iphone 5 camera spots

Like mrbyu, my iPhone 4 continues to perform flawlessly (knock on wood), except for the slowdown imposed recently by iOS7. In fact, our secondary iPhone 4 is also in its out-of-box condition (again, except for iOS7 sluggishness). This was probably the biggest reason we didn't opt for AppleCare when choosing the iPhone 5.

Unfortunately, it seems that manufacturing and build quality has nosedived with the iPhone 5. I also know of someone that complained about the power button issue just a short time after the warranty expired. The best camera is one that is always with you, and now with this purple spot, the camera that is always with us is the worst one!

I don't know if Apple even bothers to read these forums, but a device that costs so much (and one that I really treat with a lot of care) should be reasonably expected to perform well for much longer than the 1 or 2 year warranty! I wonder if their mentality is that since many people use the upgrade subsidy pricing, they won't mind a shorter lifespan? They need to remember that we are still paying the carriers during our contracts, so it is still quite an expensive product for us.

At first I was mulling over whether to buy AppleCare when upgrading our secondary phone to the 5S. Now, I'm seriously mulling over whether to even take the "risk" of upgrading at all. Who knows what kind of nasty problems have been built into the new model - they clearly couldn't get the 5 right and have lost a lot of credibility in my eyes!

I have comented on here many times, as I ended up going through 4 iphone 5's before my waranty ran out. The last one I had was good though. I did replace it with an iPhone 5S just after my warantee ran out, and I really LOVE this phone. I can honestly say that the 5S is the best phone that I have had to date.

i Also have ALL THREE problems you stated. Apple "geniuses" are of no help becasue its outta warranty. it's like they dont even care unless you're shelling out money😠

Anyway $270 for a replacement of a phone thats 8 months old but out of warranty is RIDICULOUS.

i got my phone replaced 6 months in, and the replacement had the same EXACT power button issue. APPLE FIX THIS !

I have had the same issue. I have called Apple Care a bunch of times to report the same issue. Even though, I can prove without a shadow of a doubt that the problem occured while my phone was still under the warranty, Apple will NOT honor THEIR manufacturing defect. I am now stuck with a substandard camera (purple splotch on every single picture) unless I choose to spend 260+ dollars to replace the phone. What kind of service is this Apple? Why don't you fix your camera issues? If this issue is so rare, why isn't it recognized as a malfunction? The phone should be replaced at NO QUESTIONS ASKED due to Apple's manufacturing defect. I am so angry that Apple is not standing by their product.

I have had the same issue. I have called Apple Care a bunch of times to report the same issue. Even though, I can prove without a shadow of a doubt that the problem occurred while my phone was still under the warranty, Apple will NOT honor THEIR manufacturing defect. I am now stuck with a substandard camera (purple splotch on every single picture) unless I choose to spend 260+ dollars to replace the phone. What kind of service is this Apple? Why don't you fix your camera issues? If this issue is so rare, why isn't it recognized as a malfunction? The phone should be replaced at NO QUESTIONS ASKED due to Apple's manufacturing defect. I am so angry that Apple is not standing by their product.

My iPhone 5 suddenly has 2 orb spots and 3 purple spots. Lens is perfect on the outside. My phone has never been dropped and I am super careful with it. This is my very first iPhone I have ever owned and to have this happen is very upsetting. It is out of warrantly so it would cost me $270 for them to give me a replacement phone.

This problem is not a user issue. This is a defect in their manufacturing and they should be standing behind their product since this seems to be a common problem.

Not happy at all

I've just been to a third party repair service to get my broken iPhone 5 power button fixed, and I mentioned them this purple dot issue (hoping that if I'm already here, they could fix this too). The expert cleaned it out in 2 minutes, like it was nothing, they didn't even charge me for that. It must've been some particle stuck under the protective glass. It's still a question what is causing this to many people, but if anything, I can tell you that a professional can get rid of it in no time. Thankfully we have these great third party repair services who can always help when Apple won't.

Update to my previous post: I don't know how, but somehow the problem is still present, I was wrong... :grrrr

It seems it is more serious than I thought... Now this is the time when i'm out of ideas. I won't get the whole camera lens get swapped just because of this... Seems like I have to live with it... :(

Well good news for those in Australia. Faultiness such as the camera spots are covered under the Australian consumer law.

Went in today to apple, showed him the phone and swapped one out straight away. And under warranty status: Consumer Law (W)

I am facing the same issue with my iphone 5.

My phone is out of warranty will apple solve this issue.

I've got the same exact purple specks in different locations. Just appeared today. My iPhone 5 is 17 months old, Genius Bar said it's dead pixels and they could replace it for $270! I said thanks but no thanks. I'm eligible for an early upgrade in May with AT&T so will just deal with it then or just wait for the next iPhone in September.

Hi Guys,

I recently went into the Apple store with this exact problem.

Genius: Oh yeah I see it ....... I'm sorry sir we don't repair the part. So wait here why I get you a new iPhone.

Me: Score! (On the Inside)

They replaced the phone on the spot. So very happy with the service.

But after reading lots of posts it all depends on who feel exicted that day. Good luck guys!

iiToby

But was your iPhone still under the 1 year manufacturer warranty or did you have AppleCare?

I too had several purple specs in my photos. They are caused by very small dust particles that have gotten dislodged in the actual camera lens which means there is no way to even blow the dust off the lens. The only solution, aside from spending $270 on a replacement phone, is to buy a replacement camera on Amazon for like $15 and then do the replacement yourself, like I did!

There are plenty of great tutorials on YouTube that show you how to properly replace the camera on your iPhones. I replaced mine on my iPhone 5 and it took me an hour to do. I had to purchase a special tool kit as well that let me use the tools needed to do what I needed to do with an iPhone but the tool only costs like $12 as well so it's still worth it.

I'm now holding a perfectly working iPhone 5 with a new camera lens that works perfects so I couldn't be happier having done the repair myself!

My wife has the exact same problem. She had a third part tech fix the top button issue and asked him about the camera. He tried 2 replacement cameras that had the same problem. He is ordering another thinking he got 2 bad cameras... that certainly doesn't seem very likely, but I guess we'll see. I'm concerned replacing the camera won't fix. It will cost my wife $45 to fix the camera. It was $50 for the buttons. Not so bad if it takes care of the problems.