iPhone 4s, echo when using apple headset during a call

that's a good point. I've been loathe to post until a few more phone calls but so far, since the update, so good. can still hear mic noise amplified into my ears but not had any garbled echoing. I also downloaded the update by air so that might have been the solution.

I, too, have had improvement with the update (which I did not install over the air, so there goes that theory). I wasn't sure, at first, whether the update had worked for me or not, but it's been days now and I haven't had a reoccurence of the echo issue (nor has my sister, I believe). However I'm still getting horrible noise cancelation on it, you can't even call it noise cancelation since it does such a terrible job. Actually, now that I think about it, I think that problem is much worse since the update. So it seems to have solved one issue, and made another one much worse.

I have the iPhone 4S 64GB, I live in Toronto, on the Rogers network, it's my third iPhone 4S (two replacements trying to resolve the issue, none of which worked). Hopefully the next update will successfully resolve all of these issues.

Adam Nitti wrote:

I wonder why the update seems to be helping some folks with this issue, but not others???

Apple does not use a single supplier for the iPhone. It is possible that there are differences in the manufacturing process, or the specific components used, at one supplier vs another. That would account for the inconsistency of the problems.

I have to admit that since the latest 5.0.1 update, I too have experienced an improvement in the call quality. The biggest of which being the absence of the garbled noise at the other end.

What I have noticed is that a few minutes into a call (whilst wearing the Apple headset) I would hear a sharp screech sound - not too loud, just noticeable for a quarter of a second, and then the conversation proceeds as normal.

It's as if at the precise moment when the other party would hear the beginnings of garbled noise, my iPhone quickly flicks the speaker on and off again, instantly resetting the 'buffer'.

I've heard this three times during a 20 minute conversation, which is exactly how many times I would normally have to manually press the speaker button whilst on a headset call.

Maybe they secretly addressed the issue and fixed it for most of us.

I certainly hope that to be the case.

There seems to be two different problems that are both being labelled as "echo". One is an intermittent echo that can be solved with the speakerphone trick. The other problem, which is absolutely driving me crazy, is the constant microphone feedback loop. That means that all sound that goes into the microphone gets channeled into my ears. This problem is constant and I have NEVER been able to make a call without this problem. There is no reason for me to be hearing my own voice or ambient noise through the headphones. Sometimes it's so loud that I can't hear the other person speaking. I only wish there was a trick I could use to get by until they release an update, but there isn't.

For me this is a deal breaker since I use a wired headset almost exclusively. Genius bar people say I am the only one who has this complaint. That must mean that I am either the only one using a headset or people don't know that this isn't supposed to happen. I actually tested every single iphone 4s that they had on display (about 10) and they all had the mic feedback problem. I had the SIM card replaced which did nothing.

Does anybody not have this problem? You can test it by talking directly into the microphone during a call. If you hear your own voice, it's not working the way it should.

uncle PP wrote:

Does anybody not have this problem? You can test it by talking directly into the microphone during a call. If you hear your own voice, it's not working the way it should.

The person at the genius bar lied. There are LOTS of people experiencing that **** microphone feedback into the headphones; including myself.

-Chris

Hello All,

I had this echo issue with my iphone 4S. I got a replacement, but that one had the same issue. I was about to replace it again, but after Upgrading to iOS 5.0.1 the issue got solved. What you need to do is to turn the phone Off and then On to see the effect.

Best,

Yea i got the same issue.

Oh, that's impossible that iOS fixed that issue. I'm still experiencing that problem.

Hi friend!

You're not the only one. I'm from Moscow, Russia. Bought the phone in Belfast and got this problem since the very beginning. I mean the second issue with feedback loop. Now i'm waiting for the software fix from Apple, i'm sure as everyone other who has that bug.

the only way now is to wait and to write a feedback to apple. The link must be somewhere above.

Hi - I also have this problem - on my second 4S and it still has the static/feedback issues if using headset. I logged another call with Apple but said I didn't want to swap the phone - just wanted to know if there was a fix. Aparrently - the Apple employee that took my call knew nothing of an issues with using headsets......Come on Apple - at least acknowledge that this is a manufacturing issues afecting a large batch of 4S phones???

I updated to iOS 5.0.1 the old way with iTunes through USB port from my Dell Win 7 computer. The update seems to have eliminated the problem of loud echo when using apple earphones 3-4 minutes into a call. So now the 4S seems like a normally operating phone to me.

My wife and I both picked up our new iPhone 4s' last week and I started noticing that I could hear myself echo when I spoke to her, sometimes immediately, sometimes after about a minute. She is an avid user of her apple headset, I only use mine when driving, but she doesn't experience the echo. It seems like I'm the only one that can hear myself. When she puts her phone on speaker, it clears up, but when she takes off speaker we get mixed results. Sometimes it's unbearable, sometimes if I take my ear away from the earpiece it's not as bad.

Today we troubleshot this issue for a little bit. Neither of us were using a headset and I still heard the echo. We hung up, called one another back, tried the speakerphone fix, same issue. It's possible that it might be her job, she gets poor AT&T reception there a good portion of the time, but it's almost like her phone is doing feedback of my voice. We never had this problem with our 3GS', unless we were on speakerphone and the volume was too loud; but I haven't had an issue with landlines or other non-4s devices.

It sounds like the same issue that everyone is reporting, except it seems like its with out without the headset. She may not have rebooted her phone since purchase, aside from the 5.0.1 OTA download and install. So we might try that next.

I think it's pretty safe to say there must be some manufacturing differences or inconsistencies between different phones, since the iOS update has helped some of us but not others. As I posted before, the 5.0.1 update apparently solved my echo issues and my 4S works normally now. However, for the record, my phone since purchasing it never had the annoying microphone feedback loop that Uncle PP describes in an earlier post. I'm still following this thread with much interest because I plan on purchasing a second 4S for a family member and I want to make sure the issues are resolved; my concern is that there might be a hardware defect on some of the handsets and not others, but that's just speculation on my part at this point.

I do get this problem, but it is intermittent. As for the echo on the other end I have had calls with it and some without it. I ended up buying a blue tooth headset instead of using my wired one and my monster adapter that I use with a cassette adapter in my car. It is very annoying and mostly because of the lack of communication from Apple on this. I have been an Apple fanatic for over 32 years and have defended/evangelized them fiercely, from Apple II vs Commadore to Mac vs DOS to Mac vs Windows, etc...even when their stock was so low I could have gained control of the company. LOL. Now it is my iPhone vs Android and while I am putting myself out there for Apple as always I can't even make a freaking phone call. Come on Apple, help us help you!