iPhone 4S camera lens rattle

OCD is a serious issue for some people dude!!

So let's not over-react.

Since I changed my phone, it doesn't rattle anymore, but my main concern was the fact that should something go wrong with my phone after the warranty had ended, would Apple still fix it - and the simple answer was no.

So I can cope with a little rattle, but the first phone I had that done this was not a "little rattle" and I'm not paying good money for a poorly assembled high end phone.

So if people aren't to happy about a rattle, surely they can express their frustration on a forum without being labeled as OCD?

That is a fair point, dude. I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to ruffle any feathers, I was just trying to put some peoeple's minds at ease! My bad, truly. I have the same rattle, and considered going into the Apple store, but after reading all these posts it seems that it is a pervasive side effect of the 4s's camera lenses, or something.

Regardless, the point is that what I'm getting is that a replacement is PROBABLY not going to fix the problem. That and I have had very bad luck with Refurb's in the past. Did they give you a refurb? Also, coming from a DroidX that freaking rattled, groaned, whined, and generally sucked my iPhone is super sweet, rattle or not lol What I would be very curious to know, however, is if the rattle returns in your replacement after say a few months. So keep us updated!

Thanks,

I have a child with OCD and I get a bit defensive. Thanks for understanding :)

With my first iPhone 4s, the rattle was by far louded than the one you hear from tapping your phone near the camera lens. My friend brought the noise mine was making up as compared to his it was by far louder.

I took mine into the Apple Store and they changed the back for a new one, but the noise was just as loud.

After a while they decided to exchange it for (what Apple call it) a new phone.

Essentially it is a new phone with serviceable parts robbed from other iPhones (hardly new in my opinion), but the one thing I did notice was the case on my fault iPhone never fitted properly from day one, but fitted perfectly on the replacement one. Sort of suggests to me that my brand new one was bent slightly out of shape? Sounds odd I know, but it looked fine to me.

Anyway, the replacement phone has the rattle by the camera lens and I've noticed that if you use your camera and focus on something, it doesn't rattle which suggests the rattle is related to the lens or the auto-focus mechanism?

Other than the shocking battery life of my current phone, it's been okay so far.

If I've missed any questions out that you asked, I apologise... But feel free to give me a reminder and I will try to answer them.

Must also point out that my iPhone 4 never had the rattle, but my mates does. Seems odd.

Right, so what you're saying is basically what I figured. The rattle by the camera is a pervasive problem, and getting a replacement will probably not fix it. I think that any one you got that doesn't rattle now, probably would eventually, no?

If anything else rattles, I will probably go for a replacement, but the camera lense issue seems to be with all of them.

Who know's maybe Apple will replace all our 4s's with 5's someday like they did with the 5th gen nano's this year! lol (NOT)

I think it's safe to say that all 4S's have the camera rattle straight out of the box.

I was more concerned about the lens scratching or the auto focus failing and Apple refusing to repair it after your 12 months. It's highly unlikely for either to happen, but spending this much on a phone would be reassuring to know that Apple care enough to help us out.

I checked the instore display phones, and they also had the rattle.

Chances of Apple giving anyone an iPhone 5 (or 'the new iPhone') are virtually zero - and in my honest opinion (I'm sure I will get some stick for this), but I think the 4s will be the last 'good' iPhone. Since the loss of Steve Jobs, I have lost some faith in Apple and it's future developments, but no doubt I will still buy their stuff as software wise.... It's unbeatable. I just wish battery technology would move a step closer to improving!!

It must be nice coming to Apple from Android??

And I'm back after two more genius bar appointments. My phone was literally taken apart and everything was tightened. I was also told that the guy who had told me it was the accelerometer is off his rocker. It's definitely the camera lenses. I also tested the auto focus theory. If you focus on something up close, try tapping on it. It goes away. It's just really annoying that an expensive, top of the line phone like this would even have any sort of rattle. That's just my opinion though. I think I might just make ONE more genius bar appointment for this issue and if they still say it's normal and nothing's wrong, I'll just drop the matter because the phone is beyond perfect other than this one little issue. 😝

I am so glad I found this discussion board.

I AM actually OCD and three weeks into owning my first iPhone 4s (because, yes, I am to cheap to spend THAT much money for a 5 when I've never been a previous iPhone owner and yes, I am happy with it) I starting noticing the dreaded rattle, albiet only when putting it down on a hard surface, like my kitchen table, or if I tap it with my finger anywhere above the Apple logo. And I did immediately notice it was significantly louder near the camera. However, it does not rattle at all if shaken back and forth or side to side.

I was starting to freak out until I read the last couple of pages and tried out the macro focus trick...... so trippy. It didn't rattle at all when focused in on something REALLY small.

Ok. Sanity restored.

As long as the camera doesn't crap out on me, I'm ok with a small rattle every once in a while.

As if my two cents matter.

First, most people who are complaining are not tapping looking for a rattle. This noise happens when you pick up the phone, place it on a table, and when makiing a call even when a touch to the upper camera corner is made, and is pronounced enough that the "camera lense" excuse is not holding water.

I came to this belief after having two iPhones 5's (first one was scuffed and chipped, so it was returned) and shaking and tapping all the display models in the Masonville Mall (I went to complain about the rattle, but then realized I was like everyone else, going to have to live with this issue). All of them make a noise when shaken (camera focus component, also found in the 3GS and 4/4S) but ALSO what sounds like a component "clicking" against the glass. This too may be the camera, but to me, it sounds like something is loose or not installed correctly, or possibly a design or production flaw.

The proof, in my opinion, that this is not simply the camera lense, can be experienced by simply adding a slight amount of pressure with your finger to the camera and then tapping the back of the phone. The sound will be significantly muffled. Thus, it is a noise from the GLASS! Not simply the internal part of the camera.

Furthermore, if this sound were made by the "vibration motor" one would expect it to only worsen when the vibrate function occurs. But of course, it does not.

Anyway, this is not my first rodeo, and not my first iPhone. In fact, I have had two 2G's, one 3GS, an iPhone 4 and now two 5's in my house, and NONE of them have mode this sound. Yes, the camera has a slight noise in each when you shake the phone, but the rattle I mean, and which I believe most people are talking about is, something else altogether. AND FRANKLY, IT IS IRRITATING, especially on a phone that costs an arm and a leg.

Having replaced 5 iPhones 4s and touched about 10 units at Oxford Street, I can confirm that rattle should be noticeable only when tapping near camera at the back of iPhone, when shaking the body hard like never happens in real life. And that's it, no sound or rattle in other ways.

My 4s does it too, took the rear glass off and it's defo the camera,

Ticking and rattling noises almost had me committed into my local mental hospital bout 10 years ago no **** lol

Had housing officers, electricians, parents, girlfriend, gas men, police, all listening in silence in a house I rented to a ticking noise, used to keep me awake so I refused to pay rent, was comical as I was the only one who could hear it!

In the end my girlfriend started hearing it too, phew!

Was gas pipes cooling down and making ticking noises in the wall!

Hope my true story calmed you lot down haha

Gonna sell my year old 4s on eBay and put the cash towards a note2,

Will sell that next year and put the cash towards an iphone5s!

Apple rock but 2 year contracts suck lol

its normal for ip4s, for ip4 not normal..when you tap the autofocus its gone