Existing users, 
Apple speaks on iPhone volume, battery, display, camera issues
Posted 2 August 2007 @ 5pm in Troubleshooting
Apple has updated Knowledge Base article #305689, addressing many of the issues experienced by iPhone owners thus far. Of particular note:
- Sound from receiver is muffled or too low “Make sure the receiver is over your ear. Move it around until it is in a spot that produces the clearest sound.” [This issue may be resolved by iPhone update 1.0.1 for some users.]
- Low microphone volume “If you are using a third-party iPhone case, make sure it is not covering the microphone. Try making some calls without the case to see if a caller can now hear you more clearly.”
- Display image issues “This can include white screen, bright or dark pixels, lines in video, or sections of video missing. […] Turn iPhone off and turn it on again.” [See our coverage of display brightness issues]
- No cell signal strength anywhere “Check to make sure you’re in an area with network coverage.”
- Battery life seems short “If you are charging using your computer, don’t connect iPhone to your keyboard.” [See our coverage: 1, 2]
- No sound through stereo headset “Unplug and reconnect the headset. Make sure the connector is pushed in all the way.”
Feedback? info@iphoneatlas.com.
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7 Comments
Posted by realpicturesny
3 August 2007 @ 7am
Am I the only person who feels insulted by the quality of this “information†mighty Apple has chosen to impart to us here? Make sure the headphone jack is plugged in? Really? Make sure the speaker is positioned over your ear? D’oh! Turn the phone on and off again to fix screen problems? Don’t connect the iPhone to a USB1 port? No signal strength? Make sure you’re in an area that has coverage… You think? Why didn’t I think of that? They have got to be kidding. What about addressing some of the real problems — such as the ringer being WAY too low and the speakerphone being practically unusable due to its pathetically low volume — just to name two obvious ones that EVERYONE I know who has an iPhone complains about? This advisory is a joke and IMO, shows Apple’s contempt for its customers.
Posted by daniel4510_dotmac
3 August 2007 @ 11pm
I couldn’t agree more. Ludicrous. My Samsung’s volume (with Sprint) is so loud I have to turn it DOWN to hear people adequately or hold it AWAY from my ear, rather than “position” it just so. And I certainly agree about the ringer volume issue. Only the “old phone” ringer or whatever it’s called comes close to being noticeable if the phone is in the next room.
And I really get a kick out of these people who can’t connect to their iPhone to wi-fi at home. What would you WANT to? You most likely have a desktop unit or a laptop. What I’m concerned about is why I can’t connect to 99% of the free hotspots in my town. Oh, sure. Apple suggests changing the router configuration. I’m SURE this or that coffee shop or bar and grill is going to let me into their back room to change their router configuration. Give me a break.
“No cell signal strength anwhere.” AT&T: The fewest dropped calls than any other network. Well, yeah…that’s because no one can reach you to begin with.
Posted by daniel4510_dotmac
4 August 2007 @ 12am
And I just gotta add, after reading Apple’s support page:
“Avoiding Hearing Damage
Permanent hearing loss may occur if the receiver, earbuds, headphones, speakerphone, or earpieces are used at high volume. Set the volume to a safe level.”
HA! The only hearing damage I’ll get is by pressing the phone so hard against my head to hear a caller that the iPhone comes out my other ear.
Posted by Pascal Lessard
4 August 2007 @ 4am
realpicturesny : if you read manuals, you’d have noticed that these troubleshooting tips are of standard nature. I bought a new fridge recently. In the troubleshooting page, I could read : if the fridge isn’t working : a) make sure the main switch inside is at the “on” position b) make sure the fridge is plugged in c) make sure there is electricity to the outlet by testing with a lamp that is known to work. As you can see, “mighty Apple” as you say just went with the same level of tips as “mighty Whirlpool”…
I’ve done tech support and I’d say that 90 % of the problems can be solved with these basic-level hints. It is very impressive. I’d say that when things don’t work as expected, people tend to panic and stop thinking. OTOH, some people never seem to use their cerebral appendix too : “basic first” is most definitely the way to go ! So these tips are not pedantic, they are needed.
I’d say that if your iPhone sound level seems too low after following these tips, no written tips can help : you must talk to an Apple rep so that the company becomes aware of the problem (to either issue a software update that will bring the sound level to an acceptable level to the majority of the users, or exchange the unit because maybe the problem is hardware…)
Posted by jimplante1
4 August 2007 @ 5am
Agree with Pascal Lessard. These instructions have to be written to the lowest common denominator.
I had a brother-in-law who did tech support for businesses. He got called out one Sunday afternoon to a client 100 miles distant. He walked in, picked up a check for $500 before he began his service call (minimum charge for weekend service.) He plugged in the computer, booted it, and left. Someone had simply kicked the cord out of the wall. (The customer did call his boss the following Monday crying about the charge, and was told, “Tough s**t!” in a polite sort of way.
The lowest common denominator of computer science seems to be somewhere below “plumb stupid.” Apple did good, and probably saved at least a few service calls to tech support. Not all, though. Some idiots will read those instructions, fail to follow them, and then blame Apple.
Posted by golf25radioman
4 August 2007 @ 6pm
My wife used to be a network troubleshooter and asking the caller to make sure the item in question was plugged in was #1 thing to do, as basic as it sounds it is necessary. FYI…
As for the performance of my iPhone, I can’t say I have any complaints so far. I was having trouble accessing my Airport but that was fixed when I replaced the router (intended to replace if before getting the iPhone). I’m not a heavy user of a cell phone, but for my purposes I’m very satisfied. The ringer volume is sufficient for me, don’t know if I’ve ever tried to listen for my cell in another room before though.
Posted by Bern Shanfield_1
15 August 2007 @ 8pm
To be offended by the input of a fool is to place oneself in a position of even greater foolishness…
If Apple is being stupid then fine, give them that feedback, let them correct and move on. There is no need to get in a twist unless you get something out of being twisted…
My tech support experience leave me in total agreement Pascal, jimplante1, and golf25radioman. I’m continually astonished by how often the MOST basic things are ignored, then I have to wonder what am I astonished about, how many times do I have to see the same pattern before I realize that just the way it is with us silly folks… At the slightest threat our thinking seizes up and some version of kill or be killed gushes gentlemenly from our pens or mouths.
I dreadingly can’t wait to see how we handle even greater technology given how well we’re doing with what we got… Small wonder Roddenberry came up with the prime directive.