iPhone 4S - Outgoing call no audio

So just an update...

The audio dropped on my phone again during a call and I couldn't get it back.

I called Rogers and their option was to pay $195 for an early upgrade fee (I am at 22 months into my 36 month contract) PLUS pay $169 for a 4Gs and be locked into another 3 year contract. They also suggested if I was close to an Apple store, I should try and see what they can do.

I live downtown and was lucky enough to get an appointment with them 30 minutes after I first arrived at the Eaton Centre store. The tech guy verified that "ya, the audio out isn't working". He took my phone into the back and verified the mic was working only intermittently. He offered to do a reboot/restore (I don't remember exactly) but said he couldn't guarantee I wouldn't experience the same issues within an hour/a day/a week. The other option he offered was to buy a new iPhone 4 from them for $169.

Like a lot of people now, this is my only phone so I need it and I don't have to time to keep running to the Apple store to get them to try and fix it. I took the option of a new 4. With any luck, when the next phone comes out, I can sell this new iPhone 4 and recoup a good portion of what I paid as it shoul only be a few months old.

I know the option I chose isn't for everyone but it's what worked best for me.

This happened to my iPhone 4 on June 22, 2012. Suddenly the receiver stopped working. Everything else is working just fine. The phone is out of warranty and Apple wants me to pay in order to fix it or $650 for a new phone. Seriously?? I have phones in house much older than my 2-yr old iPhone 4 (from 2005 and 2006) - no one had a problem! This has to be fixed by Apple free of charge! I don't care if my phone is out of 1-year warranty! This seems to me like they sent a command to our phones remotely from their "cloud" in random order so we would bring them our money. I was trying everything including full reset, restored operating system, plugging/unplugging headphones, switching on/off bluetooth and speakerphone - the issue didn't go away. This could be a controller firmware problem that is being activated randomly on iPhones 4 and 4S. My phone was not dropped during two years of service, nor was in water or other unacceptable circumstances. I want to continue to use my phone for more than two years! There are 172 pages about the same problem like it was with antennae. I was planning to get the next iPhone, but issues like this make me think twice before getting another Apple product. The same problem happened to my friend's iPhone 4, but it was under warranty and Apple replaced it. So, in conclusion, I want to say that this problem is a hardware/software/firmware flaw in Apple iPhone 4 and 4S and has to be fixed by Apple free of charge!

<Edited By Host>

There is a company in Poland, Europe, claiming that the whole problem with no audio during calls is caused by a multiplexer component.

Here you have a youtube clip on that. They charge about 130$ for replacing it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOz0l-YjLx4&feature=youtu.be

And they say:

"Układ który widzimy na filmie to multiplexer , przełączany stanami logicznymi którymi steruje procesor,

jak doskonale widać nie jest on przylutowany jest tylko przyklejony."

which means:

When I asked the company what makes them think it's the hardware problem not software, they asked me to poke my iPhone on its back during a call with no audio to see whether the problem persist or not. And to my surprise when I was getting furious with another no audio call, I did poke my iPhone's back and it did start working! Till the next time of course.

This is sooooo not right. It's a device that should work without being asked, forced or poked to work. 😟

<Edited By Host>

Why oh why did the host edit MY POST??????

Were are we, in China????

Stop editing the post you don't like, and start working on fixing your devices so that they don't make us all want to hunt you down and kick your *****...

Oh I'm so down with you wallzack! Apple just need to fix this crap first before rolling out with the new device as i has much anticipated it would happen on the new 4S phone. I'm going to wait for a class action soon on this issue. Also I think everyone with this issue need to filed to the FTC like mr.script did. Shame on you Apple to treat your customer like this!

I have an iPhone 4 with this problem, my friend replaced his iPhone 4 with the same issue and I saw many people complaining about iPhone 4S as well, so it is common for iPhone 4 and 4S. I think it's a controller/chip getting overheat or something.. Actually, Wallzack mentioned this a couple of posts above, provided a YouTube video clip.

same thing happened to me as soon as I updated my iphone 4 to ios5.x.x, no amount of re-installing fixes it. My service contract ends later this year, for such an expensive phone you'd think it will last for at least 3 years.. I've been having this mute issue for more than a year now.. I'm tired of having to use the speakerphone and earpiece everytime I need to talk to somebody.

If this would be a software (iOS) problem, you would be able to fix it by downgrading to the previous version.

The mentioned multiplexer located right beside the CPU, which means the temperature is getting really hot there, so overtime the multiplexer partially loses its connection with the mainboard, because the solder (fusible metal alloy) is getting soft at that point due to exceeded heat and/or soldering procedure programming failure at Foxconn, I dare to assume. Here is the picture: http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/IP1qEpYFQSSqwSbg.huge

The multiplexer is located at the right bottom corner.

What i dont get here, is that my audio problems started the same second i updated my iPhone 4S from 5.1.0 to 5.1.1. So my opinion is that this is mostly a software bug and not hardware related. Same happend to my friend and this solution i posted on page 172, worked for both of us.

If people claim that their problem started the same second they made an software upgrade and still claim its a hardware bug, those people should play the lottery... or not as their changes of winning just poofed with their iPhones.

This can be a problem caused by software vs hardware, not working together but a faulty component is not on the list...

Just my opinion so no need to flame.

Our audio WILL belong to us.

Seriously dont bother filing a law suit. You probably have signed a contract with apple to use their phones even if they are broken, when you pressed the "Accept" button in apple agreement. Or have any of you really read it?

Message was edited by: Teknojeewes

Well, I had the problem on 5.0.1 (started just like that), didn't have the problem on 5.1, and have the problem back on with 5.1.1 but not always, just from time to time (depending on the weather??).

This would of course suggest a software problem... but! in my case, when I have a call and the audio goes off and I poke/hit/shake the device it gets back on... Now this may sound ridiculous but this is a fact in my case... yet it looks really funny when I shake my iPhone and test it: hello, can you hear me now?

Indeed. That actually is the case for most of the users having this problem. Hit the speaker on and off and you hear just fine.

This is exactly the case where you should try my method on the page 172. 🙂

OK Teknojeewes, so you're saying that after performing all the steps you mentioned on page 172 (I am really wondering on what number we will hopefully close this thread.. year 2014, page 238324: still no audio) the problem stopped occuring and you are one of the lucky owners of iPhone that actually works as a phone letting people hear what I say during a call since then?

Teknojeewes, where did you get statistics? 😉

Evidently, I'm not in that "most users" group. My iPhone was updated to 5.1.1 on May, 7 or close to that date and it was working fine till June 22. Moreover, if you read other threads and other forums you'll get the full picture.

I think Mr.Script is right, as I noticed that when I cool my device, it comes back to a working condition...

When I put it in my jacket's pocket, as it gets a little bit hotter, then it doesn't work anymore, even with my headset....

Really weird.... 😕

Hey guys,

I'd like to add to this post. My iPhone 4 is having pretty much the exact same problem, though with slight differences.

When I try to make a call, my speaker button is selected, and I hear nothing. I am actually placing a call, however, I hear nothing, and the person receiving the call hears nothing. Totally muted. If I press buttons on my keypad however, the other end can hear it, though they are slightly distorted.

Then, sometimes it works like nothing is wrong ( I can place calls etc, hear, etc.) And then, being on a call totally crashed my phone, and it went to the Apple screen. And THEN, later on, it crashed again on a call, and the screen went totally black, and the phone started vibrating! And it would not stop vibrating - I tried hard reset, I tried plugging it into iTunes...nothing. It had to sit there and vibrate (very annoying), until the battery ran out (all with a black screen). Then, I plugged it in after the battery died, and it gave me the "plug-in to charger" logo like everything was fine.

When I got the phone, it had 4.3.3 on it I believe, and had the same problem. Then I updated it to 5.1.1 desperately hoping that it would fix it, and it still has the same problem.

My microphone and speaker (hardware) work fine, I record voice memos, record video, watch youtube, send emails, even listen to voicemails! I do everything else the phone is intended for, except make and receive calls. I took it to Apple and they were clueless. Basically they said reset it if it's software, and I did (erase all content and settings) and no avail. I hope we get this figured out.