Q: Light ticking or crackling from iPhone 4S earpiece when on a call

Ok so Been into apple today and have been given another iPhone 4s no questions asked, which makes me wonder considering this is my second visit for the same problem that there is a fault with all of them. They didn't try a new sim, turning off wifi or anything for that matter. They just gave me another phone same as last time.

I'm a gas engineer by trade and have worked for manufactures and when they have inherent faults in boilers etc that's exactly the way I would be told deal with it. Change part no further testing needed, you always knew what it was before getting there and to stop people making a fuss you just fix it even if it's just for the short term as you know it's gonna happen again, it keeps people from blabbing to press etc.

Anyway on a positive note the new one seems ok for now, I will update when sorry if it goes wrong again!

3rd time lucky I hope

I have a similar issue, though it's different from what most people are describing. My call quality is fine to begin with, but a portion of the time, several minutes into the call I will suddenly get so much static that I can barely hear the other person and vice versa. Hanging up and calling them back solves the problem. This is an intermittent issue, but it's started happening about twice per day since I upgraded from the iphone 4 to the 4s about a week ago. Anyone else seeing a similar problem?

Absolutely. That is another problem I have been having. I actually have experienced this problem with AT&T over the years, but was kind of very very rare until I got the 4S. I was sort of blaming AT&T only but started to realize it only started happening with the new phone. It starts with the person I'm talking to hearing bad call quality AND then Hearing themselves back to their phone. On my side it's just very staticed call quality. Have to call back and is fine.

This problem is happening in many different locations and not just a certain tower or area. This 4S has too many issues!

I am having the same issue.  I'm guessing its a shielding issue around the speaker in the phone (sort of obvious i guess).  It could be its not shielded enough from the bigger processor, or from radio interference.  it is a faint intermittent buzzing in the phone's earpiece that i hear when it is checking for email on 3G network, or when i am talking on the phone.  There also does seem to be a correlation when on the phone, that static in the earpiece occurrs when i am speaking in the mic.

So far pretty frustrated by the 4s so far. I am having problems that my 3+ yr old 3g didn't have. (I also am having some battery issues like a lot of others)

I am going to do a system restore tonight and see if that helps at all, although i am assuming it is a hardware problem and it won't change the issue - i will update here when i have done that to see if it helps.

Don't waste your time. Restore doesn't resolve this problem.

yeah - i figured as much, but when the apple store dude asks (which is always the 1st thing they do) i will have my bases covered.

Restore and back-up in case they replace your phone... with a new one that has the same problem. That's what I'm working with, sadly.  And not only is the phone still fuzzy, but my static-cling screen protector is all bubbled and funky now because I moved it from my one-week old phone to the crappy replacement.

Since I had switched from the Original iPhone of 3+ years, I didn't realize that the new ones keep apps/programs open.  Once I started double-clicking the home button and clearing out lists of past-used programs, my battery life increased.  Also, not allowing the phone to push emails all the live-long day helped the battery last a little more.

Yesterday i unboxed my new 4S 64 and made a phone call and I immediately noticed the buzz ond cracking noise from the earspeaker when the iPhone was on my ear.Its  good to know that we all have it but im very disappointed from Apple and I personally don't think it's a hardware speaker issue :(

The more i study whats going on w my phone, the more i am confident it is a hardware issue.  i think the most annoying part is that it consistently making the buzzing sound in the earpiece when i speak into the mic.

A few millions to replacement ? Shareholder would be happy ;) i don't thinks so but the soft update will be a judgement.

Sorry I ment I difently think it's a hardware issue.

It's strange though ecause I have an iphone 4s 64gb white, and I experience this buzzing sound also when speaker reproduces a certain pitch from the person whom I'm talking with. But when I record a memo and play it through the ear speaker (as it plays through the loudspeaker by default until you click the speaker button), the sound is perfectly clear without a trace of distortion? You guys notice this as well?

Yesterday checked why friends 16GB 4S and same thing!

Has anyone else noticed that the quality is perfect when listening to a recorded memo through the ear piece speaker?

I'm waiting day by day about 19.00 ( 10.00 Pacific Time ) for upgrade because I want to make usefully my brand new 4S. iP4 has great battery life, reception etc on iOS 5. This is last time I have bought a new, not tested by users device. Not sense to send 4S to service and have a refurb one according to this thread.