Q: iPhone 4S - Outgoing call no audio

Good luck Alex. Hope things work out for you.

Ted, that was a great summary of where we are standing now. Thanks!

I've been warned by the Apple Support Communities Host that my posts are inappropriate. I read the Apple Support Communities Use Agreement and I suspect that I (as well as many others here) are violating the policy left and right as we are discussing apple policies and speculating on Apple decisions.

1. Stay on topic. Apple Support Communities is here to help people use Apple products and technologies more effectively. Unless otherwise noted, do not add Submissions about nontechnical topics, including:
   1. Speculations or rumors about unannounced products.
   2. Discussions of Apple policies or procedures or speculation on Apple decisions.

It is hard to avoid speculating on Apple decisions when no comment on the matter is forthcoming from Apple. We are left to speculate as to weather Apple's keeping silent is an indication of a hardware or software problem.

I would say that Apple's keeping silent is a strong indication of a hardware problem. If this were a software problem and given the seriousness of the problem, Apple would have already released a fix (silently or not.)

The question remains, since Apple does know about the problem (and it is a hardware problem, we can safely conclude that because people are having their phones replaced without resistance), why is Apple continuing to put these bad phones out on the market. There are several possible reasons for that. (Yes, I am speculating about Apple decisions.)

1. The % of handsets affected is very small that testing for them would not make sense.

2. The % of handsets affected is very large that removing them from stock would result in too big of a shortage forcing Apple to explain the shortage resulting in microphonegate, Tim Cook would have to come out and do a whole press conference about it.

Given that 3/4 of the phones I have gone through were affected I would go for #2.

Apple can continue passing out defective phones and continue to replace them as long as the media keeps relatively quiet about it. Mind you, Mashable, Gizmodo and Macrumors have covered this, but they are still very small blogs compared to CNN, HuffPo and NYT, but those are also in the pipeline.

Well, if I can't write what I just wrote, then this forum is obsolete and I may as well not write here anymore. If Apple disables my account, then I definately wont write here anymore

http://twitter.com/mbenez

Well I thank you for the info and update.  It is appreciated.

I have 4s 16gb from At&t. I've been having the same issue, and it's ok after I switched to speaker and back. I'm not sure if siri is the cause, but it often happens to me after I finish talking on the phone, hang up and immedeately make another phone call.

Macrumors is reporting that "iPhone 4S Incorporates Revamped IR Sensor for Siri's 'Raise to Speak' Feature" http://www.macrumors.com/2011/11/09/iphone-4s-incorporates-revamped-ir-sensor-fo r-siris-raise-to-speak-feature/ could this possibly be the cause?

Hey Michael - if they boot you, I've already got you followed on Twitter... I'll keep you posted

I noticed they didn't like you posting out-links to the posts on the problems (as having more links leads to more spiders picking up on the feeds and the ranking goes up in Google, which I'm sure is something they don't want...but AnnnnyWay....) but let's "stay on topic" and "help people use Apple technologies more efficiently"

Without speculating - I think we have helped a lot of people (myself included) if nothing else a.) as a sounding board for their problems and frustrations on this particular issue; b.) as a way of narrowing down the cause and solution; and c.) as notice to Apple Tech about where to look for a resolution.

There are a LOT more things that could be speculated on in regards to Apple's motives, but that's neither here nor there. The simple fact is, in regards to THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM (emphasis added, because I've seen several other problems offered up on this thread other than the original problem, which for the record is - you make a phone call, you never hear a ring, you never hear the other party answer, however, the counter begins to count up as if you're connected and if you hold the phone to your ear and speak, you can hear your voice being routed back to the handset earphone; more often than not, the receiving party reports hearing you even though you don't hear them.) if you are waiting for a software/firmware fix, you are likely wasting precious time to get your replacement phone (as confirmed by several users on this post who have already been denied a replacement due to being outside the 30 day window.)

I don't think it can be said any other way - if you're experiencing the problem listed above, then either contact AppleCare or go to a Genius Bar and get a replacement. It's the only way that has been demonstrated, up to this point, to resolve THIS problem. Again, I emphasize because I've seen the posts about a fix involving the jamming in and out of headphone connectors into the headphone jack (which I also find ridiculous) - this is NOT the problem I'm talking about. It's not that the handset speaker isn't working, it's that the sound is not routing properly.

Continued Good Luck on this -- Ted

"you make a phone call, you never hear a ring, you never hear the other party answer, however, the counter begins to count up as if you're connected and if you hold the phone to your ear and speak, you can hear your voice being routed back to the handset earphone; more often than not, the receiving party reports hearing you even though you don't hear them"...

THIS IS EXACTLY what I am dealing with.. bought the phone on the day of the launch.. thought it was my provider and finally figured it out today that it is the phone.

My question... using previous threads... and your personal thoughts... what are the chances I get a new phone with the same issue? I have a genius bar meeting tomorrow at 3pm... cant wait to get this figured out!!!

michaelb1234 wrote:

 

Macrumors is reporting that "iPhone 4S Incorporates Revamped IR Sensor for Siri's 'Raise to Speak' Feature" http://www.macrumors.com/2011/11/09/iphone-4s-incorporates-revamped-ir-sensor-fo r-siris-raise-to-speak-feature/ could this possibly be the cause?

Excellent theory Michael, if that thing is mistriggering or possibly routing the audio to Siri when it SHOULD be routing it for a phone call - hmmm... possibility for sure. I couldn't tell you if the raise to speak even was working on my 'bad' iPhone because I honestly never used it. Just checked on the new one and it works great - even made an outgoing call -- JUST to be sure..

"GIGAOM" is writing about this issue:

http://gigaom.com/apple/apple-fixing-some-4s-bugs-but-what-about-mute-and-networ k-problems/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheAppleB log+%28GigaOM%3A+Apple%29IGAOM

I went to the store today and replaced mine. I couldn take it anymore. Itwas getting so bad. I have tried to create the problem on my replacement phone in so many ways and itis not happening so far. If it does I told the guy at the Apple store that I would go back and replace it till I get a good working phone. He said that next replacement I have to call Apple and send my phone for repair. I don't think that's right. Whatever happened to the good name of Apple that always took good care of customers? Come on Apple....you can do better than that! My phone is only 2 weeks old. I shouldn't send it for repair anywhere. That is why the store is.

I have invested a lot of money in Apple products but it looks like things are changing. All these people reporting the problem in this thread and not a asingle official response from Apple. I will be back to report here if I see anything unusual with my new phone

Good luck to everyone. My advice to you is go to the store and exchange it with a new one.

There's an even more insidious spin that I've experienced first-hand (in addition to the standard problem of the person on the other end saying "Hello? Hello" because they can't hear me). In the standard scenario, I can at least call back, because I know that the non-issue (according to Apple) had struck.

But as a test, I tried leaving voicemail on my home phone during a couple of periods when the non-issue seemed to be peaking. Sure enough, the answering machine beeped and I left a test message. But guess what? When I checked for messages, my test wasn't there. I managed to re-create that problem on my office phone as well. Since the machine can't hear a voice to record, the message just plain isn't there. (Does that mean the tree didn't really fall?)

So keep this in mind when you leave an important voicemail message from an iPhone that manifests the non-problem: The message may not arrive.

gabrielfromorleans wrote:

 

My question... using previous threads... and your personal thoughts... what are the chances I get a new phone with the same issue? I have a genius bar meeting tomorrow at 3pm... cant wait to get this figured out!!!

Well, as with all things, you have a little variable in the personality of the person you're dealing with at the Genius Bar - however, if you're within the 30 days, you should be ok. some people have reported printing out some of this thread and taking it with them as proof of an ongoing issue - that might help.

Unfortunately, your chances are about 50/50 - while myself and some others had the problem knocked out on the first go, several others have had to go back a few times. There are even reports of people literally reproducing the problem on the new phone before walking out of the store. Assuming you get the new phone, I'd hang out nearby and make several calls, use the speakerphone, the handset and Siri a few times. Hopefully, it will get taken care of the first time - think positive. On the bright side, you know it can happen - I'm proof.

Have to say that after getting past the "grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" factor of having a bad initial phone, I absolutely LOVE my 4s and actually starting to find that I'm using the heck out of Siri to do a lot of the things for which I would normally use the keyboard. Good luck Gabriel and let us know how your interaction goes! -- Ted

received my replacement phone from genius bar at Apple/Santa Monica CA 4 days ago and so far so good

I wont relax until at least 10 days or so

The first one had all the major issues - 1 of 3 calls wouldnt hear it ring, the counter going off plus when wearing headphones, it would switch to speaker and I couldnt switch it back

It definately appeasr to be a hardware issue

Good luck to everyone

3Treplow wrote:

 

...I wont relax until at least 10 days or so...

I felt the same way when I first got my replacement phone --- then I went polar opposite and starting doing everything I could think of to get it to have a problem. In a day or so you'll relax, I bet it would have cropped up by now if you had gotten another bad phone.

Ted.. all the information is very much appreciated... I was very relieved after reading your post; knowing I wasn’t the only one.

Will be posting here first thing after I'm done at the genius bar... I will definitely be hanging around the store trying to re-create the issue until I believe the phone is good to go...

Again, thank you...