensor is not a ruler. It only needs to know that a face is within a certain distance of the face. It doe not need to know that the face is .25", .5" or etc from the face. Yet, it appears that is what they are trying to do.

Dear Rapstone:

Apple is great company, but slow it seems to acknowledge a problem. They may not have thought it was a wide spread problem. Maybe they are still not sure. Steve did use the word "tracking". Maybe our posts and the little press coverage of late is at least making them look into it. I guess we don't know. I read that someone said the next OS update would be toward the end of September. I do not know if that is true. I guess the real question is can the users that currently have this problem put up with it until then. Can the users that will experience this problem be able to endure it?

It is bad in my phone. However, I think I have figured out a way to lessen effect of this prox issue. I am trying to answer this question myself before my Genius bar apt. today. I really like the rest if the phone. The signal issue has not been an issue for me.

I agree that all users with this problem should call Apple Support and report it. Apple is made up of engineers and people that love numbers. These types love data. I know, because I am an engineer. I have often said "the data does not lie". That is the engineer in me. However, data does not always reflect reality.

I have to decide which bugs (software and hardware) are fixed first or last at my company. I decide based mostly upon the numbers. If a bug will be experienced by a lower percentage of users, then it is lower on the list. If it is experienced by a larger percentage, then it gets fixed more quickly. Bugs that corrupt or delete data or crashes always get the highest priority. So I base these decisions on my understanding of the numbers. You have no choice.

The more people that report this as an issue will increase the numbers. That is why I tried to get coverage for the problem, because it increases the numbers in a way.



Look at some of my previous posts. The testing I did shows a memory effect and this average like method to create a new trigger point. I have no idea why they would do that. I do agree that the prox issue may be better or worse depending on the users habits.

the shoulder hold is just stupid, those who insist on doing that with any phone deserve to get hung up on.

My message to Apple is that if they can't recalibrate the actual sensor of this early batch of iPhone 4, then perhaps they can somehow re-write the software to utilize the new gyroscope to deactivate the screen when in calling mode? when the phone is tilted past a certain angle the screen would shut off etc, just offering up a possible alternative train of thought.

TrentIP

Apple again is just dealying the time to tell us the truth. Meanwhile they continue sales of their difective phones . You and me know they are defective.
But they say : if you do not like it return it. The rest of the people happy and we ( Apple ) do not see any big problem.
Apple can NOT tell the truth now. What they suppose to say ? We are looking at the prblem and may be ( just maybe ) it is a hardware ,but you only have 30 days. Then everybody will return the phones.
It is better to say "we are looking into this and would address in the next release". And next release is far from Now ( again what release ? Did he mention 4.1 ? It can be 4.2 or 4.3) . Meanwhile Apple continue to say they are the best continue to sell defective phones , continue to sell it in more countries and they do not care. Only 1% of peole return it the rest will be using defective phones and wait . Why ? Because those Love to know they have Iphone 4 .
Keep your phone and when Appple in 3 months will tell you it is only a minor issue and you had 30 days to return and you stuck with ATT plan , will se how much you still like the phone.
Now about your idea as many people as possible to report to apple about the problem. They know , they know very well but they will say only 1% of people asked. Because the rest of the peole will be in categories of specific unit exchange and not the Proximity sensor problem. They manipulate stats the way they need it.
Everything is to sell as many as possible and continue to tell the world product is great and only few people complain about proximity so why are you complaining ? What you are not happy as other 3 Millions peole ?
Then return it and we ( Appple) will make the rest of the world happy.
The real stats we can only estimate. Three million is sold but not delivered . about 400,000 delivered ( inluding exchanges ) and 200,000 people looked at this forum.
Why would someone look at the forum if this problem does not bother him ?
And even such peole exist what is the persantage. Not mentioning other forums , discusions and peole who called Apple , but the calls and visits never went to category of the proximity sensor problem.

This is the reality and this is the truth and not what we heard.

@MichaelEmpire

You got to do a spell check mate next time you make a post. Don't forget to make it simple & lucid for the rest of us to get your point.

lol what a TROLL, a totally unnecessary attack. Why not ask yourself why Consumer Reports never deemed the obviously DEFECTIVE XBROKE 2 as DEFECTIVE in all these YEARS OF RROD? were they bribed somehow via anonymous "donations" to the Consumers Union? or just let M$ take a freebie and slide under their ever caring consumer radar? The XBOX 360 is the most defective piece of tech hardware every created to date yet they endorsed it year after year. My own Sony PS3 which i paid $600 for broke after only 14 months, i signed onto a possible class action law suit over it, yet i still like the overall design of the PS3, it just had faulty parts. My newer PS3 is doing fine. I would NEVER be stupid enough to invest in a 360 yet it was never deemed defective by CR magazine, so they are therefore worthless as an honest consumer protection organization.

The people that attack Jobs should remember the last time they attacked Bill Gates over bribing corporations to delist from Google and be listed solely on Bing, or remember the last time M$ was sued over the XBOX yet CR magazine still endorsed the defective bail out box.

The iphone 4 is an awesome piece of tech, but this early run might have some glitches, at least it wasn't cancelled in 2 days like the Kin, or Courier... both aborted pieces of nothing. Follow the press and only a fool will notice the palms being greased with $$$ to try and take Apple down. It's sad, yet they cheer on M$ after the Kin failure and wish them luck in the future to "come back strong Redmond" you really have to be blind not to see the media corruption in favor of Monopolysoft.

Im really hoping an update helps with this issue, and yellow indoor pics. For those who just bought an iPhone for the first time have nothing but the returnable phone as the investment. But to those of us whom upgraded from an older model, with lots of $$ invested already in non returnable, non transferable apps, music, cases, screen protectors, we have a lot more invested in this thing than just the phone itself. And bringing back the phone is just not a reasonable alternative.

Just reminding in comparison the story with antenna.

First Jobs said "we holding it wrong " and this words triggered the reaction.
Then they said " we are stunned to learn we were calculating it wrong and we will make new way of calculation with new release ". It was another trigger since engineers proved it is a real signal lost and not just number of bars calculated wrong.
And only now they came up with full explanation that it is a common problem and all the phones have this problem.
It shows us their pattern of Apple way delaying , looking for the easiest way first to make sure the sales are booming.

I have to admit explanation now is correct and what is very important not in presentation but on the Apple web they published how 3GS is losing signal when you grab the phone. I tested it and it is exactly the way Apple explains.
In the end what do you have ? What they suggested before , the bars miscalculation ? No , it is a hardware common issue.
Definitely NOT what Apple were telling us 2 weeks ago .

Message was edited by: MichaelEmpire

ANYWAY i sent Apple my idea on using the gyroscope theory for solution for the proximity sensor bug. If they can't fix it via recalibration somehow, then maybe they can utilize the gyroscope to turn off the screen when tilted past a preference adjustable angle.

When held vertically the screen is on for dialing etc, when tilted left or right to a certain degree the screen shuts off to talk etc... you'd still have that little vertically area where if you leaned forward the screen might pop back on, but it's a concept that might work in future designs. Or maybe this issue will be solved with a simple update.

I also have some programms and music and I use my 3GS. Nothing wrong with it. Much Better than dropped calls.

I apologize for miss spelling.
I hope all understood my points