iPhone 4S camera lens rattle

So..... Normal, not normal.

This is the discussing I've been having with the reseller and with Apple - all with different replies. Frustrating. I bought my first 4s 28th nov 2011 - got a replacement this january. The replacement does the same thing! So I got on the phone with the reseller - they said its not normal, and I send in again. Only to get it back, with the message: nothings wrong. ?? So.. Been on the phone with apple care twice - first time I get the firm answer: NOT normal. And secod time, he asks me to hold on while he asks a technician, after a while the answer is something about the gyro-somthing, because of the iPhone beeing sensitive to movement.

Sigh.

Well, this is all very confusing and frustrating. What I really don't get is why apple simply just states something... official..

Wrong Wrong Wrong!!!

It is all about camera, not gyro-something. We are all discussing here know how to prove it.

I agree, it's the camera optics. I've done it with mine, if you zoom tight into something then tap the phone there is no rattle, as soon as you move phone and zoom pans out the rattle starts again!

Well, but mine does it even with the autofocus on. I've just tjecked it. Actually, mine iPhone does the rattle even when I place it gently in my hand. Does yours that to?

In camera mode, turn the grid mode on and hold the phone against something detailed like cloth or a picture, press one of the grids so the camera really focuses on it . When it's focused, tap the phone and there is no rattle, as soon as the camera looses focus the rattle starts again. I've checked and double checked this and it does it every time, well it does on mine anyway! Hope this helps.

Crazy. This is a real bummer. After getting convinced to upgrade after my 3G battery finally went, I am getting this lame rattle and strange interference during calls. I called Apple Care and the guy who answered was clearly a novice, and said he had "never heard of it" and I could possibly be charged "$799" to my card on file if they found there was no problem with the phone?!?! Guy was clearly not the best customer service rep. I am going to go back to the store and see what they will do for me. Lame.

I have the iRattle too.

On a side note, i wouldnt exercise with the 4s--rain, sweat, falls down, etc....

If you are running, I would get a Shuffle to run ($49)...or a cheaper MP3 player...that way, your 4S is nice and safe...from rain, sweat, droping, and oh yes....iRattle lenses scratching each other,

So I sent the official email to Tim explaining all this jazz....let us see if he responds

"Hi Tim

Had a question about the camera on the 4S.

If you take out your iPhone and tap lightly on the back on top of the

camera, and hold it up to your ear, you will hear a rattle.

There is an extensive thread on the Apple boards about this. And all

Apple Care does is make appointments with Genuius, who swap it out for

other 4S, which also rattle.

Can you please give a word or 2 on this issue? Is it the auto-focus

lenses are lose and touching each other that causes the rattle?

Thx for a response

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3392984?start=105&tstart=0"

Well, I'm gonna send mine in for the 3rd time. The rattle is worse than ever - a minor rattle would be okay, but this isn't. And if the reseller (or Apple) won't do anything I'm gonna take it to another workshop.

I actually bougth mine because there's several running apps - so I'm gonna use mine for exercise as well - I'm not gonna wrap it in bobbleplast 🙂 It's like a macbook - you wouldn't leave that at home, would you? What I mean is, why even buy it, if it's practical use is limited?

I've now got the iPhone 4S and with it came to rattle.

I returned it to the Genius bar 2 weeks ago to be told it was due to the 4S having a bigger vibrate motor that spins in the opposite direction.

After spending 20 minutes explaining the noise (a very loud buzzing when it vibrates) they refused to exchange it and asked me why would I swap a new phone for a refurb one?

Anyway, I came home with my original phone and called Apple (who failed to reply to my email for two weeks) so I called them again.

The guy I spoke to was helpful this time and asked me to goto the vibrate function (settings > sounds) and turn it on and off.

I did this and he asked me to hold it closer to my home phone and told me he could hear the rattle and arranged for me to go back to the Genius Bar yesterday.

Got to the Genius bar, the guy I spoke to looked at my notes and seemed slightly surprised that the guy I spoke to actually heard it! Anyway, rather than replace the phone, he replaced the back only and brought it back out to me.

I checked it and it was still just as noisy. So I held it to his ear and made him listen to the noise.

I asked if he heard it and he said "I heard the vibrate motor" he said this twice, so I asked if that was another way of saying "no comment" at this point he smiled.

So, if the camera lenses are part of the back of the phone, then a replacement back doesn't fix it.

And I don't think the vibrate motor is at the top right of the phone because if you hold the phone with your thumb and finger at the top right and turn vibrate on and off, you can feel it, but if you do the same at the bottom right, you can feel it a lot stronger.

Anyway, they replaced my phone and the annoying loud buzzing noise has gone, but the rattle is still there.

And the last thing to point out is, when I originally spoke to Apple, I asked if he was aware of "the rattle" and he said no.

Also, Apple told me that my phone would be replaced for a new phone as every 10.000 units produced 500 are put aside for exchanges.

The Genius Bar rep gave me a phone with salvaged parts.

I think that this is a fault with the phone, and considering the cost of these 4S's I believe that Apple should admit to the fact that it isn't a characteristic of the phone, but a fault that will not be covered after your warranty has run out.

I know this as that was what I was told, even though I had brought this fault to Apples attention.

Thanks for nothing Apple.

Just another thought. I have looked through all the paperwork that came with my phone and it does not state anywhere that a rattle noise from the back of your phone is not a fault, but a characteristic. Shame on you Apple!!!

I received my exchange iPhone 4S today and the rattle's still there. Had another conversation with Apple support and they told me that this is absolutely normal and comes from the "proximity sensor" and not from the camera. Does anybody have more information on that?

Not much to say other than to chime in. I got my 4s in the original wave, upgraded from a 3GS I gave to my son, and one of the first thing I notice was a slight rattle when I set it on the counter. Checked mt 3GS, no rattle, 4s rattle. I was a little worried about until I starting seeing how many other's (all) seem to have the same problem. I don't want a refurb so I guess I'll just live with it until an actual solution shows itself. Seems to work ok, just annoying

Well if the lens is rattling that would not indicate that it was in continuous friction rather that there is space for the lens to bounce side to side, which would have minimal affect on the phones camera.

Guys, what are you talking about?

This sound is due to autofocus system. Every device with MECHANICAL autofocus system has such rattle.

It's exist on HTS I owe before iPhone.

It's exist on each from 5 iPhones i had (I replace them due to different reasons)

Being at Regent Street in London I tested all 20 (twenty) iPhones at the showroom. EVERY one has the same.

It's absolutely normal.

BUT! If it's rattle when vibrating - it's 100% defective. No sound by vibration should be produced. One of my 5 iphones and 3 from 20 ones at Regent Street has a sound during vibration. I replaced one to a silent one without question.

The rattle is ONLY when you knocking by thinger near the Apple logo on back side of the device. Only this way is to produce the rattle.