Q: iPhone 4S - Outgoing call no audio

Update: was directed by telephone support to go to the Apple store. Made an appointment at the Genius bar. The associate dismissed the problem as a software issue and told me to hang on to my phone until the problem is addressed during the next iOS update. As "tempting" as that offer was I decided to switch handsets. Was given a factory refurb, which I was none too pleased about and was told that it was not their policy to hand out new phones (I'm in Canada, not sure if U.S. policy is different). Nevertheless, didn't see the point in hanging on to my original faulty phone and figured 4s is new enough that I'm not getting a total dud (hopefully).

Did the following:

-Set the phone up as a new phone and made about 25 test calls - no problems.

-Turned on BT and made another batch of test calls - no problems.

-Paired the phone with stereo BT handset and disconnected phone from headset and made calls with the phone itself - no problems.

-Made calls with the paired BT headset - no problems.

-Paired the phone with iPad and made a batch of test calls - no problems.

-Sync the phone through iTunes but NOT as a back-up restore and made a final batch of test calls - no problems.

Obviously my paranoia of 100+ test calls did not prove this to be a software or hardware problem, but the new phone seems to be working ok. I will repost if anything goes wrong. Best of luck to everyone.

I've had the same intermittent problem - when I reboot the phone it seems to go away. Smells like a software isse.

Quick update.  Finally got fed up with the issues, and made an appointment at the Apple store.  She made a couple test calls, and was able to reproduce the issue.  So she swapped it out for a new 4S.   

Made a few test calls on the new one, and so far so good.  Fingers crossed. 

Having the same problem as everyone else.  Making calls with a wired headset plugged into the phone results in the 4S connecting the call in speakerphone mode automatically.  Call doesn't connect, or, if it does, the other person can't hear me and I'm in a limbo call mode where hitting the speakerphone button usually disconnects the call, and doesn't resolve the sound issue.  Unplugging and replugging in the headphones doesn't seem to do anything either.  This is a widespread problem reading this thread and I'd like Apple to address it.  Phone makes call fine if the headset isn't plugged in.

My post from a similar thread here. Same issue most are having?

@seangingras; iPhone 4? I've had this issue with my new 4s, actually 2 4s's (1st one was replaced due to water damage). No apparent problem w/incoming calls. On outgoing calls I don't get sound through the earpice and toggling between between speaker & iPhone doesn't help during the call. But, once an incoming call comes in it works again for a while.

Here are a couple of trouble shooting steps I've taken:

1) from iPhone call my home phone - result home phone rings, but I don't hear it in the iPhone earpiece. Toggle to speaker; hear it through speaker; toggle back to iPhone, no sound through earpiece.

2) Call iPhone from home phone. iPhone rings, I pick up and the earpiece works.Hang up from that call; use iPhone to call home phone and the earpiece on the iPhone now works. Apparently the incoming call did something?

3) The condition from step 1) re-appears occasionally, maybe after de-activating my BT headset? Once I get an incoming call all is good for a while.

I'm following this thread and it's still unclear to me whther it is a HW or SW problem. The reason I asked my first question to @seangingras is if it's a 4, maybe it is iOS5? Given the apparent volume of this issue I've got to believe that Apple will make a statement and a fix in the near future.

Alright so I'm going to describe in detail the issue I had and how it was resolved. In short, I had a hardware issue and after a phone replacement, all problems were fixed.

The old iPhone had issues with outgoing calls. I had 3 issues:

1) I made a call and the other end could not hear me unless I pressed the speaker button.

2) I made a call and I could not hear anything from the other end, however, they could hear everything fine over on my end. (Again this was solved by pressing the speaker button twice)

3) Whenever I made calls, I had a loud crackle sound come out of the earpiece at the very start of most calls.

I originally thought this was a software issue because of this forum and several others with the same issue, however, going to the store and replacing the phone fixed all issues. You have to be persistent during your genius appointment and just as long as you can reproduce the issue, they will replace your phone on the spot.

I'm having the same exact problem. All this time I thought maybe AT&T was just being crappy but then I started noticing it happening even when I had full signal.  So glad to have found this thread and see that I am not alone. I have a Genius Bar appointment in 2 hours. Hoping they will take care of the issue without any problems.

I seem to be getting the problem as well (in London). At first the phone was fine but recently the outgoing call audio has been playing up and I'm starting to think it's a problem with the phone. I haven't rushed to the genius bar yet because if it's just a software issue then there's no point in switching it for a new phone. Can anyone confirm to me wheather it is an actual software or hardware problem please?

I went to the Apple Store and gave them the Apple Support case ID. They replaced it on the spot, no questions asked. So far I have made 5 calls and outgoing calls are working fine.

Yep; I have a 4s, and it works fine except when I use bluetooth on an outgoing call, the other party can't hear me.  I hear them just fine (hello? hello? hello? click).  I don't use a headset; just call from the car. 

Just to provide an update. I went to the Apple Store today in Southern California and told them about the problem. I told them how my wife's 4S doesn't exhibit the same issue and how I tested it out by calling the same phone number from both phones 20 times. My phone had the issue 6 times. I then restored my phone to a new phone and the issue happened on the first phone call that I tried.

The Apple employee at the Genius bar said that it might be an iOS 5 software corruption issue and that he'd check the phone with their diagnostic computer.  He found no errors and decided that it must be a hardware fault and replaced my phone with a brand new one.  He said they don't have any refurbished ones yet because the phone is so new.  The serial number seems to be in the same format as brand new phones so I think I believe him.  It could be however that the new serial number system with the iPhone 4S doesn't distinguish between new and refurb phones.

Anyways, the new phone so far hasn't messed up (I tried calling that same phone number 20 times in a row).

Just thought this update might help everyone out!

GasMan320; was the 6 out of 20 times pretty much random or did something preclude any of the failures? My suspicion is it may have something to do with Bluetooth on mine, but I haven't tried the twenty calls in a row thing either....I was going to try the restore option after the next time it happens.

On the bright side, I don't seem to be experiencing the battery drain issues I've heard of!

It was pretty random. I've never even turned on Bluetooth on my phone and I didn't do anything on the phone in between the tests. Would simply dial my home phone and see if I heard anything when I picked it up. It didn't fail 6 times in a row but did fail 6 out of 20 times.

Restoring didn't work for me, as it messed up on the very first call after I erased all content and settings and then restored and setup as a new phone.

To summarize my experience, portions reported here earlier:

First use of 3 day old speakerphone revealed other party couldn't hear me but I could hear them. OK using phone to ear and headset. Didn't try bluetooth.

Restored phone to factory new, didn't fix. Restore my apps, didn't fix (duh).

Applecare said return it to store, made reservation for me, said techs (aka Geniuses) have own stock of new phones.

Store replace phone with new one out of shrink wrapped box.Checked speakerphone, worked fine.

Talked to several different techs and all were very interested in this thread.

All's well that ends well, for me anyway. I give Apple QA an F, but support gets A+. They did everything right far as I'm concerned.

I have the same problem with my 64Gb 4S, although it does appear intermittent.

It occurs most often if I put the phone to my ear when the call is being connected but does happen when I have not as well. Have also had the problem a few times when using a car bluetooth hands-free kit.

One thing I noticed is that the mute button on the screen will not work when a problem call has been made, toggling the speaker on/off lets the mute button work again. It is almost like the iPhone does not know that the microphone is present or being used.

It does seem to be more like a software bug than hardware, but will try to take it to an Apple Store sometime soon just in case it is a hardware fault.