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Proximity Sensor Presents Latest iPhone 4 Issue
tekgoblin sends news of the latest iPhone 4 glitch being reported in user forums and elsewhere: the phone's proximity sensor seems not to be detecting nearby faces, as it is designed to do, in order to deactivate the screen during a call. The result is often unintended input. "On the iPhone 3GS, the proximity sensor was located to the left of the earpiece speaker. But that space on iPhone 4 is now occupied by the front-facing camera, and the proximity sensor is above the earpiece. What's not clear is whether the iPhone 4 screen's misbehavior is due to the new location of the sensor, or it's because Apple tweaked the sensor's responses in [some] way."
Add this latest story to the antenna issue, and it's looking like Apple shipped a rotten one. You can't have a big win every time without some risk of losing once in a while. Be glad if you're holding on to an iPhone 3G(s) from last year... you got most of the good features from the new operating system while the new hardware doesn't seem ready for prime time. Give them a year to fix the problems, and we'll wait for the iPhone 4G...
Looks like kdawson is a week behind.
You know, it sounds like most of these problems would have been figured out if people had tested them in the field for a few weeks before sending them to the factory. But Apple's causing people to commit suicide for losing a prototype, aggressive legal action, etc., suggests that they depend on heavy marketing and legal scare tactics rather than good engineering practices to sell a product.
Soon it will be "Wait until they release the first service pack before you use it," or "Wait until they revise the hardware at least twice before buying it." ... Sigh.
#fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
... against your face wrong...
First winter rain-
even the monkey
seems to want a raincoat.
-Basho
The antenna issue hasn't bothered me a bit. But this problem affects me every day. Since I got my iPhone, I haven't had one day where at least one call wasn't accidentally disconnected, muted, or interrupted by touchtones as my ear hit various buttons on the keypad. There are a couple of workarounds (use the earphones, or lock the keyboard), but those take time to establish at the beginning of the call.
My bet is that this can be fixed with a simple software update, but I really don't see how Apple could possibly not have found this issue in their testing. Some reports I've seen suggest that the problem goes away if you put it in a case of some sort, so maybe Apple only tested it with those silly cases that made it look like a 3G when they sent it out in the wild for testing, and the case kept it from having the problem.
And it seems to me that they could combine the proximity sensor input with the accelerometer and gyroscope inputs. When you hold the phone within a certain range of angles AND the proximity sensor reads X, then turn off the touchscreen.
With all these issues with the Iphone I would not be surprised if Apple completely recalls the phone and just gives everyone a new phone.
http://www.thetechnologygeek.org
what iPhone 4 should have been.
Will Apple offer a free iPhone 5 for those who bought, and became gamma crash test monkeys during the iPhone 4 debacle?
Will the Verison iPhone CDMA be the iPhone 5?
With all the class action suites running about, Apple Board should muzzel Jobs ... loose lips sink ships!
This was another case where the industrial designers beat the engineers. The engineers wanted a proximity sensor that responded to faces. The industrial designers wanted a proximity detector that responded to beautiful, serene, or uncharacteristically creative faces... No problems were encountered during testing.
I think I have had enough of Apple at this point. I can guarantee that I will jump ship to HTC's EVO phone by December this year.
Now let's wait for the Apple fanboys who will see no wrong on Apple's part.
Never be an early adopter. Wait for iPhone 5, release 2.
...and here's why: -
When it come to the iPhone, folks at Apple haven't told us how not to hold it wrong...so let's wait for Steve's instructions.
I now have an iPhone 4. Before that, I was a 3GS user. Before that, Palm Centro, Treo 680, and Treo 650.
All I can say is that I have absolutely no complaints. Phone gives better audio quality and apparently better signal strength than my 3GS, which also rarely dropped calls and generally had little trouble accessing the 'net even though I live in NYC and supposedly ought not to have even been able to place a call, period.
I haven't had any issues with the proximity sensor, any issues with signal loss/degredation, etc. No yellow spots, beautiful screen. The device works better than just about any other electronics device (save the 3GS) that I've bought in the last few years. It seems to me that people hold Apple to impossibly high standards compared to other electronics vendors. Few devices or even major computer items (printers, laptops, monitors) I've bought over the last few years have been defect free. Every single one of them has had issues. Many I've exchanged several times trying to get a "good one" (for example, Kensington Expert Mouse with misaligned laser so that motion isn't properly detected, or AOC LCD monitor with control panel buttons that don't register presses).
People only get into "OMIGODSCANDAL" mode when it's Apple for some reason.
I'm happy to say that the two Apple devices I've bought (iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4) have satisfied me enough that I'm seriously thinking of getting an iPad (despite previously thinking I wouldn't) and making my next computer a Mac rather than a Thinkpad.
STOP . AMERICA . NOW
but then, I'm a lefty. Maybe we southpaws take a hit on reception, but get a bonus on the proximity issue.
Mark me as redundant, but haven't people learned already that first-gen Apple products are suspect to major flaws? (Even though iteration-wise, this is the 4th iteration of the iPhone, of course, realistically this is a Apple product with brand new hardware and design, akin to going from the PPC Powerbooks to the Intel Macbooks).
I can't help but to think that this bug has more to do with dropped calls than the antenna- Screen doesn't go off, so your face hits "End" ... I can see how people would see that as a drop.
Is there any other product ever released that was more scrutinized than the iPhone 4? Unless it grants wishes, Apple should forgo any more product releases.
The Admin and the Engineer
I've got an HTC Desire and it too has a problem with your ear pressing on-screen buttons during calls.
The screen can also be too sensitive to skin touches. So, for example, when the phone is in my jeans pocket, it responds to the skin of my thigh through the pocket lining. I've had to resort to the "drag your finger in a certain pattern" unlock mode to prevent the phone from making calls while it's in my pocket.
I dub this new iPhone as the iPhone Vista!
You need to use your right foot, so the antenna can get a signal and the sensor can pick you up
When ever I think of Jobs "hold it differently" argument I see someone holding a pistol that shoots backwards and a great PR agent...
People want their iPhones...
"Don't get so close to your phone then!"
It's been less than 2 weeks since launch, and you're calling for a class action suit? You do know that both Apple and AT&T have refund policies?
Is it normal to call for a class action suit when there's an easy recourse already provided?
You do also realise that this is all cooked up hysteria, and whatever minor issues there may be are blown out of proportion by trolls and low grade 'journalists' for your clicks?
Again - less than 2 weeks have passed. Do you not feel silly making such grand accusations?
Caveat: I have just switched to a MacBook Pro after years of windows and linux. I love it.
My impression is that this is the most advanced, subtle device on the market and they just dropped it into the hands of a million people. Can you imagine this sort of thing not happening? On the other hand there seems to be a major difference from past iPhone versions.
It sounds like an interesting issue that could combine subtle aspects of different sensor device, position, electromagnetic environment, head geometry, hair, limb length, complexion, reflections, software algorithms / settings, etc.
Maybe they have bad hardware, but more likely they have added even more subtle controls which work great for exactly the same type of people as their employees, down to their hair styles and awareness of how to hold the phone optimally. It isn't really strange that there is an optimal way to hold the phone. The problem seems to be that users are not shown what the device is thinking, nor given a way to tweak it subtly to better match their physical / mental / usage characteristics.
It might be useful for Apple to make an app that will record a log and let the user see what happens when a call is dropped or other function is started mistakenly while on the phone. It certainly may be possible that the size makes it easier for people to touch their cheek to the phone, or cover the sensor with a finger or maybe hair or jewelry. But right now there are no posts showing what the camera sees, or how to unfailing reproduce the problem.
It's a feature not a bug, my 1st gen iPhone did this.
6.8SPC TR of 550, l xwind at 6, drift rt at 26" drops 77". AT has 503 ft-lbs at 1403 fps. FT 0.86
I have seen it written somewhere that the proximity sensor issue affects only those who did a "restore from backup" to transfer their settings from an older phone. I can't verify this beyond stating that, having read this, I activated as a new phone, the transferred settings manually. I have had no proximity sensor problems. Now before I get jumped on for defending Apple, let me just say that, yes, this is a problem, and they should sort it asap. But I figured I'd share a potential workaround in case it helps someone.
I got my iPhone 4 last Thursday. I am left-handed and have had no dropped calls or reduction in signal strength. I have no case or bumper (the case is due to arrive in the mail this week). Quite the contrary, this iPhone gets much better reception than my previous iPhones. I haven't had any problems with the proximity sensor. Everything works as advertised, and I'm extremely happy with it. Being an iPhone owner since Day 1 of the first model, this is the first time I can say I am completely, 100% satisfied, and have no lingering thoughts of "I wish Apple had done 'x' or 'y'..."
Am I just lucky and got the only iPhone 4 that shipped with no defects? Or are people blowing these issues out of proportion?
:q!
Its sounding more and more like the new iphone is a mini ipad, not a phone at all. I've never figured it out myself. I'm old school I guess, I use my phone to make phone calls, and its all I do with it. I want it small, lightweight, good battery life and good reception. I kept my nokia for 5 years and going on 4 years with my moto. Both satisfied the reqmt. Meanwhile a friend of mine has an iphone and she hits mute somehow almost every conversation. Really I don't know how she stands it, but I guess being cool has costs.
do basic research and exercise good judgment before throwing their money at Apple like lemmings over a cliff?
It isn't the purpose of the legal system to protect consumers from their own idiocy.
this post was written and uploaded by the user while they held the new iPhone 4 to their head during a phone call.
Who put you in charge of iPhone R&D?
What is clear is that this looks more like a software issue... whereas the antenna issue looks like hardware, not the software issue Apple hopes we'll believe.
Cross out 3g from that. My 3g with the measly 128MB of RAM (compared to 256 and 512 on 3GS and iPhone 4 respectively) runs extremely slow after update to iOS4.
I've seen that and it is slower.
But you do get something more than just folders, you also get all of the frameworks for iOS4. That gives developers a ton more control over things like audio and video and the camera, which you'll benefit from somewhat (though with the 3G camera not having autofocus, only marginally). iOS4 is I think a release Apple is going to push for hard as the new baseline for iPhone development.
Still, if it's too slow you might want to consider jailbreaking through which possibly you could get some speed boost. But really consider the iPhone - it's not at all bad as these stories are making out, it's actually a really great phone (and not just smartphone).
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Because its only Apple who seems to think that their products are flawless.
All products have some flaws, Apple knows that and users of Apple products know that.
But by and large Apple does products with fewer annoying flaws. In practical use, on the new phone the signal drop thing I've only seen happen once - when I was trying to make it happen. And I've had exactly one dropped call.
It's only Apple Haters it seems, who think that Apple users are arrogant about the products they own. Apple users simply like the products they use, what is wrong with that? It would seem plenty from the way every single potentially negative issue is jumped upon and proclaimed to be a disaster of the 1st magnitude.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Is there anything actually incorrect about my post or do you just not like it.
Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Except for one thing: people are demonstrating the signal-loss thing holding the phone in their hands.
I personally think that problem has more to do with the front-facing camera. The phone probably sees these people and decides they're not good looking enough to call anyone. I mean, have you seen some of the antenna complainers?
The CB App. What's your 20?
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Its the iPhone ME - maybe its stands for Magical Excrement.
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
Another reason why people should never queue up to buy a product before it has been thoroughly tested by consumer groups. Perpetuates this culture of mindless consuming based on ads and promises. To the people who bought it early: Serves you right.
jboots are slower after the patch.
this seems to be an issue with ios4 (happens on 3gs also) to do with importing from old phone sensor settings on restore...
after some searching found that
the fix was to go into settings/general/reset all/ then it recalibrated the sensor....
have had zero issues since
locked out of this slashdot account for 10+ years... Im back
I noticed a change in the behavior of the proximity sensor on the 3G after updating to iOS4.
Let's say I enter the phone app to place a call. When the call ends the phone app comes back up, but the proximity sensor is still active (although I'm not in a call anymore).
If I exit the phone app the proximity sensor deactivates.
Yeah, if you email AT&T's CEO you'll get a nice friendly cease and desist warning.
Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
That's all that matters. Like a Gucci bag, even a fake is good enough!
"And don't blame the equipment. The equipment is good. It's ACME equipment!"
i have the same issue with the motorola droid.
the proximity sensor will frequently not work well enough or something, and the screen activates.
accidental input, indeed! this typically results in accidentally muting the mic. this, in turn, results in the person on the other line saying "hello? hello? are you there?" and eventually hanging up on you as you frantically try to unmute in time.
i've had to train my friends and family to wait a few moments for me to unmute if i seem to stop talking before hanging up.
i've considered the possibility that my phone's defective, or maybe i hold the phone in a goofy way.
however, some other friends with droids mention that this happens to them sometimes, too.
argh.
Here's a list of problems that some users of the Nexus One Android phone have. How about the next slashdot post about the iPhone 4 comes when the iPhone 4 list is as long? Or alternatively let's have a slashdot article every time there is a fault with a model of Android phones.*
1) 3G connectivity issue
2) Touch Screen unresponsiveness/sensing incorrect input
3) unresponsive trackball
4) WIFI connectivity issue
5) Lock button response issue
6) Proximity sensor sensitivity issue
7) Ambient light sensor issue
8)bluetooth issues: fails to operate; inadequate volume; intermittent failure to accept commands
9) speaker: horrible sound quality
10) ringer: insufficient volume
11) earpiece: insufficient volume
12) headset connector: headphones cord activates pause or other functions
13) manufacturer says phone cannot go in pocket
14) Phone mutes when calling people and can only be unmuted by turning mute on then off!
15) missed call notification trackball does not flash
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=46d6055a9bf54c60&hl=en
* (No of course not. Not really. That would require Slashdot submitters and editors to be "fair and balanced". That's not going to happen. This is essentially a Linux lovers blog.)
Well, I am in the same boat. After spending 10 years here, I can't moderate anymore just because I decided not to join Apple circle jerk. And I know few others too.
My guess is that Slashdot does keep an eye on this, but it's mainly Taco and his bois using their infinite mod points to mod down anybody against apple to oblivion. This is getting so ridiculous that /. is not far from being fark.com.
That's what you get for being a fanboi. SUCK IT UP, you sucker!
I didn't notice the problem at first. The phone also has lots of issues with Bluetooth, so I got fed up once and tried holding it and using it the "normal" way while shopping and the face sensor was clearly malfunctioning compared with my previous iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G. I simply couldn't hold a conversation. In the time I was shopping, it hung up on my brother, muted me (more than once), went to the number pad and started punching numbers (more than once), tried to add another call and ended up editing a contact... It was completely unusable. I exchanged it. I only briefly used the replacement that way and assumed that it was working better than the first, but I haven't actually tried to use it the "normal" way for an entire conversation. I have always used case that covers the antenna band.
Its only Apple who takes design over practicality.
I've found it the exact opposite, and every interview with Jonathon Ive that I've come across indicates he at least feels the opposite of your statement. I'm guessing he's not the only one at Apple either:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0fe800C2CU
And I'm not quite sure that the word "design" means what you think it means:
http://www.objectifiedfilm.com/objectified-trailer/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sdb8x
http://bettertastethansorry.com/2010/06/the-genius-of-design/
The appearance of a phone and the practical usefulness (stuff that has no hick-ups for basic phone functionality) are two qualities. Apple has made statements in fashionably designed electronic consumer products, but they have a track record in putting stuff on the market that after the hype seems to lack, and does contradict the company's promise to deliver products that "just work". Apple doesn't seem to care enough about producing predictable quality products during their manufacture. Maybe everyone has become bleeding edge geeks. To me I rather have an unfashionable phone than a awesome 3d sculpture that doesn't deliver the promise, and especially not from a company that lies when it says "it just works". Apple historically has produced many products which were fashionable looking but suffering all kinds of problems. For computers the biggest problem is heat, so why is it possible for Apple to mass produce integrated system which doesn't seem designed to really solve heat issues (cube, etc)? And one of the biggest problems of phones is signal strength, so how does it comes Apple designes products that have so much problems with it? Maybe we buy because we are just so bored to death by the ugly designs of the stuff of other manufacturers who deliver on basic quality?
Apple push their stuff a LOT harder on /.
Therefore why is it only allowed to push 100 articles about how Apple is great, but NOT OK to publish 100 about Apple being crap? As long as when it's saying they're great, it's right, and when it's saying they're crap, that's right too.
PS you can use a different android phone. You can't use a different Apple iPhone, they only make one.
I think not. From all the complains about dropped calls I read here, I think the real culprit with iPhone dropping calls in the US is AT&T.
I don't live in the US and I never had a dropped call with my iPhone 3GS in the past full year when I am stationary (i.e. calls only drop if I was traveling and moved into an area with no coverage, I don't think any phone can avoid dropping the call in that case).
Oliver.
I find it mildly interesting that no matter what the press says, no matter how many pro-android, anti-apple stories are written...millions still get sold and continue to be sold.
First of all, Linux and Windows are worlds apart in terms of flexibility. Windows and OSX are also worlds apart.
Linux distros are fully modular. Linux can even be recompiled to run on different CPU architectures by an end user, making it capable of running on anything from a low-end PDA to a supercomputer. If there is some problem with hardware support, there's nothing stopping the hardware manufacturer or yourself from coding it in, or modifying an existing component of the OS if necessary.
Now you can't do any of that recompiling stuff with Windows and modifications to the OS are limited, but you can write your own drivers with a free closed-source SDK from Microsoft, and they actively encourage companies to do so.
From what I've seen even running OSX on non-Apple-issued hardware (which is not supported) is a huge PITA and Apple's lawyers actively discourage you from doing it.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
I cannot reproduce the signal-loss issue. I am plagued by the proximity sensor issue. And just an FYI- after the phone hangs up, it takes you back to your contacts; if the call is dropped, it tells you "call failed" and gives you a redial button.
I hear "It's not the sensor it's ATT, lolz!!1" all the time from people who don't use iphones but feel the need to comment on them.
So let's be clear about this: I can tell the difference between a dropped call and a call that has been ended inadvertently.
Don't take this as a personal attack, since I'm addressing all of /.
-b
No offense, but I've stopped responding to AC's.
I find it a bit difficult to believe that the sensitivity of the proximity sensor can't be adjusted via a firmware update. Now, maybe I'm wrong on this and some armchair expert (or, and preferably, a real one) could chime in with some real insight, but at this point I know not to read without skepticism any post or article about iPhone 4 issues, whether from Apple PR, anti-Apple PR, or independent sources.
--- What?
"Wait for the iPhone 4.1"...
I have an iPhone 3G. I updated my iPhone to iOS 4. Now I have the same proximity sensor issue; I was on a conference call the other day and kept hearing a beep before I realized that my face was pressing the "3" on the keypad. I had to hold the phone like Steve does in order to make it stop ;-).
Don't underestimate the power of The Source
...get too big for his britches? So they're selling products too close to the R&D dept. because competitors are closing the distance on existing products. This has certainly never happened before...
Two of my imaginary friends reproduced once
So much for the great Jonathan Ive, designer of the Apple Iphone. Maybe they'll be embarrassed of him and take his videos down.
I think I mean Apple was downright flawless in the execution of all of its fanbase that were upgrading their iPhone 3G to iOS4, their forums are full of nice fanboyism like: 'It took me 4 1/2 hours to backup 14 GIGs of data on my iPhone... I say stop using floppies!'
or also
'I'm stuck in an infinite restore loop in order to recover all my data... I say who cares about history anyway? Start anew, wipe everything clean, it's going to be marginally faster, not really ? Ah well, too bad so sad, you should have sticked with the previous OS version.'
'I want to downgrade to OS 3.x... I say look to the future, we just released a brand new iPhone 4 that will make your 3G phone look like it's crawling out of the pleistocene.
'I'm stuck in a 3 years contract with 24 months to go, no upgrade option other than paying Apple 500$ over product cost and a 3G phone that is useless... I say it's a free market out there but thanks to the walled garden you have imprisoned yourself into by buying apps and music there is no way in hell you can get out of it without loosing it all.
Think different, that's an order !
When you hit End Call the screen will read "Call Ended" for a short period of time afterward. When the call drops it will rather read "Call Failed" and it will also have a "Call Back" button at the bottom of the screen.
LOL I'm a troll because Apple fucked me over and made me drive to the mall twice?? A mall that's 12 miles from my house. THEY'RE the fucking trolls, as well as the person who modded me.
It's unbelievable how Apple gets as defensive as a kid when it comes to problems with their products. Instead of fixing them, they claim we're using it wrong.
Did you hear the latest attempt by Apple to piss of their customers? Instead of giving the iPhone 4 better reception, they're going to make it show less bars!! LOL... and the proximity sensor.... they're ignoring it.