iPhone 11 triple lens stabilization fault
Hello everyone, circa a month ago I was using my day one iPhone 11 Pro 256gb as a motorcycle GPS. I installed an SPConnect bracket on my KTM 690, put a “quad lock style” tough cover on the iPhone and went for a 200km ride.
After few km I stopped for taking some pics and I noticed that the photos were out of focus. Cutting a long story short the camera seemed simply not capable of maintaining a focus, and kept (also in “Video” or “Pano” or other modes) losing the focus and re-focusing.
I understood that the issue regarded the micro servo of one lens (or more lenses). In fact, with the iPhone wo/ cover, it could be felt micro vibrations if the Camera app was opened, and if put near an ear it could be heard the ticking of the continuous micro adjustments of the servo. Front camera was working as a charm, and the blurring lessened occasionally or using a ultrawide frame - therefore the problem was maybe affecting just the “tele” and/or the “wide” lens; if I recall correctly the iPhone 11 Pro has three separate stabilizers, one per each lens instead one per photographic module.
It’s important to underline that the phone never fell, never got bumps or hits, is always kept in a cover and while riding the Camera app (or other apps using the camera) was shut down. Previously I had an iPhone X, used it a lot in the same way as GPS, and I never had an issue.
I went at the Apple Store, they ran diagnostics, perform a reset and finally decided to change the back photo module. So all the lenses were changed with new ones.
Yesterday I decided to go for another ride. After let’s say 50km of tarmac (just to specify I’m not taking off-road / motocrossing) same scenario: focus was out of control.
So I went back to the AppleStore. Apple technicians performed a DFU (data lost, again…) as they told me that the issue could have been the gyroscope needing to be resettled. As long as the problem remained they decided to change the back side photographic module again.
Now I’m quite worried that I’d suffer the same trouble again at the next motorcycle ride, so I’d love to hear any advice from the Community - other than merely not using my iPhone as a motorcycle GPS! Thanks.
iPhone 11 Pro
