Static in Iphone 4s

I had this problem on my initial iPhone 4S. Took it into the Apple Genius Bar and they couldn't replicate it, said it was a network issue. I took the phone home that night and did lots of calling with it and it wasn't going away.

I took it back the next day and the only way they would replace it was under warrety. Well at first I thought he new one didn't have the same problem but it does. I've started to live with it but I'm glad to know I'm not crazy or that it was my hearing.

However, I fear that now I have used my warranty exchange if it is a hardware issue I'm screwed.

Ugh.

hello there. user M.A posted something ( https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3414732?start=15&tstart=0 ) about trying to open the map app and scrolling around while data over mobile network enabled. this caused the cracking to appear on my phone on purpose. i tried the same thing with data switched off over the mobile network and scrolling around. it stopped. enableing wifi and scrolling the map does not cause crackling as well. switching data network on and wifi off again causes crackling. so it must be something related to the mobile data network. i think it has something to do with the new antenna or its cables not being properly isolated in the case causing trouble to the earpice....

I'm having the same issue on Sprint. Seems to happen on incoming and outgoing calls. Lasts for about a minute it seems like. Or I just get used to it and it's constant.

I made a recording of the static:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/95557049c903e2e8/

Maybe someone can use it when they go to the Apple Store (easier to let them listen to a mp3 with headphones on then trying to get them to hear the noise in the store).

I noticed the sound is coming more from the middle of the iPhone then out of the actual speaker: if you hold the back against your ear while calling you can clearly hear the noise.

Also: the position of your hands on the antenna seems to either stop the noise or make it worse...

I don't use a bumper/case on my iPhone, how about other people that experience the noise?

Does it also happen with a bumper?

That's exactly it. Previously in this trhread we found out, that the noise omly appears when using the 3g-atenna. When data is transfered over wi#fi there seems to be no problem. But when you use any App, not just Maps, you get this annoying noise, and it best can be heard on the backside of the phone where the "iphone-logo" is written.

Yeah, if only you could turn off 3G ><

I don't even have data on my contract, so if I could turn off 3G I'd be great, but for some reason they took the 3G toggle out (I guess the 4S no longer has an option to switch it off because of the new chip?).

Sigh, i'm in the same boat. I listened to the audio recording above and that's exactly how mine sounds. Although it seems some people experience it so loud it hurts their ears, mine is softer. In fact, and i know this may sound weird, but if anyone has put in ear drops that fizz and bubble as they break down ear wax....that's exactly how mine sounds. And at first i thought i must have an earwax problem because i associated the noise with that. hahah.

Usually the noise occurs for the first 5-10 seconds of a phone call, although not every time. The last call i was on, did it after about 3 minutes in. It lasted about 10 seconds.

-Luke

I've noticed this as well and I think in my case at least it's hardware related and this is why. It's not just ATT because my phone is Verizon, and it's happening all over the country/world so I doubt it's network.

If I make a call on a bluetooth headset, the static is low and in the background during the call, it's noticeable but not horrible, however, while on the same call if I press the home button and go to another app, everytime the phone accesses something, the static gets much worse. I wonder if there is some interference from the internal electronics and hard drive access makes it louder/worse.

Ha! I though it was earwax too after it started doing it on the second phone. I even made sure my ears were totally clean to cross that off the list. After that I even thought it was my eardrum being bad cause it only seems to happen on one of my ears. Very strange.

I hope it's not hardware as I know they are going to give me a hard time about replacing it since they made me do it user warranty the first time.

Yeah, I also thought it was my hair brushing against the speaker or something : (

Took a while until I figured out it was the phone...

I put the file soundfile on youtube as well, for easy access:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Bf0r1QRW8q4

Yep, that's exactly it. Frustrating but at least I'm not alone.

Thank you very much for the recording

You really helped us Matthijst.

That is exactly the noise we talk about. But I found that its source is not from the earpiece. I have also noticied that it comes from the bottom of the phone under the menu button.

Guys it is also interesting to say that it does not relate to calls. Even if you play games sometimes you hear that noise. put your ear on the menu button or the back.

I'm afraid to say that first its a hardware issue maybe from a defective electronic component and It seems that all the iphone 4s devices are affected. the only problem not so many complain is because we have compared to our previous iphone 4 handsets and also simply many don't care.

Yesterday I decided to get a replacement but now that I hear this recording It seems better to wait to see what apple announces. Maybe the replacement has an unfavorable tint on screen or a defective battery.

Yeah, I agree, it's not from the speaker, but from somewhere in the iPhone.

I just hope more people report this issue now and hopefully people can use the mp3 file to let the geniuses at the Apple store hear the problem....

My nearest Apple store is over 100 miles away, so for me it's not as easy to go there...

I saw that macrumors had a story about it on the frontpage as well (about the echo, not as much about the static yet, I think).

I could convince them the problem exists and they were happy to give me a replacement. But do you think it is a solution when others say that the replacement has had the sam issue?!

To be honest I became frustrated with Apple. First by comparing the LCD screens which you see diffrenet tints (yellow, blue, dark and bright) on diffrenet iphones and now the static and then some complain about the battery. For sure the battery life has been reduced substantially compared to iphone 4.

Wish Apple would just acknowledge this "static" problem...

But with their warranty, you could just walk into any store within the first year and get a (refurbished) replacement, right?